Installing the Mod List

• 1: Profiles and System Specifications
• 2: Installing Skyrim and the Creation Kit
• 3: Wabbajack and Mod-List Installation
• 4: Post-Mod List Install

1 - Profiles and System Specifications

Profiles

With this modlist, you have the option to choose between the three different Mod Organizer Profiles. Each of these profiles provide a different level of performance.

By default. the list uses the “Refined” profile. The other two profiles are “Refined - Performance” and “Refined - Ultra”. If you are able to use the “Refined - Ultra” profile, you will have the best visual experience the list can offer.

Below is a list of the differences between these three profiles

You can use either profile, and you can switch between them at any time. To do so, click the “Profile” dropdown menu at the top of the left pane in Mod Organizer 2, and select your desired profile. Note that any changes made in one profile will not reflect in the others.

Note that if you decide to use the “Refined - Performance” profile/use Community Shaders, the game will take a small amount of time to generate and cache the shaders on the first launch of the game. This will only happen once. The “Refined - Performance” profile will perform much better than the default profile, at the cost of visuals.

System Specifications

You should absolutely have Skyrim and this mod list installed onto an SSD, and they should be on the same SSD. Using a HDD will induce lower framerates, stutters, and possibly other issues related to stability. If you have no choice, the list will function to a degree, but your experience will be heavily degraded.

Skyrim is very heavy on processors, and also happens to not make use of all available processor cores. This means that processors that are designed with a lot of lower power cores may have trouble running the game/this list. Generally, anything above 3GHz should be fine but I can’t guarantee it. With my hardware, I have no CPU bottleneck whatsoever.

When this mod list was made, I had a GTX 980. In November 2023, I upgraded to a RTX 4070. The below section will start with my initial report on the performance with the 980. The “Ultra” preset did not exist while I had the 980. Afterwards, I will describe the performance with the 4070 across all profiles. Please use these as a guideline to see if you are able to run this mod list based on the information after the specification tables. I can make no guarantees, as certain hardware configurations may result in bottlenecks or other issues.

NOTE: The “Refined - Ultra” profile will NOT run well with a GPU equivelent to a GTX 980

When running this mod list with the default “Refined” profile, my FPS is 60 in 99% of interior spaces, and will dip into ~30-40 in heavy outdoor areas (such as The Rift). When VRAM caps are reached, which occurs often with my hardware, I can experience large stutters momentarily that can bring me down to ~20 FPS.

If you have worse specifications than the below or cannot deal with the performance described above, you can switch to the “Refined - Performance” profile within Mod Organizer 2, to use Community Shaders instead of ENB, and utilize a less intensive DynDOLOD preset.

If I play the list with the “Refined - Performance” profile, nearly all performance issues described in this page are gone. What remains is large stutters momentarily that can bring me down to ~30 FPS, due to VRAM limits being reached. These usually only occur after a long play session, and go away for about 30 minutes at a time.

I also recommend 6GB of VRAM, however as shown above it is possible to run this list with 4GB of VRAM. When doing so, you may be exposed to occasional VRAM related stuttering and FPS drops during extremely heavy moments, or rarely crashes. In my experience, I am able to play 3+ hour long sessions on this list with no crashes, only very rarely do these crashes occur. You will know it is a GPU related crash if your crash logs reference a nvwgf2umx.dll (with NVIDIA Graphics Cards).

While playing the game with 4GB VRAM, we are almost always dipping into our pagefile, running at 3.9/4GB of VRAM usage. As such, you should make sure you have configured your Page File.

Again, I HIGHLY recommend that you have 6GB of VRAM when running this list. It will make for a better time overall, but you absolutely can use less.

When running this mod list with the default “Refined” profile, my FPS is 60 in 99% of locations in the game world. There are very few instances that will drop the framerate for small moments, such as extremely intensive fights where many effects are going on or heavily scripted moments. General gameplay is extremely smooth, and stuttering or sudden FPS drops are near non existent.

Using the “Refined - Performance” profile is not necessary with a 4070, though you can of course use either profile.

