Skyrim Modding 101: 7 things you absolutely need to know for a stable modded playthrough

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a curious case when it comes to PC games. It sees a huge playerbase more than 10 years after its initial release. The lively modding community continues to develop and release groundbreaking mods.

Last year saw huge progress in terms of animation mods for Skyrim Special Edition, which has propelled the decade-old game’s third-person combat at par with any modern AAA action title. Visuals are also naturally a big draw for gamers who are willing to add some oomph to the dated graphics of the unmodded game.

However, anyone jumping for the first time into the world of Skyrim modding is bound to be flustered by the sheer complexity of the various concepts and intricacies of different mods. This article will cover the very foundations of this process and hopefully give players a footstone so that, down the line, they can rock an ultra-modded, yet stable mod list.

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7 Tips for a stable modded playthrough of Skyrim

Legendary Edition is a thing of past

Bethesda released Skyrim Special Edition in 2016 - which was not only a decent visual makeover of the erstwhile Legendary Edition but also an all-around improvement in terms of engine stability among other technical things. Standing in 2022, many contemporary mod authors are publishing their mods exclusively for the Special Edition. Also, the Special Edition is much more stable with mods.

In this context, keep in mind, the paid Anniversary Edition upgrade is only a couple of Bethesda-approved mods sprinkled on top of Special Edition, and is not, at all, necessary to mod the game yourself. If you have the Anniversary Edition upgrade, it’s best to downgrade to the previous version - as a few key mods like .NET Script Framework etc. are yet to be available for the Anniversary Edition.

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1) Don’t install Skyrim Special Edition into Program Files and other UAC directories

Installing Skyrim into Program Files in any of your drives, or your Documents, Downloads, Desktop, or OneDrive folders is never a good idea as Windows disrupts the working of mods due to User Account Control. This holds true for all the games that you are looking to mod.

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2) Choose a Modern Mod Manager

Choosing a modern mod manager like Mod Organizer 2 or Vortex is paramount to having a stable mod list. Especially with Mod Organizer 2, you can have much more granular control over your mods and swap around mods and other tools conveniently. Nexus Mod Manager is a relic of the past and should be avoided at all costs.

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3) Install a stable base of bugfixes and other essential mods

Bethesda is infamous for releasing buggy releases and waiting for mods to fix them. Skyrim Special Edition is no exception in that regard. It is good practice to install popular bug-fixing mods in order to have a neat playing experience.

Other more substantial mods often have dependencies on many of these foundational bug-fixing mods, with SSE Engine Fixes, Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE), and Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch (USSEP) being among the top mods in this regard.

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4) Learn tools like LOOT and xEdit at a basic level

As your mod list grows, it is important to sort the plugins with automatic load order sorting tools like LOOT. This makes sure the game loads the mods in a somewhat correct order so that everything works as intended.

Down the line, learning the basic functionalities of xEdit (SSEEdit in the case of Skyrim Special Edition) is a really excellent step towards ensuring fewer conflicts between your mods, and making conflict-resolution patches in case the need arises.

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5) Read mod description pages carefully

An example of a mod description page specifying various compatibility issues (Image via Nexusmods)

It is always good practice to read the description page of any mod minutely. Often, the mod author mentions special instructions for the installation process, compatibility issues, or patches for other mods that you need to grab in order to have a conflict-free stable mod list.

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6) Do not uninstall or update mods in the middle of a playthrough

Uninstalling a mod mid-playthrough is a big no-no, as it very frequently results in a corrupted save game. In the same vein, updating a mod should also be done with caution in the middle of a playthrough. Mod authors generally mention whether you require a new savegame for a particular mod update.

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7) Consider using Wabbajack

Wabbajack is essentially an automated installer for curated mod lists. It is a great free service for anyone who does not want to go through the week-long meticulous process of designing their long mod list.

Wabbajack has various Skyrim Special Edition mod lists catering to various gameplay, visuals, and performance needs. This allows you to spend more of your time playing the game rather than building your dream mod list.