New Member - Saying Hello

[xInfaRedx]

Just want to say what's up to everyone. I read all the rules (and seen all the bans.. side note = WOW, crazy strict place I guess, lol)

 

Anyway I sure hope I don't accidentally offend any one. :pirate:

 

That said, I am here because I have a desire to begin *slightly* and *tastefully* Modding my Skyrim SE on my new PC. I'm a first time PC user FYI.

 

Mods are new to me. The concept is old, but using them is brand new. I currently have been just using a few tasteful mods that are within the Skyrim Menu screen thing. As they are so simple to use. This is how I like it and need it.

 

BUT my issue is, I learned of a mod or two that seems to not be available there that I want badly. Mainly "Sky UI". After research I found I'd like MO II. So I then learned of you guys here. I thought it was simple enough, or should be. But after watching tutorials, I am scared to death.

 

I need help literally just installing the MO II, then I definitely need hand holding walk-throughs on how to download, instal and properly use any mods through it. Because my god, why does it need to be so involved ? The videos I seen were insane.

 

The video tutorials I seen were like 10-15 steps to do for each time to instal a mod. Isn't there just a simple way to press instal, choose the load order and be done ? Like the Skyrim SE menu screen mods. Simple.

 

I am totally lost with how many things you need to do between side instals needed like LOOT, SKSE64, etc.. then the concepts of how you need to do so much for some instals.. merge, not merge, don't let overwrite or something.. my god man. I don't really know any of this, but I am quoting the tutorials.

 

So I ask, can anyone help me. And I mean help me more than you think. lol Like anyone in the SF, CA area ? I'll pay for a visit for you to show me hands on style. Universal tutorials are not good for me cause I always run into a unique situation and in this case could be detrimental. Remember, its my first PC.

 

Anyway guys, thanks so much in advance for any help - MUCH appreciated. Maybe tell me the appropriate place to ask for this help ? Or just help me now here ?

[xInfaRedx]

So if no one can help me here, is it possible for someone to please tell/show me the appropriate place to post my questions and needs for help ?

 

Summary of what I want is for someone to walk me through a precise and detailed installation of MO II and then how I properly install all components, extras needed (SKSE64, LOOT, Microsoft Visual C+ +, etc..) to then properly and correctly instal the mods I want and the load order etc.. Make sure everything is going to the best organized place on my computer possible (my first PC and I do NOT leave anything on my desktop) and finally to know my particular set up enough to know truly what I uniquely need for all this.

 

I see a Skyrim place here, but not a Skyrim SE from my searches. Are they treated the same ? Or should I go to a Mod thread ?

 

Thanks again.. Sorry for being a newb at all this, but people gotta start somewhere. And anyone saying mod installations are easy, are just lying to themselves and their listener - lol :tongue: The prerequisites are seriously the difficult points. In other words, the place I am in right now. I'm so confused, but badly want to use Sky UI and the better Map thing and a few texture improvements, etc..

[Striker879]

I would think that the Skyrim Special Edition forum ... maybe the tech support subforum.

 

Don't know if you'll find a "one click and I'm done" solution though. What you are wanting is to run the marathon and win before you have learned to crawl. To use modding tools effectively requires knowledge of how the game plus mods system works, otherwise you run into a ton of details that make no sense but need to be just so or things don't work.

 

I looked but didn't see much in the way of sticky posts on the Skyrim SE forum that are geared to getting newcomers up to speed on the basics (and I'm an Oblivion guy, so no help from this quarter).

Edited July 15, 2020 by Striker879

[xInfaRedx]

I would think that the Skyrim Special Edition forum ... maybe the tech support subforum.

***Edited - Please see original post above for full length post***

Hey Striker879, thanks for chiming in and helping me with a response. For sure that looks like the best place for me to pose my questions and hopefully get some help ! Thanks man. Going to do that now.

 

I for sure understand the learning curve I need to go through to do the modding. I am not at all or ever would be expecting to run before I crawl. I was just stating that modding is far more involved than I expected. People make it seem like it's simple. But simple in a video game world to the normal working person is click instal, wait for it to say "Installation Complete" and viola... 100% done, nothing more to do.

 

Modding seems like a bridge between that and actual geeky PC code type stuff. Which I will never do or be. I'm 38 years old man, I own a recording facility here in SF, CA and my talent is music, audio, recording, etc.. I seriously have no time or interest to waste space on my brains hard drive to try some other field right now. You know the saying, Jack of all trades = Master of None. I need all my memory cells for music theory and recording tonality techniques or I won't be "that dude thats the best" in my industry like I am now. Don't want to fragment my brain man ! lol Its already so packed. Music theory is some serious info of memory.

