Lighting, Weather & ENB

[statmonster]

What lighting and weather mods do you like with SR?

 

I had been using Cot 2.1 (https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/17802) with RLO 4.0.7c (https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/30450) but it was kind of dark at night and in interiors.

 

I upgraded to CoT 3.0 and RLO but now it looks like CoT has been recalled for bug-stomping so I'm just running RLO.  The nights seem very nice with this - perhaps too bright to be realistic but very pretty.

 

(CoT 3.0 Winter seemed very nice - I assume it would make for a much tough start using Frostfall and RND as Whiterun, Riften ,etc. would be so much more inhospitable.)

 

I've also been using Skyrim Project Optimization 1.4.

 

No ENBs yet, and I'm not sure I want to take the performance hit to include one - plus there seem to be so many options that it's not clear which to choose and which play nicely with which weather and lighting mods.

 

What are other people using?  How do you like it?

 

Do you generally use a weather mod (which one?) or the vanilla weather system?

 

What about for lighting?  ENB?

[Neovalen]

My plans are (when I get to it) to run COT/RLO combo with some ENB on top. I haven't chosen any particular ENB for this job just yet.

 

Mean time (over vanilla lighting) I'm using Unreal Cinema Directors Cut with shadows turned down to 2048 for performance.

[Jorus]

COT with RLO are no brainers for starters in the (small) jungle of lighting & weather mods. A bit of a relief I must say :happy:

 

Concerning ENBs presets. Well its a bit of a headache. 90% of them are unusable imo. But I found one or two that gives you a feel of realism compatible with the Skyrim world.

 

For now, the very best I have found is Phinix Natural ENB. Its up to date (well v.0.155), actively supported, modular, completely lore friendly (which is rare), has bloom deactivated by default (yay!), designed with COT and RLO in mind, and comes with detailed step by step explanations on how to install/configure it properly. Best ENB preset so far.

[Neovalen]

I used Phinix before and he does make a good preset. I haven't used the latest yet though.

[Aiyen]

I use CoT 3.0 and RLO 4.0.7c atm... with my own custom ENB.

(Remember that CoT is incompatible with a few mods on the SR list like dramatic clouds.)

 

ENB is personal preference... finding one that satisfies your every wish is practically impossible.

Find one that comes close and tweak the last bit yourself... most of it can be done in the ingame GUI if it is a version past v.139.

 

For performance learn which values affect performance in both the .ini and various .fx files (Most of them have notes explaining the various performance choices) and you can make ANY ENB preset performance friendly.

[Jorus]

I used Phinix before and he does make a good preset. I haven't used the latest yet though.

---

Yeah, I'm waiting for his next update for ENB 0.157 and the results of his tests with COT 3 & RLO 4.07. He has RL priorities for the moment, so I'm anticipating his return to see what kind of consistent atmosphere he'll be able to create with these two big mods. :)

[Smile44]

Just trying out that combination, though I'm using Cot 2.1 as I missed v3 before it went off for repairs. It looks really good I have to say, except I will need to do some fiddling as dungeons are way to bright

[Aiyen]

There are many ways depending on ENB preset to alter the brightness.

If they are older HD6 based you can change the interior brightness ingame by 2 + pgup and down I think it is...

If it is based on a newer preset then most enbeffect.fx post processes have day night interior seperation in their values so you can independently change the respective brightness's.

 

a bit funny though since most people say that RLO made their dungeons too dark hehe.

[Iroha]

I use RLO with Yet Another ENB with personal edits - no shadowcastersfix and enabled EdgeAA, I like hight quality image with very realistically smooth shadows brought by SMAA + EdgeAA

[statmonster]

So it looks like CoT 3.1 was released today. Still too many choices that I fundamentally do not understand with ENB.

[Iroha]

So it looks like CoT 3.1 was released today. Still too many choices that I fundamentally do not understand with ENB.

I recommend you try YAENB with CoT preset, just turn off SSAO and DoF if you wish max performance with enb.

YAENB always use up-to-date ENB series library, so it is very simple to tweak enb in-game now with shift+enter key combination.

[Aiyen]

You can also get better performance with SSAO and reflection by lowers the following two values in the .ini (Can only be done before you start the game.)

SizeScale=0.35

SourceTexturesScale=0.35

 

The lower values the better performance.. but also worse quality. Most noticeable will be flickering when you move around if you are using high AO intensity.

This also works for Reflection.

If you want better quality increase.. but do not go much above 0.7... or well you can try :)

You can also disable rain... I personally think the CoT rain looks nice enough.

