bug STEP Skyrim SE Guide v0.3.0b - Official Bug Reports

[z929669]

 

1. A few days ago, BethINI was updated to V3.5. What's your recommendation for Screen Space Reflections and Resolution Divider?

    

2. Something I found quite odd in your STEP Guide was the "(optional) ENBSeries" part. Most of the guide is precise and that is a good thing. Please don't use phrases like "The Guide doesn't include an ENB preset for reason that should be obvious". Many of us aren't experts in modding and just want the best first time experience for Skyrim and STEP surely provides that.

   As for myself, your sentence could have meant 2 things: ENB presets aren't close to vanilla anymore or ENB is too demanding on the hardware.

    

   Reading your "Guide:ENB" however left me with the impression that ENBoost could even optimise hardware usage. And wouldn't it be in line with the STEP Mandate to use ENB/ENBoost with the least demanding and closest to vanilla settings?

    

    

3. One last question regarding compatibility: As I understand it ENBoost is installed in the game directory and not separated from it like STEP. Does it alter settings that BethINI already altered and do I have to keep an eye on which I run/set up last?

 

I provided some context for the ENB piece of the guide. Have a look for hopefully informative answers to your last two questions.

[z929669]

FYI, the mod author of Immersive Spectal Assassin (https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/27051), which is required for the STEP CR patch, hid all of his files. After messaging him, he offered to un-hide this mod for now for STEP users. However, it sounds like he is rewriting this mod (along with all of his others) and plans to hide this version again.

 

I'm new to the STEP community, but you might want to consider removing this mod from the guide and the CR patch, for stability's sake. At least until the rewritten mod is available to be incorporated.

We will do so if it gets hidden again, but looks fine for the time being.

[z929669]

 

I found a few things that may be relevant:

 

1. In the SSE Engine Fixes special instructions, part 2 refers to an EngineFixes.ini. Unless I did something wrong, it appears this is now called EngineFixes.toml.
2. I didn't see Wet and Cold in the install list, but I also didn't find anything that says there was a decision to remove it (e.g., incompatibility or redundancy with AI Overhaul SSE); I see the notes for AI Overhaul SSE says that it includes weather behavior for all individuals, but also says it is compatible with Wet and Cold.  Just pointing this out in case the omission was unintentional.
3. Installing Cathedral Weathers for those that take the optional weathers route appears to overwrite Night Skies and Smooth Sky mesh.  I'm assuming this is fine, but if not there would need to be instructions either to change the load order or hide files (or I might have missed these instructions).
4. The HD Road Signs patches for Cutting Room Floor and Point the Way are currently overwritten based on install order... I'm assuming there should be instructions for this, such as to change the load order and move the patches down with the other patches (or maybe this is already there and I just missed it).  

 

1. Tech fixed this
2. Intentional, disregard
3. Textures aren't overwritten unless by those in a BSA riding a plugin that is higher priority than HD Road Signs. Please specify the mod/BSA if that's the case. Guessing that you extracted BSAs?

[FendisKhan]

In Step 3, Cleaning Vanilla Master Files we are told to create empty mod, name it “Cleaned Vanilla Masters†and enable the new mod listing.

 

Before running "SSEEdit Quick Auto Clean", however, we need to select our new empty mod listing in that tool's "Create files in mod instead of Overwrite" dropdown menu. (I'm new to modding with MO, but I assume this is what I should do...)

 

Without that change, MO will throw the error: the designated write target "xEdit Output" is not enabled. (This was the default value we entered in the Tool Setup in Step 3.)

Edited August 10, 2020 by FendisKhan

[FendisKhan]

The issue comes up again with the "Dawnguard manual cleaning procedures" using xEdit.

[Greg]

I think there's a conflict between the Tool Setup instructions and the Clean Vanilla Master Files instructions. The Tool Setup instructions state to create an empty mod, name it "xEdit Output" and click OK. It then states to add SSEEdit.exe as an executable, check Create files in mod instead of Overwrite and select xEdit Output as the mod. These instructions are fine.

 

In the table it says to add SSEEditQuickAutoClean.exe as an executable and create files in mod named xEdit Output (same as used for xEdit). I think it should have specified to create files in mod named "Cleaned Vanilla Masters", although the instructions to create the empty mod named Cleaned Vanilla Masters should be before the table as well. The other option would be to include an extra step to reconfigure SSEEdittQuickAutoClean.exe to create files in mod named Cleaned Vanilla Masters.

 

I think the guide assumes everyone knows to activate mods as they are created or installed, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[z929669]

After consideration of the instruction inconsistency, I decided to completely omit the "xEdit Output" mod output option for that tool and all "Create files in mod instead of Overwrite" instructions, since this greatly over-complicates the guide and maintenance of these instructions (as I found out in fixing this). After all, these are MO-specific instructions that are described in detail in that guide. Using Overwrite is simpler to describe and is also default MO behavior.

