I'm running XP for reasons beyond my control. Please do not condescend, or tell me to upgrade, you would not be helping anything.

The machine itself is capable.

I would like to play modded Skyrim, but to do that, I need to know my proper load order.

Because I am on XP, I do not have access to BOSS, LOOT, or Mod Organizer. Not even Wrye Bash.

I can, however, use TES5Edit, if that helps (I am new to modding).

These all allow users to automatically sort their mods via the help from something called the "Master List".

Since I am not supported by any of these programs, and am capable of playing and modding Skyrim, I would like to know what my options are as someone without immediate access to this "Master List". Is the List itself floating somewhere that I can grab and plug somewhere to have something work? I really find it difficult to believe that I am simply out of luck and there's no hope.

Any help would be extremely appreciated.

Well if you didn't know you can arrange your load order manually with the game launchers Data Files - http://i.imgur.com/BGm8Nar.jpg

Left click to highlight a mod, and use the up / down arrows to shift it in the order.

Top of the list loads first. Bottom of the list plugins load last .. So if you have two mods which alter the same records, last loaded out of those two would win.

Use few mods and read the descriptions carefully to determine what it modifies, and if it is likely to conflict with something else in your load order.

The latter advice can only come with experience though really.

BOSS used the masterlist extensively .. And depended upon experienced individuals placing any mod in the masterlist order, based on what they considered the mod contained, and how best it ought to be placed in consideration to other mods on the same list loading later.

In other words, creators of that list were in the same boat as you, with only their experience to guide them in placement.

LOOT now looks inside plugins, and sees the records which conflict, a bit like TES5Edit but not so comprehensively as that tool, to determine the best load order.

So the newer software does not really depend on the masterlist anymore ..

The point I am getting to :

The masterlist for BOSS as time goes on will need new volunteers with the old knowledge of how to maintain it with thousands of mod complicated relationships = Its going to slowly fade away I think and maintenance of the masterlist is already dying off.

LOOT doing its automated method of ordering does not need the masterlist for that task, and the masterlist for LOOT does not need much maintaining, occasionally a special case mod will come along that needs a specific priority set, or given load after cases, or adding bash tags to .. But the old problem of it needing a very dedicated team of maintainers to keep it up to date with thousands of mods is no longer needed

So either of those masterlists are not going to be of any use to you.

The first is dying, the second does not give any kind of comprehensive ordering list anymore.

I think you have the best tool at your disposal anyway, TES5Edit is able to show you records that mods change ( and these days if anyone needs to add anything to the LOOT masterlist as a special case, they have to use TES5Edit to determine why )

Read / watch all you can about it, and then ask in the dedicated topics if something is not clear how to go about any particular task.

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1511975-relz-tes5edit/

And the Work In Progress topic on AFK Mods http://afkmods.iguanadons.net/index.php?/topic/3750-wipz-tes5edit/

What else do you need .. For manipulating mods all you need is 7zip to extract files the mod needs installed, and a lot of familiarity with your system for doing things manually. There are still many users manage their game setup manually, even a lot of very experienced mod authors too.

Here is a sticky topic I would recommend reading carefully http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1354395-update-bsas-and-you/

As a manual modder, you are going to need to study details of everything you do.

Also study what the game has installed on your machine .. Before you go changing / adding to contents of your data\ folder.

That game launcher screenshot I put at the start of this topic .. Is also where you manually tick a mods plugin ( after installation ) to make it active in your game - Mod managers usually do that bit, but in your case you will need to use this method.