Shadriss

This won't be what you want to hear, but those are normal and correct. The LOD colors are slightly off from the full version of the trees, which is what creates that seeming visual mismatch. So on the plus side, you did things right. On the other side... yeah. *shrug* As Lexy mentioned, this is caused by the Havok Physics engine when the FPS of you game goes over 60. This is why, in the recommendations and in the install instructions, you are told to cap your framerate at 58 FPS instead of 60... even with a cap set, your FPS will go over that limit briefly. That noise is all the objects that use the physics engine colliding with each other. Set the cap in the nVidia Profile Inspector (as shown on the Prerequisites Page) or, if you simply have to have higher framerates, look into the Havok Fixes mod.

Wave off - Lexy's is NOT a STEP style guide. We very frequently diverge from vanilla, and the setup process is hardly the easiest either. I'm not sure there really is another guide that holds to STEP's ideal, but I can say for certain that Lexy's is definitely not it.

Balgruf Voice: That would be best. In seriousness though, I've not seen anyone else ever mention this problem, likely for the reason that most people don't use fast travel over short distances - they just hoof it, I'd guess. Obviously a vanilla issue, so nothing that can really be done. I didn't think about this before... are you using DynDOLOD? If not, you may want to consider it, as it may fix this issue. If you were initially, than I guess there really isn't anything to do about it...

We use the Uncapper only to allow for skills and the like to surpass vanilla values. Nothing has been altered, that I'm aware of, from the vanilla leveling curve. Experience removes XP gain from Skill Leveling, and uses events (discovery, quest completion, etc) to replace the XP that was provided by Skill Leveling, but the amount of XP from Player Level to Level has not been changed. I hope that makes sense to you... let me try it this way as well. The XP values needed to level your player character have not changed, only what it providing the XP - vanilla values are, to the best of my knowledge, still used. As to the other - I'm not sure how you got the impression we were trying to be consistent. The options and mods chosen are at the whims of her Dark Majesty Lexy - if she wants them to appear a certain way, that how she does'm. ;) It's a touch mad... but that's Lexy. As I understand it, the packs released will be thematic in nature - it should be easy to figure out which ones are released in which pack. That remains to be seen, of course, but so goes the plan I've heard. Best place to ask that is on Lexy's Discord server, in the #non-guide-mods channel. I know of a few people who have done exactly that, but I am not one of them, and this forum isn't the place to figure that out, as it's for support of the full and official guide, not custom versions of it. As with the previous person, best place to ask about that is on the Server... it should be possible, but more and smarter people than I will be able to help you out more in an area designed for those kind of questions. On a quick think through, I think it'd be relatively easy, but it would have to be a very deliberate process to make sure nothing was missed.

My answer remains unchanged, even so. I'd add in a recommendation to not fast travel, but since you already ruled that out as an answer... (that said, I don't do that, as I miss out on a lot of experience and the like when I do.)

No, there is no issue continuing to use the Luxor files - rumor has it that he is going to be re-releasing all of his stuff as a series of all-in-one packages, but for the moment, you're good continuing in that fashion. If the guide tells you to delete a file, delete it. Otherwise, leave it alone. Use 8.0... the instructions still work otherwise. Skills are capped by Player Level. Most content in the game, as we have it set up, isn't safe to do without followers until at least level 20, including Bleak Falls Barrow. I haven't seen anyone making any complaints about being overpowered... quite the opposite, in general. Despite the other answer you received, we don't really know when LOTD5 is coming. I've heard that it's in final testing, but that could still be another month or so. Then again, it could be tomorrow, for all I know. Either way, I'd update the guide to the most recent version anyways, as that will still be a lot less work to do when it releases... whenever that happens to be.

Love it, Lexy. Absolutely love it.

iNeed, Frostfall, and Campfire are all part of the Consistancy Patch you noted, and file that gets merged into Lexy's LOTD Consistency Patch. By not installing iNeed, the Survival File has a missing master, which then transfers into the LOTD Consistency Patches merged. So, in effect, you have two options: 1) Install iNeed, and turn it off... this is by far the easiest route. 2) Using the procedure in the Troubleshooting part of the guide, remove iNeed as a Master. You won't be able to proceed without doing one of the above - with a Missing Master error, your game will CTD on load.

SRLE hasn't been updated in forever, I don't think. You can do, in essence, the same processes through the new zMerge program (part of Mator's zEdit program), which will allow you to do both the merges and the ReLinker functionality as well. Means having to figure a few things out on your own, likely, but that's prob'ly the best way forward.

Since I can't think of any reason for you to be that far in the air to be able to see it in a normal situation, I wouldn't worry about it at all. From the steps you've taken, it would appear, to me, to be a vanilla engine related issue... I wouldn't call it a bug, per se, especially since I would imagine that, as you moved normally about, those trees would be reloaded anyways.

I'm not honestly sure when the last time that SRLE was worked on - not sure if it's being maintained or not.

I use a SFW version of the guide as well. The only changes you need to make are as follows... if it's not listed, you can go with the guide's setup: a) When available for a mod, use the non-nude versions (you have already done this). b) Locate, download, and install the Bijin Nevernude patch. You can place this at the end of the load order, after all merges have been completed but before any of the finishing line mods. c) After installing the TMB armors, go into the file structure and delete the Hide Armor folder - the author made a vary odd decision here in making the male version of it apply to females, and the result is... uncomfortable looking and decidedly non SFW. So far as the Khajit and Argonian mods, you can install the UNP versions as the guide recommends - the other changes I note above apply to them as well, as those mods are the skins only, not anything that will change them to nude versions. IIRC, you need Mystical Smithing (or whatever the perk is that allows you to temper enchanted items) to do anything with gold or silver... this was done to prevent a few exploits in the early-ish game, among other reasons. In other words... normal, expected. Learn to swing a hammer more. ;)

I'd add MSI gaming systems to that list. I bought one about six years ago, and it's still holding on pretty well.

That's an oddly specific number to be looking to reduce your count by - I take it there is a specific reason you need ~40 clear slots in your load order? If not, then I don't see any reason you'd need to do this.

OMEGA provides an MLU.ESP... so it's in there, just not under that name, per se. You think swords get a beating? Take a look at what happens to arrows - my Stealth archers have all had to go to Knight School (get it?) to learn some swordplay, and they all hate it. As to Valtheim, I've not heard anyone else having a problem, so it is likely related. IIRC, the original mod in LE (which, obviously, we're using) noted a patch in it's FOMOD... we can't use the patch, but it might give an idea in which direction to look.