Kelmych

When TES5Edit first came out it was sometimes necessary to take any patches that were created, open them in the Creation Kit, then save them. This fixed some small problems caused by TES5Edit using a slightly different object model than the newer versions of Skyrim. TES5Edit has been updated and evolved so it no longer needs this, but it's seems possible that a similar effect could be happening when using the Skyrim merge plugin script in FNVEdit.

fixed

Are you using the vanilla body or another body; that can affect where the quiver goes. You can try searching through the posts on the XP32 nexus site or using google to try to find a relevant post (e.g., search for XP32 floating quiver or something similar). If you are using Skyrim Revisited mods and the recommended XP32 installation then I doubt that a quiver from Crossbow Basic Collection is compatible with that installation, just like the capes from Wet and Cold are incompatible with the Frostfall ones in SR instructions for XP32 and quivers that don't use the same body attachment points as Frostfall and some other mods used in SR:LE does can have the problem you see. Have you tried using XP32 to make the quiver invisible? I remember one of the posts by the XP32 author saying that it was impossible to make everything compatible since different mods assume different skeletons and different body attachment points.

For the initial issue you mentioned, I've previously seen comments in XP32 discussions about problems with a quiver not being attached to a body due to using a different body mod and/or a different quiver attachment point on the body (different bodypart ID).

There aren't any vanilla textures larger than 2Kx2K but we'll add a V2 for normal maps that recommends 2048x2048. The difference is small since there are only 10 2Kx2K tangent space normal maps. I'm not sure why the 4Kx4K resolution looks better in the game. Perhaps some of the additional processing in a GPU (shaders, normalization, ...) can make use of larger resolutions; I'm not familiar with all the details of the processing on the graphics card. The mipmaps (see Q1) in a texture file contain a set of lower resolution versions of a texture, and generally the graphics card uses the size needed which for a 1920x1080 monitor would be a 2Kx2K version or smaller (for objects that don't use most of the screen). The mipmaps produced by DDSopt are supposed to be better than the ones produced by many of the programs used to create textures, and some creators of high quality textures use DDSopt to produce their mipmaps.

The DDSopt guide STEP mod list is updated periodically; there were some changes in the STEP guide since the DDSopt guide table had been updated. Currently it should be up to date with the STEP 2.2.8 guide. Entries in the STEP mod table are based on reviewing the logs created by DDSopt when optimizing a mod, information about optimization done for other mods by the same author, and comments on the STEP forums about the textures in a mod. If you are trying to decide whether a mod need to be optimized these are likely the same inputs that would be used. With mods that are not primarily new or replacement textures (e.g., quest, city, location, and companion mods) I typically expect that texture optimization will be useful.

The Skyrim Merge Plugins script includes a few steps that have some Skyrim-specific files (e.g., Skyrim.esm). Does it work properly in FNVedit without changing these, or should they be changed to use the FNV equivalents?

This was a common complaint when Oblivion first came out. Some users were trying to keep similar levels for many of their skills, and ended up with too high a player level relative to their key combat skills. It doesn't sound like that's your major problem, however. Followers and summoned creatures, even low level summons such as a familiar, can distract the attention of a spell caster (or other enemy) long enough for you to get closer to use your melee skills. In addition to the advice from other posts, when fighting ranged enemies such as spell casters or archers you should also use the environment to your advantage. Outdoors you may be able to hide behind a tree, rock, or terrain; move sideways to shoot at the enemy then immediately move back where you were or quickly move to a closer tree, rock, etc. Indoors (and sometimes outdoors) you can use intersections and turns in hallways to your advantage. Make the enemy chase you and wait at an intersection/turn where the enemy will be very close and thus in melee range when they are finally able to see you again.

The merged patch includes some object types not included in the bashed patch. If you use a merged patch make sure to remove the leveled list objects since the bashed patch does a much better job with these objects, as EssArrBee mentioned. I use the merged patch as the starting point for an additional patch I also use; I then manually add additional records..

+1 thanks

Snowbound Acres has a few textures that conflict with Immersive College of Winterhold, Dawn of Riften, and Raven Rock Expanded (and 1 texture from Apple Garden). Do you have any suggestion on which mod(s) have better textures and should be installed with higher priority? Some other mods in the pack also have texture conflicts. I expect the mods should be installed in the order they occur in the guide, but I wanted to make sure this was the recommendation.

There is an option to use or not use them. It looks like if you want them unpacked you need to package them so they are treated as a mod. EssArrBee mentioned some problems he had with unpacking some of the vanilla BSAs when he tried this.

Well, it does seems to allow a choice on whether the vanilla DLC and HRDLC BSAs are extracted or kept as BSAs. What I was primarily trying to mention was that mod BSAs can be extracted or left as BSAs, and that the USP BSAs like UHRP are just like any other mod.

I've been using it for a long time, I haven't had any problems with it, and I think we should add it to STEP.

As always, thank for all the effort in making this particularly interesting pack.

The male body MSN is 2kx2k R8G8B8 in HRDLC.

Looking at the Sky Haven Temple Enhanced mod, it seems more like a quest mod than a location mod. It makes significant gameplay changes such as it's own version of dealing with Paarthurnax. It is incompatible with The Paarthurnax Dilemma, a STEP:Core mod. REGS will need alternate versions of the STEP:Core Patch and STEP:Extended Patch since The Paarthurnax Dilemma.esp is a master for both of these patches.

MO typically creates loose files from the vanilla BSAs. It doesn't do this automatically for BSAs in mods including UHRP.

The current conflict resolution page on the REGS-SRLE Patch hasn't been updated yet for the change in Sky Haven mods. The edit in Cell Block 3 Sub-Block 0 000161EB <SkyHavenTemple> has changed. One important difference is that the XCMO – Music Type from Sky Haven Temple M&M3.esp is no longer used. In order to make this change in an existing version of the REGS-SRLE Patch this esp needs to be active since it is a master for the patch. One the XCMO record is removed from the REGS-SRLE Patch then "clean the masters" on the patch file to remove Sky Haven Temple M&M3.esp from the list of masters. Once this is done the Sky Haven Temple M&M3 mod can be removed in MO.

I've used it and it seems like a good choice for STEP.

gollemodder: If Ars Metallica is also loaded there will be additional smelting recipes including some duplicate or similar ones. z I've also been using it and feel it should be in extended.

We've always assumed that any textures in Unofficial Skyrim patches, including the Unofficial Hires Patch, are sufficiently optimized. Often their texture and mesh changes fix problems that optimization by itself can't. Like the HRDLC plugins, the plugin in the UHRP only loads the BSA and isn't needed if the BSA is extracted in Mod Organizer. The other USP plugins have a lot of content and are needed.

Yes, I used LRPEnemiesRedux. My loot concern is mainly about the Sniper Rifles and similar weapons in loot. The enemies added by this mod are sometimes killed by the gangs near the ladders, so when you walk by the ladders there are dead bodies from this mod and from the local gangs with loot that can be unbalancing for a low to middle level character. Maybe it will be different in your game.

As is the case with Skyrim Weapon DePARPification project, Dual Sheath Redux, and Greatsword Sheath and Scabbards Redux (all of which have conflicts with BSW and often each other), there are no textures in BSW, only meshes.