An infernalryan Skyrim Modding Guide
Overview
This guide will provide instructions on how to update Skyrim game master files (.esm, .esl, and .bsa) for existing mod lists. Doing so will provide additional compatibility and should not affect existing save games. This guide applies to Skyrim SSE/AE (Steam and GOG only). Skyrim VR users can follow this process as well if SSE is also owned on Steam or GOG to provide the same benefits to compatibility
If you are starting a new game, I highly recommend reading my Initial Setup Guides instead, which can be found on my main guides page on Nexus, which include all of these steps plus many others to provide arguably the best possible initial setup to support your Skyrim modding journey.
Guide Contents:
1 Preface
No matter which version of Skyrim you are running, you will want to use the latest game master files (.esm, .esl, .bsa) to ensure maximum compatibility with newer mods. This is referred to as the "best of both worlds". These are essentially mod files themselves, so even older versions of Skyrim have no issues running them (there is a small–but extremely important–exception with the plugin version which we will get to in section 4 (Final steps) below). Given that newer versions of these files typically only modify or add records (rather than remove them), it should be safe to perform this process even during an existing save game.
1.1 Skyrim VR compatibility
If you have Skyrim VR, and also own Skyrim SSE/AE on either Steam or GOG platform(s), you can perform this same process to import updated masters into Skyrim VR version 1.4.15 as well. This provides the exact same compatibility benefits as doing this for Skyrim SSE/AE. This includes full compatibility with the latest version of the Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch (USSEP) as well. If you do NOT intend to use USSEP, you can delete CC Survival Mode files (ccQDRSSE001-SurvivalMode.esl and ccQDRSSE001-SurvivalMode.bsa) once they are downloaded (or otherwise disable them with your Mod Manager), but it is recommended that you keep these files enabled and grab the Survival Mode Prompt Removed mod to disable its functionality so that you maintain the highest level of compatibility with other mods which may depend on it. More information can be found in section 4.4.
2 Prepare updated masters
Steps have been provided for both Steam and GOG. Follow only one of the two options and their associated step(s) below (expand their respective 'Spoiler' tag).2.1 Option 1: Steam users
All files will be downloaded via the Steam console. Once downloaded they will be moved over to be managed by your Mod Manager of choice.
2.1.1 Open Steam console
'Depot download complete : "C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\content\app_489830\depot_489831" (1 files, manifest 2289561010626853674)'
2.1.2 Download latest version
The latest Steam version at the time of writing is 1.6.1170. See below for manifest commands (we only need 2 of the 3 depots since one contains only the .exe file which we don't need). If this version has changed and is not reflected in this guide because it has not been updated since the last game update, see my Steam Manifest List for instructions on how to obtain the proper manifest IDs yourself (under Game versions > Other Skyrim versions).
2.1.3 Prepare master files
These downloads will be performed via the Steam console.
2.2 Option 2: GOG users
Grabbing updated files for GOG users is simple but will require you upgrade and then re-downgrade since there is no easy way to simply download the proper files outside of the active game folder like with Steam.
2.2.1 Dll Plugin Loader users
Skip to section 2.2.2 if you are NOT using DLL Plugin Loader, or are otherwise using your Mod Manager to fully manage its files (and do not have any files manually copied into your game folder), otherwise proceed. To prevent having to manually reinstall this mod again after, you'll want to copy its files to a safe place for the time being.
2.2.2 Upgrade to latest version
These files are acquired with a main game version selection within the game configuration menu.
2.2.3 Prepare master files
2.2.4 Downgrade to previous version
3 Import into Mod Manager
Steps have been provided for both Vortex and Mod Organizer 2. Follow only one of the two options based on your Mod Manager of choice (expand their respective 'Spoiler' tag).3.1 Option 1: Vortex
3.2 Option 2: Mod Organizer 2
4 Final steps
Your updated masters are now ready, but before you are done, you will want to review the last remaining recommended steps. See below.
4.1 Install Backported Extended ESL Support
If your current (downgraded) game version is 1.6.659 (GOG users) or lower/older than version 1.6.1130 (Steam users), you must install this mod otherwise you will suffer an immediate CTD when launching the game. This is because the updated masters use the new plugin header which requires this mod in order to work with older versions. Skip to section 4.2 if this does not apply to you.
4.2 Creation Club content
The latest masters downloaded also include the 4 free Creation Club DLC content files (Survival mode, Fishing, Rare Curios, and Saints & Seducers). If you are already managing these via another "mod" in your load order, you can either safely delete these files from the 'Skyrim Updated Masters' mod, or, alternatively, you can overwrite the files in those mods with the latest ones you just downloaded. If you would like to manage these mods in your Mod Manager, follow my guide on Managing Creation Club Content with your Mod Manager to set this up. There are a few options to choose from and both Vortex and Mod Organizer 2 steps are covered where applicable for each one.
4.3 (Re-)Clean master files (optional)
If you had previously been using "cleaned" master files, or would otherwise like to perform this operation on the newly updated master files, you can do so now. I have created a guide on How to Clean Skyrim Game Files for those interested. This step is completely optional unless you are running the latest DynDOLOD with the 'Large reference bugs workaround' option enabled, in which case it is mandatory.
4.4 Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch (USSEP)
Skip to section 5 if you do not currently use or intend to use USSEP, otherwise, proceed. Since you have now obtained the latest game masters, your version of USSEP will depend on which free Creation Club content mods you have enabled.
5 Further reading
See below for links to other helpful information.
5.1 Other guides
See my guides page on Nexus for other helpful Skyrim modding guides.
5.2 Changelog
See below for changes made to this document.
Updating Game Masters (SSE/AE/VR)
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Some popular mods require these updated files due to referencing records only found in newer versions of them (and not the 1.5.97 versions, for example), which could cause issues and/or CTDs if they are not found. Two such examples of popular mods doing this are JK's Castle Dour and JK's Sinderion's Field Laboratory, which both use a record from a recent version of update.esm which does not exist in the 1.5.97 files, making the mods incompatible with a base 1.5.97 install. To get around this, we will later copy these updated master files into our Mod Manager along with applicable AE Creation Club content. This also makes compatibility with mods such as USSEP much easier. This is what is effectively known as the "best of both worlds" (using an older Skyrim game version with the latest master files + CC content).
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You will know it has completed when you see the text that says (example):
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