[NSFW] STEP Female Body Replacer

[Agnusthemagi]

I've been reading on this topic this weekend as I myself am looking for a closer to vanilla female body replacer.

After taking a look at the ones suggested on the beggining I searched the nexus a bit and found this:

Body by Leito 2.0 (link NSFW) (https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/57749).

It has never nude, it has HDT (but works without it), its really close to vanilla and it already includes female feet/hands improvements and all vanilla and DLC armor and clothing converted (it's all included into the basic pack, you wont even notice it's there, like the better male armor meshes. I must add this is the only meshe replacer I see fixes the mage boots to fit any torso armor/clotihng and also the bandit and guard boots have a proper female model in the esp plugin)!! It's vanilla/unp texture based also.

There is also an older version of the same wich dosen't use HDT (https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/37807).

 

As for textures, as good as mature skin looks, it's very hard to have it without neck seams. I found a normal map that does the job. It's on Halo's website, packed in his/her UNPCM 2.0, there is a optional folder with normals for SG/mature skin, it fixes the neck seam.

 

Alternativelly there are textures called True Daughters of Skyrim, which looks pretty good and dirty too (https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/45453).

 

Also there is Real Girls, which may be a bit too clean at the moment, but it's none the less amazing (https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/36425). Hope Zonzai will make a closer to vanilla dirty texture ovelay in the future. Can also use the same normal maps from Halo mod UNPCM above.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Agnusthemagi

[TechAngel85]

The one thing that has been stated over and over in this thread is that we won't use any body replacer that also requires reworked armor sets. The replacer must be compatible with everything vanilla without anything needed to be reworked. So far, Windsong and this replacer I've made are the only two female body replacers that I know of that actually do this. All other require some adjust to armor. Our stance on this is due to compatibility reasons.

 

I've played through level 20 with the STEP replacer I put together and rarely have I noticed any issues with it. I'm playing a realistic setup; therefore, no one is running around half naked. Nor am I standing around staring at NPCs up close (you wouldn't do this during normal gameplay). From actually playing the game, I've not run into any noticeable issues with the STEP replacer. I know there are some mesh issues there, but when playing they're not noticeable. Granted I'm currently not playing a female character so those that are may notice something more than I have.

[tregolani]

I'm trying to remember where it was, but I did run into a bit of a weird bug. The Dunmer female model's face skin color didn't match up with the body skin color - not sure if this is because I'm still using XCE (just overwritten by STEP Female).  It could be due to an innerwear mod I was using, but I don't think so, since there aren't any overwriting files between the STEP replacer and the innerwear mod, and it is only the innerwear textures, not the skin.

 

I'll try to find a screenshot of it tonight.

[Agnusthemagi]

Agree with the compatibility issue, but better males has some vanilla armor meshes reworked, if you dont look into the folders, you wont even notice they are there. This one by Leito is the same, all the replacers come into the basic pack, you wont notice it's there (except maybe for the file size) and I forgot to say it also comes with a seamless texture based on navetsea.

Almost the same can be said about better males, why not just better male feet, nobody is gonna notice the meshes.

 

I also added to the post above this is the only replacer I know that fixes the mage boots so there is no clipping with whatever torso armor/clothing you use. It also maps the bandit and guard boots to use a proper female mesh (in vanilla it uses the default male mesh, no wonder guard boots are so big on female characters).

 

I didnt try it with anything but vanilla, so I dont know if it has any clipping with mod armor such as immersive armors, probably has since the feet and hands are refined. But then again, I gave up using anything but vanilla, too much hassle for compatibility.

 

All in all I just posted cause this post was in the same line of thought as I was last weekend, so my result might as well be useful.

 

That said about meshes, you might want to take a look at the textures, I did test your version of STEP female replacer (post it on STEP nexus optional files as an alpha maybe?) but I didnt notice if you managed to get a seamless neck - stupid me forgot a nuska face normal map active after STEP female.

 

Everybody agrees the female bretons need a better normal map than vanilla/xenius, those wrinkles are awful, it's the only race that has no youger looking females. That texture normal map from Halo UNPCM works with mature skin, fixes female bretons and probably fixes any neck issue might be left on the STEP female.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Agnusthemagi

[TechAngel85]

I'm trying to remember where it was, but I did run into a bit of a weird bug. The Dunmer female model's face skin color didn't match up with the body skin color - not sure if this is because I'm still using XCE (just overwritten by STEP Female).  It could be due to an innerwear mod I was using, but I don't think so, since there aren't any overwriting files between the STEP replacer and the innerwear mod, and it is only the innerwear textures, not the skin.

 

I'll try to find a screenshot of it tonight.

