[ Nexus | Installation | Changelog | Modlist ]

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Attention

Modlist Support: Waking Dreams

You must update Skyrim to the latest version (1.6.1170) on Steam to install this list.

Contents

• Attention
• Contents
  • Introduction
    • System Requirements
  • Installation
    • Pre-Installation
      • Installing Microsoft Visual C++ Redistribution Package
      • Pagefile and crash prevention
      • Setting Shader Cache Size
      • Steam Setup
      • Game Language
      • Installing Creation Club Content
    • Wabbajack Installation
      • Installing Wabbajack
      • Downloading and Installing Morning Star
    • Problems with installation
  • Post-Installation and Optional Setup
    • Game Folder
    • Antivirus Exceptions
    • Widescreen Fixes
    • Controller and Gamepad Setup
  • Playing the List
    • Starting the Game
    • Note For Content Creators
  • Updating the modlist
  • Removing the Modlist
  • Credits and Thanks

Introduction

Morning Star is a simple and performance friendly modlist built around Simon Magus' series of gameplay overhauls.

The full modlist can be viewed here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

System Requirements

Spec Category	Recommended Specs (1080p at 60Fps)
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 2nd Gen / Intel i5 8th Gen
GPU	NVIDIA RTX 1060 / AMD RX 580
RAM	16GB DDR4 (2x8)
Storage	NVMe or SATA SSD

Please note that the below numbers are current estimates and the actual may be larger or smaller depending on version.

Downloads: ~50 GB
Install: ~60 GB
TOTAL: ~110 GB

Wabbajack requires some additional space on your main OS drive for temporary and working files during the installation, this space is not counted towards the total install space of the list for sake of this guide, however Wabbajack roughly accounts for it in the UI.

Installation

Installing Morning Star is relatively easy and, if you have Nexus Premium, will be a simple waiting game. If you are updating the modlist, you can safely skip to the updating section.

Pre-Installation

These steps are only required for installing the Modlist for the first time. Additionally, many of these steps may be covered in other modlist installs, for new users I suggest reading through here regardless.

Installing Microsoft Visual C++ Redistribution Package

1. Install Visual C++ x64 & .Net Runtime v6 desktop x64.
2. Change Skyrim so it does not automatically update.
3. Right click on Skyrim SE and click on properties, untick the "Enable Steam Overlay while in-game."
4. You also need to start the games to the main menu in order to download all the creations. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP, IF YOU DO SO WABBAJACK WILL FAIL

Pagefile and crash prevention

Larger Skyrim modlists require a significant amount of memory, running out of memory will result in crashes and other potential issues. This step is NOT optional, I do not care how much RAM or VRAM you have, please do this step.

To set up your pagefile:

1. Press Win Key + R
2. Type sysdm.cpl ,3 and hit ENTER
3. Navigate to Performance and click the box "Settings..."
4. Click the Advanced tab at the top
5. Under Virtual Memory click the box "Change..."
6. Uncheck Automatically manage if it is checked
7. Select your disk drive, ideally your fastest solid state drive
8. Click the Custom size: button
9. In the box next to Initial Size (MB) type 20480
10. In the box next to Maximum Size (MB) type 20480
11. Click the Set button
12. Click OK
13. Click Apply
14. Click OK
15. Restart your computer in order for your new pagefile to take effect.

Setting Shader Cache Size

Additionally, if you have an NVIDIA GeForce Graphics Card, please do the following:

1. Right-click on your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel
2. Navigate and click on Manage 3D settings. It is the 2nd one to the top.
3. Scroll down in Global Settings until you see Shader Cache Size
4. Double Click Driver Default to the right of Shader Cache Size and select 10 GB
5. Click Apply in the bottom right hand corner.
6. You may exit out of the application.

Steam Setup

If you have your Steam Library in Program Files, read this and move it elsewhere. Locations such as Desktop, Documents, Downloads, OneDrive, etc. will cause issues with installing and playing the list.

Game Language

The English Steam version of Skyrim is the only supported version. I understand that this may be frustrating for non-English speaking users or users with the GOG/Bethesda.net versions, but due to the core file differences between the different versions, I am only able to support one game version.

1. Right click on your Skyrim in Steam
2. Click Properties
3. Click Language
4. Set the Language to English.

Installing Creation Club Content

If you have never installed the Creation Club Content before, please do the following:

1. In your Steam Library, right-click on the menu entry for Skyrim, select Properties and then select Local Files. Click Verify Integrity of Game Files and wait.
2. Once this is completed, launch the game once from Steam. You may receive a prompt that your settings were detected or not detected, this does not matter, nor do any options you select here. Simply open the launcher and launch the game.
3. Once the intro logo finishes displaying and the Skyrim logo appears, you should receive a prompt to "Download All Content?" Accept this option.
4. If you did not receive a prompt to download, select the Creation Club option from the menu, and you should find a "Download All" prompt in there somewhere.
5. Wait for the download process to complete. Do NOT ALT-TAB during this process as it will cause the process to fail and you will have to start over again.
6. Proceed with the rest of the installation.

Wabbajack Installation

Installing Wabbajack

Once you have completed pre-installation, download the latest version of Wabbajack on this github and place it in a folder such as C:\Wabbajack. DO NOT place it in Program Files, User folders (such as Desktop, Documents, Downloads, OneDrive, etc.), or in your Skyrim's Steam folder. I recommend placing it on an SSD as it will work quicker on there.

