I have tried breaking this version of AFT, please feel free to do the same. I can't gurantee it will work with everyones mod list, but if you stay away from the big offender mods (listed below), and if the guidance on the description page is followed, AFT should work very well.
No version of AFT will ever work with the current versions of Immersive Citizens, RDO SE (full), Interesting NPC's or iAFT. Let me clarify, the above mods will never be fully functional with each other or AFT because they compete/override each other for the same functions and game features. Best case scenario is you lose some functionality out of each mod, worst case scenario is your game breaks half way through. I wont help troubleshoot AFT if it is installed with any of the above mods for that very reason. AFT is focused and clean and works with thousands of other mods without patches. The above mods all have either been abandoned, have bug reports turned off (or have lots and lots of bug reports), have comments turned off, most require so many patches that it makes you wonder why do I have to have a patch for so many other mods..., and all of them affect multiple aspects of the game. If you make a patch for any of the above mods I will link to it on the Descripotion page.
Troubleshooting Install Issues
I load all my mods right away, all 530+, and have no issues. Having said that, I have a well worked out load order, Overrides and Patches, a very nice PC, been playing for a very long time, don't use sprawling mods, I don't use mods that have separate pages just to track patches and fixes, and I am very careful when starting a new play-thru. The number one issue for people using any mods with scripting and quests is that they did not do a clean install and start of the game: ensure game files are clean & verified, start a brand new game with a brand new character, do a clean install of mod files, use a new mod manager profile.
If you are having issues:
Use a Mod manager and a new mod manager profile that only enables base game, DLC and AFT files.
This version of AFT is not on Bethesda, so make sure Skyrim is not loadng other mods from Bethesda (like the original AFT files). This means, you have to manually go into the Mods menu option from the start screen and disable all the mods Bethesda is trying to load.
If you are manually installing mods (ugh) then you need to do a comepletely clean install of Skyrim SE/AE. Thats right, delete all the Skyrim SE/AE game files and folders. Delete the SSE folder in your "My Games" foler too. Then do a clean install of Skyrim and the DLC. Then manually install only the AFT mods into the SSE "Data" folder. You are on your own if you manually install other mods beyond this point.
Make sure your game files have been verified.
Make sure you have installed the four main AFT mods properly and, all four of the esp's are enabled.
Your List and Load Order adhere to the description page recommendations and Requirements.
Clear out logs and caches and try starting a new game and a new character, again.
Make sure no previsous versions of AFT files exist anywhere.
Do you have script heavy mods? You may have to wait a long time for everything to load properly. You may have to restart and reload your new save game a few times for everything to engage properly - patience is a virtue.
Do you have Immersive Citizens, RDO, iAFT or Interesting NPC's installed?
Are you sure that your other follower manager mod or previous versions of AFT are totally disabled and there are no remenants of it hanging around? Don't just disable the esp's, remove/disable the entire folder and clean out your logs.
Load only the base game, DLC and all four of the AFT mods and then start a completely new game - no other mods or mod assets should be loading. If this does not work, you have other issues not related to AFT.
If you are trying to use a previous character this will not work. You will have to make a comepletely new character and start a completely new game. Loading a preset from "racemenu" is fine but is has to be on a new character. ASLAL is fine but it has to be a completely new character, i.e., it can't be "Prisoner" or another starter character you made previously.
The only reaason for AFT to not load or engage properly is if previous verisons of AFT or another mod are causing issues. If your game hangs on start or AFT does not engage, you probably have old or modified files still loading.
If you use MO2, make a new profile and only load the base game, the DLC and AFT files. Again, make sure all the files from your other mods are not loading, not just their esp's, none of thier files/assets should load. Start a completely new game with a completely new character with a clean install of Skyrim and a clean install of this verison of AFT. If this does not work for you, something is wrong with your game files or there is something on your PC that is not right. AFT with no other mods and a clean Skyrim install has been thoroughly tested.
Papyrus Logs If you go looking, there is a remnant of the original AFT mod that will log, once per game start, as possible errors by papyrus. No need to worry, these messages refer to old remnants that are no longer active that I could not delete entirely, these remnants functions have been replaced.
Look, if someone posts a comment and it is clear they did not read the description page or this sticky post, I'm just going to delete the post. It's not fair for the people who actually put forth a fair effort and tried to do things properly, people who might actually have a real question or a real issue, to have to sort through a bunch of comments of people who did not take the time to mod their game properly.