Dunmer female is not a playable race in vanilla and therefore, the STEP Female Overhaul would not touch those. If you have Dunmer as a character, then you've added mod which added that race as a custom race or a mod that has renamed/copied a vanilla race. The only races that are touched by the overhaul are the vanilla humanoid races (Brenton, Dark Elf, Nord, High Elf, Imperial, and Redguard).

[TechAngel85]

Agree with the compatibility issue, but better males has some vanilla armor meshes reworked, if you dont look into the folders, you wont even notice they are there. This one by Leito is the same, all the replacers come into the basic pack, you wont notice it's there (except maybe for the file size) and I forgot to say it also comes with a seamless texture based on navetsea.

Almost the same can be said about better males, why not just better male feet, nobody is gonna notice the meshes.

 

I also added to the post above this is the only replacer I know that fixes the mage boots so there is no clipping with whatever torso armor/clothing you use. It also maps the bandit and guard boots to use a proper female mesh (in vanilla it uses the default male mesh, no wonder guard boots are so big on female characters).

 

I didnt try it with anything but vanilla, so I dont know if it has any clipping with mod armor such as immersive armors, probably has since the feet and hands are refined. But then again, I gave up using anything but vanilla, too much hassle for compatibility.

 

All in all I just posted cause this post was in the same line of thought as I was last weekend, so my result might as well be useful.

 

That said about meshes, you might want to take a look at the textures, I did test your version of STEP female replacer (post it on STEP nexus optional files as an alpha maybe?) but I didnt notice if you managed to get a seamless neck - stupid me forgot a nuska face normal map active after STEP female.

 

Everybody agrees the female bretons need a better normal map than vanilla/xenius, those wrinkles are awful, it's the only race that has no youger looking females. That texture normal map from Halo UNPCM works with mature skin, fixes female bretons and probably fixes any neck issue might be left on the STEP female.

I believe you are referring to the shoes and boot meshes added my Better Males. Those are added to make them compatible with the foot mesh fix added my Better Males. No actual armors are included because the vanilla armors work perfectly fine with the options we recommend installing.

 

As I stated earlier, I've not noticed any glaring issues the the STEP replacer from just playing the game up to level 20. There haven't been any neck or wrist seams that have popped out as noticeable during my playthrough. All of the textures are based off of Wingsong's texture (used with permission). I've just cleaned it up a ton, merged the Mature Skin texture with parts of it (with permission) along with some other edits. The mesh is 100% vanilla. The only noticeable seams are those that are present on vanilla very close up, so close users will not notice during normal gameplay. The overhaul isn't meant for screen archers, it's meant for actual use and playing; therefore, it doesn't have to be flawless up close (although the goal is for it to be eventually).

 

With that said, I do plan on checking out the mod you linked to.

[Agnusthemagi]

Here refering to dark elf (dumner), high elf (altmer), wood elf (bosmer). I wouldnt notice it I use ethereal elven overhaul.

 

Anyway, we should take care about textures and the vampire races, it's a common oversight (even from mature skin if I'm not mistaken) to forget to add compatibility with the vanilla female vampire race face.

[TechAngel85]

Here refering to dark elf (dumner), high elf (altmer), wood elf (bosmer). I wouldnt notice it I use ethereal elven overhaul.

 

Anyway, we should take care about textures and the vampire races, it's a common oversight (even from mature skin if I'm not mistaken) to forget to add compatibility with the vanilla female vampire race face.

My bad! I was confusing Dumner with Dwemer.    The STEP replacer as a female vampire face texture although it was gone untested by myself and others.

The pubic hair has been reworked.  It's now a wearable item that can be crafted at the forge.  There's still the issue of the hair keeping its color that I've yet to resolve...

 

I'm sorry, but do these sentences disturb anyone other than me??

[TechAngel85]

Leito86's work is all UNP based, meaning it's not going to work for what STEP wants do to. UNP based bodies are not 100% compatible with vanilla armors, hence why authors "rework" them to fit the custom bodies.

[Agnusthemagi]

My bad! I was confusing Dumner with Dwemer.    The STEP replacer as a female vampire face texture although it was gone untested by myself and others.

I'm sorry, but do these sentences disturb anyone other than me??

 

Sure, I didn't use the esp to check those out lol. But I did look into tes5edit to see what he did to the boots.

 

I think Leito has reshaped the armors mostly to fit the hands and feet.

 

CBBE bodyslide could work right if only it could generate a vanilla compatible body, once which wouldnt have neck/wrists/feet seams with vanilla armors. Even having used bodyslide for some time I'm not sure if it's capable of generating a body that uses vanilla texture maping. If that was possible it would only be a matter of generating a vanilla-like body shape.

