The summary of ‘Load Order # 1 – What is it?’

The video provides a comprehensive guide on managing load orders for modding games like Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and Skyrim, focusing on the importance of proper load order to ensure a successful gaming experience. It covers the distinction between master files and plugins (.ESM and .ESP), as well as the complexities of arranging load orders to prevent conflicts between mods. The speaker emphasizes the significance of understanding dependencies and relationships in load order management to avoid issues during gameplay. Additionally, the video demonstrates examples of conflicts between mods and provides solutions such as rearranging load orders and using compatibility patches. The importance of following recommended load orders from mod pages and readme files is highlighted, with a reference to using the tool "Loot" for more effective load order management.

00:00:00

In this part of the video, the creator discusses load order for games like Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and Skyrim, focusing on plugins (ending in .ESP) and master files (ending in .ESM). The video aims at modding enthusiasts who are comfortable with mod managers like Nexus Mod Manager. The importance of load order, its definition, and where to locate game files in the Skyrim folder are explained, emphasizing the relevance of managing load order for a successful gaming experience.

00:03:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker explains how the game Skyrim loads ESMs and ESPs based on the load order. They recommend using a mod manager like Nexus Mod Manager to arrange the load order as it could be complicated to do manually. The speaker demonstrates using Nexus Mod Manager to show their current load order for Skyrim, highlighting that master files are loaded before plugins and cannot be rearranged. The importance of proper load order management, especially for master files, is emphasized, and the ability to manipulate the load order within certain constraints is shown using the example of rearranging ESPs.

00:06:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker explains the difference between master files and files that are masters of other files in modding load orders. Master files are flagged as such, while some ESP files can also act as master files. The example of Realistic Water 2 mod is used to illustrate how certain files must be loaded before others, with dependencies such as Skyrim ESM and Update ESM. Realistic Water 2 Waves ESP file is shown as requiring Skyrim ESM, Update TSM, and Dragonborn ESM to function, even though it is not a master file itself. The importance of understanding these relationships in load order management is highlighted to prevent issues in modded gameplay.

00:09:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses using a desktop manager called Fences to organize the desktop and how it went missing from the folder. They mention running Skyrim and adjusting the load order of an ESP file to prevent crashing. The speaker highlights that now Skyrim and Fallout New Vegas can run even if certain masters are not loaded in a specific order, although it’s still recommended to follow the old way for compatibility with certain modding tools like TE5 Edit. Maintaining the order of all masters before the plugins is crucial to prevent errors while modding the games.

00:12:00

In this part of the video, the importance of load order in modding is demonstrated using two examples from Skyrim mods. The first mod, LWT ESP, is a simple mod that changes a value in the game without conflicts. The second mod, no sneak-attack sound ESP, conflicts with the Audio Overhaul for Skyrim mod as it tries to change the same value already altered by another mod. This conflict illustrates the necessity of proper load order to resolve conflicts and ensure mods work correctly in the game.

00:15:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker explains how conflicts between mods occur in load orders in Skyrim. They discuss how the last column in the load order always wins the conflict. The speaker demonstrates an example with a mod that changes sound in Skyrim and another mod that removes sneak attack sounds. They explain how to manage conflicts by arranging the load order or using compatibility patches. Finally, they emphasize the importance of checking for suggested compatibility patches when installing mods to ensure all desired changes are applied correctly.

00:18:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the importance of load order when modding a game. They explain that compatibility patches should come after the mods they are making compatible. An example is given where a specific mod, Warburg’s 3D paper world map, needs to be placed very low in the load order to avoid glitches. The viewer is advised to check mod pages, readme files, and installation instructions for guidance on load order placement. The speaker concludes by mentioning that in the next part of the video, they will demonstrate how to use the tool called Loot to manage load order more effectively.