ContractConfigurator VS Scatterer

In terms of remaining mostly stock, I'd recommend Kerbalism and Contract Configurator with a few contract packs (second comment has a list) that fit your playstyle.

Contract Configurator Wiki

Also contract packs can be customized by creating/changing cfg files with a well documented API

newer scatterer versions often do this (i dont know why tho), get scatterer 0.0772 https://github.com/LGhassen/Scatterer/releases

It's an interaction between kopernicus and scatterer. There used to be a dev build available with a fix here, but the sharing website now seems defunct: https://github.com/LGhassen/Scatterer/issues/183

Install Scatterer version 0.772.0.0, the new versions don't support OPM

You'll want EVE. And if you're getting EVE (don't forget to get the configs file too, it's older, giant, and very necessary), you'll want Scatterer too. Naturally you'll be in orbit and be all like "where's the stupid light reflected from the ocean!" and then you'll need Planetshine.

Download 0.0831 from here https://github.com/LGhassen/Scatterer/releases and install it

Scatterer

There was a little troubleshooting with scatterer - download version 0.0772 from Github rather than CKAN. I noticed CKAN wasn't installing the .dll for that particular version, and KSRSS isn't compatible with the latest scatterers.

No alternates, scatterer is not properly installed Id guess, Unzip this to a temp folder, delete Scatterer folder in gamedata and copy the scatterer folder to your gamedata. Id go ahead and redo Eve and any visualization mod, delete the folder and move a new folder to the gamedata. Overwriting mod folders is a fast track to issues. Hunt thru your KSP.log to search for Error, warnings are generally nothing to bother with, Search your gamedata directory for another gamedata, bad installs can do this, and check within all mod folders to ensure you didnt drop another mod inside one. I see the gamedata inside the gamedata all the time helping people sort mods. If you have parts or textures dont load, that's generally what has happened because module manager cannot find the part in the folder the cfg tells it to look in.

Alternately you could just go into /gamedata, remove the scatterer directory, then install the version you need manually. If you're using CKAN the previous method would be the more correct way of handling it though.