 

Have a look at or revert/repeat Tool Setup and Cleaning Vanilla Master Files sections to verify it is clearer and without error.

[FendisKhan]

After consideration of the instruction inconsistency, I decided to completely omit the "xEdit Output" mod output option for that tool and all "Create files in mod instead of Overwrite" instructions, since this greatly over-complicates the guide and maintenance of these instructions (as I found out in fixing this). After all, these are MO-specific instructions that are described in detail in that guide. Using Overwrite is simpler to describe and is also default MO behavior.

 

Have a look at or revert/repeat Tool Setup and Cleaning Vanilla Master Files sections to verify it is clearer and without error.

Nice improvements. The changes to those two sections are clearer, with fewer conditions to worry about. I also like that xEdit is now included in the table, as it serves as a helpful comparison with the other executables.

 

Q: Is there a typo in line 6 of the Tool Setup Instructions: Click [Apply].# Repeat... (The # symbol seems extraneous. Or perhaps it is meant to format the line numbering of the sentence that follows?)

 

Q: Should SSEEditQuickAutoClean.exe have -SSE as an argument, too? I thought I read somewhere that its code is based on that of xEdit.exe (and thus it might have the same arguments available to it).

 

In the Cleaning Vanilla Master Files section, there are two places the user is asked to move the Cleaned Vanilla Masters mod to just after "DLC: Dawnguard". The first (in "Create New Mod(s) for xEdit Output" section) can probably be dropped; the second, in the "Cleaned Masters" instructions, is more timely and includes a reminder to enable the mod. 

 

There is a button "Show Open Folders Menu" that can be used to navigate to the "real" game directory. Is it worth mentioning this somewhere?

[TechAngel85]

I'll let Z handle the Guide since he's been doing things and I haven't been keeping up (think he's learning as he goes  ... ).

SSEEditQuickAutoClean doesn't need the argument because of how it's named. The "SSE" at the beginning will tell it to run it for SE. However, if you have another name (e.g. xEditQuickAutoClean), then you will then need to add the argument.

 

[z929669]

I'll let Z handle the Guide since he's been doing things and I haven't been keeping up (think he's learning as he goes  ... ).

 

SSEEditQuickAutoClean doesn't need the argument because of how it's named. The "SSE" at the beginning will tell it to run it for SE. However, if you have another name (e.g. xEditQuickAutoClean), then you will then need to add the argument.

 

 

Actually, I tested this several times, and it has no issues without the argument. It may be going off of the xEdit "last run" params or similar, or maybe it's because I am not running any other compatible games right now via MO. Either way, I will add the switch, since it makes sense to do so.

 

I'll also address the other issues noted.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

EDIT: Changes incorporated into the guide.

[FendisKhan]

During my step-by-step install, I've noticed a few inconsistencies between the indicated options and those available via Nexus downloads and/or FOMOD installation choices:

1. Majestic Mountains - Cathedral Concept does not appear to have LQ or HQ options available (as indicated in the Mod List table).
   
2. Similarly, White Phial Replacer SE does not seem to have an HQ version available as indicated.
   
3. On the other hand, Dragonbone Mastery - WITHOUT Engravings does have an LQ version available in the Optional Files section.
   
4. Metallurgy - Ingots and Ore HD has an HQ version available (though I could not see any visual improvement when I tested it).
   

[FendisKhan]

Skyrim Landscape and Water Fixes was updated today and the instructions in the guide will need to be adjusted slightly to align with the changes in the FOMOD options. There is also an option for a CACO patch that might be helpful.

Edited August 13, 2020 by FendisKhan

[z929669]

I'm looking into all of this and will post back when finished.

[z929669]

 

During my step-by-step install, I've noticed a few inconsistencies between the indicated options and those available via Nexus downloads and/or FOMOD installation choices:

1. Majestic Mountains - Cathedral Concept does not appear to have LQ or HQ options available (as indicated in the Mod List table).
2. Similarly, White Phial Replacer SE does not seem to have an HQ version available as indicated.
3. On the other hand, Dragonbone Mastery - WITHOUT Engravings does have an LQ version available in the Optional Files section.
4. Metallurgy - Ingots and Ore HD has an HQ version available (though I could not see any visual improvement when I tested it).

 

I made some adjustments but for White Phial ... that does not have any LQ/HQ options. It just changes the mesh size of the phial.

 

Keep in mind that the quality options are relative to baseline. These options should only be shown where baseline is not null (and vise versa). E.g., if baseline is the LQ option, then LQ would not be shown in the quality options.

[z929669]

Skyrim Landscape and Water Fixes was updated today and the instructions in the guide will need to be adjusted slightly to align with the changes in the FOMOD options. There is also an option for a CACO patch that might be helpful.

Updated