Skyrim Anniversary Edition announced

[LeBurns]

17 hours ago, Arthmoor said:

Huh, cool, live fish in an aquarium. Might be just the incentive some people need to actually use the fishing DLC

Those are new fish.  Wonder what potions I can make out of them. 

 

[Thane Baldur]

Arthmoor is there ANY WAY to bypass SKSE trying to auto update itself once AE goes live? I begrudgingly upgraded to SE (after YEARS of manually installing, tuning and perfecting my mods for my retail LE version). Was resigned to eviction from Oldrim as one of the last SE adapters when you and other big scope modders like Chesko emigrated for SE. And other mandatory QoL mods the likes of MO2, Wrye, SkyUI etc. And when the community project to migrate Oldrim mods to SE was fully underway, my defection was complete. I was so content to finally have a decent single player game I could enjoy that was customized to my design.

Fast forward half a decade later and Bugthesda slips another dagger into my back with AE, while contemptuously exiting stage left.  But as you say, it is their  game.  Just like  the Nexusmods forum was never really a free platform, but always a proprietary? privately owned? publisher platform. So while the latest radical user TOS policy changes are a nasty wake up surprise, they were inevitable.  

Regardless, I'm fine with paying to download bandwidth services on Nexus. Global scale and world scope mods the likes of Chesko suite, Falskaar, Beyond Bruma, and LOTD Museum DO eat bandwidth. My problem is the loss of choice in how I play the game. AE will force the update to pre AE SKSE design structure. If you're a Steam player like me, this change will be automatic and mandatory after 11/11.  Soooo.....

if I were to keep launching Steam offline, would my pre AE version of SKSE be fooled into thinking the SE game version was still the current official version? Or is it coded to indirectly sense whatever version of the Steam client is running, and so will be indirectly statused of the new AE edition?  It doesn't help that Steam is currently in process of beta testing to update itself either

Finally, what about other franchises like Fallout?  I typically play using the TTW mod so unless Bugthesda decides to screw over the Fallout fan base, I don't see this as an immediate danger. But could Nexusmods change/tweak the format of Fallout mods seeing how they moved to the Collections system with AE? i.e. will Fallout players be required to download Fallout mod collections as well for the sake of consistency across the Nexusmod platform? 

[smr1957]

1 hour ago, Thane Baldur said:

Arthmoor is there ANY WAY to bypass SKSE trying to auto update itself once AE goes live?...

SKSE64 does not autoupdate - that must be done manually - but if the game itself updates, unless you have backed up everything as described below, you WILL have to update SKSE64 if you wish to use any mods that require the newer version of SKSE64. 

See this vid from GamerPoets:

Also, in addition (to be on the safe side should any changes be made to the following), copy all the Skyrim .ESMs and .BSAs that are located in the Data folder to either another location on your PC or onto some separate storage unit such as a memory stick.  That way, should the game update, you can roll back.

 

As to collections, that is a totally separate issue and use of Nexus collections would be completely voluntary on the part of the player - just as any mods are (since they are nothing more then pre-made selections of mods compiled together in one package).

[Thane Baldur]

Thanks for the quick follow up! Yes I've got Steam set to manually update but that video was extremely helpful. Missed a few things.

I haven't played Skyrim for over a year. In fact, I'm thinking the last time I played was right around the time of that GP video.  Yikes. So even if this AE/Nexusmod Collection policy change weren't a reality, I'd still have to update some 41.4 GB of mods in my 335 mod deck 

Which literally took a full 8hr or so working day to accomplish, since I always did my mod downloads/updates from Nexus manually. So ironically, this time will be shortened due to having to pay for faster d/l speed.

But despite that, my concern is the format of the existing SE version that I've currently have Steam on hold.  I need the latest/last working version of SE aka pre AE version of SE. And all the Nexusmods that currently work with the latest version BEFORE SKSE needs to be converted to AE format (which could take awhile).

So as a sanity checker: the existing update for SE is STILL safe i.e. it's STILL a pre AE update right?  So technically, if I were to update SE (with game folder backups prior to this) then installing this STILL would be safe for the game right? Because we're NOT yet at the hard 11/11 milestone point as yet when AE goes into effect.  