[Kal]

I've been giving RealVisionENB by SkyrimTuner a go. It's based on 0157 and is designed to be used with CoT 3.1 and RLO. It's all very subjective of course, but it's the nicest one I've tried so far. I found Phinix a bit washed out, especially interiors which seemed really bright to me.

[statmonster]

I use CoT 3.0 and RLO 4.0.7c atm... with my own custom ENB.

(Remember that CoT is incompatible with a few mods on the SR list like dramatic clouds.)

 

Looked at CoT 3.1 a bit.  (I installed all the defaults.)  The only mod it seems to overwrite is a texture for tundragrass from Skyrim Flora Overhaul.  (I removed Immersive Thunder as that seemed too big of a conflict as I assumed the .esps would not play not.  Plus I want to try out the Cot  Sounds.)

 

Dramatic clouds has textures but no .esp.  The textures do not conflict with CoT 3.1.  The note about a conflict a few months ago mentioned that whichever cloud texture you preferred should just overwrite the other.

 

CoT winter seems to overwrite a few SFO (farm house and dirt) and World Map items.

 

I wonder where to put CoT in the process.  If it's before textures I will get to keep SFO's tundragrass, otherwise I will get CoT's.  CoT Winter (if I use it) should go after SFO so I get the new snowy goodness.

 

BOSS seems to have the esps all sorted out.

 

I'm kind of shocked that MO does not list any conflicts for RLO or or Skyrim Project Optimization.  I guess this means their order doesn't matter so long as I let BOSS sort out the esps.

[Neovalen]

I use CoT 3.0 and RLO 4.0.7c atm... with my own custom ENB.

(Remember that CoT is incompatible with a few mods on the SR list like dramatic clouds.)

Looked at CoT 3.1 a bit.  (I installed all the defaults.)  The only mod it seems to overwrite is a texture for tundragrass from Skyrim Flora Overhaul.  (I removed Immersive Thunder as that seemed too big of a conflict as I assumed the .esps would not play not.  Plus I want to try out the Cot  Sounds.)

 

Dramatic clouds has textures but no .esp.  The textures do not conflict with CoT 3.1.  The note about a conflict a few months ago mentioned that whichever cloud texture you preferred should just overwrite the other.

 

CoT winter seems to overwrite a few SFO (farm house and dirt) and World Map items.

 

I wonder where to put CoT in the process.  If it's before textures I will get to keep SFO's tundragrass, otherwise I will get CoT's.  CoT Winter (if I use it) should go after SFO so I get the new snowy goodness.

 

BOSS seems to have the esps all sorted out.

 

I'm kind of shocked that MO does not list any conflicts for RLO or or Skyrim Project Optimization.  I guess this means their order doesn't matter so long as I let BOSS sort out the esps.

Well conflicts only show for files, not for ESP conflicts which is where the big ones will be for those.

[walkman80]

I use CoT 3.0 and RLO 4.0.7c atm... with my own custom ENB.

(Remember that CoT is incompatible with a few mods on the SR list like dramatic clouds.)

Looked at CoT 3.1 a bit.  (I installed all the defaults.)  The only mod it seems to overwrite is a texture for tundragrass from Skyrim Flora Overhaul.  (I removed Immersive Thunder as that seemed too big of a conflict as I assumed the .esps would not play not.  Plus I want to try out the Cot  Sounds.)

 

Dramatic clouds has textures but no .esp.  The textures do not conflict with CoT 3.1.  The note about a conflict a few months ago mentioned that whichever cloud texture you preferred should just overwrite the other.

 

CoT winter seems to overwrite a few SFO (farm house and dirt) and World Map items.

 

I wonder where to put CoT in the process.  If it's before textures I will get to keep SFO's tundragrass, otherwise I will get CoT's.  CoT Winter (if I use it) should go after SFO so I get the new snowy goodness.

 

BOSS seems to have the esps all sorted out.

 

I'm kind of shocked that MO does not list any conflicts for RLO or or Skyrim Project Optimization.  I guess this means their order doesn't matter so long as I let BOSS sort out the esps.

So, I decided to try CoT3.1 w/ RLO in lieu of RCRN, which I had been using. So far, so good. I am using CoT Winter & Nights Level 5 & Sounds then RLO interiors/dungeons. I have CoT below SFO - did not try it the other way. Just used BOSS and let it do its thing as far as .esp order. 

 

Only reason I messed around with this is because I broke my previous save with RCRN :( I swear I just need to leave well enough alone at some point haha!