INI settings - Optimising the game and preventing infinite loading screens

[thisisbleep]

I have tried to optimise my INI files to maximise performance and also meet the recommendations of STEP and the installed mods. The problem that I have is that I can have a set of working INI files, but the next day when I try to load the same save again it has infinite loading screens, even though I have not changed anything in the game (both INI and installed mods). Every time this happens I back-up the INI files and launch the default version of Skyrim to generate the new vanilla files, which makes the infinite loading screens go away. I can get around this by loading a save which is indoors and then loading the save which I want, but this is an inconvenient work around and I would like to avoid it, especially because it keeps coming back. The infinite loading screens even happen on saves where I have disabled all mods at the start of the game, so there is no save corruption.

 

In this post I will go over the changes made and I will attach the INI files which I have edited using Notepad++ and they include notations to help me keep track of changed and new values in the INI files.

 

 

Skyrim.ini

 

[spoiler=STEP recommended changes]

[General]

sIntroSequence= (Disable the Bethesda into sequence.)

fFlickeringLightDistance=8192 (Helps prevent lighting “pop-in†by pushing back the distance at which the flicker/pulse animation loops begin.)

iLargeIntRefCount=131072 (Prevents crashes when loading into a large interior area.)

 

[Display]

fSunShadowUpdateTime=0 (Fixes the shadow flickering issue. Shadow flickering is caused by updating sun shadows.)

 

[Combat]

f1PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7

f3PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7

f1PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7

f3PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7

(Shifts the point of aim to the center of the aiming reticule for arrows and crossbows (with this setting targets will be hit where the cursor is placed at approximately 100 feet from the target).)

 

[Actor]

fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist=12288.0000 (Increases the distance arrows fly. (From "Arrows and Bolts Tweaks").)

 

[Camera]

fOverShoulderAddY=0.0

fOverShoulderPosZ=18.0

fOverShoulderPosX=0.0

fOverShoulderCombatAddY=0.0

fOverShoulderCombatPosZ=24.0

fOverShoulderCombatPosX=0.0

fOverShoulderHorseAddY=-72.0

fOverShoulderHorsePosZ=50.0

fOverShoulderHorsePosX=35.0

fActorFadeOutLimit=-100

fMouseWheelZoomSpeed=60.0

f1st3rdSwitchDelay=0.95

iHorseTransitionMillis=001

(Places the camera just above your character's head in third-person view, and correct the camera angle in third-person view while on horseback. (From "Third Person Horse Camera"). Provides instant camera-angle switching when switching view types or when mounting/dismounting your horse. (from "Instant Camera POV Switching").)

 

[interface]

// fBookOpenTime=200.0       /Disabled/ (Speeds up the book opening animation.)

fSafeZoneX=10

fSafeZoneY=10

fSafeZoneXWide=10

fSafeZoneYWide=10

(Moves the HUD elements closer to the borders of the screen.)

 

[spoiler=Multiple core PCs (I have not noticed an improvement and I normally get infinite loading screens by the time I add this, but I cannot tell if this is the cause because when I disable it the infinite loading screens continue)]

[General]

bUseThreadedTempEffects=1

bUseThreadedParticleSystem=1

bMultiThreadMovement=1

bUseThreadedMorpher=1

 

[backgroundLoad]

bBackgroundLoadLipFiles=1

bLoadBackgroundFaceGen=1

bUseMultiThreadedFaceGen=1

bBackgroundCellLoads=1

bLoadHelmetsInBackground=1

bUseMultiThreadedTrees=1

bUseBackgroundFileLoader=1

 

[Animation]

bMultiThreadBoneUpdate=1

 

[HAVOK]

iNumThreads=5

 

[Decals]

bDecalMultithreaded=1

 

 

[spoiler=Optimise World Map, mod recommended]

[MapMenu]

uLockedObjectMapLOD=8

bWorldMapNoSkyDepthBlur=1

fWorldMapNearDepthBlurScale=0

fWorldMapDepthBlurScale=0

fWorldMapMaximumDepthBlur=0

fMapWorldYawRange=3600.0000

fMapWorldInitialPitch=200.0000

fMapWorldMaxHeight=130000.0000

fMapWorldMinHeight=5000.0000

fMapWorldZoomSpeed=0.0750

fMapLookMouseSpeed=3.0000

fMapZoomMouseSpeed=15.0000

fMapWorldMaxPitch=400.0000

fMapWorldMinPitch=0.0000

fMapWorldYawRange=3600.0000

fMapWorldCursorMoveArea=0.9000

fMapWorldHeightAdjustmentForce=100.0000

 

 

[spoiler=Miscellaneous changes]

[General]

fEncumberedReminderTimer=3600.0000 (Limit overencumbered message when walking.)

