v2.2.8 Development

[z929669]

@SRB

Done.

 

@roots

thanks, will take care of this asap. Also, any staff can work on this by moving pages to new title. Please just don't include any spaces between '-' if you do. Also, be certain to allow a 'redirect' by keeping that box checked, or links from the guide will not work! lastly, keep the mod name as succinct as possible for anything over 30 chars.

[Octopuss]

This might not be the thread for it, but I just thought: since most mods that are part of STEP have their thread, wouldn't it be good idea to add the links to the wiki?

[Spock]

I'm not really sure that removing SoS is really the end of it. What about Realistic Bow Sounds? Having shot some arrows myself AOS' bow sounds are very realistic, maybe it can be removed as well.

This is pretty much from the top of my head but if I remember right AOS has received a lot of kudos for it's shout sounds.

As far as I know AOS doesn't cover creature sounds yet.

But don't quote me on the last two, it's been some time since I read those things and I'm not entirely sure it's accurate.

[z929669]

This might not be the thread for it' date=' but I just thought: since most mods that are part of STEP have their thread, wouldn't it be good idea to add the links to the wiki?[/quote']

They are on the wiki in mod pages (which are in turn linked on guide)

[Nearox]

Noticed that https://wiki.step-project.com/Skyrim_Script_Extender#Recommendations says that SKSE should be installed via mod organizer. This is wrong and will make beginners who don't realize it, to crash their game. 

 

I'd say it should read that users either:

 

1) install SKSE fully outside MO

 

2) install skse_loader.exe and the 2 dll files outside of MO in the Skyrim directory, and put the scripts of the data folder of the archive into a new mod within MO (aka Neo's instructions of SR). 

 

 

EDIT: Noticed also that the latest versions of ENBoost have an option to automatically configure memory sizes. Also they have been optimized for lower reservedmemorysizemb values. I think it is 64mb now and that at least 0.246 has as default this value so the 256mb of the screenshot is probably outdated. 

[z929669]

I'm not really sure that removing SoS is really the end of it. What about Realistic Bow Sounds? Having shot some arrows myself AOS' bow sounds are very realistic, maybe it can be removed as well.

This is pretty much from the top of my head but if I remember right AOS has received a lot of kudos for it's shout sounds.

As far as I know AOS doesn't cover creature sounds yet.

But don't quote me on the last two, it's been some time since I read those things and I'm not entirely sure it's accurate.

I personally prefer the realistic bow sounds just a bit, so I overwrite AOS with these. Not a big deal though.

---

Noticed that https://wiki.step-project.com/Skyrim_Script_Extender#Recommendations says that SKSE should be installed via mod organizer. This is wrong and will make beginners who don't realize it, to crash their game. 

 

I'd say it should read that users either:

 

1) install SKSE fully outside MO

 

2) install skse_loader.exe and the 2 dll files outside of MO in the Skyrim directory, and put the scripts of the data folder of the archive into a new mod within MO (aka Neo's instructions of SR). 

Updated the wiki page.

---

EDIT: Noticed also that the latest versions of ENBoost have an option to automatically configure memory sizes. Also they have been optimized for lower reservedmemorysizemb values. I think it is 64mb now and that at least 0.246 has as default this value so the 256mb of the screenshot is probably outdated. 

 

not sure about this, and I defer to SRB.

[z929669]

TESTING NEEDED FOR 2.2.8 GUIDE

I need some help testing some new settings that I am now using to fix issues related to microstutter and vsync. Currently, the guide recommends the following (probably incorrectly though). These settings are based upon my own experience with this issue, which is caused by frame rates that are higher than monitor refresh rates. I helped to resolve without using any tools other than graphics-driver settings and FPS limiter (not ENB)

... but there are caveats ... read through this whole post, as not all info is correct (I added corrections further below):

[*]vsync to "always on" (via graphics software) [*]enable triple buffering (via graphics software) [*]enable FPS limiter (using Nvidia Inspector or enblocal.ini [AMD users])

This does resolve microstutter outdoors for the most part on my system, but there is still just a tiny bit along with slight screen tearing with horizontal panning, and the stutter is still present indoors. This is all much worse without the previous settings though. EDIT: This was faulty logic on my part. FPS limits reduce tear, while vsync eliminates tear ... vsync makes the most sense if the frame rate will always exceed the monitor refresh rate (pretty much impossible in graphics-modded Skyrim even with the best video card), but it also paves the way for D3D tri-buffering, so it is useful for most everyone playing Skyrim; thus FPS limit makes sense with vsync OFF not on.