The list requires Wabbajack version 3.5.0.1 or later, installing on older versions of Wabbajack will prevent the installation from being completed.

Downloading and Installing Morning Star

Downloading and installing Morning Star can take a while depending on your internet connection and computer. To install Morning Star, complete the following steps.

1. Open Wabbajack and click Browse Modlists
2. Press the download button on Morning Star and wait for it to download.
3. Set the installation folder to be somewhere like C:\Games\Morning Star. DO NOT place it in Program Files, User folders (such as Desktop, Documents, Downloads, etc.), or in your Skyrim's Steam folder

The download location does not need to be on a SSD, but it makes installing faster.

4. Press the play button to begin.
5. Turn on your favorite show or a nice long video essay Wabbajack does its thing. Alternatively read through this readme again.
6. If the installation is successful, then rejoice and move onto post installation. If the installation is unsuccessful, follow what is below or join the discord server for support.

Problems with installation

It is possible that you may encounter an error with Wabbajack when installing. Some common issues are listed below.

• Could not download X:

  • Big files can fail to download due to connection issues. You can either run wabbajack again or download the file manually. If you decide to manually download it, make sure to place it in the same place as the other downloads.

• X is not a whitelisted download:

  • This may happen when I update the modlist. Please check if there is a new update or wait until you see a release ping.

• Wabbajack could not find my game folder:

  • Either buy the game or go back to the Pre-Installation step.

• Antivirus reports a virus:

  • Windows 10/11 may automatically quarantine a key file which is needed for Mod Organizer. You can fix this by adding an exclusion for Mod Organizer in windows defender.

• Unable to download Data_ccXXXXX - *.bsa or *.esp:

  • This error means that there is an issue where Wabbajack is unable to hash your Creation Club Content. If you have followed the steps outlined under Pre-Installation, are not on a pirated copy of the game, and have verified your steam files, then it is very likely that Wabbajack or Bethesda has messed up the hashing for these files. If this is the case, please wait for it to be resolved before continuing to download the list.

• Unable to download Skyrim_Default.ini:

• This error means you failed to follow the readme. Go back to the game language section and set your game language to English.

Post-Installation and Optional Setup

Game Folder

Morning Star uses a Wabbajack feature called Stock Game to keep your Skyrim installation clean. All the files that you need to run the list are in a folder called Stock Game. You don’t need to copy anything at all.

Antivirus Exceptions

Generally speaking, using Windows Defender is advised as it is a solid antivirus software that will have minimal interference with the game. Antivirus programs can be notorious for false flagging MO2's VFS as problematic, causing crashes or other problems. Antivirus programs like BitDefender, Norton, and Webroot are especially aggressive, and you will very likely need to fully remove them from your PC in order to actually launch the game through MO2.

If you use Windows Defender, it is advised that you set up an Exception for the modlist. To do this follow these steps.

1. Press the Windows Key.
2. Type "Windows Defender" in the search bar and select "Windows Security".
3. Click on "Virus & threat protection" in the left pane.
4. Click the "Manage settings" option under "Virus & threat protection settings".
5. Scroll down to "Exclusions" and click "Add or remove exclusions".
6. Windows Defender will prompt you with a run as administrator screen, just hit yes.
7. Click the "Add an exclusion" button at the top and choose "Folder".
8. Navigate to your Install folder for the list and click "Select Folder".
9. (OPTIONAL) You can repeat these steps for the other executables:
   • ModOrganizer.exe ([Path to Modlist]\ModOrganizer.exe)
   • Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine.exe ([Path to Modlist]\mods\Project New Reign - Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine\Nemesis_Engine\Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine.exe)
   • Synthesis.exe ([Path to Modlist]\tools\Synthesis\Synthesis.exe)

Widescreen Fixes

Enable the "Complete Widescreen Fix for SkyUI" mod in the "Optional Mods" separator if you use have a 21:9 or 32:9 monitor.

Controller and Gamepad Setup

Simply plug in your controller anytime you want and you are good to go.

Playing the List

Starting the Game

Click "Run" in the top right corner of Mod Organizer. Start a new game. You will have the option to skip the Helgen attack scene and start at the exit of the Helgen Keep cave.

Updating the modlist

Versioning for the list will adhere to the following format: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH.

• MAJOR: Any release with a number change here will be considered a major update as at least 1 area of the list was massively overhauled. These updates with NEVER be save safe.
• MINOR: Any release with a number change here will be considered a minor update, these updates will usually not be save safe, unless otherwise specified.
• PATCH: Any release with a number change here will be considered a patch, these updates should be save safe and will be used primarily for bugfixes.
• In some rare cases you may see a fourth slot be used, which I will refer to as HOTFIX. These list "updates" will be used if the list needs to be recompiled for any reason. There will be no changes in these "updates" as they are purely for maintenance. Before updating, please check the changelog and back up your saves. You may need to start a new game after certain updates. Updating is like installing the list. Simply make sure your paths are the same and tick the overwrite existing modlist button. Note: Any mods you have added will be deleted when updating. To make sure that Wabbajack does not delete your added mods upon updating, prefix your mods with [NoDelete].

ALWAYS back up saves before an update. Because of the method Wabbajack uses to include the start save, any save within the profile will be wiped.

Please make sure you back up your saves if you plan on continuing a playthrough across a save safe update.

Removing the Modlist

Simply delete the folder. Congratulations, you have uninstalled Morning Star.

Credits and Thanks

• YOU for reading this.