GunerX

I am starting to get better at using DDSopt. I am using it alot more and testing alot more mods with it. I am using the batch file STEP provided (thank you for this) to sort everything and then rearchive it just to make my life easier. For the past several hours I have been optimizing things with no troubles, but suddenly, the batch file that does the sorting is making Extra folders labeled "Mod DDS, Mod TMP". The TMP one is obviously ment to be a Temporary folder, which is all fine and dandy, but I wasnt seeing these things until just now. Does it ALWAYS make those folders and for some reason it wasn't making them before? Or is something wrong? Should I be using these folders?

so I was just chilling, running some DDSopt, reading some memes while I waited...and on the frontpage...there was this. I loled.....but then I thought about it for a second.... most of the women in skyrim look awful lol.

yes. as I said, this is where I found the answer. But why would you leave the answer there, deep down in a place where most people are not going to find it, instead of putting it right there on the main details page?

<.<; maybe someone should reword that section.... soonish....

Eh, its not a huge issue. I only came here asking for help at first because I thought I had done something terribly wrong since MO was saying it was being overwritten completely. I was like "why would they tell me to install a pointless Mod, that isnt right". But after I figured it out it was kind of a facepalm moment. I realize what I did was kind of dumb, but atleast I wasnt the only one that did it XD

I found it again. https://forum.step-project.com/topic/5439-step-v229-official-bug-reports/?p=89933

Specifically, choose Custom install option and install ALL options as follows (where there is more than one option besides 'None') It is specifically this that confused me (and others). I read it as "click custom, leave other stuff as NONE, tic only what STEP says". Personally I think to eliminate confusion it should be worded more like this: "Specifically, choose Custom install option and be sure to install ALL options. Change these options as recommended by STEP." Saying "install ALL options as follows" to me means only install the following options.

I stumbled upon the solution to the entire problem completely by chance in another bug thread about something TOTALLY DIFFERENT. Basically, the detailed instructions for the aMidianBorn Book of Silence series is missleading. It makes people (not just me, cause someone else asked the same question) think that STEP wants them to install only the options that STEP mentions, and select NONE for every single other option. In truth, STEP wants you to install EVERYTHING and then change only the settings it recommends. In other words, there should not be a single option set to NONE. If you do this, then the load order is fine. Just put the Content Addon at the end. But if you did what I did, then the Content Addon will overwrite the entire Dragonborn DLC mod because STEP only tells you to a tic few options. TL;DR - the STEP Detailed instructions needs to be clearer on that Mod.

ddsopt might not offer it (i am not an expert with ddsopt) but there is another program that will compress it further down to dtx1. https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/13529/? As you can see from the picture, it takes a DXT3 and compresses it down to a DXT1, some stuff stays at higher values such as DXT5, I don't know how it determines what should/can be compressed down further so it might not be safe to use on all mods (but then again ddsopt might also not be safe to use on certain mods, its all a gamble)

there is more than 1 DTX setting. The best (highest compression) is DTX1. just Optimize aMidianBorn stuff and it should be fine. The main things to stay away from are SDO (skyrim Distance overhaul), Skymills, SRO (skyrim realistic overhaul), and especially SkyFlora. (even with all of these optimized and compressed with ddsopt I cant run them with 1.5gb vram)

I also run SLI 3x GTX 480's. Is there Any Possible method of making it use all vram from all the cards? Aka 4.5 GB VRAM instead of just 1.5 GB VRAM?

I liked Vista when it first came out, but we all know it was horrible. Win 7 is the new Win XP.

