MontyMM

Wow - I really hope he doesn't take it that way. I can't really understand why he would - everyone is entitled to their opinion, and the vast majority, everywhere, are full of effusive praise. The project is technically brilliant IMHO, but could still use some tweaking certain scenes. Everyone understands that it's still a WIP. I certainly hope the project continues.

Ah good - thanks. That's actually preferable to it being one of the settings that would likely unbalance some other element when altered.

That's a clear winner IMO. Sounds authentic and satisfying, whereas the vanilla noise sounds more like a bottle rocket.

Sounds lore-friendly! But seriously, I agree that good quality body replacements seem reasonable. I'm sure you're right about the diapers - just a weird symptom of our "The younglings may have as much torture and dismemberment as they like, but NEVER the lady-parts" culture.

It's something I would like to know too. In that shot the transparency could perhaps be justified, but i have seen many examples where I have been at an oblique angle to the water surface, and can still see objects at the bottom of a lake on the far side. Definitely unnatural and distracting.

I've never gone in for the "Vampires Wear Suspenders & No Knickers" type mods - for someone spending an inordinate amount of time tweaking a CRPG, this has always seemed a step too far! That said, a mod that provides an accurate model of human bodies seems a reasonable inclusion for STEP. But, looking at this mod, I wonder where they get those harsh brazilians in Tamriel - candle wax?

Yes I know what you mean. There's a lot to be said for the lighter distros. Bodhi is very nice too. Arch is fine, but that setup is a pain in the rocks.

Well, if AMD sort out their drivers (and I suspect they very well might, with the Steam developments) or you defect to Nvidia, I have to say the latest desktop distros are excellent. I'm using Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop and a nice professional theme, and it's a pleasure to use. Makes me happy to switch on the PC, if you know what I mean.

Seems to be some traction for this idea, in principle. Personally, it doesn't appeal to me. I prefer the more deliberate "correspondence pace" of the forums. I like the idea of somewhat considered statements, rather than fast-paced chat, but maybe that's just my funny ways. I'd be concerned that I'd be missing out on a lot that I'd otherwise be able to read when I have the time. TBH, the idea of a constantly scrolling chat box of information sitting in the corner is the last thing I'd want.

Over a long time that's true, but I quite like the fact that I can return after a couple of days and see how the conversation threads I was following have progressed.Â

Isn't there a risk that useful contributions and debates could get lost in the Shoutbox, instead of captured in proper threads? Same applies to Chat, of course, but that appears to be largely moot.

EDIT: Just saw your EDIT. Yes, driver support is a big factor in my personal choice too. I stay in Linux unless I'm forced to venture out, and the Nvidia situation is much the better nowadays. I'm hoping, Gabe Newell willing, that Linux will be a viable gaming platform before too many more moons!

My point is simple, and popularity doesn't enter into it - AMD is no longer in a position to force a real race and compel Nvidia to release its best technology quickly and at the best prices. Yes, AMD can release cards that outperform Nvidia's within one generation, but it is Nvidia that decides what that generation looks like, and what the price points will be. Nvidia is sitting quite leisurely on technology (the 680, for example, is a gimped version of what that architecture could do) and the moment it suits them strategically, they will release the next wave. This wasn't always quite so comfortable. For a consumer buying a card at a certain point during a generation, an AMD may well be the best choice. But, it would be far better for that consumer if this were truly a two horse race, as once it was, forcing both players to release their best technology more quickly and at more competitive prices.

They are considerably overpriced. I really wish that AMD could raise their game and give Nvidia a proper scare like they did a few ago. Nvidia have had it too much their way for a long time, and we don't get their best efforts at the best prices.

"I told you I was ill."

I've also got a 670 4GB, and it loves fully modded Skyrim with maximum textures and ENB. I only need 1080x1920 though, so I don't know at what point it would start to struggle.

I think I should have a box to shout into.

I agree with the postponement. I just don't think there is a solution for vanilla lighting that I would recommend to anyone at this time. You may have stated already somewhere, but can I ask why ENBs are off the table? I would have thought that the nearest thing to a solid enhancement of vanilla, which would find consensus, is Skyrealism ENB. EDIT: I see S4N has gone on a mod posting rampage - are you preparing for a release?

Yes, you've captured some of the problems with RLO there. There's something about it that just doesn't "look right" to my eyes, even though one can see where it's succeeding. I also find the contrast much too sharp in some scenes. I definitely agree that the RS/OLSE project is going to do the best job of satisfying the mandate. EDIT: Agreed - the entrance to Bleak Falls is a mess with ELnF.

Thanks S4N, good job. On the basis of those shots, I'd have to say that RLO is my preference in most cases. And, unsurprisingly for my tastes, the least vanilla. I know it is outside the scope of this question, but for me, ELnF wins when it is providing the light sources, and a good ENB takes care of the actual lighting effects. But since ENBs are off the table here, RLO seems to do a decent job of dealing with the vanilla ambient fluorescence. I'm not crazy about the blue night lighting in some shots. RS and OLSE are making some nice subtle improvements, without straying too far from vanilla.

I have my eye an HD projector for this year, and that will certainly require proper calibration. I can sort of justify the expense, because I don't have a TV (on account of the toxic drivel.) It would be great for watching good movies, and games at cinematic sizes will be sweet.

All things being equal, this is obviously true - with no mods at all being best. But if one finds that the extra script burden and edits provide a significant advantage (overcoming the limiting light source restriction), then the complications of compatibility may be worth tolerating, as must be the case for every mod.

Since you mention data loss, I would offer a word of caution on SSDs in general. I've dealt with a few of them now for friends and family, and three of them (two intels and one OCZ) lost all data because of firmware errors. Since the firmware was updated, they've all worked fine. They're improving with each generation, but I would say very frequent backups are the order of the day.

But since we tolerate scripts for so many other elements, I don't see why the ones to correct the major limitation on light sources should be considered villains, unless we have evidence of specific problems. IMHO, if the script load demanded sacrifices, this would take priority over many other things. Likewise, multiple cell edits aren't necessarily an evil, and again it's a question of priority if there's conflicts.