There is no version of the game called AE

[smr1957]

We see this mistake A LOT in the forums, so I will post this here to clarify the situation. There is NO Anniversary Edition of the game - There is only original 32bit Skyrim (often referred to as Oldrim) and 64bit Skyrim Special Edition (SSE). AE is just a DLC bundle of Creation Club mods that can be bought either separately for use with the base game, or as a package with the base game - that is all it is - a DLC and nothing more. All versions of the 64 bit version of the game are SSE and nothing else.

The following is from Steam pinned topic Helpful Links and References - Introduction - Current Game Version and Basic Information:
"To make it clear, there is no such thing as an "AE version." Though there is a store page in Steam for an "Anniversary Edition" there is no actual anniversary edition version of the game - there is SSE (which was updated to version 1.6+ and received added content and some fixes as a bonus - but is still SSE; and with the last update is now 1.6.640) and the AE upgrade, the upgrade being an optional, purchasable addon - which can either be purchased separately (with having SSE as a requirement for play) or in a bundle with SSE. The game itself, regardless of what is added to it in addition to the base game, is still SSE, however. And the current version (1.6.640) is the only supported version there is - the previous versions are not supported by anyone, and any person who chooses not to update, or uses a hack to roll back to a prior version, is completely on their own and will not be able to receive any help - except to be told to update their game."


To make it clearer:
SE = Skyrim Special Edition - the base game; vanilla Skyrim (Includes Dawnguard, Hearthfires, Dragonborn, Saints and Seducers, Rare Curios, Fishing, and Survival Mode)
AE = the optional/purchasable add-on or bundle - the Anniversary Edition DLC


Arthmoor:
"...AE is just an optional DLC package."
https://www.afkmods.com/index.php?/topi ... ent-182127


As regards the original 32bit version of the game, pretty much the same applies: Legendary Edition simply refers to the Base game and all 3 DLCs - there is no actual Legendary Edition of the game - it was just a bundle offered for sale. The game itself is just original Skyrim. People referring to LE are just stating that they own all 3 DLCs in addition to the base game - a convenient short hand - but the game itself is just Skyrim.

[Ivanhoe1955SI]

In the forum, from which I changed to you, one sees this but obviously different. I may be wrong, but my impression: there are hardliners who have a strict separation of the versions 32 bit (Oldrim) 64 bit version 1.5.97 which they call SSE and the version that is called AE, with the version number 1.6.640 I'm basically glad to be gone because there was hardly a purposeful discussion possible and I think that's different here
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Spoiler

In dem Forum, von dem ich zu euch gewechselt bin, sieht man das aber offensichtlich anders. Mag sein das ich mich irre, aber mein Eindruck: dort gibt es Hardliner die eine strikte Trennung der Versionen 32 bit (Oldrim) 64 bit Version 1.5.97 die sie SSE nennen und der Version die dort als AE bezeichnet wird, mit der Version Nummer 1.6.640 haben Bin im Grunde froh dort weg zu sein weil da kaum noch eine zielführende Diskussion möglich war und ich denke das ist hier anders

[smr1957]

In the forum, from which I changed to you, one sees this but obviously different. I may be wrong, but my impression: there are hardliners who have a strict separation of the versions 32 bit (Oldrim) 64 bit version 1.5.97 which they call SSE and the version that is called AE, with the version number 1.6.640 I'm basically glad to be gone because there was hardly a purposeful discussion possible and I think that's different here
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Spoiler

In dem Forum, von dem ich zu euch gewechselt bin, sieht man das aber offensichtlich anders. Mag sein das ich mich irre, aber mein Eindruck: dort gibt es Hardliner die eine strikte Trennung der Versionen 32 bit (Oldrim) 64 bit Version 1.5.97 die sie SSE nennen und der Version die dort als AE bezeichnet wird, mit der Version Nummer 1.6.640 haben Bin im Grunde froh dort weg zu sein weil da kaum noch eine zielführende Diskussion möglich war und ich denke das ist hier anders

Actually, those of us who have thousands of hours helping in the forums and who have thousands of hours experience in studying the game are all of the same mind - it is SSE and nothing else. Those who keep insisting that there is some "new" version are either new players who are being confused, or those who insist on confusing things (1.5.97 is nothing more than a prior game version which is no longer supported and which is now obsolete - just like all the other versions that have gone before it and since, which are no longer the current supported version). So, there really is no discussion about it at all - it is what it is - there is only SSE, the update to 1.6+ being basically no different than any of the previous 24 or so updates, and an AE DLC of Creation Club content.

