EssArrBee

Now that all the mods have been tested individually, it is time to showcase some mish-mash of the mods to try and achieve the best combination. I made a few sets just randomly choosing different parts of each of the mods that cover Solsthiem. I'm not going to say which mods are used where in any of the screens to achieve unbias opinions. Each screen is less the close up of textures and more the whole picture type stuff which three or four textures included in each shot. Some of the textures are the same from set to set, but I probably changed something else to see how they worked together with something else. You might noticed that some pictures look the same, but there is something different in each set, even if it is just one texture. I'd like these to be picked apart and express what parts work and why. There are still going to be places where stuff is just out of place, but that has to with the meshes more than the textures. Okay I'm ready to make a decision on these mods. SRTO will not be picked up for STEP because I don't want to use it for 4 textures that only a couple people even like anyways, Telvanni Reborn will be used for the Tel Mithryn textures and HRDLC for Raven Rock. A mix of Serious HD, HRDLC, and AMB for the ash and other landscape textures will be used, so that means AMB is accepted for Core. Installation will be Serious HD first since it has other textures overwritten by SRO, then AMB will be installed and some files will be removed or hidden using MO's hiding feature. Just install Telvanni Reborn. I'd also like to add Ash Rocks, for the larger mountain rocks all over Solsthiem, with less ash smim 2k fine options. The performance hit negligible vs the 1k version, but so much better looking. Set 8 has Ash Rocks in pictures 1/2/3 and HRDLC in 4. If that is okay with z, or the other release coordinators, then I will set it up on the wiki. Or, I can just post some more screens. @kryp, you liked a few different things from what I chose for STEP, but only a few, so if you want what those are just let me know. Okay these are the final choices based on everyone's comments and the STEP Mandate up against the HRDLC so everyone knows what to look forward to in 2.2.8. After I went through the comments and combined some stuff, I think the game looked as good as ever. You really gotta see them in game where everything really pops. Last Update promise (well unless I add the SRLE stuff for Neo). Here is the mod list: Install Telvanni Reborn, it will not be overwritten by anything.Serious HD is already a part of Core and has DB textures so make sure that is installed.Install AMB Solsthiem Landscape and remove the following or use MO to hide the files:dlc2basaltcolumsingle.dds dlc2basaltcolumsingle_n.dds dlc2basaltside.dds dlc2basaltside_n.dds dlc2road01ash01.dds dlc2road01ash01_n.dds volcanic_ash_04.dds volcanic_ash_04_n.dds volcanic_ash_05.dds volcanic_ash_darkcliff_01.dds volcanic_ash_darkcliff_01_n.dds volcanic_ash_rocks_01_d.dds volcanic_ash_rocks_01_d_n.dds volcanic_ash_tundra_01.dds volcanic_ash_tundra_01_n.dds volcanic_ash_tundra_03.dds volcanic_ash_tundra_03_n.dds Okay that is the 2.2.8 stuff. You can update it now if you have 2.2.7 and not have to worry about changing anything for 2.2.8 since it is just replacers and no plugins are involved. SRLE users be aware that Neo's choices were a bit different and his list be done by him.

It is okay, I was just asking since I wanted verification at that moment. I verified myself that it works and we now will only need to install SMIM, but not have to use any of the plugins. There are three total that it comes with: the base, a chest plugin to make snowy chests appear properly, and the DB Flaseed Tern fix. USKP covers the base and the test patch I posted covers the other two. I will update the current 2.2.8 patch in a bit. Also, z, I assume you figured out your Windhelm crash, so is there an eta on a mod list? I'm just tired of taking screens so I want to work on something else, but now that it is the weekend so I will probably still do a bunch of screens.

I need someone with all of STEP Core 2.2.8 (basically 2.2.7 without Aqusitive Soul gems, check the current changelog) installed to test this patch for me. I just need to verify the SMIM chests and Falseed Tern fixes from SMIM are correct without any SMIM plugins active. I'm busy running some other stuff at the moment and can't start up Skyrim. STEP Core Patch Test.7z

Don't rename the files ahead of time the BFF will rename the original file. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Report that error to the author. I believe kryptopyr is the author and a STEP contributor so she would be interested in any big report. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They've come a long way since the Orange Revolution. Time to get some fresh faces in the opposition party over there. Not sure Tymoshenko is the person lead the Ukraine into the EU. I would mind seeing another change in the eastern block countries. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes I had that issue last night. The unlock button does not work. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I also, think there is a control map text file floating around that allows for both the keyboard and controller to be used without any weird switching or noises.

I've used STEP for a long time with a 360 controller. Racemenu, SkyUI, convenient Horses, and just about everything else has integrated controller support or the ability to set it up yourself. The only issue you may run into is Dual Wield Parrying, since you might run out of button for stuff.

To the Creation Kit!

Confirmed.

So the dds viewer is so helpful, now I don't have to constantly open and close Paint.NET and explorer. Wish I would have had it last week before I started testing mods. What exactly is BOSS integration? One click to run it?

Then we should probably add a new section to STEP at the end for mods that require patching like ear and fnis. That would probably reduce some of the problems people have.

I'm going to hold off on the Langley's landscape textures because they are 2K and STEP is trying to stay in the 1K territory for outdoors. I did take screens, but I will hold on to them until I get 2k shots of every mod that offers them like AMB, SRTO, and Serious HD. It has some interior stuff though and 2K is fine indoors, so I will do shots of that stuff to compare with a couple other mods and I'll post those in the Langley's thread. EDIT: Why do I always think of something to say right after I hit send?!?! I'm probably going to do another MT thread for a blend of Solsthiem stuff that will be up later and do three or four combos of stuff. People can give feedback on what jives together and I'll make a recommendation for STEP based on that.

Just be careful when installing mods to check the name that MO tries to give the mod. Sometimes it can get a little screwy with the naming. EDIT: Also, BOSS is not for assets like textures and meshes. It sorts the plugins (.esp or .esm) files in the correct order so they are correct when Skyrim is started.

You don't need to change the cell buffer, Skyrim will do that automatically when you start the game based on your ugrids settings.

Thanks! I forgot about this little gem. Either that or Minimal HUD should be up for inclusion in STEP. I think that Minimal HUD supports that mod where you can export the settings somehow. I forget the name of it ATM, but I bet someone knows what I'm talking about.

What is triple buffering???It is double buffering, but three times. :p

Okay, I'll look at them, but this is the last mod for DB until the next STEP release. I think comparing four mods is plenty for now. Langely's does architecture too, so I'll have to look the whole thing over.

Are we going to add this mod? We have Moss Rocks in STEP and this is basically a patch for DB.

I've done that a few times. Really sucks when you live alone and no one is there to even wake you up. Even the dog gives me that look like, "Get your s**t together". I have become quite found of the less ash SMIM 2k Fine version of this mod. There isn't any crazy performance hit from using the 2k version and the 1k stuff is just meh. I don't recommend the sulfur optional file though, I'm not sold on it yet.

What happened where? I don't understand your problem.

I was curious about the difference in the between hiding files and folders in the filetree for mods. I seem to be able to hide folder, but it does not actually hide the files in it. I have to also hide the files within. Is this by design or is it a bug? Maybe there is a reason it doesn't hide files within folders, so maybe someone else knows.

The ugrids patch is recommended. Safety Load is not. Reading OPs is fun.