Skryim 1.6.1170 installation effort: Q: should I wait to install SMIM until most of my foundational mod list has been installed?

[anjenthedog]

As I recall, I had to futz with load order contentions a whole lot in 1.5.97, specifically to address SMIM load order contentions, since SMIM always wanted to overwrite everything else, even though in allowing that, most mods which altered the visuals would therefore be moot additions, since their contributions would otherwise be overwritten. (I always had to make sure SMIM was overwritten by mods that changed visible resources)

Is there a good reason not to hold off?

I think it would save time to wait, at least for an entirely new "build", but I'm also not entirely sure that's a sound presumption. I'm not really an expert at the whole visual environment overwrite game, just a creative muddler.

What say you?

Edit: to be perfectly frank, I install this mod (Static Mesh Improvement Mod 2.08)  quite blindly, without any real understanding of it (or apparently, all the other SMIM mods), but my vague understanding is that it's supposed to "make da stuff bedder" (serious, I'm brilliant about some things, but as dumb as a pile of rocks on others like this, where I have no "grok" about it)

[radiusrsatti]

SMIM does make stuff better, but I view it as an entry level upgrade for meshes, like USSEP for records and scripts... better than original, not quite as good as mods dedicated to certain objects... it's top of the order, overwritten by everything else, for me

[anjenthedog]

Good

1st load order confirmation,

Thanks.

Anyone else?

[7531Leonidas]

In Vortex, its built-in LOOT defines it as an 'early loader', so I would say that it is okay to go ahead and install.