[Selene310187]

If you can buy it, then it exists. It's possible to buy the digital upgrade alone or everything together in one bundle as the full edition (core game, all DLCs and the Creation Club content).
https://elderscrolls.bethesda.net/en/skyrim10/buy-now

[Ivanhoe1955SI]

My humble opinion about it
Even if you can buy it, it is, at least in my eyes, still the Skyrim 5 64 bit that is also called SSE.
Then there was an update that added 4 of the Creation Club content. But it was still SSE with a little more content. Even when it came to the Creation Club content download (don´t know how many CC -Content at the moment) that required the "base game" it was still the SSE with more content.
They just made it easier for the players and combined it all into one download called the Anniversery Edition. For me, however, this is also just an SSE with more content and a different version number.
Unfortunately, as I wrote, this is not seen by some hardliners who want to see this as a separate new version.
I don't name names @Selene but we both know who I mean when I say he has 200+ translations on the Nexus.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Spoiler

Meine bescheidene Meinung dazu
Auch wenn man es kaufen kann ist es, jedenfalls in meinen Augen, noch immer das Skyrim 5 64 Bit das man auch SSE nennt.
Dann gab es ein Update das 4 der Creation Club Inhalte einbaute. Aber es war trotzdem noch immer SSE mit etwas mehr Inhalt. Auch als es dann zu den Creation Club Inhalten als Download (weiß im Moment nicht mehr wieviel CC-Inhalt) kam die das "Grundspiel" voraussetzten war es immer noch das SSE mit mehr Inhalt.
Man hat es dann nur den Spielern einfacher gemacht und alles zusammengefasst in einen Download den man dann Anniversery Edition nannte. Für mich aber ist auch diese nur eine SSE mit mehr Inhalt und einer anderen Versionsnummer.
Leider wird daswie ich schrieb von einigen Hardlinern nicht eingesehen die das als ein eigenständige neue Version sehen wollen.
Ich nenne keine Namen @Selene aber wir beide wissen wen ich meine wenn ich sage: er hat 200+ Übersetzungen auf dem Nexus

[Selene310187]

Yes, it really depends on whom you ask. Different people, different opinions.


I changed the description of the Skyrim forum to bring a bit more clarity:

Legendary Edition (LE), Special Edition (SE) and Anniversary Edition Update/Upgrade (AE)

I choose the term "Legendary Edition" as a shorthand term for the classic edition of Skyrim and its DLCs.

Spoiler

Ja, es hängt wirklich davon ab, wen man fragt. Verschiedene Menschen, verschiedene Meinungen.


Um ein bisschen mehr Klarheit zu bringen, habe ich die Beschreibung des Skyrim-Forums abgeändert:

Legendary Edition (LE), Special Edition (SE) and Anniversary Edition Update/Upgrade (AE)

Ich wählte den Begriff "Legendary Edition" als zusammenfassende Bezeichnung der klassischen Edition von Skyrim und dessen DLCs.

[Altbert]

I have to agree with Steve on this one! Take a closer look at the version system of the 32- and 64-bit versions of the game:

Skyrim 32-bit (aka Oldrim) versions 1.1.x thru 1.5.x. Version 1.6.x was required to run Dawnguard DLC, version 1.7.x to run Hearthfire DLC and version 1.8.x to run Dragonborn DLC. Latest version of Oldrim is 1.9.x.

Skyrim 64-bit (aka Skyrim Special Edition versions 1.1.x up to 1.5.97. Version 1.5.97 added support for CC content. Version 1.6.x added 4 CC mods to the base game and added various updates/patches for the 64-bit version of the game.

Actually Bethesda started this confusion by naming the Skyrim 32-bit version 1.9.x (and maybe also the 1.8.x version) the Legendary Edition, and did the same by naming the Skyrim 64-bit version 1.6.x the Anniversary Edition, simply because the update was released on the 10th anniversary of the game. After that modders/developers began to do the same, adding to the confusion, among those the SKSE developers.

Basically there are 2 versions of the game, the 32-bit (Skyrim) and the 64-bit version (Skyrim Special Edition), which is made clearly in the used versioning system. Another problem is that several mod authors are naming AE as a requirement without including the 1.6.x version and why it would be required. E.g. when releasing the "Floating Island of Legends" mod in due time, it requires the 1.6.x version with additional CC content not included in the AE update (Umbra and The Cause). A few other mods I'm working on only require the base 64-bit game, so most probably can be played with both the 1.5.x and the 1.6.x version of the game.

[Selene310187]

Ok, I took inspiration from your objection and rewrote the forum description of the Skyrim forum a second time (and I hope it's the last time )

Skyrim (32-bit version) and Skyrim Special Edition (64-bit version), DLCs, Creation Club content
and all other different "versions" of Skyrim (Legendary Edition, Anniversary Edition, ...)

[tigerseptim]

Personally I'd have called the original update (Skyrim + DLC) the special edition. Then the next tier would be the Legendary Edition.