Rechet

You only need 2 GB VRAM for the entire STEP:Extended, literally everything in HQ, as long as your memory bandwidth is up to par. Your 3 GB will have room to spare to eliminate most, if not all, sources of fps drops caused by major texture (re-)loads. For comparison, my GTX 770 is pushing stable 60 fps at 1920x1080, except when there's a major change in scenery. Although scaling the resolution past 1920 x 1080 still seems to produce unexpectedly non-linear strain on the system, so YMMV. But STEP:Core, most definitely!

I already have it, although I'm using the Memory Patch 3.0 variant as per the links in STEP:Extended guide. I'm guessing that all those scripting mods together is just about what my game can handle, and would most likely not be stable at all without the mempatch. Found another issue: The conjured weapons with the Soul Stealer perk are occasionally failing to apply the soulsteal effect. I tested with regular soulsteal enchanted weapons and they work 100% of the time. The Bound Bow seems to be affected the most, while Bound Sword works most of the time. I tried overriding the Enchantment Effect Replacer modifications but to no avail. Could this be related to the USKP 2.0.0a soulsteal wonkiness?

I've noticed considerable strain on fps whenever close to large bodies of water, f.ex. on the way from Helgen to Riverwood by the river. Then again, that's the ONLY place I've seen so far where my trusty GTX770 2GB/i3570k/8 GB/SSD combo doesn't manage the full 60 fps, "only" like 40-50. I suppose I might be pushing the upper limits of the scripting engine, having installed the entire Step:Extended including ALL the heavy scripting mods and HQ options on everything. I did get a single CTD just outside Whiterun, killing wolves with conjured weapons, in thunderstorm, with both a summon and a follower out, plus another pack of wolves chasing a deer a bit further away. Hasn't happened since during the ~15 hours so far. Also, does anyone else suffer from the occasional ILS trying to get out from Jorrvaskar Living Quarters? I had the same issue with STEP 2.2.7 install as well.

This will break the dragonborn tern fix I built into the patch. Only remove the crafting feathers from the record that are from ars. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk For future reference: I just removed the VMAD part of DLC2fcTernGo (FormID 0503CD8D) from the STEP extended patch, right clicked on it and selected "Clean Masters". Took a while to find, but now I have custom version for my install. Thanks for the quick help! :)

How do you properly remove a mod dependency from a patch plugin? In my specific case, I noticed that the new 2.2.8 STEP Extended patch lists Ars Metallica.esp as one of its masters. However, what I can see in Tes5edit, it doesn't really patch anything related to AM, just copies over one world space edit (Dawnguard sanctuary). Neither is AM listed as something it should adress in any way. Since I replaced AM with Complete Crafting Overhaul in my install, the patch won't work for me. :( I can solve this by installing Ars Metallica and manually emptying its .esp and removing its other installed files, leaving nothing but a dummy .esp to satisfy the dependency issue. But how would I actually remove the master dependency?

Seconded. At first I thought that my GTX 770 2 GB wasn't enough to run baseline STEP as it still kept on crashing and freezing. Now, with the Mempatch 3.0/ENB combo, I can run around the entire Skyrim, using STEP Extended with full HQ options, at speedmult 500, with unflinched 60 fps (except during major cell loads), all day long, without a single crash. Don't bash the hardware until you're absolutely sure the soft/firmware really does what it is supposed to. Which is, practically never in today's software world.

