Merged and Bashed Patches

You need a merged patch to resolve conflicts between mods that modify the same objects. For example, Mod A makes trees taller while Mod B makes them all aspens. Only the last one loaded is going to show - unless you use a merged patch, which puts the two attributes together because they don't actually conflict. That's just how the game engine works. 

You need a bashed patch because it does something similar, except for leveled lists, and the bashed patch does leveled lists better than the merged patch. 

Because we have less than 255 active plugins, we don't need to merge plugins to get the total number down to 255 to get the game to work; however, xEdit (SSEEdit) can't create a merged patch with more than 255 plugins total. So we're going to process our load order sequentially in groups.

1. Run SSEEdit.
2. When the plugin list window opens, right-click anywhere in the window and select "Select None".
   
   
   
3. Notice that SSEEdit shows the load order of the plugins via Plugins.txt in one column. Highlight Skyrim.esm, then scroll down to plugin number 178 and highlight that one while holding down the shift key, then hit the space bar. This selects all of the highlighted plugins at once.
   
   
   
4. Click on the OK button.
   
5. Wait for the background loader to finish. If you see a popup asking you which ModGroups you want to activate, make sure they are all selected (right click for options) and click OK.
   
   
   
6. Click anywhere in the left pane and select "Other" -> "Create Merged Patch".
   
   
   
7. On the popup warning about the merged patch not being supported, click "Yes".
   
   
   
8. For the file name, enter "mergedpatch01". Do not add a file name extension.
9. SSEEdit will work on it for a bit and appear to freeze. Just give it time. When it's done, you'll see the merged patch appear at the bottom of the plugin list in the left pane. Give it an extra few seconds because SSEEdit is still processing. When you can scroll the left pane list up and down without SSEEdit lagging, you know it's completely done.
   
10. Close SSEEdit and save the merged patch. 
11. Run SSEEdit again.
12. Select plugins 179 to the end of the list, making sure mergedpatch01 and the bashed patch are not selected.
13. Now select mergedpatch01.
14. Scroll back up through the list and actively select all of the plugins that now have their checkboxes "filled in."
    
    
    
15. Deselect mergedpatch01.
    
16. When the background loader is finished, create a new merged patch called Merged Patch. 
17. Expand Merged Patch. Right-click on the "Leveled Item" line and select "Remove". If you've already saved it and exited out of habit, no problem. Open it back up.
    
    
    
    
    
18. In Wrye Bash, delete mergedpatch01. 
    
    
    

Rationale for this approach: xEdit can only include 255 plugins for a merged patch. Do it once with half of this load order, which is under 255. Do it again for the second half, manually selecting all of the masters the first merged patch indicates, then deselect the first merged patch. You've now included your entire load order in the final merged patch without exceeding 255 plugins, because not all of the plugins you selected the first time are going to be included the second time. 

To create a bashed patch: 

• Run Wrye Bash
• Find Bashed Patch, 0.esp at the bottom of the plugin list. You should have noticed it earlier in the guide, but it wasn't relevant yet
• Move your merged patches to just above the bashed patch and make sure they are active
• Right-click on the bashed patch and select "Rebuild Patch..."
• In the window that pops up, click "Build Patch"
• This will take a while. When it's done, click OK on the popup and click Yes to activate it
• Exit Wrye Bash

Every time you change your load order in any way - usually because you added or removed something - you need to recreate both the merged and the bashed patches.  

Finally, after making the merged and bashed patches, you need to run Nemesis to make sure all animations in your load order work correctly.

You are now officially done. You should be able to start a game for real this time. You can optionally install an ENB - link in the main menu on the left.

If you found this guide helpful, please endorse it on Nexus. 

If you have any comments or suggestions, I'm all ears. Well, not literally, of course.

Divines smile on you, friend.