My stable mod list, autumn edition

Three corrupted saves taught me one rule: every mod has to earn its place. The list below is short on purpose. If a mod adds scripts that run constantly, it needs to be worth the risk.

What stayed

• The unofficial patch. Non-negotiable. Fixes hundreds of small bugs that otherwise pile up over a long save.
• A UI overhaul for PC. Inventory lists you can actually sort. Big quality-of-life win with zero gameplay impact.
• A lighting and weather mod. Only one. Mixing two of them is how I lost save number two.
• A simple map mod. Roads and paths drawn on the map, which matters a lot on a no-fast-travel run.

What went

• Large city overhauls. Beautiful, but they conflicted with almost everything else.
• A survival mod with constant script checks. Fun for a week, then the save started stuttering on load.
• Most texture packs. The difference at normal play distance was smaller than the hit to load times.

Rules I now follow

1. Install one mod at a time and play for an hour before adding the next.
2. Never remove a script-heavy mod mid-playthrough.
3. Keep a hard save before every change, named with the date.