Overview
Skyrim is a game with many flaws, unstable framerate, stuttering, frequent crashing etc. This is due to the problem that, like many Bethesda games, Skyrim is build on the very old gamebryo engine. Luckily, Skyrim SE is more stable in that regard,due to it being optimized for a 64-bit Version of Windows, which fixes alot of issues that were present in Oldrim such as not using more than 4 GB of RAM etc. However if SSE gets modded(Heavily), it still tends to be somewhat unstable/crash or cause lowered framerates.In this guide I am going to show you some modding practices to keep in mind, and I also want to use it to list alot of common and uncommon errors. Furthermore I am going to list some essential tools and mods to stabilize the game and increase performance aswell. I`m trying to make this guide as comprehensive as possible, so people who are very new to skyrim modding, should be able follow these steps and hopefully it can solve the issue/issues at hand. This guide is aimed at people who aren’t very familiar with modding yet. However if you are,maybe you will find something new, which can potentially fix your problem 🙂
Introduction
First off all before you start modding your game, it is essential to ALWAYS Read the description of the mod you want to install, also try to read the post section of said mod sometimes the mod author gives some tips or further information on compatability, updates etc.
Since we are aiming to get a stable and (mostly crash free) skyrim build togheter, it is important to get some basics out of the way.
1) First off you will need to install SKSE64, which is a solid base foundation for pretty much all mods. As the name suggests, it enhances and extends the functionality of the game by adding many new features. This mod is very important, since alot of other mods depend on SKSE for Script functionality.
2) Next up we need to install a modding tool which will help install our mods and keep the load order intact. For this you can use Mod Organizer or Vortex which can be found on the Nexus:
Mod Organizer: [link]
Vortex: [link]
You will also need a tool to sort your load order to improve stability. This is important due to the fact that a wrong load order can crash your game on startup, or somewhere mid-game.
Here is an example of my load order:
For further information on this topic and how load orders work you can visit this site: [link]
To fix this you can install a load order sorting tool to help you fix this issue. you can find a tool listed down below.:
LOOT: [link]
How to install SKSE64
I forgot to add this Section earlier but I do think it is important to adress on how install SKSE since the SSE version of SKSE does not come with an installer (unlike oldrim) so you need to install it manually:
However this is fairly easy to do:
Congratulations! SKSE is now installed.
Essential Mods
Here you want to install some of the following mods listed down below, you can do so manually or through one of the mod managers listed above. Furthermore you will need these SKSE plugins to ensure further compatability, and it will also help make your game run smoother, and make your user experience a little better. In my personal opinion I feel that these mods are an absoulte must and they will probably appear in most load orders.
To Install said mods you have to make sure SKSE is installed and you have the SKSE folder in the right place. If you dont have a SKSE folder in your Data folder, just create one after that it should look something like this:
Your Plugin files for SKSE mods (ini. and dll.) go in here:
[link]
(Use Engine Fixes Instead)
[link]
This mod is pretty much essential,even if youre not planing on modding skyrim since it fixes alot of issues which are present in the base game.
[link]
Also essential since it fixes low fps when running a game with lots of esp or esm files in your load order.
Does what the name suggests, ensuring Skyrim.exe runs at a higher priority and thus reducing stutters. This makes the game run alot smoother, some people on the nexus suggested that this was not working, however I have tested the mod for a while now, and I can confirm that there is a big difference in how the game feels, especially when looking around in open areas, where the game is prone to stuttering. Personally I feel it is very essential, however I suggest you try it for yourself to see if it makes a difference or not.
[link]
Important for The Mod Manager Menu or SkyUI.
[link]
fixes the game glitching out if it is run over 60 fps.
All-in-one solution for smooth FPS-unlocked gameplay. Includes a physics fix, borderless fullscreen performance boost, refresh rate control, highly configurable frame rate limiting, various bugfixes and more.
INI. Files
Ini. files are Skyrims configuration files for ingame settings such as graphical options.
Since its quite a bit of work to navigate these files and tweak settings you will want to use a tool called BETHINI.
Its very simple to install and use.
Why You Need This:
There are many advantages to using BethINI:
1. It automatically reorders your INI files into a sensible order, making them much easier to navigate for manual tweaking.
