Adding ESM flags to ESP format mods : Is this safe?

[uijk718293]

On SSE, Reference handle cap is a thing to any heavy mod load out these days and I'm facing same problem too. I'm currently trying to add ESM flags to already existing mods but I'm still not sure weather this is safe or not.

What should I consider when I add ESM flags to ESP format mods. Is It safe to do such things to huge mods such as Darkend?

Edited December 19, 2019 by uijk718293

[Algabar]

AFAIK, this is still somewhat unexplored territory. In fact, the discussion about reference handle caps is rather new. The advantage of flagging a file as ESM is that this prevents the game from loading all its temporary references before the main menu.

 

The obvious disadvantages are:

- The plugin is classified as "Master" and therefore cannot be freely moved in your load order any more. It will always be on top, together with other ESMs.

- You might break dependencies, if a mod needs the .esp plugin.

 

If you know your load order, you can judge for yourself if those disadvantages are a problem or not.

 

I'm not sure if there are other long-term conseqences. There ins't a lot of detailed information on this issue. So it's probably "try at your own risk".