So until 11/11/21, the only difference in updating mods for SE is having to pay Nexus for bandwidth & faster d/l speed, right?  Because once 11th kicks off, my understanding is it's all AE format mods from Nexus beyond that point.

Thank God for GamerPoets. I wouldn't have learned how to use MO if it weren't for him.

 

Edited October 22, 2021 by Thane Baldur
Because I CAN damit. This isn't F@kebook or Tw@t

[Arthmoor]

I really don't think people need to be in such a panic over this. This really isn't going to be any different from and end user perspective than it has been for any previous SE update, expect you're getting 3 free DLCs tossed in because Bethesda is cool like that. Other than CDPR, I don't know of any other companies who have gone out of their way to do something like this. Especially across all platforms.

And sure, nextgen console owners are getting the full AE update with all 74 DLCs for free if they already own SE, but that seems fair to me since those of us on PC who owned LE in 2016 got SE for free. The update from SE to AE isn't anywhere near that level of change.

I expect that perhaps this update may take a few more days than normal for the SKSE side of things to catch up, but it will catch up, because inevitably the user base that is using the mods they create WILL update their games, and Steam WILL insist on it at some point. You can try and block updates, delay things, go offline, etc but the platform will do what the platform always does and eventually it will go online to update itself and see that you have games which also need updates. I don't see there being any value in aggressively trying to resist this since it's a battle you can't win.

[smr1957]

I agree with Arthmoor as to the the update - a tempest in a teapot.  In fact, blocking updates and keeping your game set to older versions is really only applicable (in my mind, at least), for those who have a specific build that is of such size and complexity that it would be a major problem to update anything at all.  As an example, my build is one such.  In fact, it is not really Skyrim at all, any longer, but a game that just uses Skyrim as a framework to hang a whole different game on - what I call The Adventures of Etienne (Etienne being my player character),  With nearly 2300 total mods and closing in upon 1700 plugins (only 45 or so being .esls, the rest being merged down to 240 plugins or so - and yes, it is completely stable and CTD free), my game is one that will keep me occupied with no real further changes ever being necessary - it is more a "real world" simulator than a traditional game, with - for all practical purposes - almost all the options that one would encounter in a real world Skyrim.  So no, I will not be updating it.  But for the average gameplayer with the average game, there really is no reason not to eventually update.  Think of it as an opportunity to create a new build and start a new playthrough - adventure awaits!.

 

And, as Arthmoor also said, I can think of no other game company (or any company, for that matter) that has been so generous in giving out free content to prior owners of a product.  For all that we may like to knock or bash Bethesda about things, they really have gone far beyond what is necessary as regards taking care of their loyal customers.

[Thane Baldur]

4 hours ago, Arthmoor said:

I really don't think people need to be in such a panic over this. This really isn't going to be any different from and end user perspective than it has been for any previous SE update, expect you're getting 3 free DLCs tossed in because Bethesda is cool like that. Other than CDPR, I don't know of any other companies who have gone out of their way to do something like this. Especially across all platforms.

And sure, nextgen console owners are getting the full AE update with all 74 DLCs for free if they already own SE, but that seems fair to me since those of us on PC who owned LE in 2016 got SE for free. The update from SE to AE isn't anywhere near that level of change.

I expect that perhaps this update may take a few more days than normal for the SKSE side of things to catch up, but it will catch up, because inevitably the user base that is using the mods they create WILL update their games, and Steam WILL insist on it at some point. You can try and block updates, delay things, go offline, etc but the platform will do what the platform always does and eventually it will go online to update itself and see that you have games which also need updates. I don't see there being any value in aggressively trying to resist this since it's a battle you can't win.

Thanks for the free head shrink you Borg Queen you.  But as a last attempt to quell my paranoia:

1 or 3 of those free awesome mods coming to us PC gamers is the fishing mod. Which SHOULD have been in the base game on 11.11.11. But it literally took Howard ONE DECADE and one WORKING & SUPERIOR fishing mod later (aka Art of the Catch which prompted the creation of CC's only Fishing mod to date) to realize this tiny but HUGE QoL game mechanic needed to be in the game.