 

That said - I am extremely mechanically inclined and intelligent, so I can catch on. I just don't want to have to learn another "language" is all. I need a extremely detailed walk through for my specifics, then I will be fine from there. Whats not working for me now is the youtube video tutorials as they just don't cover my specifics. That Gopher guy is dope for sure - but all his tutorials is on the NexusMod Manager and I want MO II.

 

Then I seen a guy on the MO II tutorials and ehhh, its like he was using old OS or something cause a few of my settings/places/etc.. are not the same. Also they breeze over some things like I am suppose to know that, but I don't, so the whole things a bust. I need Q/A interaction just for a few things real quick.

 

Anyway, thats my excuse just cause you opened the can ! haha. That said, dude, I totally played Oblivion to death forever ! LOVED it. Played it more than Skyrim for sure. I started out on Morrowind. And played that to death too. Morrowind and Oblivion and Skyrim (at first) was all on my Xboxes. I purchased them all waiting in line at the stores and buying the collectors edition of each.

 

Fast forward and I was robbed at gun point by a client one time after a recording session (yes I know.. whole other story) and besides tons of cash and stuff, the bastard took my Xbox and all games too ! (cause this was right before/at the time downloadable content was starting and my collection was all the real physical stuff.) Even some shoes ! (such a low life)

 

So then I just took a break from games (about a 5 year hiatus) - Music Music Music the whole time.. - and while I wait on the Xbox new 2021 model to get released, (cause I refuse to buy stuff at the end of their lifespan) I decided to try PC for the first time. I also got into Fortnite on my iPad and I was turning competitive with it, so I needed the frame rate/low latency stuff. So PC it was. I just recently got the most blown out PC money can buy from a turnkey Gaming PC company called Xidax.. Here I am.

 

I like it, but being a Mac only dude since 1998 and running my entire music production on Macs for about 15 years now, I seriously am clueless with PC's. Again. I will catch on quick, but at my age, dude, I need to pick my battles. I'd rather pay for proper professional help and set up on things/fields like this rather than spend hours a day losing money and what could be precious game time trying to learn and troubleshoot something that isn't in "my field". Know what I mean ?

 

I'm a fair guy, and business minded. Will totally compensate anyone who is willing to tutor me in this. I need not only MO II and Modding help but PC in general help too.

[Striker879]

When I started out it was the modding acronyms and terminology that threw the biggest curve at me. I came to the party well versed in computer basics (first machine was a dual floppy 8088 and DOS 3, had to create my own boot disk from the DOS floppies). That foundation allowed me to step up the modding curve rapidly but that sure didn't help me out on day one. Can't say my vocabulary expanded, but I sure did practice my three and four letter words frequently.

 

Work dragged me into the world of Mac way back (writing training manuals). I went through a reverse of what you are facing ... how the heck do you do <insert simple PC right click task here> when you're stuck with one bloody mouse button??

 

I come from the "nothing worth anything is free" camp myself. The one form of coinage we all have in common is time. Granted I'm enjoying the "retired advantage" these days but a second of my time costs me the same as a second of your time costs you ... and that second can never be retrieved or replayed if wasted. As much as possible I look to fill mine with stuff that pays dividends down the road.

 

If you decide to revist Oblivion some time I'll keep an eye open for you.

[xInfaRedx]

Yea them acronyms really throwing me too. lol

 

Oh man, I remember Floppys and DOS ! Thats OG. Wow.

 

Yea I guess its wherever you start, is like your first language and better/worse is not a case.. its familiarity that causes the issue when jumping to something new.

 

I would love to get back into Oblivion. But my god, these games take literal decades of playtime and I needed to choose. I chose Skyrim cause I played it less. Plus it seems to take to high res texturing better ? No ? Does Oblivion mods take it to 4k ? I'm a graphic hound when it comes to my immersive games. NEED that. Skyrim looked better than Oblivion out the box, so seems like the texture mods would also be better. But I could be wrong. And I know this is opinion.

 

I do like Oblivion stories, quests and general land better though. BUT being a graphics hound, I can overlook all that. I need graphics baby !!! Cant wait for Elder Scrolls VI !

 

So you only play Oblivion ? Have you ever played Skyrim at least ? Did you ever play Morrowind or Daggerfall ? Or Arena ? The later 2 were on DOS. Where did you start ?

