THIS GUIDE IS NOW READY FOR THE AE UPDATE

I will show you how to get most out of your game using as less mods as possible! Following this guide will give you a stable, beautiful looking and highly customizable game.
For people who never modded before or are new: Feel free to use the "Nexus Mod Manager". If you already know how to use Mod Organizer 2, use that one instead! Vortex works as well!

For the NMM users: Always overwrite any existing mod, when NMM asks to. ("Yes to all"). If a mod comes with an installation, alway install everything and or to your liking!

Have fun!

If you have questions feel free to write a comment below! Because I am just a normal human being some mistakes might happen. If you have tips or additions, or see any problems in my modlist, feel also free to let me know and I will fix them!

All we need to start is a fresh installation of Skyrim. If you still have Skyrim installed and modded it before, delete it! Also delete the folder under "My Documents/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition" (Back up your savefiles before).

1. Install "Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE)" first please! Just place everything into your Skyrim folder (The "skse64_loader.exe" should be in the same Location as your Skyrim.exe). Always start the game with the "skse64_loader.exe" (Make a shortcut to your Desktop)

Now please install the following mods in this exact order!

• 2. Address Library for SKSE Plugins - All in one (Anniversary Edition) (Version 8)
  
• 3. Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch (Version 4.2.8)
  
• 4. Skyrim SE - Project Optimization - ESL VERSION (Version 1.5)
  
• 5. PapyrusUtil AE SE - Scripting Utility Functions (Version 4.4)
  
• 6. SkyUI_5_2_SE (Version 5.2SE)
  
• 7. Forgotten Retex Project (Version 7.2)
  Install Everything!
  
  
• 8. Static Mesh Improvement Mod - SMIM (VErsion 2.08)
  Choose "Skyrim 2016 Special Edtion: Everything" but dont check "Statues" on the second page!
  
  
• 9. Relighting Skyrim SE (Version 1.4.0)
  
• 10. High Poly Project (Version 5.3)
  
• 11. Noble Skyrim - Full Pack (Version 5.5.0) + NSM - SMIM Patch (Version 5.5.0)
  
• 12. Skyrim 2018 (Version 1.5) + Bugfixes 1.5 (Version 1.5) + Bugfixes 1.6 (Version 1.6)
  
• 13. Skyrim 202X
  Skyrim 2020 - 1 of 3 Landscape - 4K to 2K (Version 8.4.2)
  Skyrim 2020 - 2 of 3 - Architecture - 4K to 2K (Version 8.4.2)
  Skyrim 2020- 3 of 3 - Other - 4K to 2K (Version 8.4.2)
  
  7 New Mountain Textures for Majestic Mountains (Version 8.0)
  
  
  
• 14. Better Dynamic Ash SE (Version 2.1.1)
  
• 15. Better Dynamic Snow SE (Version 3.5.0)
  Plugin Installation: Vanilla Replacement
  Projected Diffuse Texture: Vanilla Texture - Tiled
  
• 16. RUSTIC CLOTHING - Special Edition - 4K-2K (Version 3.0)
  
• 17. Simply Realistic Armor and Weapons
  Simply Realistic Armor (NordwarUA Edition) (Version 1.2)
  Simply Realistic Armor (NordwarUA Edition) - All-In-One Weapons Replacer (Version 1.0)
  Simply Realistic Armor (NordwarUA Edition) - 1.3 Patch (Version 1.3)
  SRA - All-In-One Weapons Replacer Update v1.1 Patch (Version 1.1)
  
  
• 18. Enhanced Vanilla Trees SE-Basic (Version 1.9.0)
  (This file is not available anymore, but a reupload can be found on the "Skyrim SE Beautification Project" website! I can give you the link, but Google should help!)
  Check what you like and read the descriptions carefully! At the end select "Pre-Generated Lods" instead of "Billboards"!
  
  
• 19. Blended Roads (Version 1.7)
  Check only these:
  Main Files: REALly Blended Roads
  SMIM Patch: REALly Blended Roads
  
  
• 20. Northern Grass (Version 1.00)
  
• 21. Cathedral - Weathers (Version 2.23b) + Cathedral Weathers Unofficial Update (Version 2.36)
  
• 22. Cathedral Landscapes - Cathedral Concept (Version 3.0.1)
  
• 23. Cathedral Landscape - Fixed Bridge Meshes - REALly Blended Roads for SMIM (Version 1.0)
  
• 24. Cathedral - 3D Pine Grass (Version 0.457)
  
• 25. Northern Cathedral Regional Grass (Version 1.0)
  
• 26. Cathedral - Water (Version 3.7)
  
• 27. ETHEREAL CLOUDS SE - 2K (Version 3.0)
  
• 28. Smooth Sky Mesh (Version 1.0.262)
  
• 29. Cathedral - Luminosity (Version 4.2)
  
• 30. Project Clarity - Creature Textures Redone (Version 1.8)

You might have noticed my character I play with in Skyrim. If you also want to have a good looking character, here are some suggestions. Just, as always, install them in this order!

