For those who wish to keep modding that use Update.esm as a master, if you wish to continue modding before the CK update, do the following:

1. Disable automatic updates for Skyrim in the Updates tab of the Properties in the Steam games list. Or put Steam into Offline mode/Disconnect from the internet before starting it.
2. Don't open Skyrim at all, as Steam will then search for an update. The setting has some misconception, as people think it means "don't update" but it really means "Don't update automatically, wait until I try to play it." This prevents all your possibly hundreds of games from constantly updating whenever one has a patch.

This will keep Skyrim at 1.7. Then once the CK is updated to match, hopefully very soon, you may play/update Skyrim and use the new 1.8 CK to mod with Update.esm.

Hopefully you guys can see this before updating the game and being 'stuck' for a few days.

**This obviously can only save you if you haven't already downloaded the update. :/ **

Thanks AV!
I keep my mods independent of Update.esm until they're ready for release, but I imagine this is going to catch quite a few people out.

Just to clarify, is there no way to play Skyrim then without Steam forcing the update upon you? (Even with offline mode/disconnected internets)

If you're in offline mode you should be okay.

Though I believe there have been scattered, rather infuriated reports of it finding a way to update even then, or offline mode being buggy.

To be absolutely 100% certain, put Steam in offline mode, and disconnect from the internet. Then if you open Skyrim I don't see how anything could possibly go wrong.

In hindsight its kind of a silly question.

What I was getting at though is Steam's miraculous telepathic ability to know a game needs updating and then complaining when you try to run it.

Steam's like that annoying worker in a story that just doesn't understand why you wouldn't want the newest.

What's the benefit of adding Update.esm as a master?

Makes life that little bit more difficult for those who would turn to piracy. It also ensures that the end-user is using an appropriately patched game. Beyond this I actually don't know, I have assumed it was just part of good practice.

So for those who have already downloaded the update and are working on an older mod project that uses Update.esm as a master, essentially they just need to wait until an update is rolled out for the Creation Kit, and then they can load their plugin again right?

Yes. The issue right now is that the 1.8 Update.esm is not compatable with the 1.6.89 (Current) CK. Once they update the CK to some form of 1.8 that works with the 18 Update.esm, mods using it can run again.

If your mod does not use Update.esm as a master, you should still be able to load and work on your mod with the 1.8 game right now, as it uses no updated incompatabile files.

So you're sure that if our .esm doesn't use Update.esm, it won't have any issues? I remember 1.6.91 being a big problem, but then again that was because it was ahead of the game version.

I don't think it will cause any problem, but I can't say I'm sure either.

One of the more record/update savvy people should be able to say with relative certainty though.

Just backup your mod first. Because you have two options; Keep working and risk having to revert to a backup, loosing all work between 1.8 Skyrim and the 1.8 CK. Or don't work until 1.8 CK and get no work done no matter what.

Yeah, I'm gonna hold off. I'm really hoping too see the "wall of trees" tree LOD issue fixed in this patch, as I was speaking with gamesas's lead programmer. He said he had been unaware of the issue and that he'd look into it, which gives me some hope.

I got ninja'd following a router software update/reset. Nice job Bethesda, can't work on my mod now.

It does seem strange that they'd bring it out of beta without having the patch for the CK ready. I really don't understand why they would do this.
It may be that they were keen to get the patch to the consoles asap and they need to cook the CK update a little more.

If you kept a copy of Update.esm from Patch 1.7 around (I did once the beta was out) you can use that and you should be OK.

You can also use TES5Edit for some things since it IS compatible with Patch 1.8 and its new subrecords.

Or, if neither of those are an option, make meshes and textures if your mod needs those.

Once the CK update is out and whatever scripts that are updated have been identified it'll be safe to turn things back on normally.

As for why you should use Update.esm, it helps to ensure that any work you're doing won't inadvertently wipe out an official patch fix in the data.

Make sure to mention the whole 'tree LOD wont unload' thing as well. If both those issues got fixed, then tree LOD would be 100% functional for everyone.

I'm really hoping for this too

I thought that had been fixed? I haven't heard it mentioned in quite a while. I've never had that problem myself (though I did in Alton), but I assumed it was fixed in the same patch that fixed the Object LOD atlasing issue.

Actually you are correct. I forgot my own discussion. xD My testers haven't reported it in a good month or two, so I think they did fix it at some point.

This may be a stupid question, but is it possible/safe/practical to remove a mod's dependency on update.esm after updating Skyrim?

I can't even start my GAME anymore. I hate steam. I paid for this game, I should be able to play it or they owe me my money back. Anyone else unable to start the game? How do I fix this?

Welp fantastic. Skyrim just started updating on me for no reason. I closed the CK and was about to open Gecko and BAM it initiates the download. I have it set to not automatically update, I wasn't even opening the game. Lovely.

I have steam associated executables blocked in my firewall to prevent such a catastrophe.
Commiserations, guys.

I can get you a circa 1.7 Update.esm if you need it. Although, would I be violating some legal rights somewhere if I did that...?

It's hard to understand exactly what is stated since I'm not that up on the tech language. I've been working on my custom world now for a month, was just about to finally finish the grueling process of hand navmeshing, and now it won't load. Does this topic mean that eventually I'll be able to get my file to load again? If not I think I will take up drinking.