The “Refined - Ultra” profile runs at 60 FPS in all interiors, and in most places in the game world. Looking out over locations such as the Whiterun Tundra can drop the FPS to 35-50 due to the large amount of grass LOD being loaded. Any other locations in the world do not have a noticeable FPS drop. FPS drops in general gameplay are very rare, and not something to note.

As mentioned, there may be certain hardware configurations that could deviate from the above two anecdotes.

NEXT » Installing Skyrim and the Creation Kit

2 - Installing Skyrim and the Creation Kit

As with any modlist, it is extremely important that you start with a clean, unmodified installation of Skyrim: Special Edition. This is an extremely vital part of the installation process, do NOT skip this!

This list also requires you to install the Skyrim Special Edition Creation Kit from Steam. The list will fail to install if the Creation Kit is not installed. To do these things, follow these steps:

Installing Skyrim

1. In Steam, uninstall Skyrim: Special Edition (Right-click > Manage > Uninstall).

2. If there are any files leftover in the Skyrim Special Edition game folder (Right-click > Properties… > Local Files > Browse Local Files…), delete them.

3. Install Skyrim: Special Edition.

4. In Steam, set Skyrim: Special Edition to update only when opened. (Right-click > Properties… > Updates > Automatic updates > Only update this game when I launch it)

5. Launch the Skyrim SE from Steam to create any INI or registry entries the game needs. DO NOT CLICK “PLAY” IN THE LAUNCHER! You should NOT be opening the game to the main menu. Immediately exit after the launcher has successfully selected a graphics preset for your hardware. If you launch the game to the main menu and/or initiate the Creation Club downloads that occur, Wabbajack will have errors when installing the list.

Your Skyrim should be updated to the latest version before installing the list, which the above process will ensure. This list runs on Skyrim 1.5.97, but expects your game installation to be updated to the latest version. Do NOT use any downgrade patchers.

This will also ensure that your Skyrim game folder has been completely cleaned of any non-vanilla files, and does not have the additional Anniversary Edition changes. This is very important!

Installing the Creation Kit

1. Go to the Store tab in the Steam app, search for “Skyrim Special Edition: Creation Kit”, and click the result.

2. Scroll down, and click the green “Free” button to install the Creation Kit. This will/should be installed to the Skyrim SE game folder.

You now have the Creation Kit installed, which is required to install the list.

NEXT » Wabbajack and Mod-List Installation

3 - Wabbajack and Mod-List Installation

Wabbajack Installation

1. Download the latest Wabbajack Installer .exe. Do not run anything until instructed to do so.

2. Create a new folder in the root of the drive where you want Wabbajack to be installed. (C:\ will be used as an example, but it can be placed in any drive.) Name this folder “Wabbajack”. Important!: Wabbajack must be placed in a separate folder from where the installation will occur.

3. Create a second folder called C:\tpfzs. This folder is where everything will be installed. You can also place it where you would like and name it what you would like, but ensure the location you place it in is not under the protection of your Antivirus. or inside the Wabbajack folder you created in step 2.

4. Ensure that the newly created directory is completely empty.

5. Ensure that Wabbajack.exe is placed in C:\Wabbajack.

Mod List Installation

1. Open the Wabbajack.exe you placed in C:\Wabbajack, and wait for it to open. Click the left-most button in the main center area labeled “Browse Mod Lists”

2. Check the “Show Unofficial Lists” checkbox at the top of the window. Then, search for “Zediious” in the search box. Hover over the filtered “The Phoenix Flavor - Zediious Sprinkles” mod list, and click the Download button. After that has completed, click the Play button that has replaced the Download button.

3. In the following window, set the Installation Location to C:\tpfzs (or wherever you created that directory). The download location does not need to be set manually unless you have drive space limitations. Downloading to a separate folder is fine (for example, on a HDD), but as before it is recommended that the actual install be placed on a SSD. Important!: Do not install the modlist to your Skyrim SE installation folder OR the folder that Wabbajack.exe is in. Seriously, this is VERY important. If you are at all confused by this, PLEASE reach out on our Discord!

