Frequently Asked Questions: General game functionality - Omni-guides/Tuxborn GitHub Wiki

"I have an older build of Tuxborn. Should I upgrade?"

It depends on what version of Tuxborn you have, and what platform you're playing on, and whether you have a playthrough in progress you care about keeping.

If you're on 0.5.2

Pros of upgrading:

If you're a Steam Deck player, you'll be able to take advantage of performance improvements in the Legacy of the Dragonborn museum
You will be able to move onto a version of Tuxborn under active support

Cons of upgrading:

If you like some of the mods that were only in Tuxborn's 0.5.2 build, such as Nether's Follower Framework or Wintersun, you will lose those in later builds
You will have to give up any playthroughs you still have in progress on 0.5.2, since upgrading will not be save safe (unless you have enough drive space available to do a separate Tuxborn install)

We recommend staying on 0.5.2 if and only if:

You don't have enough storage space to allow for a second, more recent install of Tuxborn
You have an active playthrough in progress you're still enjoying playing
You are playing on something besides a Steam Deck and not impacted by the Legacy of the Dragonborn performance issues in that build
Or, you are playing on a Steam Deck and are prepared to deal with the performance issues
You're prepared to handle 0.5.2 no longer being supported, and to try to fix any problems with it on your own

Otherwise, we recommend upgrading. Consider the listed pros and cons when making your call on this!

If you're on 1.0 or 1.0.1

Updating is less critical if you're on 1.0 or 1.0.1.

The main consideration for players on those versions is, are you experiencing issues with Dragon War crashing on you. If you are, you should go ahead and update to 1.1.1.

If you choose to stay on this build, though, and if you want to play Legacy of the Dragonborn on it, you should disable the Legacy of the Dragonborn Achievements mod. Scroll down this page to here for further information on why you should do this, and how.

If you're on 1.1

If you just recently installed the 1.1 release, you may then be asking if you should install the 1.1.1 hotfix. Answer: it's not critical, since you can take manual steps to fix the issue addressed by the 1.1.1 fix if you don't want to bother to re-run Wabbajack. More info on this can be found over on the Shades of Mortality page.

"I made a new character and saved my game! Why is Tuxborn not finding my save file?"

We have a known issue where Tuxborn gets a little confused on initial launch and puts saves in the default Skyrim location, rather than in the directory it's supposed to normally use. At this time, this issue is known to be specific to Tuxborn setup on Proton, which would mean only Steam Deck players should be impacted, or PC players if and only if you are running Linux.

So the save you made isn't gone, it's just in the wrong place. And the good news is, you can copy save files out of that default Skyrim location and put them into Tuxborn's location. Once you do that one time, you should be clear to proceed normally.

Players impacted by this issue should do two things.

Steam Deck players: in Desktop mode, open your Konsole app and enter this command:

protontricks -l

Look for the line in its output that corresponds to your Tuxborn install, and make a note of the ID it gives.

Linux players on PC: you'll want to use the same command in your terminal.

Then once you have that ID, you can plug that into the following location to find your wandering save files:

/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/YOUR TUXBORN ID GOES HERE/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition/Saves

Copy or move everything you see in that directory into the correct saves location for whatever profile you're playing on. That would be the "saves" subdirectory, underneath your chosen profile's directory. If you don't already see a "saves" directory there, make one, and copy or move your misplaced files into it. Then you should be good to go.

Until we're able to find a solid fix for this issue, we recommend that all Steam Deck players or PC Linux players do the following:

Spend your first session just doing your character setup
Do your first manual save either right after the museum lists finish building, or just after you enter the world
Close down that session
Go to the default save location described above immediately, and move or copy everything in it, as described
Then you should be ready to launch your second session and start playing, whenever you like

"I get a mangled quest journal when I try to open the journal with the J key! What's happening?"