However, in playing around with enblocal.ini, I have found that the following two settings completely resolve microstutter and screen tearing indoors and outdoors on my system, resulting in liquid-smooth camera movement in-game:

EnableVSync=true    ; default is "false"VSyncSkipNumFrames=0    ; only works if EnableCSync is "true"

Further, I do not need to enable FPS limiter or triple buffering at all! EDIT: I now speculate that ENB provides triple buffering whenever EnableVSync=true.

Can anybody verify that this works on their system?
What is your GPU/VRAM?

---

Additionally, I am able to squeeze out an additinal 3-4 FPS by running Anisotropic Filtering via my graphics software rather than through enblocal.ini, and no other enblocal.ini graphics enhancements are necessary (unless ENB effects are desired).

---

EDIT: more testing on my end reveals that the microstutter only occurs when FPS is lower than 60 FPS (my monitor refresh rate), because when I invoke the limiter, I get microstutter at high frame rate (looking upwards outdoors or within city/indoor cells), but no detectable difference when outdoors looking across the landscape (where my FPS drop to below 40). Unlimited FPS with vsync (in enblocal.ini) puts it to bed completely.

Again, my graphics triple buffering, forced vsync and enbseries.ini FPS limiter helps, but does not eliminate by any means ... enblocal.ini EnableVSync eliminates though. I assume that VSyncSkipNumFrames=1 (or 2 or 3) may help some people with high monitor refresh rates and certain GPU/drivers, but those values only cause either flicker (1) or strobing-trailing (2) effects for me.

EDIT 2: I should have been disabling vsync and only using the FPS limiter, but I still got better performance outdoors when enabling both ... but not indoors. I learned a lot from carefully reading this article and this post.

Following are options that I'd like others to verify so that we can make sound recommendations (with alternatives) in the guide. Vertical tearing can be a minor nusance to some or a huge deal breaker for others, depending on severity and user preference. It was really bad in my case.

Reduce vertical tearing

[*]Use FPS limiter (available in Nvidia Inspector [nvidia users], RadeonPro [AMD users], or enblocal.ini [all users]) [*]set iPresetInterval=0 in skyrimprefs.ini (turn of skyrim vsync)

Eliminate vertical tearing

[*]enable vsync (available in Nvidia Inspector [nvidia users], Catalyst Control Center or RadeonPro [AMD users], or enblocal.ini [all users]) [*]enable triple buffering for D3D (available in Nvidia Inspector?? [nvidia users], RadeonPro [AMD users], or enblocal.ini [all users]) - This reduces the frame-drop cost of vsync when the frame rate is less than the monitor refresh rate (i.e., prevents stutter due to the frame buffer waiting on the back buffer to update with a complete frame, because there is a second back buffer serving the first, which in turn is serving the frame buffer, giving effectively 2/3 instead of 1/2 the frame rate when vsync is enabled and the frame rate is less than the monitor refresh rate) - NOTE: this is ONLY available for OpenGL, so AMD-powered triple buffering does not work for Skyrim.

Nvidia Inspector might provide triple buffering for D3D ... can anyone confirm?

Can anyone report the following under each of the following scenarios?:

[*]With iPresetInterval=0; FPS limit disabled; graphics vsync tweaks disabled [*]With iPresetInterval=0; FPS limit enabled; graphics vsync tweaks disabled [*]With iPresetInterval=0; FPS limit disabled; graphics vsync tweaks enabled

[*]GPU make/VRAM [*]Typical frame rate (FPS) indoors and outdoors (looking for approx. min/max here) [*]Vertical tearing level indoors and outdoors [*]Camera smoothness during play indoors and outdoors (panning & forward movement your opinion: smooth, somewhat smooth, somewhat choppy, very choppy)

[Nearox]

By the way I got the info about ReservedMemorySzieMB from Skyrim Stability Guide.