4. Click Run.

With Nexus Premium

5. Wabbajack will walk you through logging into the Nexus and authorizing an API key so it can download mods if you have not done so previously.

6. Let Wabbajack do its thing. This will take usually 2-3 hours at most if you have good internet, but the time to download can take quite a bit of time if you have slower internet speeds.

Without Nexus Premium

5. Wabbajack will prompt you to click all the needed buttons to download the modlist. Be prepared for this to take a really long time, possibly more than one day. Put on some music or a TV show and make a day of it.

Once complete, Wabbajack will say “Installation complete! You may exit the program.” If it does not, visit our Discord server for assistance. Don’t forget to upload your log file!

If Wabbajack fails to download a particular mod, it means that the mod has likely been removed from the Nexus for a moderation reason. This also means that an update to the mod list is imminent. Feel free to report the problematic mod on Discord, but do not ask other people to share older files as this is a violation of the Nexus ToS.

NEXT » Post-Mod List Install

4 - Post-Mod List Install

Please read everything in this section! There are many important things here!

Launching Mod Organizer 2

1. Navigate to C:\tpfzs (or wherever you installed the mod list) and open ModOrganizer.exe.

2. If you don’t have Microsoft VC_Redist installed, you may see an error. You can download the latest versions here

3. A dialogue will appear and ask if you want to associate Mod Organizer with nxm links. Click Yes.

Check your Overwrite Directory

Occasionally, Wabbajack and/or Rootbuilder can place files that were installed by other mod lists and/or were already in your Skyrim installation folder inside the Overwrite directory for this mod list. This can cause a number of issues, including extremely long loading times or not loading at all. Perform the following steps to ensure this directory is not interfered with by other files.

1. If you did not perform the steps here, you MUST do so. If you are knowledgeable, you may be able to remove files from this directory that should not be there and then simply verify your game install. If you do not understand this, PLEASE follow the directions in the link above.

2. In the left pane of Mod Organizer, scroll all the way to the bottom, where you will find an “Overwrite” mod. Double click this.

3. If you have not run the game yet, this mod/directory should be completely empty. If it is not, double check that you have performed Step 1. If you have, simply select all of the files inside of the Overwrite mod, right click them, and delete.

If you are sure you have performed Step 1, then those file should not be in the Overwrite again. If you find this is not the case, reach out on our Discord.

The only files/directories that should be in the Overwrite mod after launching the game and playing are as follows;

• NetScriptFramework (if you experience a crash, logs go here)
• Root
  • betacomments.txt
  • d3dx9_42.log
  • imgui.ini
• ShaderCache/
• SKSE
  • Plugins
    • LamasTinyHUD Loadout .ini files
  • Various plugin log files

Launching the Game

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION! IT WILL PREVENT ISSUES!

The hard part is nearly over. Carry on, the end is in sight!

1. In Mod Organizer 2, select SKSE from the drop-down menu next to the Run button and click Run. You should ALWAYS run the mod list with the SKSE executable, do NOT use the Skyrim SE executable. You can create a shortcut on your desktop if you wish using the Shortcut button under the Run button.

2. At this point Mod Organizer will become “Locked”, while the Skyrim executable is running. Under NO circumstances, should you ever click the “Unlock” button while you are playing the game! This includes immediately when it appears. Mod Organizer needs to be in this state for the mod list to launch and work properly. If you do click Unlock, you will more than likely be faced with Infinite Loading Screens, or other issues.

3. Once Skyrim starts, create a new game. Loading a save from outside this mod list will corrupt that save, do not do this! If you are updating from an existing version of the mod list, read the changelog to ensure that the new version is save-safe.

4. Currently, there is an issue where the character creation screen is too bright. This is being looked into. In the meantime, you should select the Race you want your character to be, and then move on to the next step. Rarely, the bright screen issue does not occur. If you can see your character clearly, then you can fully create your character now, and skip Step 7.

5. As soon as you gain control of your character, do nothing. The mods are loading and this can take a little bit of time. You’ll see a list of mods initializing in the top left of the screen, and you will see popup messages, which you can click OK on. Please, DO NOT do anything until notification messages at the top left have ceased. This may take a bit of time, but be patient. This only needs to happen on the first load into a new game.