That being said, I don't want to come across as an ungrateful peasant. But upon installing said free content aka the free fishing mod, that alone will break my existing Art of the Catch mod.  Which I personally ported from Oldrim to SSE using tools like CAO here:

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/23316

And despite how janky/unpolished AoC remains to date via animations, it still remains one of the best and groundbreaking immersion mods.  I guess my biggest concern with the extra mod upgrade like Bugthesda's fishing mod, is loss of mod customization control. Because it's unlikely that tools like Cathedral Optimizer will be upgraded for the new AE framework. Particularly given Nexus policy changes for how mod content will be delivered. Which will likely make said porting tools unnecessary in future...

It took me FIVE+ years to finally learn/understand how to tweak/create and write minor script & texture changes to my existing SE mods. Harasasing modders like Gentester & Miss Jenabee on how to modify/tweak their mod content to accommodate other mods. YES ARTHMOOR THIS INCLUDES YOU. I'M THE ONE WHO HARASSED YOU ABOUT HOW TO REMOVE OCCULSION PLANES. SO I COULD GET YOUR HELARCHEN CREEK LOCATION MOD & IT'S DOPPLEGANAGER VERSION FROM TES ARENA SKYRIM FORTRESS MOD WORKING TOGETHER 

And to get ALL of them working in perfect synergy, with zero CTDs due to the MASSIVE degree of scripts that were running at any one time.   

Worse yet, quite a few of my mods are boutique like Art of Catch, Divine Octavo, and Candle Pond Ranch. And so were either not ported over from the Oldrim Caretaker to SE (as part of the community effort) or were pulled/deleted by their original mod authors. Lucked out with a few like finding disillusioned modders the likes of Ac3s, who was kind enough to let me have the latest copy of his Lakeview Enhanced compilation mod. Other mod authors whom I couldn't get a hold of, I managed to port/convert their Oldrim and/or SE versions before the Nexus policy shift. Then needed to take a break from the Skyrim and modding scene. Which ended up lasting a lot longer than I'd anticipated 

Anyways, next to those boutique type mods, most of my mod deck is tied up in mods with scopes that are on official crack. aka Beyond Burma, LOTD etc.  I have NO idea how the post AE framework changes will affect my ability to do simple compatibility  patches? for such minor DLC scope world size mods. (i.e. I doubt the Beyond Burma team would waste time doing compatibility patches for a mod as obsolete as Divine Octavo etc).   

TL ; DR

Looking for a specific, updated post AE framework mod on Nexus, so your original SE mod deck doesn't CTD on game load? Don't care for 98% of mods in the new Collections that Nexus is now mandating? Can't find any post AE tools the likes of Cathedral Optimizer etc. to update your boutique customized mods in your deck?  Well sucks to be you. You're royally screwed because the post AE framework update doesn't work well with MO2, TESVEdit, Wrye etc etc.  Or perhaps after timidly downloading the new AE format, then try to update your custom SE mods (which are now obsoleted/deleted/pulled mods you successfully manage to port from Oldrim to SE? But these failed to make the popular mod suite in the new Nexus mod collection format? Well it sucks once again to be you. You're no longer able to play with Divine Octavo because the new post AE version of CK simply will NOT recognize said obsoleted Oldrim mod. et cetra, et cetra to ad finitum and ad nauseum.

Dear God. The list of my paranoid fears is simply too long  

Edited October 22, 2021 by Thane Baldur
Seriously. Don't make me......

