My Load Order: Which Plugins Can I merge?

[thunderclam]

Hi there. I have gotten to the point where I've had to start learning to use Merge Plugins to keep below the 255 limit. I am mediocre with xEdit so I haven't tried to use it to create merged patches or resolve conflicts. I've mostly resorted to adjusting my load order for conflict resolution and as yet I haven't had to drop any mods with 100 or so hours played across two characters.

 

What I'm finding is that there's a lack of specificity with regard to merging plugins, but there are an awful lot of FO4 mods that have interactions with mods and frameworks like VIS, Radrose, AWKCR, and Armorsmith Extended. This means that a simple weapon mod like Alien Assault Rifle or Gatling Rifle can involve 3 or more plugins. There are some general recommendations about merging like with like, but also to avoid navmeshes, .ba2, and leveled list-affecting mods. So far I've been able to successfully use Merge Plugins to get a few armor mods together where their .esp already had AWKCR built in or used the Chem Lab. None of these mods affect the Leveled List. What I'm wondering, though, is whether or not it's recommended to merge, say, all my AWKCR weapons/armor patches into one patch. Or the many Radrose-VIS patches I'm rocking. Is this safe to do? I checked the Radrose stuff out in FO4edit and none of the patches made changes to leveled lists, navmeshes, quests, scripts, etc so it seems safe to me, though a few of these patches are patching mods with errors (like Usable Cigarettes) and I'm leery about merging them.

 

Here's my load order: https://pastebin.com/raw/upNcTPFW

 

You can see in there where I have created three merged patches, one that merges two Weightless Ammo mods, another for the armor I mentioned, and a third for the Lots More series of hair and facial hair mods.

 

I've checked out Crimsomrider's guide, STEP guides on merging via xEdit, and many posts on Steam, reddit, and here (served up by google) and haven't quite had this fully demystified. Gamerpoet's video was the most helpful resource, but even he only gave a few examples of mods that were mergeable and they were Skyrim mods. I'm really hoping someone can give me the benefit of their experience.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Arneercool]

Small clean mods in the same category, is probably the best noob advise i can give, me being the noob. I have successfully merged perks, some weapons, and some clothing, and not much else.

 

I have found the usefulness of merging plugins limited if you are not really careful and nitpicky with your first 255 mods.

 

I actually think i once made a radrose patch, and that failed horribly, if i'm not mistaken.

[thunderclam]

Small clean mods in the same category, is probably the best noob advise i can give, me being the noob. I have successfully merged perks, some weapons, and some clothing, and not much else.

 

I have found the usefulness of merging plugins limited if you are not really careful and nitpicky with your first 255 mods.

 

I actually think i once made a radrose patch, and that failed horribly, if i'm not mistaken.

 

I'll refrain from touching the Radrose stuff based on your experience, then. I'm not sure how many "small clean mods" I have thanks to all these Radrose, VIS, AE, and AWKCR patches. Those are probably the biggest "load" on my load order and they're the ones I'm most eager to merge if possible.