Thanks for confirming that it works! Next questions: Was it easier to follow 2.2.8 than previous versions?Did you follow 2.2.8 exactly, or did you use it more as a guided setup?The 2.2.8 guide is in much better shape than 2.2.7 ever was. :) I used the entire STEP 2.2.8 Extended almost to the letter, selecting HQ options wherever possible. I did add Clothing and Clutter fixes and replaced Ars Metallica with Complete Crafting Overhaul, so the STEP patch wouldn't work for me anyway. Next step is to create my own, personal STEP patch by combining some .esp files in Tes5edit. The guide is still missing a short clarification about patches in general: while you DO have to follow the installation order for mods in general, patches that are specific to conflict resolution can only be installed but NOT enabled until the mod that specific patch is for has been installed. Trying to benchmark STEP after 2.D. Fixes will cause a CTD otherwise, and will continue to do so until 2.M. Gameplay mods have been installed. However, there's no need for the user to worry about .esp sorting mid-install (missed this clarification, badly, during 2.2.7 install), just use BOSS for it if benchmarking is required. A short notice after each section about which .esp files are safe to activate at that point would be nice. Skyfalls & Skymills and Improved Closefaced Helmets have .esp files that BOSS doesn't currently recognize, a short notice about possibly needing BUM for these two could also be in order. Quick edit: Real beginners to modding could also need a pointer that yes, they need to manually activate DG, HF and DB .esm files in MO since those aren't activated using MO's default settings. Quick edit 2: A note about updating FNIS, DSR and Bashed Patch is needed. It's ok to make their output into new mods the first time, but I'm assuming you need to do some manual copying from overwrite to their respective "mods" if anything else happens to the load order after the initial STEP install and these need to be rerun.

Just wanted to pour out some joy here as well. :) I just finished installing STEP 2.2.8 in its current, unfinished state (not yet fully functional STEP patch), using HQ options. I whipped up a savegame with 100+ player hours, a half-messed up 2.2.7 install and assumed it would be pretty much unplayable - it was already becoming unstable back then. My jaw has officially dropped: I managed a complete tour of the lands without a hitch. All major holds included, at speedmult 500. FPS stayed at 60 the whole time, except during cell loads. And all I have is a i3570k CPU, GTX 770 GPU and an old SSD with both Windows and Skyrim on it. One word: IMPRESSIVE! <3

Oh, NOW it makes much more sense! My gut feeling was both right and wrong! So essentially, there are two different kinds of patches - those that merely add to the mod in question (why these are called patches and not add-ons/alterations/whatever else is confusing in itself) and those that actually (try to) solve a conflict between two or more mods. In that light, it's delightfully misleading to have STEP Patches listed in the very first category, when they are, in fact, installed very last. Or at least put there once most everything else is done. ;) I design user manuals for a living and could try to improve the wording in certain pieces of the STEP guide, if you guys feel like it's needed. It could use some clarifications and polish along the way, IMHO. :)

Oh, my forum search-fu is apparently failing me.. So the broadest answer to where compatibility patches/add-ons/optionals need to go is "it depends". It would be really helpful if the STEP guide was more specific about this, because I totally messed things up during my first install using 2.2.7. I just merged every noted patch/optional straight into their respective main mods when it was up on the mods list.. :p

I must be missing something really obvious here.. :? Where and when, exactly, are the various mod compatibility patches supposed to be installed? Straight "Merge" install (using Mod Organizer) right into/after the main mod, irrespective of install order or what? My gut feeling says that patches would need to go AFTER a mod that causes an incompatibility issue with a mod earlier in the load order, but this would also necessitate rather convoluted install instructions and I don't see anything to suggest that.. or I'm blind. For example, if following the STEP 2.2.7 Extended guide to the letter: Once I've installed "2.D - Dual Sheath Redux" main mod, am I supposed to hold on to adding its aMidianborn patch after I've actually installed "2.I - Book of Silence" or can I just throw in the patch straight into the rest of DSR right there and then? I'm aware that the game will glitch/crash if I have a compatibility patch to a mod that is not (yet) installed. Just wondering where the patch file(s) needs to reside when the complete STEP install is finished.

Since Radiant & Unique Potions & Poisons actually ADDS new textures to the game, I can't see how any changes to potions down the line could carry its new textures forward without a patch. I had to do it manually with Tes5edit so that I could test some Alchemy mods out there.

Had to register just to weigh in on this.. I strongly propose the inclusion of this mod, it makes this mathematician drool of the possibilities of proper play-balance customization. Since it's possible to configure it to conform to vanilla, just transcribe those settings as suggested into STEP:Core if you're feeling backbound by the Core Mandate.