pack A Real Explorer's Guide to Skyrim

[Teabag86]

@Lauren thanks for the info! Where are these spots? @everyone Has anyone got any CTD's or FPS drops using JK's mods?

In the earlier version of JK and DOW I had some FPS drop at the main gate. I believe his later versions reduced the FPS loss and at the time I switched over to the full JK overhaul and dropped DOW. I didn't notice any FPS drop at all on the GTX760. I've since changed back to the JK DOW combo plus the JK exterior and full REGS Whiterun for the complete experience but haven't had a chance to test yet. Will let you know the outcome when I can.

[hamgelu]

FINALLY a good road and bridges mod that seems well thought out and well executed! 

 

Seriously, it looks amazing. 

 

Some months ago we tested Skyrim Bridges but found it not to be good enough. Plus it made a lot of conflicting navmesh edits. SkyBeRoads however doesn't change any navmeshes but adds new bridge models plus changes many roads to be... just better. 

I too was amazed at how wel thought and executed this mod was. It just show us that there's, indeed, still plenty of thing to improve in Skyrim.

Edited September 2, 2014 by hamgelu

[redirishlord]

I saw the author respond positively to a question about REGS compatibility, so that's good to hear.

[Ganda]

Testing results for Skyrim Better Roads are up.

 

Thanks for the input on JK's Whiterun :D

[Lauren]

@Lauren thanks for the info! Where are these spots?

 

@everyone Has anyone got any CTD's or FPS drops using JK's mods?

Well, there's the usual culprits, like looking/going down from Dragonsreach etc. For me though, the biggest issue was the "main drag" i.e. from the gate to the Bannered Mare. Running along that path was rough going, the children running about sort of looked like glitches. Using the blacksmith forge I dropped down to a very choppy 15-20 fps - I know it's just the crafting menu, but it did bug me because I've never seen that happen. The other parts of Whiterun were not as bad, but I still had a fairly sizeable fps drop - I have a GTX 780 and I've tried to performance-ize my ENB as much as possible, so I'm normally at 50-60 fps. With 1.0, I might hit 38 fps max, and drop to 14-18 minimum. I reverted back to 0.3 and now stay at ~30-40 consistently. My .inis are only lightly tweaked (mostly just from SRLE), so I'll see if there's anything further I can do to squeeze more performance out of 'em. I don't miss anything from 1.0 though so for now I'm good.

[Smile44]

Nope not for myself. using JK's and Piano2's mods together including outskirts. They do work together. It is reasonable to assume that there could be some drop but it is not noticeable. Could be something else causing problems or interference.

 

Not a very hopeful post, sigh.

 

 

[Neovalen]

I went and tested JK Whiterun and I get large fps drops as well with current version.

[Ganda]

You people only answer after I thank you xD Ok, people with FPS drops, any large texture mods?

[Lauren]

You people only answer after I thank you xD Ok, people with FPS drops, any large texture mods?

Well I use SRLE so...yes?... I've optimized quite a lot, and halfsized the normals for several mods as well. If I turn ENB off I get pretty rock solid 60 fps.

[darkside]

Well I use SRLE so...yes?... I've optimized quite a lot, and halfsized the normals for several mods as well. If I turn ENB off I get pretty rock solid 60 fps.

Any recommendation on mods to be optimized? I already follow the guide https://wiki.step-project.com/Pack:Guide_to_Run_SRLE_with_REGS_on_Medium_Systems ? Thanks.

[phazer11]

I get LARGE FPS drops with JK's Whiterun and I've thouroughly eliminated all other culprits. I'm using SRLE (ish) + REGS with 1k exterior textures (similar to Nearox's SRLE + REGS for medium systems guide I guess I didn't actually follow it but it's close only noticed it after I had installed already). On the steps to Dragonsreach (next to the brazier on the landing overlooking Gildergreen) I go from 60 FPS (my FPS could actually be higher but I wouldn't see it do to VSync) to between 26 and 30 FPS . One of the other intensive areas is right around Warmaidens where it dips to ~42 FPS. Another is the tree added right out side of the Temple of Kynareth and the Grey-Mane's house.

 

For the record. I get an almost constant 60 FPS outdoors with ENB on my system specs are in my signature. This is after the issues with FPS I was having the past few days, turns out my graphics card wasn't getting enough juice. I'll probably send it in for an RMA if it needs any more adjustments but I can at least say it's not the card anymore.

[Nearox]

In the earlier version of JK and DOW I had some FPS drop at the main gate. I believe his later versions reduced the FPS loss and at the time I switched over to the full JK overhaul and dropped DOW. I didn't notice any FPS drop at all on the GTX760. I've since changed back to the JK DOW combo plus the JK exterior and full REGS Whiterun for the complete experience but haven't had a chance to test yet. Will let you know the outcome when I can.