 

[Display]

fDecalLifetime=256.000 (Enhanced blood textures)

fDefaultWorldFOV=80 (FOV)

fDefault1stPersonFOV=80 (FOV)

 

[Grass]

iMinGrassSize=100

iMaxGrassTypesPerTexure=6

(Skyrim Flora Overhaul and Grass on Steroids (SFO recommended value = 40, Grass on Steroids recommended value = 75))

 

[Papyrus]

fPostLoadUpdateTimeMS=1000.0 (Ensure that scripts run before leaving the loading screen. (original value = 500.0))

 

 

SkyrimPrefs.ini

 

[spoiler=STEP recommended changes]

[Display]

iBlurDeferredShadowMask=3 (Valid values range from 0 - 7. Lower values will sharpen shadows (not the resolution), making vegetation more "vibrant." It gives a subtle increase in performance, but also gives more pixelated and striping effects to shadows. Higher values will make shadows softer and more blurred. Consider a value of two if using ENB. (original value = 3))

bTreesReceiveShadows=1 (Enables shadows rendering on trees.)

 

[Controls]

bMouseAcceleration=0 (Disable mouse acceleration. (Original value = 1))

 

 

[spoiler=Multiple core PCs (I have not noticed an improvement and I normally get infinite loading screens by the time I add this, but I cannot tell if this is the cause because when I disable it the infinite loading screens continue)]

[General]

bUseThreadedParticleSystem=1

bUseThreadedBlood=1

bUseThreadedMorpher=1

bUseThreadedTempEffects=1

bUseThreadedTextures=1

bUseThreadedMeshes=1

bUseThreadedLOD=1

bUseThreadedAI=1

bUseThreadedMorpher=1

 

[NavMesh]

bUseThreadedMeshes=1

 

[Trees]

bUseMultiThreadedTrees=1

bShadowMaskZPrePass=1

 

[Decals]

bDecalMultithreaded=1

 

[backgroundLoad]

bBackgroundLoadLipFiles=1

bLoadBackgroundFaceGen=1

bUseMultiThreadedFaceGen=1

bBackgroundCellLoads=1

bLoadHelmetsInBackground=1

bUseMultiThreadedTrees=1

 

 

[spoiler=Miscellaneous changes]

[General]

fDefaultFOV=80 (FOV)

 

[Display]

fShadowLODStartFade=200.0000 (Fade distance tweak, shadows fade further away (original value = 200.0000, recommended value = 400.0000))

iMaxDecalsPerFrame=350 (Enhanced blood textures (original value = 100))

bDecalsOnSkinnedGeometry=1 (Enhanced blood textures)

 

[Grass]

b30GrassVS=1 (Grass on steroids, change this value to 0 if no visible change. (original value = 1))

// bAllowCreateGrass=1       /Disabled/ (Enable if no visible change is noticed from Grass On Steroids mod)

// bAllowLoadGrass=0       /Disabled/ (Enable if no visible change is noticed from Grass On Steroids mod)

 

[Audio]

fAudioMasterVolume=4.0000 (Make the game louder, so I don't need to turn the speakers up as high (Original value = 1.0000))

 

[TerrainManager]

fSplitDistanceMult=2.5000 (Remove z-fighting, this removes most of it and greatly reduces what I see in other areas, I have tried increasing the value in 0.5 increments up to 4.0000 and saw some improvement and no noticeable performance drop (original value = 1.5000))

 

[Decals]

bDecalsOnSkinnedGeometry=1 (Enhanced blood textures, blood appears on NPC clothing.)

 

 

Article for the multiple core INI tweaks: https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/articles/1153

 

I am not trying to cut corners, I am experimenting myself with adding/changing values, but it is very frustrating with the infinite loading screens and I would like to know what changes you make and recommend to make in the INI files.

 

The other thread, which talks about the mod list and load order: https://forum.step-project.com/showthread.php?tid=3202

 

Thanks in advance for any help which you can provide. :)

Skyrim.ini

SkyrimPrefs.ini

[dem1an]

I have infinite load screen issues as well. I cannot get out of breeze-home from alternate start to save my life.

[TechAngel85]

The STEP tweaks have been well tested and wouldn't be causing your issue. Basically, you're going to have to start with fresh INI files and add in your tweaks section by section, playing the game for a while between each to rule out that set of tweaks as the culprit. Continue doing this until the issue surfaces and then you'll know it's a parameter within that section that is causing the issue and you can start ruling out specific parameters at that point.

 

To be honest, I've never seen most of these tweaks before and I would say you're "over tweaking" and can leave a lot of those out that really make little difference (such as mouse zoom speed).

[zodden]

You should get rid of your ini's and let the game start you from scratch. See if you can load.

 

in your Skyrim.ini I found the following tweaks helped me with ILS:

 

[Papyrus]

iMinMemoryPageSize=256

iMaxMemoryPageSize=512

iMaxAllocatedMemoryBytes=2457600

 

This helped me too

 

https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/38649//?

 

In the ENBLocal.ini set:

 

DisablePreloadToVRAM=true

[thisisbleep]

Thanks for the comments, to answer your points:

 

- I do keep resetting the INI files to the vanilla ones and each time it fixes the infinite loading screens.

- I then slowly add tweaks and keep re-testing, although when doing this I have never gone from working fine to infinite loading screens.

- I come back the next day to check the INI file before making any changes to what was working the day before and I start getting infinite loading screens.

- I am using ENBoost already, although it makes no difference to the loading screen times.

 

Does anyone else use the multiple core PC tweaks? If you look at the comments on the article and elsewhere people report it helping, but I have not noticed a difference.

 

I will try the Papyrus tweaks tonight, I have not tried those before.

[dem1an]

I went back to a vanilla game with only a couple of mods and was able to beat the ILS. I'm going to slowly add mods back in and see if I can recreate when it breaks.

[phazer11]

Do you have a BOSS log from when you were getting ILS?

[dem1an]

Here is my BOSS log with the ILS leaving Breezehome.  As I was saying, a much pared down load order I was able to get out of the house.  Thanks for looking.  

 

I did try the ini tweaks above too.

BOSSlog.html

[TechAngel85]

From discussion in the Hardware Guide thread, Skyrim doesn't use more than two cores and it barely uses past the first. This is probably why you haven't noticed much or any difference with those tweaks. This is because Skyrim was designed to run on older technology (think XP days where dual cores where top of the line...lol).

Warning: Do not derail this thread by agreeing or disagreeing or anything of the sort about Skyrim only using two cores. Go read the Hardware Guide and it's thread and post there if you desire.

 

To be honest, you have so much tweaking going on it's probably going to be hard to pinpoint the issue without a lot of troubleshooting. Testing the INI will probably take several days because, as you said, the issue is when it's left and returned to the next day. This means for proper testing you'll need to reload vanilla INIs, load a section of tweaks, play the game, leave it and come back the next day. If no ILS is present, load another set of tweaks and repeat. This could take upwards of a week or narrow down, depending on how you approach it.

 

Just a side note, you should also be setting your INIs to "read-only" so the game isn't allowed to change anything.

[Aiyen]

In general then the golden rule of skyrim applies

 

Less is better! (If you want a stable game!)

 

If you add all sorts of weird ini tweaks without having any reason what so ever to do so then you are just asking for trouble. It is like adding all sorts of weird freeware that sounds cool on paper, but you end up never using them and they only serve to make your system slower and more unstable.

[zodden]

I would also add that OP as far I could see before posting this did not provide load order or list of mods installed. I (and others) have found that some mods installed can increase ILS.

 

Now there is nothing wrong with the following mods- they are not buggy as part of a smallish mod list. At 230 esp's though I found that some very heavy script heavy mods increased my Infinite load screens.

 

The biggest culprit for me had no scripts at all. Any mod that increased your LOD distance terrain. Followed by Wet and Cold and Player Head-tracking. These two are constantly running in the background. I replaced Wet and Cold with "get snowy" and just left off the others. ASIS increased spawns also was not friendly to me, but that appears to be more CTD related. Now I started a new game because removing wet and cold mid game is not healthy for your save!

[dem1an]

I am definitely finding that there must be some mods/scripts or load order that is causing my ILS and tearing. I've got a subset of mods installed now and there is no ILS or tearing. It's going to take a me a while to add them back in, but I'll report back if I can find a culprit.