You'll also need to fire up Skyrim SE through Steam or GOG the regular way once for the SKSE64 loader to work. I recommend making a shortcut of this file and putting it on your desktop. NOTE: For SKSE64 to take effect, you'll need to launch Skyrim SE with the skse64_loader.exe file that comes with this mod. The download page has installation instructions. This mod extends the scripting capabilities of the vanilla game, which is necessary for making many popular mods work. Next up, you'll want the newest version of the Skyrim SE Script Extender, or SKSE64. If desired or needed (based on mod instructions), you can override LOOT's optimization to make manual tweaks to your load order yourself. This program automatically reorganizes your load order to make it as stable as possible. Note that not all mods can be handled by mod managers, and some will require manual installation (these mods almost always include manual installation instructions).Ī great (arguably necessary) tool to pair with your mod manager is the Load Order Optimization Tool, or LOOT. After installing it, log in with your Nexus account, and select Skyrim: SE as the game you're modding. I highly recommend Vortex since it has a great UI and built-in tools to easily manage mod file conflicts.

These tools automatically handle most mods' installation, so you don't have to dig around in-game files - simply drag-and-drop compressed mod files, and the mod manager will do the rest. The first thing you need is a Nexus Mods account, the website where most mods are posted.

Skyrim special edition first person mod