We use the Quest Journal Overhaul mod, which has a known issue with the vanilla journal trying to load if you use the J key while also playing with a controller. This is called out as a New Issue on that mod's bugs page. Look for the issue reported on March 29th 2025, subject line "can't go back to the other tabs when pressing Rt (gamepad) and it is completly bugged when opening the journal by pressing J".

This issue is most likely to reproduce for PC players who are playing with a controller, since that set of players is most likely to also periodically hit keyboard keys. Handheld devices players are not likely to see this issue, unless you have a Bluetooth keyboard available and decide to hit J to load your journal. Or, in the case of the Steam Deck, if you map J to one of your back buttons. In which case, you can in fact reproduce the bug.

Since this is reported on the mod's own bugs page, it's not a Tuxborn-specific issue. Until the mod delivers a fix, we recommend that all Tuxborn players who play on PC with a controller, or who play on handhelds with a keyboard available for use when needed, avoid using the J key to launch the journal. Use your available controller buttons instead.

"My save load times are getting longer! What's going on?"

We have a known issue with save load times getting progressively longer, between when you hit Continue on the main menu, and when your save finally loads in. This issue has reproduced on all supported platforms and profiles. But it is limited only to players running Legacy of the Dragonborn, and who specifically have started adding displays to their museums. Players who haven't launched Legacy, or who have launched Legacy but not yet added displays to the museum, should not see this issue.

The cause of this is a mod called Legacy of the Dragonborn Achievements. We confirmed that removal of this mod from the load order eliminates the problem, and also, importantly, that removal of it from the load order should not impact your save.

Therefore, if you see this issue happening in your playthrough, the solution is to disable the mod in your MO2 prior to clicking the Run button to launch the game. You should find it in the Achievements category of the mod list. Simply uncheck the checkbox next to it, to disable it. Then load your game as normal.

!!! This mod has been removed from version 1.1 of Tuxborn, so only players with active playthroughs on 1.0 or 1.0.1 need to worry about this. However, all players who intend to maintain playthroughs on those versions, even though 1.1 is now available, should disable Legacy of the Dragonborn Achievements in MO2 if you haven't already! !!!

"My game keeps crashing every time I use the console on the Steam Deck! What can I do about this?"

Unfortunately, this is a known issue with Skyrim in general on the Deck, and is not specific to Tuxborn. This is a thing that Bethesda will have to fix, there is very little Tuxborn can do about this.

This issue is known to happen regardless of how you actually interact with the console: whether by typing directly on the touchscreen, or by using your sticks and trigger button to select characters that way. Once you actually try to enter a console command, that's the point of failure that invokes the crash.

Some known workarounds are described in this YouTube video and on this Reddit thread.

The Reddit thread also links to this Steam Community post that describes an enchanter table workaround. This workaround has been confirmed as working by Tuxborn players, so try that one first. Note that you will need to do this at the start of every play session, because the workaround will not persist across sessions! Or at the very least, you should do this workaround before trying to open your console.

But honestly, your best solution for this as of this time is going to be to get a keyboard for use with your Deck. You should be able to connect one via USB, or via Bluetooth, whatever is most convenient for you.

If you're going to mod at all on a Deck, having an actual keyboard will make it much easier. Even if the console doesn't crash your game, it's really awkward to try to type things into it with the on-screen keyboard taking up half the screen. And never mind trying to use the additional console features to scroll back through long command output! If you have a physical keyboard, that will free up your entire screen for your review when doing console work.

Talk to Annathepiper if you'd like a recommendation for a keyboard to look for.

"All of a sudden I can't activate anything! Can I fix this?"

This is a known issue, and can basically happen with anything you'd normally interact with by activating it: crafting stations, forges, carriages, etc. It appears to be an issue related to animations.

Fortunately, there is an easy workaround. Unsheathe your spells/weapons (whatever you have wielded), and then sheathe again. You may need to do this a couple of times, and you may find it works better if you temporarily look away from whatever you were trying to interact with.

