DROPPED Enhanced Distant Terrain 2 - Trudgement Day (by SparrowPrince)

[torminater]

Discussion thread:
Enhanced Distant Terrain 2 by SparrowPrince
Wiki Link

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SparrowPrince just released a new release of EDT.

 

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See gallery for all DT compares:

Images are named accordingly.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4lapetl23k8n8au/1BJKtP5E4z

 

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Dropped in 2.2.9.1. Included in the Ruffled Feather.

[z929669]

SparrowPrince just released a new release of EDT. I really like the grass noise version.

https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/39394

 

Yes, this one might just be the best now judging by the screens. Agree that the most intriguing is the grass noise version ... screens anyone?

[z929669]

This is actually a different version than EDT.

 

Marking for testing.

[z929669]

Looking at these, I think that it is an improvement in most cases; however, this change does not work for some terrain (e.g., snow) ... see compares in the OP.

[Guest]

I'm currently looking into fixing the snow up, but because I can't find anything that can remove the speckles from the white areas on the fly, it looks like a totally manual job. Just put it on hold until I can come up with something. :) Thanks. I may remove Dragonborn because it's almost always dark there and most of the LOD textures are seemingly just blank - also not much elevation to see the effect. I did originally try to just edit the normals, but just a slight increase in depth makes them look awful. They seem to be model space (used on characters in this game) normals instead of tangeant based (used on almost everything) too. Applying new tangeant space normals makes the terrain black.

[TechAngel85]

It's so similar that I can't tell much of a difference. Will have to have better shots.

[phazer11]

I'll be doing the compares once he gets the snow issue sorted out I'll do one in the spot I did the other earlier compares in the other thread and I'll do one in a snowy area with this mod and then do the others for consistency.

[Guest]

Thanks for your work phazer. I recommend "Revamped Exterior Fog" because it makes the differences a lot clearer. That vanilla smog in the background just ruins everything. I have over 600 files to get through and each texture requires multiple actions and me opening different windows. I will bump this thread when I have done. :)

[phazer11]

SparrowPrince just released a new release of EDT. I really like the grass noise version. (grass version only apples to EDT' date=' which is only the noise texture ... these are the terrain textures)[/color']

https://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/39394

See gallery for all DT compares:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/v6yj9jecgiflij6/Z4IxBVvW3q

Who did those compares and what textures were being used in the Whiterun scene? I swear they don't look like vanilla.

 

Thanks for your work phazer. I recommend "Revamped Exterior Fog" because it makes the differences a lot clearer. That vanilla smog in the background just ruins everything. I have over 600 files to get through and each texture requires multiple actions and me opening different windows. I will bump this thread when I have done. :)

No problem.

Also to everyone here is the link to my existing distance compares gallery.

https://min.us/mUNxRVbzEwni7

[z929669]

I did the compares using vanilla with some of the proposed Core mods for context (No Stretching, SMIM, SRO, AOF Mountains, Terrain Bump, TreesHD). I have been doing a lot of compares recently and keeping notes in the dev changelog. They are limited and not based on standard protocol, but I do think that they illustrate the differences pretty well (there is only so much distant terrain that can be captured in a landscape screen).

 

Definitely put up some better compares ... I was only stoking the flames a bit.

 

Recent Core compare galleries (these are based on pure vanilla with Sec D 'fixes' only):

https://forum.step-project.com/showthread.php?tid=3223&pid=48277#pid48277

https://forum.step-project.com/showthread.php?tid=3223&pid=48284#pid48284

 

EDIT: I wnet in and tried to get some screens without the added mods proposed for Core, and the snow textures had a lot of undesireable tiling ... this goes to show that we will need to get screens for some compares in the proper context. Therefore, I think that LOD, terrain and landscape-based mods should be tested against the background of our best estimate of STEP:Core, which can be referenced by looking at the current guide, current changelog and dev changelog.

 

I am getting more screens now for this one.

 

EDIT2: SRO fixes the snow tiling.

 

EDIT3: This mod also completely overwrites "A Quality World Map", so we'll want to account for that in the load order if we pick this one up (unless we simply instruct users to remove those textures from this mod)

 

 

@Sparrow

Thanks for responding to this ;) We'll keep an eye on this one.

[z929669]

The gallery link in the OP now provides a much more comprehensive gallery of compares across landscapes. Note that this mod (EDT2) appears as the 6th image in each set. I think that this mod makes the terrain blend better with the near-distant terrain (evidenced by the first set (06) and the 6th set (56)). The only issue is those snow LODs that Sparrow has already conceded.

 

I have included a list of installed background mods in the gallery. I think that these are necessary to fairly judge all distance mods for Core.

 

EDIT: I see not that I had Tobes active. This is not necessary. I just forgot to uninstall it. Also meant to have Realistic Tundra Moss installed, but forgot that too :P

[TechAngel85]

The last shot in each compare looks the best to me (besides that snow). Nice compares, btw!

[z929669]

The last shot (compare #7) is Enhanced Distant Terrain with the LODs from HQ LODs (hi meshes, SRO-512 textures). I think that the 6th compare is best (EDT-Earth+EDT2), particularly with respect to the first set over Whiterun. Notice how much better the LOD matches the foreground terrain color with grass. It is difficult to see where grass ends and LOD begins. Very nice blending I think.

 

This would mean that you do not prefer EDT2 then?

 

EDIT: Just noticed that I had neglected to install SFO Basic before creating these compares ... I will need to redo them ALL. I will also be adding in Detailed Terrain & Tree LOD, which conflicts with EDT noise and SFO. Stay tuned.

[TechAngel85]

Upon a second review, I meant the 6th compare is the best. I'm curious to know how the HQLODs look installed with/over this (however it would be installed in STEP) if it wasn't already with the 6th shot.

[z929669]

Upon a second review' date=' I meant the 6th compare is the best. I'm curious to know how the HQLODs look installed with/over this (however it would be installed in STEP) if it wasn't already with the 6th shot.[/quote']

HQ LOD meshes are in all shots, but the HQ LOD SRO terrain textures only appear int he 7th set. There is really no difference in any of these compares when using the HQ LOD SRO terrain textures, since they appear to match vanilla in all of these shots.

 

I am redoing the whole thing (see prev post) and will eliminate compares with the HQ LOD SRO terrain textures and add DTTL to the mix, so check back in an hour or so.