[Thane Baldur]

3 hours ago, smr1957 said:

I agree with Arthmoor as to the the update - a tempest in a teapot.  In fact, blocking updates and keeping your game set to older versions is really only applicable (in my mind, at least), for those who have a specific build that is of such size and complexity that it would be a major problem to update anything at all.  As an example, my build is one such.  In fact, it is not really Skyrim at all, any longer, but a game that just uses Skyrim as a framework to hang a whole different game on - what I call The Adventures of Etienne (Etienne being my player character),  With nearly 2300 total mods and closing in upon 1700 plugins (only 45 or so being .esls, the rest being merged down to 240 plugins or so - and yes, it is completely stable and CTD free), my game is one that will keep me occupied with no real further changes ever being necessary - it is more a "real world" simulator than a traditional game, with - for all practical purposes - almost all the options that one would encounter in a real world Skyrim.  So no, I will not be updating it.  But for the average gameplayer with the average game, there really is no reason not to eventually update.  Think of it as an opportunity to create a new build and start a new playthrough - adventure awaits!.

 

And, as Arthmoor also said, I can think of no other game company (or any company, for that matter) that has been so generous in giving out free content to prior owners of a product.  For all that we may like to knock or bash Bethesda about things, they really have gone far beyond what is necessary as regards taking care of their loyal customers.

Ya. That is the crux of my angst. My game play style (and heavily customized 40.5GB modded game folder) is in the same situation like yours. Created by literal years invested time in mod streamlining and customization etc. Working stable/immersive touring carriage rides everywhere, with negligible annoying flying lizards in my game. Lol. The only recognizable feature that it shares with Oldrim/SE are its infamous game engine related bugs that force CTDs. The worst and most predictable being that first one you encounter at the start of the vanilla game. Where you meet the Companions for the first time,  and get forcibly engaged by the female werewolf Aela.  The only work around for that particular native CTDs remains fast travelling far enough from the event. But just close enough so you can manually select and kill the Giant. Lol.  Good times.

[Scythe Bearer]

2 hours ago, Thane Baldur said:

Ya. That is the crux of my angst. My game play style (and heavily customized 40.5GB modded game folder) is in the same situation like yours. Created by literal years invested time in mod streamlining and customization etc. Working stable/immersive touring carriage rides everywhere, with negligible annoying flying lizards in my game. Lol. The only recognizable feature that it shares with Oldrim/SE are its infamous game engine related bugs that force CTDs. The worst and most predictable being that first one you encounter at the start of the vanilla game. Where you meet the Companions for the first time,  and get forcibly engaged by the female werewolf Aela.  The only work around for that particular native CTDs remains fast travelling far enough from the event. But just close enough so you can manually select and kill the Giant. Lol.  Good times.

 

I do not wish to diminish your ... ah ... rant, but there is a really simple solution.  Don't enable the content you seen to loathe so much.  Let it sit, unwanted and unloved in your SSE folder, gathering electronic dust.  indicate oh so carefully in your preferred mod manager that the content is to be ignored, uninstalled and inactive.  This will allow you and your carefully constructed game world to remain pristine, unsullied by growth and change, barricaded against new ideas and new thinking. 

[Thane Baldur]

thanks for the quick follow up.  But I still didn't get the most important answer:

My current SKSE .dll version is skse64_1_5_80.dll and the sks364_loader.exe has not been updated since 6/13/19

If I did what you suggested (isolate my game but tried to install the latest version of Nexus mods), I'd still need to upgrade my older version of SE right? In other words, is my 6/2019 ver of skse64:

1. capable of launching the latest game update Steam is trying to patch my game files with (since this update is still pre AE version) and

2. capable of running current mods on Nexus without having to update it? Which I suspect per Murphy's Law, have been likely updated on Nexus to be supported by whatever version skse64 currently is to date

Sorry for being so thick. I've been away from TES for 2 years per that skse64 executable date stamp 

[Arthmoor]

To be honest, at this point I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to find out. If you haven't updated your game yet to 1.5.97, you really ought to have done that long ago. I will grant that at this point you may as well wait until 11/11/21 to update your SE install as there's no point in putting yourself through the hassle twice in 2 weeks.

As far as fishing, I can't recall a single person in 2011 who was clamoring for a fishing DLC of any sort. Wure, there was the occasional person who wondered about modding it in, but that's all it ever was. The popularity of fishing for no real purpose didn't take hold until ESO introduced their fishing features and then suddenly everyone wanted it in Skyrim too. Which I'm pretty sure is what gave rise to Art of the Catch. Supply and demand and all that.

