I'm using many mods right now without problems. Even mods that do use SKSE and load .dlls surprisingly. They are all working fine. I heard that some .dll mods are not working though - not loading their libraries, but I'd say that GOG's claim is true. Most mods are indeed working out of the box because many mods don't even use SKSE and all mods that I've tested that don't use SKSE work completely fine.

Many Non-SKSE mods are working out of the box with direct installation. Some SKSE mods are working 100% fine. Some SKSE mods require a little bit more of thought and patience to work - but they do work. Some SKSE mods aren't even loading, because their dlls point to different calls that are different on GOG's version. But I'd say that's the minority.

Also, someone made a bat script for Mod Organizer 2:

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/76615

In this case though, it copies plugins.txt and loadorder.txt.
I'd suggest people set their game and MO2 paths manually, because there's a chance "Skirim Special Edition" folder mght not be present in your installation and therefore his script will not be able to copy those files.

This is the path for both of them:

Mod Organizer 2/profiles/Default/plugins.txt
Mod Organizer 2/profiles/Default/loadorder.txt

Those 2 files must be copied/symlinked to:

%username%\AppData\Local\Skyrim Special Edition GOG\

And your mods will load perfectly. if you're using MO2 for modding.

There's what, more than 50,000 Skyrim mods? Most would be something like two thirds of that, whereas you're talking about a number that's far, far less than that.

It's not a huge deal but it is an absurd and misleading claim to make.

I agree with your maths, but, in practical terms, it's absurd to think someone would play with 10000 mods. This isn't even possible in a Steam installation. :P
So yes, I think, 'most mods' do work out of the box in GOG's version, because the user would need to mod their game accordingly to his taste.
This has been a joke in Skyrim community for years It seems. People would mod Skyrim until the game breaks, and that's around the 50 ~ 100 mods mark depending on the mods you choose to add to a Steam installation and how you set your loadorder. It's a puzzle in itself to install more than 50 mods without breaking the game, again, depending on the mods you do install. (You can search about it.)

So you can, in fact, mod your game reasonably with 'most' usable, in practical terms, mods, just as you can in Steam. That is, after some of the most famous mods gets updated. In this topic I do agree that some mods might never be updated for GOG's SKSE, and that would be sad, but I do think that they will update it for GOG, as the community is 'screaming' for it already.

Also, something curious:

You can free up to 12gb in your GOG Skyrim installation.

Thanks for this.

(Turns out quoting it directly created another post. Sorry sorry! May any mod merge this post with the other? Thank you!)

There is an irony in that many SKSE64 mods changed to have Address Library as a requirement, so that as long the AL mod is updated for your current SKSE64 version you are 99% likely to be ok, without having to have the dll mod itself updated....except for version 1.6.640!
There is some change in there that requires not only an update to address library but also to the dll mod. Hopefully once mods like Papyrus Extender and stuff are updated for the 1.6.640 version then the fact that address library is already updated to the GOG version means that those mods will automatically work with 1.6.659.
Otherwise it's possible that there will be two streams of SkyrimSE.exe for SKSE64 mod authors to track, and I fear that they would be more likely to just track the steam one.

diziet

Is there a Top 100-500 mods list floating around somewhere? If there is it might be helpful if GOG were to link it.

Not that I know. :P But I do know it's sad that GOG users are many times treated as second class citizens, but, since the game came here already, next steps are going to flow. :)

I decided to bite the bullet and buy it again for the Anniversary Edition content + DRM-free of course. Between Anniversary Edition and GOG version compatibility I'm concerned about modding, but I guess if it's really unworkable with the mods I want to use, I'll ask for a refund.

One thing that's bugged me about Galaxy for the longest time - why am I apparently not able to choose not to download the DLC when I'm first downloading a game through Galaxy? The checkboxes are grayed out, so I have to get all the DLCs with the initial download and then turn them off if I don't want them (granted, I should have gone with the offline installer anyway). And if I then uncheck the DLCs, does this uninstall them or just disable them?

The Special Edition is the base game plus the official DLC's but no mods

You mean the Legendary edition?

Probably not. I have my doubts it is purchasable in Steam either.

Edit: Anyways take in account that the Anniversary or the Special edition are basically the same 64 bits revision at its core. The only difference is mod content in the anniversary edition

To be clear, I want version with Windows XP support (like this one) :
https://store.steampowered.com/app/72850/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim/

I'm OK with 64-bit stuff (I bought it after all), but I would like an option to play on retro PC (which uses Windows XP 32-bit operating system in my case) in OG Skyrim (2011 release).

EDIT : Also, could 32-bit version support for GOG release (based on 2011 release) - allow for more mods to work without tweaks ?

32bit is limited to about 4GB memory in total (after hw, OS, running apps, and the game itself, there won't be much left) and beside some stability and performance issues, there's very little you can do... I wouldn't recommend it if you plan on modding it.

The link he posted from Steam is the regular Skyrim version, the non Special one. I wasn't aware it was still available, It is compatible with Window XP.

And I said it in a previous post. It is not a matter about a better version or not, It is about if the game runs in your rig or not. I own The Legendary edition and he Special edition on Steam. The Special Eition was added in our accounts for those who owned all DLC's. And I am limited to play the Regular Eition but not the Special one because one runs decently but the other is uplayable for low resources computers.

Right, Bethesda hid it shortly after SE was ready, just like Doom 3.

I'm a little late. I still want to wish you, the GOG team, all the best for the 14th! I am very happy that there is such an offer as GOG.

I have created an account here to be able to purchase Skyrim. It's great - to be able to play Skyrim without extra client software and offline (or CD in the drive^_^).

And thanks also for such a great realease without the Creation Club but everything in an offline installer. Skyrim runs great and I have no complaints about any mods - all my 40 mods work. I am very satisfied.

So, if now maybe the Creation Kit would come, maybe also the Legendary or also Fallout 4 ... that would also be quite great.

Best regards from the here and now!