v2.2.9 Development

[Octopuss]

When it's done ©.

[deadbody]

Hi,

 

im new to this forum but I have been following STEP for quite a while now. Quite an impressive project, big thanks to all people involved for their effort and for creating a lot of awesome guides!

 

I just had the chance to try out the 2.2.9 version as stated in the guide and it already worked quite well for me. (I upgraded to MO 1.2.9 and was NOT using "Bring out your dead" and the STEP patch however..).

 

Anyway, the reason I am writing here is because I wondered if "Cultist Mask Decapitation Fix", which was apparently added with 2.2.9, is still necessary. As I understand, it seems to be made obsolete with the latest USKP version.

Also, USKP claims that it includes the changes made with "Distant Decal Fix". Referring to https://www.afkmods.com/index.php?/topic/3636-mods-made-obsolete-by-unofficial-patches/ btw.

 

I understand the guide and changelog aren't final yet, but I thought I'd just leave that here anyway.

 

Cheers!

Edited July 3, 2014 by deadbody

[EssArrBee]

I believe we tested the cultist max fix in UDBP and it didn't work. You can check the thread for cultist max fix and see a post by CJ verifying that.

 

Distant decal fix has 20 extra fixes not in USKP that the UPP team didn't think we're fixes but we like them so we kept the mod.

[deadbody]

Thanks very much for clarifying!

[BUBISHI]

Don't know if it belongs here but I wanted to give some feedback on the 2.2.8 & 2.2.9 guide as I have used them several times this week. I'm a total noob to STEP and maybe it is interesting for the experienced community to read how someone uses it. As I'm not a native speaker this made things even more difficult but with some patience and dedication I finally got it.

 

Overall impression:

At first STEPS looked like an overwhelming mass of information for me and I definitely had to read carefully not to miss anything.

The guide is well structured, with many cross references and links to more in-depth explanation. This is confusing at first, because at the beginning it looked like a linear schedule but as I had to switch to new pages inbetween I was afraid to loose track of my progress or to miss an important step.

What I liked most are the Wiki Guide Pages with the detailed informations about every utility. Tabs for QUICKSTART and illustrating screenshots made my life easier. The Chapter Heading Layout is also a great idea: giving tipps how to make things easier or giving detailed instructions.

 

Now I would like show a few points where I stumbled upon the descriptions, or had to search the forums for better informations. Maybe my feedback could help to make the next Guide update even better than it is now.

 

Guide DDSopt

Optimize the Vanilla Textures

There is a mismatch between the screenshot B1 and the corresponding description:

In the Browser Tab, select the Browse button in the upper window and as the initial source folder, select the "Vanilla Ordinary Textures/" directory

But the directory shown in the screenshot  is /Vanilla Textures

B.2 and B.3. shows the directories described in point 7 and 10.

Maybe the first screenshot (B1) should be changed?

 

STEP 2

2.B

After cleaning the esm files the Guide should mention that TES5Edit may create or in my case creates Overrides. It is not mentioned in the Guide how to proceed with them.

 

2.C

The SKSE installation instruction are still difficult to understand. I had to find a solution in the forums how to install SKSE correctly and a few users also had problems with it. The answer of darqnite should be implemented into the Guide, his explanation makes it more clear how to do the job.

 

Posted 27 March 2014 - 02:17 PM

Sorry about that - my mind is so full of mods these days.

First of all, ignore the repackaging advice in the special install instructions; there is absolutely no need to do that.  Try these steps:

1. Place the <<skse_1_06_16.7z>> file in your ...Mod Organizerdownloadsfolder exactly as you downloaded it.

2. Extract the <<skse_loader.exe>>, the <<skse_1_9_32.dll>>, and the <<skse_steam_loader.dll>> files to your ..Skyrim directory.

3. Start Mod Organiser, double-click <<skse_1_06_16.7z>> under the downloads tab in the right-hand panel to start the install process. [iGNORE the exclamation mark next to the file]

4. Left-click the arrow next to <<skse_1_05_16>> to open the contents. You'll see a list of files and folders. The ONLY folder you are interested in is labelled "Data" the others are of no concern. If you left-click the arrow next to "Data", you'll see it contains a sub-folder labelled "scripts".