[Striker879]

Started with Privateer. My intention was to get Sid Meier's Pirates! but then after I bought the 8088 laptop I found out it wouldn't run on it. So I learned all I could about DOS and simple programming in Basic. My next machine wasn't obsolete before I unboxed it (386 SX25 Toshiba ... bleeding edge for about two whole weeks). I'd get home from work and disappear into the Privateer universe until it was time to catch a few hours ZZs and do it all over again.

 

The only Elders Scrolls game I've played is Oblivion. I have Morrowind on disk but haven't ever installed it. Most of what I see concerning Skyrim doesn't raise my interest in it one iota (though Joseph Russell's video series Lucien the Dragonborn has come close to piquing my interest). The older titles would suffer the same fate as I recently ran into when giving Privateer another go ... same as your problem ... graphics.

 

Oblivion isn't well suited to achieving modern graphics standards. That doesn't mean it is stuck back with 2006 limitations, but you will find it more jarring going backwards that what I have found. It also helps me that gameplay has far more importance to me than simple appearance.

 

If you want an idea of where the state of the art lays right now for Oblivion give Bevilex' modlist for Oblivion - Graphics a gander.

[xInfaRedx]

Dang I never even heard of them pirate games. Interesting though as I just googled them. lol, Yea being obsolete out the box is a tough one to swallow.

 

Dang man, only played Oblivion ? They all 3 share such common similarities and mainly tied storylines, its hard to imagine one would be into one but not the other. IMO its important to experience the trilogy. Its like watching Empire Strikes Back and saying you have no interest to watch Star Wars or Return of the Jedi.

 

Of course one might be your favorite, but you have to experience all them to then have a good opinion based on experience (IMO). Plus its one long story. All the lore and books and stuff. Not playing Morrowind or Skyrim is like not getting the rest of the storyline, regardless of your favorite.

 

BUT, I tell you, time is indeed your best excuse, lol. If you say you simply don't have time, then I understand. Cause my god, unlike a movie, games this deep, they take forever (multiple play throughs) to really get the entire story.

 

Thanks for sharing that link. Yea, visually I really need to stick to Skyrim or newer. They story is the continuance of the game you love so much. Seems like a waste to not get into Morrowind and Skyrim. Or Skyrim at least. Just my 2 cents brother.

Edited July 16, 2020 by xInfaRedx

[Striker879]

Morrowind will likely happen someday (after all I do already own the game) ... I just haven't run out of things to do in Oblivion (I was "late" starting on it too ... owned it for a couple of years before installing it). I'm a decade or so into Oblivion, whatda' ya think, maybe half way done??

 

From what I've seen of the game mechanics in Morrowind I'll proably go the Morroblivion route, so Oblivion game mechanics with Morrowind story. Heck my current Oblivion character (my third) is over 5000 hours, though I will admit I may be getting close to starting a new guy as I find myself getting the additions I want to try on the next guy lined up. I'll start adding them to the current guy's load order someday, and tweaking things to my liking. Then I'll probably do a bunch of testing on lower level saves to see how my tweaks scale. At some point the load order will be morphed into the new load order and I'll click that New Game button.

 

Maybe you get an idea of how I can spend 10 years in Oblivion and still not be "done" with it.

[xInfaRedx]

I'm a decade or so into Oblivion, whatda' ya think, maybe half way done??

 

Haha, yep. Exactly.

 

I agree going to Morrowind is a definite need eventually. Especially cause you got it. But then after that, Skyrim too (come on !! :dance: ). For timeline following alone. Its worth it.

 

Trip on this, I honestly think since Daggerfall (possibly even Arena) the series has slowly gained one great aspect WHILE losing a couple others game release by game release. So I see your issues with Skyrim looking from the outside in. But realize them same issues happened from Morrowind to Oblivion just with different ingredients. Yet look how much you love Oblivion ! See my point ?

 

Fast forward and visually, my god Skyrim makes Daggerfall look worse than 90's mobile game ! lol BUT little do lots of people see, to get them visuals and great physic engines and mechanics, it also lost several cool ideas/attributes/concepts (Cat burglar climbing wall ability for one, more conversation responses, merging skills, shrinking maps, etc.. the list could go on). Each game has shrunk and shrunk. The maps/games now are so condensed. Yet through other things, seem bigger.

 

BUT all that aside, as a true fan, witnessing in person, hands on each game's storyline and world/map of the region interpretation is priceless and needed. The storyline is progressing. New info released. Its saga makes the Star Wars entire movie series story seem tiny, seriously. Its a must to witness it, IMO, no matter how you feel at first about the game. So you gotta give Skyrim a chance. How could you leave that gap ? Then get ready for VI !

 

Hopefully you got 30 more years in you to do so ! lol :tongue: