GUIDE Step Guide-Mod Testing

[MadWizard25]

Discussion topic:
Step Guide-Mod Testing by Step Modifications

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Starting a thread for discussion and suggestions surrounding the Mod Testing Guide wiki page. Will be implementing some points i made in a similar thread, as well as some excellent points frihyland made. Please feel free to add what you think is relevant information, as the point of this guide is to produce a standardized testing protocol for STEP.At the moment i have added some very basics steps concerning overclocking, background applications, defragging, etc.Frihylands suggestions:

Quote

I'll be writing the Mod Testing Guide after I finish the Installation Guide.Teaser:

• It will include a few dozen saves for taking standardized screenshots and video from around the world
• Tutorials for creating animated gif's for static comparisons and video for dynamic comparisons.
• A tutorial to TESVEditor and/or TESVGecko (or a workaround) for comparing mod edits and especially identifying conflicts and possible resolutions.
• A tutorial for putting all this information you've gathered into a useful format as a Review or Wiki page.

More to come, suggestions welcome.

On another note, i do not seem to have access to the [Guide] prefix, so i have had to make it a [WIP] prefix with [Guide] in the Title .

[frihyland]

I'm handing the reins to MadWizard on this one, I'll be contributing ad hoc and will add it to the front wiki page when I feel its reached a useful stage.

 

Fixed the prefix.

[z929669]

Starting a thread for discussion and suggestions surrounding the Mod Testing Guide wiki page. Will be implementing some points i made in a similar thread, as well as some excellent points frihyland made. Please feel free to add what you think is relevant information, as the point of this guide is to produce a standardized testing protocol for STEP.At the moment i have added some very basics steps concerning overclocking, background applications, defragging, etc.

 

Frihylands suggestions:

 

I'll be writing the Mod Testing Guide after I finish the Installation Guide.Teaser:

 

• It will include a few dozen saves for taking standardized screenshots and video from around the world
• Tutorials for creating animated gif's for static comparisons and video for dynamic comparisons.
• A tutorial to TESVEditor and/or TESVGecko (or a workaround) for comparing mod edits and especially identifying conflicts and possible resolutions.
• A tutorial for putting all this information you've gathered into a useful format as a Review or Wiki page.

More to come, suggestions welcome.

 

 

On another note, i do not seem to have access to the [Guide] prefix, so i have had to make it a [WIP] prefix with [Guide] in the Title .

 

I'll take a look...

 

RE "Guide" "prefix": do you mean "Guide" namespace or "Guides" Category? You should be able to do both. Here is how I would recommend starting a project that is not very useful for a period whilst being initially written/edited (like this one):

 

• Create a Project page by simply typing "Project:MyNewGuide" in the address bar after: https://wiki.step-project.com/
• I suggest adding the following to the new project:

  {{Notice|This guide is a WIP.}}

  [[Category:Guides]]

  {{TOC left}}

  ''LongTitle -- by username & S.T.E.P. Team''

  :Updated: {{ #time: G:i:s j F Y "(UTC)" | {{REVISIONTIMESTAMP}} }}

  ----

   

   

  =Introduction=

• Once the guide is far enough along, click the "move" tab and move it to "Guide:MyNewGuide"

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EDIT: just took a look & see that you already have it all done as above! :confused:

[MadWizard25]

Hehe, thanks anyways z92. The issue was more with the [GUIDE] prefix for the forum thread, which i dont have access to. Frihyland fixed that nicely though, cheers!

 

Edit: Argh, i seem to have lost the [GUIDE] prefix. Happened after adding [WIP] to the title of the thread, if anyone could add it back that would be great. Ill leave the title alone afterwards.

[z929669]

Ahhhh NOW I get it :P Yep that one is only for admin, but we can add wiki editors as well I think.

[stoppingby4now]

Oooh, I would love to have those saves. +1

[z929669]

I would like to donate the five saves that I have with all of the VRAM performance data for comparisons. These are (relatively) stripped vanilla saves, level 10 char.

[stoppingby4now]

We need clean saves to be ideal, with no mod data in them. Unfortunately I don't have any.

[z929669]

True enough, damn

[stoppingby4now]

Get to making some. :P I honestly don't know where all to go seeing as I haven't gone past lvl 25 yet (haven't even fully explored some of the major towns yet).

[MadWizard25]

- Camera mod

- DDSopt if testing texture mods

- videos i. fraps ii. youtube

- gifs i. hosting sites

- image galleries i. hosting sites

- compatebility checking i. tes5edit, tes5gecko when released ii. ck workarounds

- wrye bash i. esmfy esps to fix ctds

- disable quad core and force skyrim to use dual, ctd fix

- INI tweaks / WB ini tweaks i. medium default settings for stability a. maybe host ii. papyrus logging iii. mod tracing (need to test)

- in game tools i. elysmeminfo

- software tools i. nvidia inspector, skyrim performance monitor, gpu-z

 

Just some ideas, from frihyland and me. Any body else have some suggestions, the more the merrier :)

 

Im also running into into an overlap issue with the troubleshooting guide. For example, i recommend papyrus logging, just incase the mod causes ctd so you can check if its a script from the mod. However this would also fit into troubleshooting. Should I write it up in the mod testing, as well as add it to the troubleshooting guide? Or maybe link from the testing guide to the troubleshooting where the papyrus logging can be detailed?

[MadWizard25]

Does anyone have a stable STEP only setup for skyrim? Would be great to get some saves from that. I would supply but my setup isnt stable atm. Would like a save that is outside white run stables, and a just inside a large dungeon. Anybody have a good idea as to what dungeon would be good for testing? IIrc someone mentioned a blackwater something dungeon that is bethesdas tutorial dungeon. A save that reflects a part of the game that is script intensive (such as the helgen intro) would be great as well. This is not urgent, as it will take a while for me to finish the mod testing wiki, but if you have some spare time, it would be much appreciated :)

 

Actually maybe its better to kick off with suggestions for good testing areas. Here are some suggestions i have.

1. FPS intensive area - around whiterun, some woodland scenes with loads of grass, etc.

2. Script intensive point - helgen intro?

3. Intensive dungeon - ???

4. Lighting/ shadow intensive - ???

[torminater]

I can provide those savegames if you want to:

1. Whiterun Dragonsreach (no world space); Castle near Whiterun Western watchtower (world space).

2. helgen Intro... fair enough. I can provide a save BEFORE character creation!

3. Intensive dungeon: Blackreach? seems to be the most enormous dungeon created... I can provide a save of that blackwater dungeon, too.

4. Blackreach, too, maybe? Lots of shadow (if using RCRN or RLwC) and lots of light sources.

5. Z-fighting intensive: Exiting helgen keep a bit up the mountain 4 pm, Stairs to Dragonsreach, Throat of the world (FUGLY!!! X_X)

6. Action intense: Solitude attacking every person on sight without killing anybody to create a ginormous mob.

 

what do you think? saves can be created until sunday. No probs ;-)

Although my skyrim isn't the most stable one unfortunately...

[z929669]

Does anyone have a stable STEP only setup for skyrim? Would be great to get some saves from that. I would supply but my setup isnt stable atm. Would like a save that is outside white run stables, and a just inside a large dungeon. Anybody have a good idea as to what dungeon would be good for testing? IIrc someone mentioned a blackwater something dungeon that is bethesdas tutorial dungeon. A save that reflects a part of the game that is script intensive (such as the helgen intro) would be great as well. This is not urgent, as it will take a while for me to finish the mod testing wiki, but if you have some spare time, it would be much appreciated :)

 

Actually maybe its better to kick off with suggestions for good testing areas. Here are some suggestions i have.

1. FPS intensive area - around whiterun, some woodland scenes with loads of grass, etc.

2. Script intensive point - helgen intro?

3. Intensive dungeon - ???

4. Lighting/ shadow intensive - ???

 

 

See the DDSopt guide screens. These are well covered testing areas with good reference doc on VRAM in that guide (well over 100 screens, or > 20 per location).

[frihyland]

The saves should be completely clean lvl 1 with no quests done (even helgen) running only the dlc and USKP.

 

 

Just turn on god mod and coc to each location. Should be done by people that have already to completed the game so as not to spoil it.

 

Every city, at least 3 locations: player home, outside the gates, and a high point of the city giving a good view with the most different textures.

 

Every major dungeon: in the final cavern, other unique areas.

 

as well as all the above. Look for locations that have great line of sight and represent the unique textures of the area.