I may be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure Chesko is the one who is providing them with the Fishing DLC for AE. What little has been said about it sounds a lot like the stuff he did for AoC and the version he once uploaded to the Steam Workshop for the paid mods system in 2015. So I'm not sure what the issue really is here since it seems as though what's coming with AE is actually going to be a better system than the mod itself.

As for the "latest Nexus Mods" I'm assuming you mean Vortex. Updating Vortex should have no impact on anything with your game and shouldn't do anything to your existing mod load order either. But it will definitely inform you if any of those mods have had updates and it will want you to download them. That's part of it's primary function.

[Uncus]

correct me if I am wrong, as I understand it about all that the Script Extender guys and other mod authors that have SE dependant mods have to do is change the recognition code to that of the current Skyrim build and its good to go.

[Arthmoor]

It's not quite that simple but that's basically it, yes. The SKSE team will need to find the new address points for their code to hook into and from there it's a matter of time for when the rest of the DLL community follows suit.

[Sah]

sorry to ask a very silly question ... do I have to buy Anniversary Edition and how much will it cost, will I have to download it as a new game? will I have to log into bethesda accounts ext to play it and get all the CC content

like I said very silly question ... but just need to know how much it will cost?, got to start saving

 

[LeBurns]

7 hours ago, Sah said:

sorry to ask a very silly question ... do I have to buy Anniversary Edition and how much will it cost, will I have to download it as a new game? will I have to log into bethesda accounts ext to play it and get all the CC content

like I said very silly question ... but just need to know how much it will cost?, got to start saving

 

If you have SE, the update to AE is free.  With the free update you get a couple CC items for free also.  For a price, you get all the CC items including some that haven't been seen yet.  Not sure what the difference is between AE free update and AE paid, are the called the same thing?  I don't know.  I've got SE on STEAM so I'm sure it will just update automatically as it has in the past.  I may pick the game up again to see the new items, though I have no interest in the survival mod as I just like to assume my PC can take care of themselves without me telling them they need to eat, poop, get dressed, etc.

 

[Rotzi]

Nothing bethesda has done over the past years was generous or for customer benefits. (but that is true for many companies and not only in the games industry) I will keep my game offline until i know what consequences this upgrade has. Should suddenly all console mods stop working (or all insects are vanished again) i can at least let the game stay in working condition. I really don't know why they don't make the whole thing easy. Everyone who owns SE has acces to the CC shop, so if the 3 things are in there for free i could simply decide to download it or not. But no, make it more inconvenient for the loyal customer. Maybe introducing some new bugs to make it more interesting.

Rant over.

 

[Pseron Wyrd]

5 minutes ago, Rotzi said:

Nothing bethesda has done over the past years was generous or for customer benefits.

"Nothing" is a bit hyperbolic, in my opinion.  To name just a few things, Bethesda added horse combat to Skyrim as a free update, they have regularly given away Creation Club content, they included over twenty extra, unused body slots in Skyrim solely for the use of  modders, and, most importantly to me, I consider their ongoing support of modding and the mod community to be very generous.  

[Rotzi]

2 minutes ago, Pseron Wyrd said:

"Nothing" is a bit hyperbolic, in my opinion.  To name just a few things, Bethesda added horse combat to Skyrim as a free update, they have regularly given away Creation Club content, they included over twenty extra, unused body slots in Skyrim solely for the use of  modders, and, most importantly to me, I consider their ongoing support of modding and the mod community to be very generous.  

You are right, i rephrase that to "not much". But my perspective is from a console player and over the past years bethesda frakked them more then one time in the knee. Starting with CC and the worst implemention of it possible. Having to download all assets like unwanted bloat ware, removing the ability to manage the loadorder offline in F4, introducing almost gamebreaking bugs on xbone and don't fix them for over a month (not until the next CC stuff was ready), finally achieved that Downtown Boston is almost unplayable on xbone and don't care about it for almost 2 years now.

 

[Scythe Bearer]

I don't get the panic at all.  It just seems that some folks haven't read the announcement.  So ...