6 Right-click "Data" and select "Set data directory".

7 The red writing at the bottom of the panel will change to a green "Looks good".

8 Click OK, and you're done.

 

 

At last I wish the detailed mod descriptions in the main Guide would all be consistent. It feels like different people wrote them. Some are detailed instructions, step by step approaches. Others describe a similar problem that was described a few mods before but in another way, sometimes shorter or more difficult to understand.

 

I admire the work of all the people that helped to create STEP. Please don't think I'm complaining. I can't contribute much to the project but maybe the feedback will.

Edited July 4, 2014 by BUBISHI

[DoubleYou]

Maybe some day we'll be fortunate to have a GUI for extracting and organizing the textures prior to DDSopting them. For now, Vanilla textures and Vanilla Ordinary Textures are not the same thing, and I don't remember any inconsistency like that when I optimized them, so make sure you did it right.

 

2.B

TES5Edit creates Overrides? What are those? I'm guessing that is from the 2.2.9 guide, and I wrote those. I never heard anything about overrides...

 

2.C

I've been meaning to change those instructions. Never have gotten around to it, as they work as is, just not optimal.

 

As to different people writing instructions, yes, there will be some variance depending on who wrote them, as no one person writes the entire guide (thank goodness). If you point out any of the sections that are confusing, we'll try to address them.

[BUBISHI]

DDSopt.

Just compare the three screenshots B.1, B.2 and B.3 with the descriptions:

 

B.1 with 2 and 4,

B.2 with 7,

B.3 with 10,

 

What I mean is

Point 7 says: choose Vanilla Normal Maps/ in the Browser Tab as the current source (upper window) and this is shown in the B.2 screenshot.

Point 10 says: "choose Vanilla Uncompressed Textures/ as the current source in the upper window of the Browser Tab" and exactly this directory is shown in B.3.

But

Point 2 says:"as the initial source folder, select the "Vanilla Ordinary Textures/" directory" but B.1 shows another directory. Its:Working/Vanilla Textures

 

I can't say for sure but I took the source folder described in the text.

 

 

2.B

Everytime I cleaned a .esm file with TES5edit it created an Override file in Overrides/ TES5edit folder. As I'm not home now I cant't tell You their exact fileneam but to solve the problem I created a mod with all the TES5edit overrides and activated it in the left panel. I did it because I found this thread. 

Edited July 4, 2014 by BUBISHI

[ElminsterAU]

TES5Edit will by default make a backup of the original of any file it saves. If you are using MO, these backups end up in overwrite. You can do with them what you want (delete, move in some dummy mod, whatever, ...), they have no effect on the game, they are just backups of the unmodified files in case you want to return to the original.

[DoubleYou]

Oh! It's Overwrite, not overrides, so that was throwing me off. I evidently forgot to specify to uncheck Backup Plugins, as our method backs them up already. /fixed.

 

BTW, nice to see you ElminsterAU!

 

Edit:

I think I'll keep Backup Plugins checked actually. Just add an instruction to create a TES5Edit Backups "mod."

[BUBISHI]

So after cleanig with TES5edit two new mods will be in the left pannel:

 

1. Cleaned Bethesda ESMs  (loaded from the folder where I placed the cleaned Update.esm, Dawnguard.esm, Hearthfires.esm, and Dragonborn.esm)---->checked

2. Cethesda ESMs backups  (created from the Overwrite folder so the Overwrite folder is emply again)----> checked

 

If correct, what priority should this two mods have? Will it matter?

[ElminsterAU]

The priority doesn't matter because the backups are not called .esm and .esp anymore and are stored in a subfolder. You don't even need to activate the backup "mod".

[BUBISHI]

Thank You for this.

 

Any hints regarding the DDSopt instructions? Did I missunderstood them or are they wrong?

 

If I somehow screw it up, would Skyrim still load? Would it miss textures?

[DoubleYou]

Cleaned Bethesda ESMs needs to at least come after Dragonborn. Cethesda ESMs backups? Read the revised instructions.

 

Haven't checked DDSopt. Try to if I get a chance.

[BUBISHI]

Have read the update. Now everything is perfect. You doing a great job here, thank you again, Double You.

[BUBISHI]

I miss the 3.A.2 fron STEP 2.2.8 section in the new 2.2.9 guide. The post installation part with the bashed patch creation.

 

Guess it's still WIP?