OStim Installation Guide - Start to Finish

Outdated

This guide was written during the period of AE version 1.6.353. Following further AE versions and renewed updates to OStim, several details have changed. A new more up-to-date guide is available at https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/articles/4550

This guide is accurate for anyone installing OStim 5.4 for 1.5.97 or 1.6.353. For any new versions of OStim or AE, use the above guide link.

Hello friend. You want to have sex in the tundras, yes?

Need help even after following this document? Head to the #support channel in the Discord. Sswaye has also done a walk through video of this guide at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG6fEa9RqrA

What is OStim, OSA and OSex? Are they incompatible?

OStim is an addon framework created by a modder named Sairion. It was built upon OSA, an animation framework created by a modder named Ceo. It also generally relies on OSex, an adult animation pack for OSA by the same author.

Unfortunately, there's some history that needs told to explain some of the steps you're going to need to take here. To be short and to the point, Ceo was gone from the mod scene for many years, during which time OStim was developed to build on and add features to OSA. This was allowed by OSA's permissions and even encouraged at one point by Ceo. On his return, some drama happened. If you want the core details, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpbCuAkt4yc

The result is that Ceo's new versions of OSA and OSex are not compatible with OStim, and he has changed the permissions and stopped distributing source code so that it cannot be made compatible. So in order to use OStim, you have to use an older version of OSA. Here's the good news: There's nothing wrong with these older versions. They aren't broken. These versions are archived on Nexus, so you cannot see them on their mod pages, but you are allowed to download them from Nexus archive links which this guide will provide. So do not download OSA or OSex from their Nexus pages or from Ceo's website, those versions are not compatible with OStim.

The new versions of OSA and OSex add an MCM for binding hotkeys and one small set of new animations. In our opinion, this is not a good trade-off for all the addons you can use with OStim, including gameplay integration, cumshots, sound effects, automatic scaling for high heels, and many others. There are also several animation packs for OSA+OStim that are not compatible with the new version.

Pirated copies of the game are usually incompatible with SKSE, which is required for OStim to work. We cannot and will not help you, please don't ask.

What is Skyrim AE or SE? Why does my Skyrim version matter?

The next big issue is Skyrim's Anniversary Edition release. Everyone, whether they bought "Anniversary Edition" or not, was upgraded to a new version of the game. This version broke plugins that rely on SKSE and other tools for modding functionality. These tools have since been updated for AE, but mods that relied on them also needed to be updated, which hasn’t happened in every case yet. This means before you begin installing, you need to make a decision:

I didn't buy AE, so I don't have to do anything, right? My game says Special Edition.

It doesn't matter. Everyone was upgraded to the 1.6.x game version, whether or not they bought the $20 DLC package. If you have not explicitly downgraded your Skyrim, you are on AE.

I want to downgrade to SE.

If you want to downgrade your Skyrim to SE, visit https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/57618 and download either the “Full Patcher” or the Best of Both Worlds option. I recommend the Best of Both Worlds option, as this lets you keep any AE content you have and any fixes Bethesda has made to content files, while still returning you to version 1.5.97. Download your choice MANUALLY, not with your Mod Manager, and place it in your Skyrim directory. Execute it. You're done. Congrats!

Ok, but what do I need?

This guide is going to tell you what to get for OStim and all of its addons to work for either AE or SE. First, we’ll cover the dependencies, but let’s talk about your mod manager.

This guide covers both MO2 and Vortex, but if you haven't installed either yet, my recommendation is MO2. It’s faster to resolve conflicts in MO2, which is done by simply dragging mods lower or higher in the load order priority. You can also export your modlist so that we can review it and help. See the MO2 installation guide. Vortex will work, but it's harder to help you resolve issues.

If you're still using Nexus Mod Manager, we strongly recommend you take this opportunity to switch to MO2. NMM puts files directly in your Data folder, and there is no way to manage or fix conflicts after installing. If you make a mistake while installing, the only way to fix it is to reinstall mods all over again.

BUT WAIT
Before you start, if you have a game already in progress, changing your mods can break it or lead to things not working right. Load your game right now. Maybe you last did a quick save, or an autosave. Make a hard save to act as a backup. Hell, make two! Do not change your mods without creating a backup save! You should test all mod changes in a new game first, before trying to load into an in-progress save. If it works in a new game, but not your old save, you may have to do some cleaning with Fallrim Tool's Resaver. 

Dependencies

With that out of the way, let's cover the dependencies. Note that the SE versions should not change going forward, but the AE versions denoted here may be out of date. If you're on AE, get the latest version.

We are going to start by just downloading all the files needed, without installing them. Wait till you have everything for that. I've provided links to each mod page on Nexus. Go to the Files Page and find the specified version. The version numbers are in the top right corner of each file. Click the "Mod Manager Download" button.

OSA/OSex Compatibility Reminder:

OStim is not compatible with latest updates for OSA and OSex. If you installed OSA 0002 through 0012, or OSex Vanilla 0002 through 0012, or download versions from Ceo's website, your actors will just stand next to each other and other issues. This includes all OSexBoost and OSexPack uploads that Ceo has recently re-released. This is the cause for most support requests we see in Discord. Please read below carefully.

For OSA, you need version 2.023, sometimes labelled 2.0333-STIMMIE, which has been archived. This is very important, because the newer versions have been deliberately made incompatible with OStim. Use this download link: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/17217?tab=files&file_id=54568

These compatibility patches are available in two flavors, one for OpenSex Standalone and one for OSex with OpenSex Addon. Each has several versions depending on which animation packs you've chosen to install.

You've got all the core stuff you need now. You could start now, but I want to go over OStim Addons, which is really what makes OStim special. Open up the OStim mod page at: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/40725

A bunch of addons, patches and animation packs are denoted. Here's the quick notes for most of them, plus others:

If you are going to use OBody or Autobody, install it next.

Install the rest of your various Ostim Addons.

Now, everything should be installed. What remains to be done is to run FNIS, install naked bodies, and do BodySlide. This tutorial won't go into those details though. Recommendations on bodies and skins and such is complicated and based on personal preference, but I've written a very basic quick start tutorial to get your bodies naked. I also have a tutorial for FNIS and BodySlide.

I did everything you said but when I start a scene they just stand next to each other breathing!
Are you sure you did everything I said? :) Check your OSA and OSex versions. If they are "2.0" or "0002", you have the wrong version. You absolutely must use the correct archived versions this guide linked to above. It's not optional, the newer versions are deliberately designed not to work with OStim. Don't worry, except for the few Prone animations released in December 2021, you are not losing out on anything by using the old versions with OStim. And using the new version of OSA/OSex means you lose out on all the other animation packs designed for OStim.

Uninstall anything OSA or OSex that you got directly from Nexus or Ceo's webpage. Reinstall OSA 2.023 and OSex 2.02a.

Still need help?
I'm happy to help. Join the OStim discord linked at the top of this guide and head to the #support channel. I'll need to know if you're AE or SE, MO2 or Vortex, and we'll take it from there.