The announcement is located at:

https://elderscrolls.bethesda.net/en/article/REybYU3Gy2InVlHmus4UC/skyrim-10th-anniversary-fan-celebration?utm_source=Community&utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=5405887113&linkId=130062982

 

Here is the text of the announcement, with my understanding of what it says. 

 

 

FREE CREATION CLUB CONTENT, NEXT-GEN ENHANCEMENTS & THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM ANNIVERSARY EDITION

 

Finally, we have some exciting announcements for the game itself. Current and future owners of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition on any platform including Xbox Game Pass Subscribers will receive access to three free pieces of Creation Club content: Fishing, Survival Mode and even new quests with Saints and Seducers.

Everyone will RECEIVE ACCESS TO three freebies.  This implies that you can get them if you want, or not. 

Additionally, Skyrim Special Edition owners on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S, as well as Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Xbox Series X|S will receive a free upgrade to an enhanced version on November 11 for their respective PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S systems!

Xbox / PS upgrade and so not a concern for SKSE or PC gamers.  Can be ignored unless you play on a PS5 or Xbox X/S. but there is no SKSE on these platforms, so no mod panic necessary. 

We’re also excited to announce the most definitive version of Skyrim to date: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition. The Anniversary Edition includes Skyrim Special Edition and 74 creations, all 48 currently available and 26 to be released. These showcase over 500+ individual elements such as quests, items, armor, houses, etc.

Commercial for the new AE version.  Can be ignored after the first meh.   Except. when this paragraph is coupled with the next paragraph, the implication is that AE as announced here is distinct from the UPGRADE being made available in the next paragraph. 

Existing owners of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition and Xbox Game Pass subscribers will also receive the option to purchase an Anniversary Edition upgrade for their Special Edition version of the game to gain access to all the additional content found in the Anniversary Edition.

If you have SSE, you RECEIVE THE OPTION TO PURCHASE the AE upgrade.  You can buy AE or not.  This is NOT a forced update, as claimed by others.

After ten years, we can say with certainty that Skyrim’s fans are what make the game shine and its anniversary worth celebrating. This coming November, we can’t wait to revisit a modern classic and share the festivities with you, so don’t miss out!

More commercial for the new AE version.  Can be ignored after the first meh.

 

 

So, there it is.  The announcement, and my understanding of what the announcement says. 

 

If there is more OFFICIAL information from Bethesda on this topic, I would love to see it. 

[Rotzi]

Exactly what i have seen and thought but i read here that all versions get some kind of update/upgrade/changed code that will break everything or nothing or create a black hole. But all i could find was the exact same information and nothing about that in it. 

[Pseron Wyrd]

2 hours ago, Rotzi said:

my perspective is from a console player 

Ah, yes that might make a difference.  I've never owned a console in my life, so I have no idea what playing these games on a console is like.  Mandatory download of assets does sound like a recipe for user frustration. 

[Arthmoor]

11 hours ago, Sah said:

do I have to buy Anniversary Edition and how much will it cost, will I have to download it as a new game?

You only have to buy something if you want all 74 of the DLCs.

It is not downloaded as a new game.

AE is basically a Steam bundle, like LE was for Classic Skyrim.

[Sah]

4 hours ago, Arthmoor said:

You only have to buy something if you want all 74 of the DLCs.

It is not downloaded as a new game.

AE is basically a Steam bundle, like LE was for Classic Skyrim.

thanks for that

I suppose its time for a clean install and to start fresh with no mods and take it from there (great time to wipe my drive clean and reinstall Windows 10 from scratch too)

[LeBurns]

Full uninstall and clean install is not a bad idea.  Wait for the update and then see about reinstalling mods.  Not sure how my mods in Beth.net are going to fair so I may try to find those on Nexus and just download them and save them somewhere in case I need to install them manually.  Course Nexus is a mess right now and some of those mods may be gone.  Just have to see what I can grab I guess.  And then wait.

[DayDreamer]

On 10/25/2021 at 8:32 AM, LeBurns said:

And then wait.

My plan is to wait until SKSE is released for AE, just as I'd done for SE. That's when it was clear things were stable. But it took years....