 

It is the most clear and logical explanation of the parameter I've seen so far:

 

Quick side note about ReservedMemorySizeMb. In older versions of ENBoost, Boris had these at a high level. In later versions he optimized ENBoost to use much smaller amounts for this, and thats why by default its at a low level (64). This is the amount of dynamic memory allocated to share between Video RAM and System RAM. With a system that has 2GB of VRAM or more, 64 is a good amount, since you have enough VRAM that you don't want to be switching between the two (stutter can occur because of that switching, but a small amount still needs to be allocated). 128 is good for 1GB of VRAM because your starved on RAM, and its a better backup.

[rootsrat]

Interesting. I will have to experiment with lower values I think.

 

Z - that's what may have been causing your stuttering!

[z929669]

Interesting. I will have to experiment with lower values I think.

 

Z - that's what may have been causing your stuttering!

Nope, not at all. I was getting microstutter previous to using any ENB.

 

Could someone please read the post above and confirm my findings under different GPU/RAM?

[EssArrBee]

I've noticed that I have to use ENB vsync and FPS limiter together or I get screen tearing. With skyrim's vsync and ENB FPS limiter there was tearing. With driver FPS limiter and skyrim vsync there was no tearing.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nearox]

Interesting. I will have to experiment with lower values I think.

 

Z - that's what may have been causing your stuttering!

Nope, not at all. I was getting microstutter previous to using any ENB.

 

Could someone please read the post above and confirm my findings under different GPU/RAM?

Well, for what it's worth, I never had any stuttering in Skyrim when NOT using ENB. The cause of stuttering issues tend to be different depending on type of card and/or individual system configurations. I know at the AMD boards some people have huge problems with a particular model while others have no issues with the same model (and same game).

 

In my experience on my HD6950, some vsync software works better than others, but this is also circumstantial. For instance, RadeonPro Vsync is superb for most games but with ME3 (or Skyrim) I cannot use radeonpro vsync because there is still tearing even though the fps is at 60. With regards to ENB vsync, if I use ENBoost but do NOT enable the ENB vsync ánd leave the game's vsync (ipresentinterval) enabled, then the result is screen tearing all over the place. Stutter on my system is completely dependent on the memory settings I choose for ENBoost. 

[rootsrat]

 

Interesting. I will have to experiment with lower values I think.

 

Z - that's what may have been causing your stuttering!

Nope, not at all. I was getting microstutter previous to using any ENB.

 

Could someone please read the post above and confirm my findings under different GPU/RAM?

Well, for what it's worth, I never had any stuttering in Skyrim when NOT using ENB. The cause of stuttering issues tend to be different depending on type of card and/or individual system configurations. I know at the AMD boards some people have huge problems with a particular model while others have no issues with the same model (and same game).

 

In my experience on my HD6950, some vsync software works better than others, but this is also circumstantial. For instance, RadeonPro Vsync is superb for most games but with ME3 (or Skyrim) I cannot use radeonpro vsync because there is still tearing even though the fps is at 60. With regards to ENB vsync, if I use ENBoost but do NOT enable the ENB vsync ánd leave the game's vsync (ipresentinterval) enabled, then the result is screen tearing all over the place. Stutter on my system is completely dependent on the memory settings I choose for ENBoost. 

 

For me the stuttering started when I've started using MemPatch 3.0... Never experienced it before. I recently lowered down my ENB Local ini settings to mirror my VRAM (2048) and the stuttering stopped.

[Redferne]

Funny I had to do the opposite. I tried 64/2000 like in Boris ini's and I had a lot of stuttering. Went back to 256/6144 and they (almost) all disappeared.

[EssArrBee]

Everyone will have different needs due to the varied hardware out there, but there is still a guideline we should follow and mention that some tinkering will need to be done.