2. It automatically fixes common errors, including some that can cause CTDs.
3. It automatically detects mods you have installed and makes changes recommended by the mod authors where deemed appropriate. If your mod or a mod you know of requires such support, please contact me, as this is the easiest thing in the world to implement.
4. It’s presets are superior in graphical fidelity and performance (95% of the time) to the official presets one can create via the game launcher.
5. It allows for the modification of more settings than is accessible via native game settings, and provides explanation for each setting and what it does.
6. It automatically backs up your INI files.
7. For Skyrim, it automatically configures the Creation Kit to support multiple masters and any installed DLC, if enabled.
You can run it anywhere, simply extract it into a folder on your Desktop and you are good to go!
Here are some of my settings if you want to adopt them, however depending on your number of mods/system specs, you can adjust them to your needs.:
Error Collection and how to fix/avoid them
In this section I want to list some of the regular errors which can happen during modding since alot of variables factor in here I’m aiming to make it as comprehensible as possible.
If this happens either verify your game files or un-install one of the recent mods you installed.
If this happens un-install your ENB and it should fix it.
To fix this either re-install your last installed mod or verify your game files thorugh steam.
Corrupt Save files can mostly be avoided by having SSE Engine Fixes installed. This can also happen if you accidentaly uninstalled some sort of SKSE Plugin, it can be fixed by re-installing the missing file and your game should work as normal again.
This happens either through malpractice or missing files.
Fixing Mod Conflicts:
The main way to solve this issue is to read the descriptions of mods and make sure the author doesn’t mention any incompatibilities. If multiple mods edit the same leveled lists for distributing loot or are patches, you can create a bashed patch to merge them into one mod while saving on plugin space.
For troubleshooting which mod or mods are causing this issue, use the following technique:
Open your load order.
Disable half of your currently active mods, ensuring that no dependencies break upon doing so.
Start Skyrim to see if the issue persists.
If so, disable half of your currently active mods again and test once again.
Repeat until the problem goes away.
Once the problem goes away, if the mod sample size is still too large, you can disable half of those mods and start Skyrim to narrow it down further. This technique allows you to rapidly pinpoint which mod or mods are causing issues.
In oldrim this issue happend when you didnt have the dxdg. file from windows directory in your Skyrim Root folder, It doesnt happen in SSE because of dx11 support. However if your skyrim Launcher crashes, its either due to an outdated vcredist installation.
To fix this just simply re-install the newest version of vcredist on your computer and it should work. Sometimes this error also happens because of an ENB, simply remove the ENB and run the launcher again, and the problem should be fixed.
This error happened to me recently and i guess it occurs frequently in very heavily modded games. Usually the error comes from too many texture or mesh- files conflcting with eacother, which in turn overloads the Vram on your GPU and thus your game crashes. However for some reason with my game it was because of a mod called:
Weapons Armor Clothing and Clutter Fixes (WACCF) and Summermyst Enchantments Patch
it could be that I maybe was missing some master files and thus my game crashed, however I would need to experiment more. As a precaution I would suggest avoiding to install this mod, however your results may be different from mine.
Conclusion
In Conclusion if you put these tips into practice, your game should run very smooth and (mostly) crash free, keep in mind that no matter how good your load order is or how well it is modded, it will possibly still be able to crash and the amount of mods you install will also factor into it. However by keeping good modding etiquette the chances of the game crashing will be slimmed down drastically.
Here I will list a few webistes which can potentially help you, and go more into detail about certain topics:
S.T.E.P: [link]
S.T.E.P- Skyrim SE: [link]
I would also recommend you check out Gopher’s Channel for alot of useful information aswell as Gamer Poets, who makes great tutorials aswell
Gopher: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1CSCMwaDubQ4rcYCpX40Eg
GamerPoets: https://www.youtube.com/user/gamerpoets
All in all if you made it this far, then I want to thank you for taking the time out of your day to read through this guide, this is the first guide I ever made,so I hope it can be useful to those who need it. Please let me know if it was helpful and maybe give me a rating on it, I would appreciate that.
I will keep updating the guide over time, if there is anything you want to see added or improved let me know in the comment section 🙂
PS: I apologize in advance if I made any spelling errors, I was very tired when I wrote it 🙂