I've only tried a few options from ASLAL and I have not tried that scenario. I think it should work. In the cave you should actually see AFT's "successful" messages posting. If you get these you should be fine. I like to wait a long time in the cave and make sure everything is loaded. I try not to use some of my loaded scripted mods until after I leave the cave and I have saved and restarted at least once.
I am trying to give the general public the easiest bullet proof path so that all mods that look for that quest and other early game triggers and events work properly for their whole play-thru. So I dont have to play, or answer questions for, hundreds of different scenarios. Can you get mods that look for the opening quest and other early game triggers and events to work properly in other ways, yes. If your an experienced modder then you can just advance quests, etc. to make things work. It's not actually the main quest AFT looks for, it's another trigger(s) that happens when you start a new game but... by waiting until after the main quest starts one is assured that those triggers and events have happened and, that scipted mods competing for papyrus resources all have a chance to engage properly and, that the base game scripts are settled down.
Scripted mods are doing a lot of work during a new game start and when loading a save game, and so is the base game. Everyone has a different load order, amount of scripted mods loading, and varying levels of PC speed and efficiency.
Confirmed working while pushing the envelop on not playing the Main Quest ; running (on a new game/profile) with AE v353 ; thanks for the migration of the amazing 2017 original. Endorsed.
If anyone else sees this.... If you have a MCM for AFT you are using the WRONG version! v1.66 (original) and this one based upon that has no MCM. It is fully configured within the game.
Which brings up another item. Migrating to this AFT version from some other AFT version (or iAFT). This is super important and not obvious. - Do not use a mod manager to do this. - WinMerge (what I use for mod removal) will help tremendously. It is free open-source software.
- Download the mod you are trying to remove/change. - Use WinMerge to compare Mod Data folder to F:\Games\Skyrim AE\Data (your game folder may be different) - Now simply highlight and delete within WinMerge. It deletes both sides. This removes the mod completely with no stragglers. - Now you can drag this AFT version Mod Data into F:\Games\Skyrim AE\Data (your game folder may be different) - Manually update your plugins.txt and you are ready to go.
Remember that if you had overwrites by your mod manager from other mods then you will need to figure out what mods are overwriting. This is a problem with automated mod managers and peeps simply clicking and not really paying attention. Using a manual method, especially for scripted mods, is the only way to do this.
Max followers is 5 (6 person group) and can be set to 3 in the Tweak Options dialogue under Settings. Personally I leave this at 5 (default) and play with a 1 to 3 follower with 1 guest (escorts and such). Works great. I get it....more would be fun but Skyrim is just not built for it.
Max managed is 64. When adding a follower there is text that appears stating how many managed slots are left. If you play with mortals then a lot of followers die. Fun way to play with everyone mortal. AFT does not remove these dead followers. So once I am under 32 (very far along in my stories) I dismiss everyone and reset AFT from the command utility.
Note: Since I use My Home is Your Home for each follower they will continue living where they live. If using Dismiss but Hang Out Here from AFT they will 'eventually' return to their normal roaming package set up in the CK.
Hi Fuse/All. Been awhile. AFT is still working great! I did give UMF and NFF a try just to see and liked UMF since it was so clean. I returned to AFT though simply because it works the best. No glitches (beside Skyrim doing Skyrim 'Things' hahaha) and it works over very long plays.
A sort of gift to the community, there is something I do with followers (and important NPCs), especially since everyone is mortal in my game (fun to play like this! hahaha). I am adding this to be clear with other notes and findings. This is not really directly AFT but helps AFT enormously when playing (any other framework and NPC).
Note: The same concepts can be done with Fallout 4 and Starfield.
Make a bat file for the console: You can adjust how you want but these are good values to make mortal followers killable but also not overpowered. The setlevel 1000 0 1 100 below fixes the bag weight and other issues as well as making any follower level with player level. All of these values stick with the follower even if not following. Click on them and run the bat. Once you get in the habit of doing this when you see your follower it becomes natural.
a_tf_hr.txt (a_ prefix to keep bat files together, tf_ tool follower, hr what this is...heal rate in this case) forceAV healrate 2 forceAV healratemult 105 forceAV CombatHealthRegenMult 2 forceAV MagickaRate 6 setlevel 1000 0 1 100
You can do other things with making a custom bat file for each follower to have them be sort of specialized. I only play with 3 at a time (based upon 4 person group) with 1 guest slot. AFT works great with this by default of 5 max. My game is set up to be brutal, I start at level 10, and many followers die over the course of the story. So a bat file like this very much helps getting going. The follower itself is configured in the Creation Kit with appropriate spells/abilities then these enhance what is there. The AI automatically picks all of this up and does things. Amazing really to see all the different combat fighting without doing all that much. AFT can also specialize which changes things around but I tend to prefer to use the CK and bat file method.
a_tf_2hha.txt ;------------------------ ; 2H Weapons and Heavy Armor ; Make sure to click on the follower prior to this ;------------------------ forceAV TwoHanded 75 forceAV HeavyArmor 50 forceAV Block 35 ;------------------------ forceAV healrate 2 forceAV healratemult 105 forceAV CombatHealthRegenMult 2 forceAV MagickaRate 6 setlevel 1000 0 1 100 ;------------------------
a_tf_fire.txt (very good base mage. Also uses other spells if given in the CK.....lightning bolt works great with this). Give a bow/crossbow and dagger. ;------------------------ ; General Mage with base Fire ; Make sure to click on the follower prior to this ;------------------------ forceAV Marksman 75 forceAV OneHanded 45 forceAV LightArmor 75 forceAV Restoration 100 forceAV Alteration 100 forceAV Conjuration 100 forceAV Destruction 100 addspell 0005ad5d; Stone Flesh addspell 00012fcd; Flames addspell 00012fd0; Fire Bolt ;------------------------ forceAV healrate 2 forceAV healratemult 105 forceAV CombatHealthRegenMult 2 forceAV MagickaRate 6 setlevel 1000 0 1 100 ;------------------------
You can also set up this follower's starting gear as well doing something like this. Notice here we are running bat files from within a bat file. Works great!
;------------------------ ; 2H Weapons and Light Armor ; Make sure to click on the follower prior to this ;------------------------ forceAV TwoHanded 75 forceAV LightArmor 50 forceAV Block 35 forceAV Marksman 75 ;------------------------ forceAV healrate 2 forceAV healratemult 105 forceAV CombatHealthRegenMult 2 forceAV MagickaRate 6 setlevel 1000 0 1 100 ;------------------------ player.additem 00039BE4 5; Healing Potion player.additem 000C5349 10 bat a_food_follower bat a_soap_washcloth bat a_soap_lavender ;------------------------ ;Jewelry ;------------------------ bat a_jw_neck_stone_blue bat a_jw_neck_2h bat a_jw_ring_block bat a_jw_ring_engage_sapphire ;------------------------ ;Gear ;------------------------ bat a_wpn_crossbow_enhanced bat a_wpn_steel_bolt bat a_arm_barbarian bat a_backpack_heavy_bk bat a_cape_fur_br ;------------------------
Has anyone have missing spell to summon/control followers with newest Syrim 1170 ? Created another new MO2 profile to verify ; opening the book signals the activated spell but I can't find the spell to bind. What should I look for ? Thanks. nvm... I've been away playing SB2 for months, forgot where to look for it, made it work.
Is there any way to prevent npcs that player "ordered to dismiss and stay at home" from reseting the inventory and loose almost all the items given to them ? Equiped Lydia + ENABLING OUTFIT MANAGEMENT + using standard outfit option for giving her everything = she equips The ordered her to dismiss in the toundra house of whiterun and when I returned a week later she was again with her standard steel outfit instead the special one I've givent to her. The only thing she hasn't lost is the sword. why is a mistery...) What i do not understand is that I've taken all her steel armor pieces so.... Any info about this please ?
A part of that, good mod indeed, I much appreciate everything as I'm discovering new functions every day but... a s you said, many scripts must actiate in background and this can make the mod/game unstable if too much, so I'm a bit cautious about that. Thank you ;)
The Followers Tweak dialog keeps failing when I try to communicate with a follower or give them a command. Or even when they're following me and I wanna equip them with something there's only a basic dialog and no Tweak dialog. Now it's gotten worse where only the dialog on the right appears and nothing else. Because of this, I can't dismiss them and I can't customize them. This is the same with all of my vanilla followers as well. What's up with this?
There is an issue with INPC at least with this Redguard in Riverwood. He can't stop following me and i cannot recruit him even though he is still following me xd Edit: Okej I solve it... I reset/delete him from AFT then recruit through AFT then dismiss him. I cannot remember the whole process cause he doesn't want to go so I recruit him and dismiss him twice cause there are two dialog options to dismiss him. Finally he went away 😅
hi..so im not an engineer when it comes to mods..but i have the no friendly spell damage part installed...one thing i see though is if you have a follower that uses atronachs, and set atronachs damage another follower, that follower turns aggressive against the atronach, which in turn, causes the conjure follower to turn aggressive against the damaged follower..(if that makes any sense) anyway to mitigate that somehow? thanks
155 comments
No version of AFT will ever work with the current versions of Immersive Citizens, RDO SE (full), Interesting NPC's or iAFT.
Let me clarify, the above mods will never be fully functional with each other or AFT because they compete/override each other for the same functions and game features. Best case scenario is you lose some functionality out of each mod, worst case scenario is your game breaks half way through. I wont help troubleshoot AFT if it is installed with any of the above mods for that very reason. AFT is focused and clean and works with thousands of other mods without patches. The above mods all have either been abandoned, have bug reports turned off (or have lots and lots of bug reports), have comments turned off, most require so many patches that it makes you wonder why do I have to have a patch for so many other mods..., and all of them affect multiple aspects of the game. If you make a patch for any of the above mods I will link to it on the Descripotion page.
If you are having issues:
Papyrus Logs
If you go looking, there is a remnant of the original AFT mod that will log, once per game start, as possible errors by papyrus. No need to worry, these messages refer to old remnants that are no longer active that I could not delete entirely, these remnants functions have been replaced.
Look, if someone posts a comment and it is clear they did not read the description page or this sticky post, I'm just going to delete the post. It's not fair for the people who actually put forth a fair effort and tried to do things properly, people who might actually have a real question or a real issue, to have to sort through a bunch of comments of people who did not take the time to mod their game properly.
I am trying to give the general public the easiest bullet proof path so that all mods that look for that quest and other early game triggers and events work properly for their whole play-thru. So I dont have to play, or answer questions for, hundreds of different scenarios. Can you get mods that look for the opening quest and other early game triggers and events to work properly in other ways, yes. If your an experienced modder then you can just advance quests, etc. to make things work. It's not actually the main quest AFT looks for, it's another trigger(s) that happens when you start a new game but... by waiting until after the main quest starts one is assured that those triggers and events have happened and, that scipted mods competing for papyrus resources all have a chance to engage properly and, that the base game scripts are settled down.
Scripted mods are doing a lot of work during a new game start and when loading a save game, and so is the base game. Everyone has a different load order, amount of scripted mods loading, and varying levels of PC speed and efficiency.
Endorsed.
Which brings up another item. Migrating to this AFT version from some other AFT version (or iAFT). This is super important and not obvious.
- Do not use a mod manager to do this.
- WinMerge (what I use for mod removal) will help tremendously. It is free open-source software.
- Download the mod you are trying to remove/change.
- Use WinMerge to compare Mod Data folder to F:\Games\Skyrim AE\Data (your game folder may be different)
- Now simply highlight and delete within WinMerge. It deletes both sides. This removes the mod completely with no stragglers.
- Now you can drag this AFT version Mod Data into F:\Games\Skyrim AE\Data (your game folder may be different)
- Manually update your plugins.txt and you are ready to go.
Remember that if you had overwrites by your mod manager from other mods then you will need to figure out what mods are overwriting. This is a problem with automated mod managers and peeps simply clicking and not really paying attention. Using a manual method, especially for scripted mods, is the only way to do this.
Max managed is 64. When adding a follower there is text that appears stating how many managed slots are left. If you play with mortals then a lot of followers die. Fun way to play with everyone mortal. AFT does not remove these dead followers. So once I am under 32 (very far along in my stories) I dismiss everyone and reset AFT from the command utility.
Note: Since I use My Home is Your Home for each follower they will continue living where they live. If using Dismiss but Hang Out Here from AFT they will 'eventually' return to their normal roaming package set up in the CK.
A sort of gift to the community, there is something I do with followers (and important NPCs), especially since everyone is mortal in my game (fun to play like this! hahaha). I am adding this to be clear with other notes and findings. This is not really directly AFT but helps AFT enormously when playing (any other framework and NPC).
Note: The same concepts can be done with Fallout 4 and Starfield.
Make a bat file for the console:
You can adjust how you want but these are good values to make mortal followers killable but also not overpowered. The setlevel 1000 0 1 100 below fixes the bag weight and other issues as well as making any follower level with player level. All of these values stick with the follower even if not following. Click on them and run the bat. Once you get in the habit of doing this when you see your follower it becomes natural.
a_tf_hr.txt (a_ prefix to keep bat files together, tf_ tool follower, hr what this is...heal rate in this case)
forceAV healrate 2
forceAV healratemult 105
forceAV CombatHealthRegenMult 2
forceAV MagickaRate 6
setlevel 1000 0 1 100
You can do other things with making a custom bat file for each follower to have them be sort of specialized. I only play with 3 at a time (based upon 4 person group) with 1 guest slot. AFT works great with this by default of 5 max. My game is set up to be brutal, I start at level 10, and many followers die over the course of the story. So a bat file like this very much helps getting going. The follower itself is configured in the Creation Kit with appropriate spells/abilities then these enhance what is there. The AI automatically picks all of this up and does things. Amazing really to see all the different combat fighting without doing all that much. AFT can also specialize which changes things around but I tend to prefer to use the CK and bat file method.
a_tf_2hha.txt
;------------------------
; 2H Weapons and Heavy Armor
; Make sure to click on the follower prior to this
;------------------------
forceAV TwoHanded 75
forceAV HeavyArmor 50
forceAV Block 35
;------------------------
forceAV healrate 2
forceAV healratemult 105
forceAV CombatHealthRegenMult 2
forceAV MagickaRate 6
setlevel 1000 0 1 100
;------------------------
a_tf_fire.txt (very good base mage. Also uses other spells if given in the CK.....lightning bolt works great with this). Give a bow/crossbow and dagger.
;------------------------
; General Mage with base Fire
; Make sure to click on the follower prior to this
;------------------------
forceAV Marksman 75
forceAV OneHanded 45
forceAV LightArmor 75
forceAV Restoration 100
forceAV Alteration 100
forceAV Conjuration 100
forceAV Destruction 100
addspell 0005ad5d; Stone Flesh
addspell 00012fcd; Flames
addspell 00012fd0; Fire Bolt
;------------------------
forceAV healrate 2
forceAV healratemult 105
forceAV CombatHealthRegenMult 2
forceAV MagickaRate 6
setlevel 1000 0 1 100
;------------------------
You can also set up this follower's starting gear as well doing something like this. Notice here we are running bat files from within a bat file. Works great!
;------------------------
; 2H Weapons and Light Armor
; Make sure to click on the follower prior to this
;------------------------
forceAV TwoHanded 75
forceAV LightArmor 50
forceAV Block 35
forceAV Marksman 75
;------------------------
forceAV healrate 2
forceAV healratemult 105
forceAV CombatHealthRegenMult 2
forceAV MagickaRate 6
setlevel 1000 0 1 100
;------------------------
player.additem 00039BE4 5; Healing Potion
player.additem 000C5349 10
bat a_food_follower
bat a_soap_washcloth
bat a_soap_lavender
;------------------------
;Jewelry
;------------------------
bat a_jw_neck_stone_blue
bat a_jw_neck_2h
bat a_jw_ring_block
bat a_jw_ring_engage_sapphire
;------------------------
;Gear
;------------------------
bat a_wpn_crossbow_enhanced
bat a_wpn_steel_bolt
bat a_arm_barbarian
bat a_backpack_heavy_bk
bat a_cape_fur_br
;------------------------
Has anyone have missing spell to summon/control followers withnewest Syrim 1170?Created another new MO2 profile to verify ; opening the book signals the activated spell but I can't find the spell to bind. What should I look for ? Thanks.
nvm...
I've been away playing SB2 for months, forgot where to look for it, made it work.
Equiped Lydia + ENABLING OUTFIT MANAGEMENT + using standard outfit option for giving her everything = she equips
The ordered her to dismiss in the toundra house of whiterun and when I returned a week later she was again with her standard steel outfit instead the special one I've givent to her. The only thing she hasn't lost is the sword. why is a mistery...) What i do not understand is that I've taken all her steel armor pieces so....
Any info about this please ?
A part of that, good mod indeed, I much appreciate everything as I'm discovering new functions every day but... a s you said, many scripts must actiate in background and this can make the mod/game unstable if too much, so I'm a bit cautious about that. Thank you ;)
Or even when they're following me and I wanna equip them with something there's only a basic dialog and no Tweak dialog.
Now it's gotten worse where only the dialog on the right appears and nothing else.
Because of this, I can't dismiss them and I can't customize them.
This is the same with all of my vanilla followers as well.
What's up with this?
He can't stop following me and i cannot recruit him even though he is still following me xd
Edit: Okej I solve it...
I reset/delete him from AFT then recruit through AFT then dismiss him. I cannot remember the whole process cause he doesn't want to go so I recruit him and dismiss him twice cause there are two dialog options to dismiss him.
Finally he went away 😅
i have the no friendly spell damage part installed...one thing i see though is if you have a follower that uses atronachs, and set atronachs damage another follower, that follower turns aggressive against the atronach, which in turn, causes the conjure follower to turn aggressive against the damaged follower..(if that makes any sense) anyway to mitigate that somehow?
thanks