Player in need of guidance & advice...

[Ra1v1n]

I have logged hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of hours playing TES, from Morrowind to Skyrim, and have decided to get back into modding. My problems are multiple: it's been 10 years & Many brain cells (may they rest in peace) since I last modded and I'm currently playing Skyrim LE. I have downloaded & installed NMM & the CK; where do I go from here? I'm confused about which mods are compatible with my game; those intended for basic Skyrim or those for SE? Or am I just hosed because I'm playing LE? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help provided. ;)

[Urtho]

Are you trying to make mods or use mods in your game? You mention both the LE as well as downloading the CK so it's a bit unclear, if trying to make mods be advised that the CK you use to mod the SE version of the game is NOT the original CK you download from Steam for the LE, you have to get the new CK from the Bethesda launcher/installer program they have available for download on their website.

 

Classic mods generally do not work on the SE version of the game unless the mod author has properly ported the mod to the new game version. There are some exceptions for specific mod types such as texture mods that work without issue I believe but generally speaking do not attempt to use a mod in the SE version if it hasn't been properly converted. Best case scenario the mod just won't work in your game, worst case it can lead to crashes, instability or more subtle errors that don't show up immediately but could be game breaking 40 hours into your new game. Also any mods requiring SKSE or the MCM system cannot be ported/used for now as SKSE itself (which MCM requires) has not been updated to the SE version of the game at this time.

 

There are currently many fewer mods available for the SE than the original version of the game due the above issues, which version you decide to play is up to you and your specific mod requirements. If everything you need has been ported, play SE as it has far fewer crash issues than the classic game and generally runs much smoother for most people. If there are lots of mods you need to have in your game that aren't available for SE for one of the above reasons, you have a decision to make.