TechAngel85

With optional SRO Textures >> Without optional Textures >> EDT2 only (no HQLOD) https://i.imgur.com/UsZrcN3.png >> https://i.imgur.com/QazqWue.png >> https://i.imgur.com/Vuv9twL.png You get hard seams without the textures installed and they are still there without the mod only only using EDT2 as well. Only thing that hides them are the optional textures. This is only noticeable in some snowy areas from what I have tell. I haven't really checked the non-snowy areas much though. Sorry for the difference in view. Hard to do with the free cam.

You do install the textures though, don't you? You install the SRO 512 textures. Yes, EDT2 does conflict, it's been listed to install the textures and without them those texture lines are back. (I tested that as well while I was doing the above compares).

+1 Next up... Forum software!

Updated HQLOD to reflect the findings on it Anthology thread. Only the 512 textures are recommended. The others will cause texture seams. No normals because of the same reason and due to a color difference in the snow. EDIT: Only the Hi-Res Meshes are recommended. No Textures and no normals should be installed for STEP.

Yep, I've updated the recommendation to reflect the findings. 512 textures and no normals.

If the problem is a count variable then that is the only way to fix it. Whole thing kinda boggles my mind a bit. A programmer in c or java has to go out of their way to declare a variable of type short int, because the standard int is 4 bytes. If the papyrus log used a 4 byte counter variable then the largest number of mods would be in the billions... but instead they used a nonstandard short int, and then used a signed short int of all things . It is the smallest possible positive range of numbers you can give a variable in C using a predefined data type. Like they wanted the limit to be small on purpose. Perhaps they knew how crappy the engine is so they built in a limit on purpose in order to control the crappiness of that crappy engine. Haha!

Define "general". What is its extent? The stuff that Nearox has brought up, I would assume falls into this. However, does conflict resolution fall into as well? (at least conflicts for the Core mods since Extended is not really ready for those details yet) Also, should we be taking the SR options for mods into consideration when doing this updating? I would assume some of the SR options might not be the STEP options for certain mods. Obviously the Core mods would still have to follow the Mandate. When exactly should the moving of Extended into a pack take place? 2.2.8? .9? or the 2.3.0 release? I know that the pack infrastructure is still in the Alpha stages so I wouldn't want to release a STEP:Extended guide onto something that is still fairly infant when every user that comes here will be using it. I know we have a few test Packs up as well as some user Packs that are being used to test and develop the infrastructure. Last I heard, there were still some things to be worked out with the mod tables and when having to move the pack to a new page for renaming (there was an issue doing this...just don't remember what it was). Having to redo the Extended guide several times due to development has not be a thing I've wanted to do and has been the main reason I've held off porting it as of yet. Just say when and I can start porting things over. I would; however, like to have an outline detailing what to do with each release up to the big 2.3.0 event. It would be most helpful.

This is just my assessment so you guys tell me your thoughts. I have confirmed the 256 textures are messed up for at least the LOD snow. That means that option is off the table.I feel that the 128 textures blend better than the 512 textures. So I would go for the 128, but...The normals are messed up for the 256 so that is also off the table. Between the 64 and 128, I can't tell a lick of difference, but...However! There are some hard, very visible lines created when using certain options: 128x Textures              512x Textures Notice in the first shot there is a hard texture line down the middle. The 512x textures resolve this issue. Since the 256x textures are messed up. We have to go with the 512. Next, the normals: 64x Normals                 128x Normals As you can see, the texture seams (bottom of images) are back with either of the normals added in and the color is off (LOD snow is too bright). The 128x normal is even worse! These are the most likely reasons the normals are not recommended and; therefore, will remain unrecommended. Any thoughts? Objections?

Weird... well, I did skip some mods. Especially any dealing with skeletal changes because the last time I attempted to install that stuff I fried my install and had to start over.

It's just a thought at the moment but would be a massive compare I think to do between the Sounds of Skyrim mods we currently have and this one. Possibly keeping parts or all of both even.

I've only played maybe 8-16 hrs of Fallout 3. Last I heard there were some issues with Fallout 3 and Windows 8. Not sure if there are now workarounds for that. If there are, it might be a good article to write for these forums. I've also only played maybe about 4 hrs of Fallout:NV...so you could probably put in the never played category. lol

So is this 128 mods installed or 128 ESM/ESPs loaded? If it's the latter, I could only see this affecting heavily modded games. Even STEP is at least half just replacement mods that have no ESP included; however, in my STEP Extended install I have 124 ESM/ESPs.

Nice! Do these cover most or preferably all of the STEP conflicts?