So I finally finished installing ALL of the STEP Core and the STEP Core Patch. I run LOOT (the program, not the included "sort" button in MO) through MO, double check all my meta rules as the guide says, hit Apply, everything looks fine. I run Wyre Bash through MO, everything looks fine, build patch, tick all the right things, everything looks fine. Reopen MO, my load order has magically changed....ok...no problem...just rerun LOOT and....everything is back the way it should be. Close MO. Open MO and......everything is in the wrong order again........uhm....ok...rerun LOOT, proper load order again. But something is fishy here...rerun LOOT again just for the lols....and now I have a different load order....wut....close MO, open MO, different load order again. What is happening and how do I make it stop? -edit- Also...plugins are randomly ticking themselves off and on...sometimes LOOT says I have 100 plugins, next time it says 102, then 99.......................................................... -further edit- Here is the loadorder.txt # This file was automatically generated by Mod Organizer.Skyrim.esmUpdate.esmUnofficial Skyrim Patch.espDawnguard.esmUnofficial Dawnguard Patch.espHearthFires.esmUnofficial Hearthfire Patch.espDragonborn.esmUnofficial Dragonborn Patch.espSkyrim Project Optimization - Full Version.esmLanterns Of Skyrim - All In One - Main.esmApachiiHair.esmHighResTexturePack01.espHighResTexturePack02.espHighResTexturePack03.espUnofficial High Resolution Patch.espCutting Room Floor.espBWS.espORM-Arvak.espFootprints.espADS.espNausicaa's Tweaker.espElemental Staves.esp100XCarryWeight.espSoul Gems Differ - NW.espClamsDropPearls.espAuto Unequip Ammo.espBrawl Bugs CE.espmariana follower.espBeards.espDead Body Collision.espDragonShoutVoice.espTraps Make Noise.espmintylightningmod.espExplosiveBoltsVisualized.espAnimated Weapon Enchants.espFootprints - Ash.esp83Willows_101BUGS_V4_LowRes.espConvenient Horses.espAppropriately Attired Jarls Redux.espMoss Rocks.espMoss Rocks_DB.espBrows.espLock Overhaul.espNoxUE2.00.espTheEyesOfBeauty.espParalyze.espSkyrimCoinReplacerRedux.espDistant DetailHF.espRaceMenuPlugin.espRaceMenu.espSMDropLitTorch.espSMIM-FarmhouseFlickeringFix.espSit Anywhere.espSkyFalls + SkyMills + DG + DB.espSkyUI.espTradeBarter.espDawnguardRuneWeaponsFXSReplacer.espDisease Descriptions.espBring Out Your Dead.espOblivion Gates v3 without Markers - Skyrim + Dawnguard DLC.espBirdsHFclean.espNonEssentialChildren.espSDO Full-LOD - Waterfall Effects.espPoint The Way.espHearthfireChimneys.espRealisticWaterTwo.espSPTConsistentOlderPeople.espfFastTravelSpeedMult_4.espWetandCold.espAOS.espIHSS.espDeadlySpellImpacts.espdD - Enhanced Blood Main.espGuard Dialogue Overhaul.espWeapons & Armor Fixes_Remade.espWeapons & Armor_TrueOrcish&DaedricWeapons.espClothing & Clutter Fixes.espRadiant and Unique Potions Poisons and Booze.espAOS2_EBT Patch.espImproved Combat Sounds v2.2.espWetandCold - Ashes.espWhen Vampires Attack.espaMidianBorn_ContentAddon.espAOS2_GDO Patch.espAOS2_WAF Patch.espComplete Crafting Overhaul_Remade.espImproved Closefaced Helmets_Legendary.espRealisticWaterTwo - Legendary.espSFO - Dragonborn.espRun For Your Lives.espSkyrimImprovedPuddles-DG-HF-DB.espSDO Full-LOD - Whiterun Trundra Creeks.espSkyrim Flora Overhaul.espPilgrimsDelight.espThe Paarthurnax Dilemma.espBlockSparkles.espGildergreen Regrown.espSDO Full-LOD - Giant Campfires.espChesko_Step418_SN.espConvenient Horse Herding.espCCO_WAFTrueWeapons_Patch.espalessia.espdD - Realistic Ragdoll Force - Realistic.espdD-Dragonborn-Dawnguard-EBT Patch.espiHUD.espimp_helm.espmysti.esprandomthunder.espskyrimespawn.espSTEP Core Patch.espBashed Patch, 0.esp

Its not a question of Preference or Style. Windows 8 is bad. Period. It is coded poorly. Its buggy as hell.

If you have access to a win 7 OS disk, install it. Windows 8 is laden with bugs that wreak havoc on games.

Dragon Combat Overhaul. Take it out. Try again.

I am new to STEP but I know for a fact that if you are following STEP CORE you should INSTALL in the order the mods are presented. You can skip over Non-Essential Mods if you want, but all Essential mods should be installed in the order the guide lists them. Also make sure you are using LOOT (not the loot that comes with Mod Organizer, but the standalone and updated LOOT, google it) and you are setting the unique Meta Rules for the STEP CORE as the guide says to. Also if you are infact using the Highest graphic options you possibly can in the ini settings and you are CTDing randomly, try reducing some of those ini settings. Especially settings relating to shadows. If you are using Skyrim.ini [Papyrus] settings found on other forums, they are probably WRONG and will cause CTD. Please refer to this link " https://www.creationkit.com/INI_Settings_(Papyrus) " and read the WARNING that it has. -edit- Also I think there might be a conflict with "The Dance of Death" and "Dragon Combat Overhaul", but I think that is just a load order issue (can't remember where I read that, but google around for the answer).

in your skyrim.ini check for this fPostLoadUpdateTimeMS=2000.0 the default value is 500. 2000 is the default value for the console version of skyrim. Increasing this value will increase your load time, but might also solve your issue. usually when an npc is talking to another npc that isnt there (aka quest event activating when all npcs are not there yet) its because there wasnt enough time for the various scripts related to the quest to load.

This is an issue I also had along time ago. The exact issue is Shadow Draw Distance (fShadowDistance=8000.0000), if you set this too low you get those blocky lines. I keep mine set to 10000 so I dont see any of that.

The problem here is that BOSS is outdated and no longer supported. LOOT is made by the same people that made BOSS, and is the current staple for sorting your plugins.

I am new here, and maybe I am wrong, but according to this " https://www.creationkit.com/INI_Settings_(Papyrus) " the maximum value you can set for iMaxAllocatedMemoryBytes is 2147483647 (2GB). It goes on to say that changing this value at all will cause CTD.

I am following the STEP Core program right now (doing ALOT of testing and tweaking along the way for my own setup) and I don't see a specific INSTALL order for aMidianBorn - Content Addon. I am asking for a specific INSTALL order for this (in relation to the rest of the aMidianBorn Book of Silence Mods) because according to MO the entire aMidianBorn Book of Silence - Dragonborn DLC is being overwritten by the Content Addon. Meaning I could just untick it. I am assuming the Content Addon should be first in the install order, otherwise the Dragonborn DLC will be useless. But I wanted to ask here to confirm. -edit- never mind. found the answer you should really update the detailed instructions for aMidianBorn Book of Silence, only reason I found the answer is because someone else had the exact same issue and someone answered it.