Mod Soup - it's confusing!

[Spectre-63]

Hi all -

just got SH5 thru Amazon last week and I'm dying to get into the game. Unfortunately, the making of my own flavor of 'mod soup' has me perplexed.

Goals:
English voices - my german sucks!
SH3-like experience to lower the learning curve
Manual TDC, but not the 'full real' (i.e. RealNAV, super hard AI, etc) for now.

Here's what I came up with as a mod list based upon Trevally's excellent Mod Guide for Beginners:

MightyFine Crew Mod 1.2.1 Alt w beards
Capthelms_SH5_Audio_Mod
Speech fixes and additions (english version)
Reworked Morale and Abilities v.1.1
Dynamic Environment SH5 Basemod (normal ) V2.1
Equipment_Upgrades_Fix_v1_4_byTheBeast
Equipment_Upgrades_Fix_v1_4_Patch_1
FX_Update_0_0_19_ByTheDarkWraith
IRAI_0_0_37_ByTheDarkWraith
NewUIs_TDC_7_2_0_ByTheDarkWraith
NewUIs_TDC_7_2_0_ERM_Reaper7_NightVision
NewUIs_TDC_7_2_0_jimimadrids_map_tools
MRP 16x9 ratio
Depth_Keeping_Problem_HB_2_0_0_TheDarkWraith
TheDarkWraith_DC_Water_Disturbances_v2_0_SH5
OPEN HORIZONS II_full v2
sobers no footstep sound mod
Trevally TDC Help v2

Unfortunately, I got a CTD loading that list and without an error or an error log, I don't know where the issue lies.

Also, another point of confusion: where during the mod process should the .exe mods take place? I've made the changes using TDW's patcher, but I've read some threads which seemed to indicate that something needed to be added in JSGME as well? Does it matter when you make the mods to the .exe?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated as my fumbling around is getting me a whole-lotta nowhere.

Thx,

Mike