If simply unsheathing and then sheathing doesn't work for you, you may need to try to swinging your melee weapon either through the air, or at the thing you're trying to interact with. (We do not, however, recommend hitting a carriage driver.)

"How can I change between first and third person view?"

If you are playing on a non-BFCO profile, standard Skyrim functionality should work for this. If you are playing on a PC and using a keyboard and mouse, that means your F key. If you play with a controller on PC, or are playing on a Steam Deck or any other handheld device, click your right thumbstick.

If you are playing on a BFCO profile, the same methods should work, but you have to hold down on the key or thumbstick, rather than just clicking them. A short press will lock onto a target, a longer press will change your camera view.

"Is there a way in Tuxborn to keep smaller sized souls from filling larger sized soul gems?"

This is standard Skyrim functionality, and not something Tuxborn is doing on its own. We don't currently have anything in our load order that would prevent a smaller sized soul from filling a larger sized soul gem, unfortunately.

Within Tuxborn's current selection of mods, you have three options for dealing with this:

Be selective about when you soul trap. This would require you to pay active attention to which size soul gems you're carrying. And you'd also need to only use a Soul Trap spell, or wield a weapon with a Soul Trap enchantment, when you're sure you have the necessary size soul gem to contain the soul of your target.
If you're willing to run the Project AHO plot, there is a side quest involved with that content that can get you access to a Dwemer automaton that has a built-in ability to charge soul gems, including ones already filled with smaller souls, up to full capacity. Information about that specific side quest can be found on the TES Mods wiki page for Crack'n'Chirp, and the TES Mods wiki page for Project AHO.
Vanilla Skyrim functionality allows you to simply drop a filled soul gem, which will cause it to empty. If you don't have Snippy (see previous option in this list), you can use this as an alternate method to clear out any soul gems that have the wrong size of soul in them.

"I prefer the vanilla Skyrim menu. Is there any way I can get it back?"

Yes. In the Optionals section of MO2, you should see "Main Menu" listed as the first mod there. Since it is classed as an optional mod in the load order, that means it's okay to turn it off if you so choose. Doing so will not invoke Rule 11 and void your access to Tuxborn support.

Turning that mod off will revert to the vanilla Skyrim menu on startup.

"I would like to play Tuxborn on two different devices! Can I use the same save?"

Yes, but you will have two major considerations:

Which profiles to use
How to move the save files back and forth

Consult the Save‐safe page for information on which profiles are compatible with each other, and which can therefore be used for the same save files. Pick whichever profiles work best for the devices you want to play on. This could mean using Desktop profiles on two different computers, or maybe Desktop + Handheld if one of your devices is a ROG Ally or other non-Steam Deck handheld.

Also, be aware that you will need to copy not only the .ess files generated by Skyrim, but also the .skse files generated by the mods in Tuxborn's load order. If you don't copy the .skse files as well, you will be at risk of losing important data for the mods in Tuxborn's load order to work! This has been reported before as an issue with Static Skill Leveling in particular.

Copying files manually is certainly an option, and there's no reason not to do that if that's fastest and most convenient for you.

But if you would like to consider options to let you do this automatically rather than manually, Annathepiper has a couple of unofficial guides for methods you can try. Here are links to the relevant posts on Anna's blog:

(DISCLAIMER: These two links are not officially supported Tuxborn content, they are Anna-supported content. So if you have questions about the links, please talk to Annathepiper on the Discord, or drop comments on her blog.)

"I'm playing a female character in first person, and her hands look really blocky at the wrists when I unsheathe a weapon or spell! Can I fix this?"

Known issue, and not one we can easily fix, unfortunately. We've had reports of this on multiple races, so it's not limited to female characters of any specific race.

Recommended way to deal with this is to get your character gloves, bracers, or gauntlets, which will at least hide the issue.

"Can I run FrameGen on the Steam Deck?"

