Setup the stock_game folder

References

The Stock Game method involves building a WJ modlist that stores the game files inside the MO2 install folder. WJ will recognize these files and copy them from the end-user's game folder. This has the side-effect of keeping the game folder completely clean.

Clean Skyrim install

if already installed, in Steam:
- uninstall Skyrim Special Edition
- uninstall Creation Kit
from $HOME\Documents\My Games remove:
- Skyrim Special Edition
- Skyrim.INI
from SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\ remove:
- Skyrim Special Edition
in Steam:
- install Skyrim Special Edition
- launch Skyrim Special Edition
  - let it download the Creation Club content
  - when done, click OK and Quit
- install Creation Kit
- launch Creation Kit
  - let it expand the resources
  - quit it

Creation Club content

The content creation consists of 148 files in total:

8 free files, installed by Steam
140 files downloaded from within Skyrim

The first time you launch Skyrim, it will automatically download all your CC AE creations.

start Steam application
select Skyrim Special Edition and run it
Skyrim should start automatically to download the creations
after the download finishes, click OK and quit Skyrim

The 148 files should now be located in SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\Data.

Backup Creation Club content

Make a backup of the CC content at this stage, by copying all the 148 file to a CC Backup folder outside the Skyrim or the compilation folder.

Copy files to stock_game

create a new stock_game folder in the mo2 folder
add stock_game/ to mo2/.gitignore, if not already ignored
copy the content of SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition to stock_game
- ignore gpu.txt if present

Tree snapshots

It is a good idea to make a tree snapshot before and after copying the files to the stock_game so that you have some references of the files you are starting your collection with.