 

I think your take on STEP female replacer may just do it with some rework. The vanilla body is not so bad, it's mainly the legs that creep me out, they are too low poly count (almost minecraft). It's definitely something Brumberk could help with (without going full female super model remodel).

Edited September 22, 2014 by Agnusthemagi

[TechAngel85]

Sure, I didn't use the esp to check those out lol. But I did look into tes5edit to see what he did to the boots.

 

I think Leito has reshaped the armors mostly to fit the hands and feet.

 

CBBE bodyslide could work right if only it could generate a vanilla compatible body, once which wouldnt have neck/wrists/feet seams with vanilla armors. Even having used bodyslide for some time I'm not sure if it's capable of generating a body that uses vanilla texture maping. If that was possible it would only be a matter of generating a vanilla-like body shape.

 

I think your take on STEP female replacer may just do it with some rework. The vanilla body is not so bad, it's mainly the legs that creep me out, they are too low poly count (almost minecraft). It's definitely something Brumberk could help with (without going full female super model remodel).

Yeah, I sent a message to Brumbek a good while back, but never heard back from him. I've opened the female meshes up in 3ds Max and there are most definitely some issues that could be ironed out, especially the back of the legs which doesn't make sense to me why Beth did what they did. The front of the female mesh is smooth as silk; however, the back it horrible and there are a lot of open vertices (gaps) in the mesh. The reason this makes no sense is because while playing you rarely see the front of your character but see the back constantly. So why all the mesh issues are in the back of the mesh is a mystery. You'd thought that Beth would have ironed out the most seen part of the mesh first, but it looks like it was a rush job to finish up the back.

[tregolani]

Dunmer female is not a playable race in vanilla and therefore, the STEP Female Overhaul would not touch those. If you have Dunmer as a character, then you've added mod which added that race as a custom race or a mod that has renamed/copied a vanilla race. The only races that are touched by the overhaul are the vanilla humanoid races (Brenton, Dark Elf, Nord, High Elf, Imperial, and Redguard).

I think someone else mentioned it, but yes, I was referring to the Dark Elf race (Dunmer). 

 

As for the bug, it only manifests itself once the character is changed into a vampire.  I used the Live Another Life mod to take a few screenshots. Using skin color #4 (darkest), there were no issues when only being a Dark Elf.  (see image #1).  However, I then chose the vampire starting option, and behold!  the skin color difference appears. Interestingly enough, when I pulled up the Race Menu after becoming a vampire, moving the slider for my skin tone only changed my body color, while my face color did NOT change.  The vampire screenshot shows my character at #3 skin color, but even when I put it at #4, it was not the same as the face. I did the test with other races, and Dunmer was the only one that showed the issue. All other races did not show the multi-skin tone problem that I could tell.

 

Dark Elf, No Vampire.

 

Dark Elf, Vampire

Edited September 23, 2014 by tregolani

[TechAngel85]

Interesting. I'll have to look into because as I said above, I've not tested the vampire face. In fact, I've not even touch it. It's straight from Windsong. I know I've ran into a few vampires on my journeys (not started Dawnguard questline yet) and didn't notice this, however, that was in the heat of battle.

[tregolani]

I've only ever seen it when I've looted their armor.  It doesn't show up when they are using the skins attached to the armor models.  I noticed it initially because the face skin tone is MUCH darker than any of the skin tones available.  It could be that the "vampire race" is forcing the BODY to use the wrong skin tones. Alternately, it could be forcing the FACE to use a darker skin tone than that available to the race. 

 

Honestly, I need to do a bit more in-depth testing, as using "showracemenu" to change my race resets the "vampire" face.  I need to make a character for each race and THEN change them to a vampire so I can see whether the face skin tone has the same issues as the Dark Elf.  I don't think they do, but I could be wrong.

 

EDIT 1: Here's the screenshots of the in-depth test I mentioned.  Contrary to my assumption, ALL RACES are affected.  I didn't test the Beast races, as they aren't affected by the Overhaul, iirc. Obviously, I am not expecting a fix anything soon, as you did say the vampire faces were solely Windsong's work. However, it seems that the vampire face for each race only has a single skin color, and that skin color does not match with any of the available skin color presets for the respective races.

 

Edited September 23, 2014 by tregolani

[TechAngel85]

I'm almost 100% sure those are the vanilla vampire face textures and that is where the issue is. None of them look like the one included with the overhaul. The texture path could be wrong so I'll look into that.

 

Edit:

Nope, those are from the overhaul. There just seems to be a tint applied that is messing with it. I'll test more later.