SKYRIMLE The Beauty of Skyrim - Caves and Mines

[WilliamImm]

https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/30631/

 

Found this recently while browsing around on the TPC page (for no reason whatsoever). Apparently, this is a spin-off of one of raiserfx's (of Ruins Clutter Improvement) old mod Skyrim HD Enviorments, and from the screenshots, it looks like a nice overhaul improvement of the caves. Now, the question is, is it any better than the current STEP mods that cover those areas? Defiantly need to compare to Snow and Rocks Textures HD, probably with Skyrim HD, and possibly Redefined Dungeons?

 

So far, this retexture appears to have won out, though we are yet to test the aMidianborn caves.

 

Scene: Exiting Bleak Falls Barrow, immediately after the first word wall and obtaining the Dragon Stone from the boss draugr

 

Vanilla-HRDLC >> Current STEP - Snow and Rocks 2K >> Beauty of Skyrim >> Hectrol Caves Med. Res 2K

 

 

Scene: a different shot just down the hallway from where the other shots were taken, still in BFB

 

Vanilla-HRDLC >> Current STEP - Snow and Rocks 2K >> Beauty of Skyrim >> Hectrol Caves - Med Res 2K

 

Caves

 

Vanilla >> Snow & Rocks HD >> Beauty of Skyrim >> Hectrol

 

 

Vanilla >> Snow & Rocks HD >> Beauty of Skyrim >> Hectrol

 

 

Vanilla is with all the HRDLCs; optimized textures and normals.

 

Mines

 

Vanilla >> Snow & Rocks HD >> Beauty of Skyrim >> Hectrol

 

 

Vanilla >> Snow & Rocks HD >> Beauty of Skyrim >> Hectrol

 

 

Snow & Rock HD and Hectrol does not edit the mine texture files.

[OMGoblins]

I am interested in seeing what people think about this, from my last install of Skyrim Revisited, I thought the caves and mines certainly looked okay.

 

I'm not sure I was completely blown away by them though. I didn't install every little mod (but definitely did the big overhauls and the Snow and Rocks Textures HD). One thing I was disappointed with was the flow of walls to ore veins. I'm not sure what it was about it, but something just struck me as off and I will be looking to do something different to get a different effect.

 

I have always liked the work from Raiserfx from the other mods I've seen and so I think this should get a serious consideration.

 

The only thing I don't like is that it is 2K textures, I feel like no matter what kind of card you are using (MSI R7950 OC to 1200Mhz/1525Mhz 3GB) It just doesn't make sense to use anything above 1k for these elaborate (SR) installs.

 

I would hope the mods would optimize down well and that would be my only concern.

[Aiyen]

Going to mention it here as well since not all are going to read through several rock threads in the future.

 

You can get away with higher resolutions for the interior walls and stuff that is ONLY in interiors. The amount of memory required to load in even the larger dungeons is petty compared to the outside world. Also most wall textures etc. are reused through the entire dungeons so it is like 20Mb for one texture that is most likely going to make up like 50% of a cave etc.

[OMGoblins]

Gotcha, so all these textures are indoors only and not featured in the outdoor worldspace? (or at least not featured much besides the entrance)

 

That makes a lot of sense and something I thought about before, it's nice to hear confirmation and thank you for clearing up the confusion Aiyen.

[TechAngel85]

I'm in a love/hate relationship with this mod. The author's dungeon mod is great; however, this one isn't a good. I would say the majority of the textures are excellent but the cave walls have been smoothed out a bit too much. Also, it might just be his shots, but the fog is much thicker in the BOS shots than it is in the vanilla shots which I don't like.

[statmonster]

Neo recommends only using 22 of the textures in SR.

[WilliamImm]

Along with the other Beauty of Skyrim mod, marking for testing. I'm also marking the Hectrol Caves mod for testing as well, to see how all of them compare with current STEP.

[WilliamImm]

OP updated.

[TechAngel85]

Caves

 

Vanilla  >>  Snow & Rocks HD  >>  Beauty of Skyrim  >>  Hectrol

 

 

Vanilla  >>  Snow & Rocks HD  >>  Beauty of Skyrim  >>  Hectrol

 

 

Vanilla is with all the HRDLCs; optimized textures and normals.

[TechAngel85]

Mines

 

Vanilla  >>  Snow & Rocks HD  >>  Beauty of Skyrim  >>  Hectrol

 

 

Vanilla  >>  Snow & Rocks HD  >>  Beauty of Skyrim  >>  Hectrol

 

 

Snow & Rock HD and Hectrol does not edit the mine texture files.

[z929669]

thread restored

[z929669]

Need to experience these in-game I think ... or video. Some better shots of blending with the ground might help.

 

The BOS mines are no good, because they are depicting a more natural cave look. Mines should show more unnatural variation and evidence of human intervention ... like the vanilla textures.

 

All-in-all, I give BOS caves a respectful thumbs down relative to the competition.

 

Hectrol is the most natural IMO, and he/she chose to leave the mines alone. Notice that the color of the rock is more consistent with vanilla rocks and mountains outdoors. S&R is my second pick, but they are a bit too colorful (although consistent with vanilla color).

 

For STEP:Core, I think that S&R is best (for me personally, I like Hectrol)

[TechAngel85]

I duplicated the poll from the Hectrol thread (poll is closed so duplicate votes are counted). Beauty of Skyrim was the overall winner. The reasons can be found in the Hectrol thread and once I have time I can link to them if need be.

[Omolong]

Seeing as this has been accepted, where should people put it in the install order, if they want to include it?

[TechAngel85]

This is still up in the air due to another mod being introduced. I'll moved it back into testing tho it's between this mod and aMidianborn Caves now I think.