This is a large undertaking that currently only I have been working on, but have been happy to take up the mantel to allow the Admin to refocus on other areas like server stuff and wiki development. With my limited time and if the current trend remains, the 2.2.8 Guide is still a good ways off though. Most of the stuff from the Official Bug Reports has already been incorporated, but could use another eye to double check the work. Checking each others work is always a good thing in this type of development. My plans have been to incorporate some of the instructions from SR into the STEP Guide, via the wiki mod pages. Things like conflict resolution can be ported to the STEP guide using the Detail Instructions box on the mod pages. Just make sure they aren't SR specific edits because Neo does have come mods that currently aren't in STEP. Also, make sure there are two set of instructions. One for Core Only Installs and one for Extended installs. My vision for 2.2.8 has been a "refinement" release. There should be a lot of Guide refinement, mod instruction refinement and conflict resolutions coming with 2.2.8. Additions of mod has taken a back seat in my point of view for the next release. I'm sure a few might be added or dropped but it'll be far fewer than normal. The 2.2.8 would provide a more clear STEP installation and also a more stable one as well. At least, this has been my vision as I've been working towards it. The Admin can add to, take away or refine this vision if need be. If not, I'll keep moving forward as I have been. The biggest area we (I) need help with all this is conflict resolution of STEP mods. I'm not much more familiar with TES5Edit other than being able to clean mods. This is something that I need to learn and I will eventually, but for now there are other things to focus on. :) Oh! Also the BCFs need to be updated! EDIT: Actually, let me continue on to 2.2.9 as well. Where 2.2.8 will refine the Guide, 2.2.9 will focus on refining Extended; finalizing it much as Core has been done. From there, then refining the finalized Extended as 2.2.8 was, with clear instructions and conflict resolutions. The goal being that by the time the 2.3.0 event is to take place, the Guide will be in such a state that the majority of the work to be done will be porting it to the new Pack infrastructure. Hopefully, by that time that Infrastructure has matured to the point that is it fully ready to host the STEP Guides.

If I can learn TES5Edit enough to resolve conflicts, I'd mark this for testing. However, testing hasn't had the support needed lately and this mod would be one needed plenty of support; not only in testing but also in conflict resolution for a straight STEP installation.

This mod is a likely replacement for WATER in the next release.

That would be mine as well. I'm still not intimately familiar with all aspects of all mods and their recommendations as I've only been a release coordinator of a few months. However, I'm quickly changing that and currently know more than ever on the "whys" and "why nots" for each mod. I'll download and look into the purple issue and of any conflicts within my own installs. Check back in a bit for results....coffee! Need coffee!

This is something I'll have to investigate as to why we aren't using the normals. It may be that the normals are replaced by something else later in the install (or was at one point but might not be any longer...we've done a LOT of LOD compares and studying for the2.2.7 release; thus, some things did change.)

Lets continue this discussion over on the other thread so we don't clog this one up.

Sooo... basically, install your texture mods at the bottom of your installation and your scripted mods at the towards the top whenever possible; limiting them to no more than 80? Problem solved?

Can someone translate that into English please? I don't speak code unless it's extremely simple code.

Talk about reviving old threads! I just wanted to give an update on my progress since spearheading the Mod Testing front, as part of my Release Coordination duties. As you can tell by the revival of this thread (nearly a year without a post), that the Mod Testing Guide went nearly as long without any refinement or updates. I took over and the Guide has significantly changed since. It is now a more step by step approach and filled with current and relevant information. As, I've mentioned from time to time on the forums, I've been creating, updating and revising as I have been diving deeper into mod testing. Thus, the overhaul has been slower than usual. One of the biggest changes for the guide is no more support for Wrye Bash. Why? Well that answer is two fold: One, Mod Organizer has proven itself a far easier and more efficient program to handle mod testing needs with more of the features required, being wrapped up into a single program. With WB, you had to use at least three different programs to efficiently test mods (WB, BSAopt, and SIS). MO replaces all of these and then some. Two, it was (and still is) becoming impractical to create content for two entirely different programs; especially when that content is a guide. It doubles the work for the writer and takes much more time This goes hand in hand with the fact that Wrye Bash as been dead in the water in terms of development for a good while now; only recently releasing a small update to patch a couple bugs. Meanwhile, Mod Organizer has had full development support in correcting bugs, adding new features and adding new enhancements a few times a month. Tannin (the MO developer) has even moved his troubleshooting support off of Nexus and to the STEP forums. There is still a good ways to go on the Guide; however, I have taken up to editing it a few times a week again. It should be completed around the time of the 2.2.8 release. I'd ask that you review the guide; however please continue to refrain from updating or adding content to it until I am able to finish with my work. More to come so stay tuned!

To let everyone know, all this work that Nearox has had me doing will not be made official for the current release; although, it is available on the guide now via the mod wiki pages. This is because there really isn't a way to "refine" the guide, mods and their instructions away from the public view (at least not the type of refining that will be taking place). This is due to the way the current wiki is constructed and set up. From this point to the time of the 2.2.8 release, you can consider the current 2.2.7 Guide as a "live beta" of sorts, though none of the changes made should cause any issue if they are followed before the 2.2.8 release. When getting ready for the 2.2.8 release, I'll gather up all the changes I've made and post them in the 2.2.8 changelog along with the other stuff that will come with that release. The 2.2.8 release will mostly be a "refinement" release. Very few new mods will likely be added in the next release; however, STEP should become more easy to follow and more stable once that version is finalized and officially released. I've copied this note to the OP.

https://wiki.step-project.com/Changelog/2.2.7#Mod_Removals Removed from Core. Not Extended. If the mod was removed from STEP entirely, it will be listed under Extended from removals. I updated the changelog to reflect this. I hadn't realized the new formatting for that section. It should be more clear now.