We have labeled FrameGen as currently broken on the Steam Deck in MO2, but Tuxborn devs and a small number of players have been conducting additional testing and can now report that Steam Deck players who take certain steps can get FrameGen working. These steps should be considered experimental, which is why FrameGen will remain off by default in Tuxborn until further notice. If you want to try it, please do the following:

Open up SSEDisplayTweaks.ini in Tuxborn - Settings
Find the line that reads: DisableBufferResizing = false
Change false to true so it should look like this: DisableBufferResizing = true
In the Optionals section in MO2, find Frame Generation and turn on the checkbox next to it
Before you launch the game, if you don't have a physical keyboard available and you haven't already done this, adjust Tuxborn's controller settings and do one of the following to give yourself the ability to launch Community Shaders:
- Map the End key to a back button
- If you have a radial menu set up, add the End key as an option to that
Launch the game as normal
Once you make it to the main menu, launch Community Shaders via whichever means you gave yourself to do so in Step 5
Click on Display in the Community Shaders settings and scroll down to the Frame Generation section
Make sure all three settings there are set to Enabled
Now restart the game again
This time you should be able to load your save and play

Additionally:

Capping Tuxborn's FPS at 60 FPS is recommended. If you set a higher cap than that, or leave FPS completely uncapped (which will put the Steam Deck at 90 FPS), you will likely see a wider range of FPS results. Capping at 60 seems to provide a much more focused, stable experience. You can set your FPS cap on the Deck by using the built-in Performance settings, available when you hit the three-dot button underneath the right trackpad.
You may periodically boot into a black screen and never make it to the main menu. So far in testing, this has been resolved by either exiting completely out of MO2, or by restarting the Deck.
You may periodically observe slight jitteriness of quest markers, or when scrolling along the in-game map. This is a known issue with FrameGen that we can't fix, and results from the created frames not being entirely a match for the real frames.
These tests have given best results on the most recent build of Tuxborn, 1.0 or 1.0.1 may not be able to handle them as well.

Players who want to try this, we again emphasize that this is experimental, so we cannot guarantee the ability to fix any issues that arise. If you do try these steps, let the devs know your findings, either positive or negative, as this will help us decide whether to activate this functionality by default in the future. We have an open research ticket for this on #txbn-support, subject line "Research post for testing FrameGen on SteamDeck". Thank you!

Reference link: Reddit post that mentioned the fix for SSEDisplayTweaks.ini

"I have subtitles turned off in the game. Why am I still seeing subtitles?"

We're running the Subtitles mod, which still shows subtitles in situations where multiple people are speaking at the same time. For example, you might see subtitles pop up if you're walking through a city market and all the vendors are calling out their pitches for their wares. Or, if you're running multiple followers and they fire off their random chat lines at the same time.

If you have subtitles otherwise off, however, they should stay off outside of those specific types of situations. If you do see subtitles in other situations, do please report it to #txbn-support so we can have a look at the problem.

"Can I still make a skill Legendary in Tuxborn?"

Yes. However, note that given how the Experience and Static Skill Leveling mods work, the ability to make a skill Legendary is less useful in Tuxborn than it is in regular Skyrim.

Also note if you play on a handheld, or if you play on PC with a controller, you will probably trigger a known issue in PC builds of Skyrim involving not being able to make a skill Legendary with controller buttons. Even though the UI will ask you to hit a button, that button will not work. The underlying code appears to expect you to use the keyboard, regardless of what the UI says. So the workaround for this is to use the spacebar instead, which still works. Handheld players should solve this problem by either of these two options:

Having a Bluetooth keyboard handy to connect with your device, via USB or Bluetooth
Mapping the spacebar to an available button or radial menu

Credits

Thanks to the following users on #txbn-general for content on this page:

Ugo for pointing out that you can drop a filled soul gem to empty it out
Moofen for giving us the heads up about the Reddit link with the SSEDisplayTweaks.ini fix for FrameGen
skype, LandD, and jbuggydroid for helping with FrameGen testing
Gully, for the question about subtitles behavior