6. Once you see that no more items are appearing in the list in the top left, you can proceed to the next steps.

7. ONLY if you had the bright screen issue when the Race Menu first appeared in Step 4, open the console with the Tilde/Backtick Key below your Escape key, enter the following command showracemenu, and press Enter. This will re-open the character creation screen. Create your character and name them whatever you’d like.

8. Make sure you are not looking at the Dragon NPC in the room, and press the F10 key. Select a Body Preset from the menu that appears. If you don’t care about this as a Male character, select Zeroed. You must choose a preset as a Male, as the default proportions given are quite wonky. As a Female character, you can safely ignore this if you wish.

9. At this point, you should make a save, and reload that save before continuing.

The MCM Settings

First and foremost, you should NEVER change an MCM setting except for Hotkeys without asking in Discord first. There are a very large number of MCM settings that change the experience drastically, or introduce bugs that are alleviated by disabling or enabling that setting. As such, it can quite literally break your game if you change a setting you should not change. Please ask about any non-hotkey MCM settings you wish to change.

On a new game, MCM Recorder will run a custom preset that has been created for this mod list. Most MCM configuration menus will be automatically configured for you, using the recommended settings. You will, however, need to configure the MCM for a few mods as listed below;

Valhalla Combat

ONLY if you decide to change the block key from Duel Wield Parrying SKSE, you will also need to change the block key in the Compatibility section of this mod. Dual Wield Parrying uses a different system to send the blocking action to the game, and Valhalla needs to know which key is initiating this separate action to properly start a timed block. If you are not rebinding your block key, you do not need to worry about this.

Important Notes Regarding Current Bugs

There is a major issue with one of the starting scenarios you can choose when speaking to “The Messenger”. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you select the “Dragonborn” -> “High Hrothgar” start. This scenario completes quests in ways that At Your Own Pace does not support, completely breaking the main quest. I won’t be too mad if you select this start and ask about it, but I will be sad because that means you did not read. You should avoid using the Random start option to prevent choosing this start. If you do decide to use the Random start, make sure to re-roll if you spawn outside of High Hrothgar.

Final Thoughts & Best Practices

• Report any bugs/issues or anything remotely odd on our issue tracker! Make sure to check the current issues before posting on Discord or making a new issue. Reporting issues you find helps to make this mod list better for everyone :)

• Endorse the mods that have been downloaded by this list! Without the mod authors, the list could not exist. You definitely don’t have to click endorse 1500+ times in one day, but check your Nexus download history every once in a while and spend some time endorsing these mods. Wabbajack has made it incredibly easy to get the mods downloaded, but the authors deserve some commendation for their work, in my opinion. Follow this link to get to your download history!

• The Notable Mods sections in the Wiki sidebar contains a full-detailed breakdown of all the important mods in this list (this section is still a WIP!). Make sure to check it out after you have read the Mandatory Reading section! You can also view the Load Order Library list in the “Other List Information” tab to view the full mod list.

• When launching the game through Mod Organizer, NEVER click the “Unlock” button on the small window that Mod Organizer creates. This WILL cause issues!

• NEVER save right after a loading screen. Wait 15-30 seconds before saving to let scripts finish executing.

• Quicksaves made with F5 are automatically turned into Manual Saves. It is recommended to save early and often. Every 15 minutes and before interacting with quest NPCs, quest objects, and entering new zones should be sufficient. Old saves can be deleted, but forgetting to save loses progress forever!

• It is recommended that you do not load autosaves as a rule. In this mod list, they are off by default. If you want to read more about the subject, check out mator’s response to a discussion on the topic here

• Wabbajack supports updating/upgrading over an existing installation, but it will automatically delete any files that aren’t used for the modlist installation. This means if you have changed the modlist in any way, Wabbajack will delete those changes and may even delete your saves. Keep backups of any changes you do make.

NEXT » Mod List Tweaks - Power Attacking and Blocking