Skyrim Modding 101

My Advise:
- Don't overload your manager with mods. Plan your mods carefully.
- Know what you're downloading.
- Back-up your saves before overwriting them, so you can easily remove a mod if you end up not liking them.
- Read the mod page carefully.
- Check the mod's optional files.
- Always make sure that your mods are compatible with each other.
- Watch out for compatibility patches.
- Learn how to merge mods properly. This lessens ESPs, improves performance, lessened CTDs, etc. Find a tutorial and articles about this at the Merge Plugins xEdit Script page.
- Use performance enhancements. Test them out to see if they work for you.
- Use LOOT all the time. Clean up dirty mods with TES5Edit. (Except for mods that tell you not to clean it. Again, read the mod page carefully.)

You need:
1) Mod Organizer (THIS WILL BE YOUR MAIN LAUNCHER FROM NOW ON) --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/1334/?
2) TESV5 --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/25859/?
3) Plug-in for TESV5 (Merge Plugins xEdit Script, read info) --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/37981/?

Mod Organizer Tutorial (includes how to clean mods with TESV5):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxltdw8VXsI

Where to get mods:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/

Where to get mod ideas or recommendations:
http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/modsofthemonth/?
https://www.youtube.com/user/MMOxReview/videos
http://dragonporn.ldblog.jp/

Before You Start, Required Mods:
Unofficial Skyrim Patches --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/19/?
SSME Skyrim Startup Memory Editor --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/50305/?
Safety Load --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/46465/?
Stable uGridsToLoad --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/41592/?
Showracemenu Precache Killer --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/33526/?
SkyUI (TOO LAZY TO LINK FROM NOW ON, JUST FIND THEM IN NEXUS)
SkyTweak
"Better Dialogue Controls"
"Better MessageBox Controls"
"XP32 Maximum Skeleton -XPMS"
No Spinning Death --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/17214
Realistic Ragdolls and Force
Enhanced Character Edit - ECE (REQUIRED FOR MOST IF NOT ALL BODY MODS) --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/12951
"Brawl Bugs Patch"
Run For Your Lives
When Vampires Attack
Move It Dammit
"D13 Faster GET UP STAND UP"

Maybe FNIS not needed? Mod Organizer might have built-in already. SKIP THIS. But if things go wrong, get it:
Fores New Idles in Skyrim - FNIS (Required for custom animations to work) --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/11811/?

For Followers/Followers Themselves:
Amazing Follower Tweaks
Spouses Can Live Anywhere --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/11370
My Home is Your Home --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/64106/?
Convenient Horses --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/14950/?
Beautiful Followers --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/37861

Performance Boosts:
Skyrim Project Optimization --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/32505/?
Low End Computers --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/5123/?
"Interior and Dungeon Fog Remover"
"Remove Underwater Grass and other stuff too"

Other Performance Tips:
1. On SkyrimLauncher.exe, press Options.
2. On Detail, press "Low."
3. Press Advanced...
4. Set everything to Low EXCEPT Texture, Texture should be "High."
5. Set Window Mode if desired.
6. Press OK to save settings.
- Remember, you will not use this anymore to launch the game. You will use Mod Organizer as launcher from now on.

Nice User Interfaces:
Enhanced UI
moreHUD
Categorized Favorites Menu
Floating Healthbars

Mod Compressor (RUN ONCE, THIS AFTER YOU FINISH INSTALLING NEW MODS EACH TIME):
Optimizer Textures --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/12801/?

My Personal Recommendations:
T3nd0s Perkus Maximus --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/59849/?
Climates of Tamriel
Enhanced Lighting and Fx --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/27043
Wet and Cold (Wet and Cold - Ash included) --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/27563
Wet and Cold - Holidays --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/64820/?
JK's Skyrim --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/61035/?
Radioactive Skyrim
Lanterns of Skyrim
Wearable Lanterns
Craftable Cloud Storage
Harvest Overhaul
Complete Crafting Overhaul
Trade and Barter
Follower Commentary Overhaul
Guard Dialogue Overhaul
Touring Carriages
Interesting NPCs
Inconsequential NPCs
Immersive Patrols
Campsites in Skyrim
iNeed --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/51473/?
Drinking Fountains of Skyrim
"Be A Milk Drinker"
Helgen Reborn
Falskaar

My Recommended Retextures/Graphic Enhancements:
Purewaters --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/1111
Static Mesh Improvement
High Quality Food and Ingredients
Roadsigns Redone
Point the Way
High Quality 3D Map
A Quality World map
Visible windows
Sexy Villages and Towns --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/7583/? (series, listed below for the rest)
Sexy Solitude
Sexy Whiterun
Sexy Windhelm
Sexy Riften
Sexy Winterhold College
Sexy Boats

More Retextures (Lower Priority, But Very Pretty):
Real Clouds
Rainbows
Splash of Rain --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/37873
Enhanced Night
HQ Milky way galaxy
Shooting Stars
Vibrant Auroras
Lush Trees and Grass
Cover Woods
Real Ice
Alternative Snow
Designs of the Nords
Book Covers
Detailed Rugs
(Many others in nexus)

ABOUT CHARACTER BODIES/MODELS:
- On clothing/armor/etc mods, you will notice the terms CBBE/UNP/UNPB/etc. These are model types, you must download the correct mod to fit the model you're using.
- TBBP/BBP means the breast bounce animation.
- I recommend CBBE because it's the most widely used body type.  Will be linked below.
- So in this case, must only download CBBE-compatible stuff. You can still use others, but your body shape won't match if you wear the armor and sometimes clipping/mismatches will happen.
- Don't go overboard. I'll link most necessary mods already.

The Rest Of The Body and Animations:
CBBE Body --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/2666
SG Female Textures --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/35267
Ran's Headmesh Variants (For better shaped heads/skulls) --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/7127
FNIS Sexy Move --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/54521
TBBP/BBP (Breast Bounce if wanted) --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/54044
Feminine Running --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/11447
Pretty Female Idle Animations --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/11954/? (series, list below for the rest)
Pretty Sit Idles
Pretty Combat Animations
Pretty Staff And Magic Cast Animations
Pretty Jump Animations
Pretty Motion Package
Handsome Idle
Lovely Shout --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/50377
ApachiiSkyHair --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/10168
Better Males --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/2488
Pretty Face (Use on NPCs) --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/7887
Eyes of Amber --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/59192
(More when I remmeber to say or browse more)

Standalone Handsome Followers (As always, be sure to read their specific requirements. TIME TO START A HAREM):
Andre --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/55076/?
Lex --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/65011/?
Ezia --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/55236/?
Axel --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/58389/?
Ingarth --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/58587/?
Estrion --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/61354/?
Flavir --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/63232/?
Svelk --> http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/65766/?