 

 

Well, there's the usual culprits, like looking/going down from Dragonsreach etc. For me though, the biggest issue was the "main drag" i.e. from the gate to the Bannered Mare. Running along that path was rough going, the children running about sort of looked like glitches. Using the blacksmith forge I dropped down to a very choppy 15-20 fps - I know it's just the crafting menu, but it did bug me because I've never seen that happen. The other parts of Whiterun were not as bad, but I still had a fairly sizeable fps drop - I have a GTX 780 and I've tried to performance-ize my ENB as much as possible, so I'm normally at 50-60 fps. With 1.0, I might hit 38 fps max, and drop to 14-18 minimum. I reverted back to 0.3 and now stay at ~30-40 consistently. My .inis are only lightly tweaked (mostly just from SRLE), so I'll see if there's anything further I can do to squeeze more performance out of 'em. I don't miss anything from 1.0 though so for now I'm good.

 

 

I went and tested JK Whiterun and I get large fps drops as well with current version.

 

 

I get LARGE FPS drops with JK's Whiterun and I've thouroughly eliminated all other culprits. I'm using SRLE (ish) + REGS with 1k exterior textures (similar to Nearox's SRLE + REGS for medium systems guide I guess I didn't actually follow it but it's close only noticed it after I had installed already). On the steps to Dragonsreach (next to the brazier on the landing overlooking Gildergreen) I go from 60 FPS (my FPS could actually be higher but I wouldn't see it do to VSync) to between 26 and 30 FPS . One of the other intensive areas is right around Warmaidens where it dips to ~42 FPS. Another is the tree added right out side of the Temple of Kynareth and the Grey-Mane's house.

 

For the record. I get an almost constant 60 FPS outdoors with ENB on my system specs are in my signature. This is after the issues with FPS I was having the past few days, turns out my graphics card wasn't getting enough juice. I'll probably send it in for an RMA if it needs any more adjustments but I can at least say it's not the card anymore.

Thanks for these testing results guys. 

 

A little relevant anecdote: Dawn of Whiterun used to be in REGS but was eventualyl removed due to many users complaining about FPS drops. These FPS drops happened in particular with ENB and in some cases with SMIM-Full. 

 

On my system I was able to get rid of the FPS drops by reducing or disabling Ambient Accolusion (SSAO) in ENB. This is could potentially also the reason why people are reporting major FPS drops when looking at the gate from the inside, as both DoW and JK's add numerous new objects there, all which need to be processed by SSAO. Although the amount of objects, at first glance, does not appear to be enormous, for some reason that area and a few more seem to be particularly affected by SSAO. At least on my system.

 

Second, many REGS mods add new chains, fences and ropes. If you use the full SMIM version, it will greatly increase the amount of polygons of those objects and can cause slowdowns.

 

That said, if even Neo on his SLI 760 system is experiencing this, then JK might have some optimization to do. I know the author of TES Arena recently rebuilt some of the cities and was succesful in greatly improving performance (think 10 FPS+ gains) by more strategically placing objects, but still keeping nearly the same amount of them. 

 

Should say that personally I haven't noticed a major sudden FPS drop yet with JK's, and I am already playing at a low 32-35 FPS SRLE+REGS setup, but again that might be because of my SSAO settings. Try it out and see if it works for you. 

[darkside]

I concur with Neorox finding regarding FPS drop. I disable SSAO in my game.

[Lauren]

Thanks for these testing results guys. 

 

A little relevant anecdote: Dawn of Whiterun used to be in REGS but was eventualyl removed due to many users complaining about FPS drops. These FPS drops happened in particular with ENB and in some cases with SMIM-Full. 

 

On my system I was able to get rid of the FPS drops by reducing or disabling Ambient Accolusion (SSAO) in ENB. This is could potentially also the reason why people are reporting major FPS drops when looking at the gate from the inside, as both DoW and JK's add numerous new objects there, all which need to be processed by SSAO. Although the amount of objects, at first glance, does not appear to be enormous, for some reason that area and a few more seem to be particularly affected by SSAO. At least on my system.

 

Second, many REGS mods add new chains, fences and ropes. If you use the full SMIM version, it will greatly increase the amount of polygons of those objects and can cause slowdowns.

 

That said, if even Neo on his SLI 760 system is experiencing this, then JK might have some optimization to do. I know the author of TES Arena recently rebuilt some of the cities and was succesful in greatly improving performance (think 10 FPS+ gains) by more strategically placing objects, but still keeping nearly the same amount of them. 

 

Should say that personally I haven't noticed a major sudden FPS drop yet with JK's, and I am already playing at a low 32-35 FPS SRLE+REGS setup, but again that might be because of my SSAO settings. Try it out and see if it works for you. 

I always disable SSAO, so that's already figured into the numbers I gave. Like phazer I also sort-of-mostly followed the SRLE/REGS for medium systems, I do use SMIM as well of course but I don't have issues with it otherwise. Which REGS mods add new things to Whiterun? I only use about 10 things from REGS tbh, and I don't believe any of them add items to the city interiors...

[Nearox]

Currently, REGS adds nothing to Whiterun 'gameworld'. It only adds and modifies the area outside the walls, i.e. outskirts,  via BCE and REGS-Cities.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Nearox