As for the bodies: I prefer both body types (CBBE and UNP), but for this one I choose UNP.

1. RaceMenu Anniversary Edition (Version 0.4.19.11)
   
2. RaceCompatibilty All-In-One (Version 2.15) + Untranslated Plugins
   Moonlight Tales: Do not install
   Optional Compatibility Patches: USSEP
   Optional Vampire Lord Transformation: Do not install
   Optional Vampire Overhaul: No Vampire Overhaul
   
   
3. KS Hairdos SSE
   
4. CBPC - Fomod installer - MAIN FILE (Version 1.5.5)
   
5. HDT-SMP (Version 2.11)
   
6. FNIS Behaviours (Version 7.6)
   
7. XP32 Maximum Skeleton Special Extended (Version 4.81)
   Just click “Next”. The only thing you should uncheck is the
   “SoS” option (on page 7). Select “NONE
   
8. XP32 Maximum Skeleton Special Extended - Fixed Scripts (Version 1.0)
   
9. UNP Female Body Renewal (Version 4.6)
   
10. Cathedral Player and NPC Overhaul (Version 4.49)
    
11. Expressive Facegen Morphs SE (Version 1.0)”
    
12. Bijin Warmaidens SE (Version 3.1.3)
    
13. Pandorable's NPCs - Dawnguard SE (Version 1.2)
    
14. Pandorable's NPCs - Dragonborn SE (Version 1.1)
    
15. Pandorable's Heroines (Version 1.1)

You have to run FNIS! Otherwise the animations won’t work. You can find the tool here:
*STEAMFOLDER*\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\Data\Tools\GenerateFNIS_for_Users\GenerateFNISforUsers.exe
Check the first two patches! (“GENDER Specific Animations” and “SKELETON Arm Fix”)

Afterwards press the big yellow button “Update FNIS Behaviour”. If this is done (It could take some time) press the “Consistence Check” button! Now you can press “Exit”. The program just asks you if you want to have a shortcut on your desktop. Choose either “No” or “Yes”, because this is not really important.

This can be tricky for some users, but if you really want to have a good LOD this is a must have (Especially with the Enhanced Vanilla Tree settings you made!)

Lets go!

First you need to Google for "xLODGen". There should be a link for the "STEP Modifications" website and download the latest BETA (beta 95).

Afterwards you extract it wherever you want and rename the "xLODGEN.exe" to "SSELODGEN.exe" (64bit version!).

Start it up in "Admin-Mode" and wait until another window pops-up!

Check:

Objects LOD
Trees LOD
Terrain LOD

For the LOD brightness in the tree section I suggest you to set it to "-3"!

Now click "Generate" and wait.... Shouldtake between 10 and 30 minutes to be finished, but can even take a bit longer!

If it says "LOD Generation Finished" you can close the windows!

Thats all!

The ENB I am using is "PI-CHO ENB - Konan Edition". The installation is fairly simple! Most of the following files will be installed manually (without a modmanager)!

Download the latest ENB binary (From the ENBDev Homepage!) and manually copy the "d3d11.dll" and "decompiler_46e.dll" (inside the wrapper folder) to the Skyrim SE installation folder (where the .exe is).

Download "ENB Helper SE" (Version 2.2.0) and install it like any other mod!

Download Pi-CHO ENB and manually copy/paste the content of the folder into your Skyrim SE folder!

Check the following value in the Skyrimprefs.ini file.
(Documents -> My Games -> Skyrim Special Edition)

bEnableImprovedSnow=0
bToggleSparkles=0
bSAO_CS_Enable=0
bSAOEnable=0
bUseTAA = 1
bVolumetricLightingEnable = 1
iVolumetricLightingQuality = 0

Now you can finally start your game (With the SKSE.exe!)!

GG WP GL HF

For this we don't need any mods! We are just using the ingame console!

You can access the console using the "^" key (its above your TAB key - at least on a European keyboard)