What is S.T.E.P. For?

[obi636]

Ok, I know the question sounds terribly noobish, but what exactly is S.T.E.P. for?  As I peruse the mods that are included with the guide I notice that perhaps they are not the most well known or even the best quality.  For instance, why use the Serious HD 1k texture pack instead of the 2k?  Why use Serious HD at all if it has only replaced 80% of the textures?  Why not use Skyrim HD?  I guess I just want to know, how did the creators of the guide decide which mods to include and which to exclude?  Is S.T.E.P. merely a starting point to bring Skyrim up to PC standards before adding more heavy duty mods?  I'd really like to give this a shot and see how it comes out, but I am concerned with putting in a great deal of time with little return.  Can someone help allay my concerns or perhaps explain some misconceptions I might be having about S.T.E.P.?  Thanks in advance for prompt replies.  Cheers guys!

[DoubleYou]

https://wiki.step-project.com/STEP:Mandate

[obi636]

Hi Double, thank you for the reply.  

"It serves as a stable base for adding existing or creating new Packs." 

The passage above is where I have some questions.  A stable base for what?  Adding only S.T.E.P. approved mods/packs?  Is it a stable base to go ahead and add any mod that I would add without having gone through the STEP guide?  I guess I want to know what my potential is after completing the S.T.E.P. guide.  The whole idea of having a much higher quality starting point intrigues me but I have some trepidation about going through this extensive process if it will limit what modifications I can install in the future.  Will I have to wait for packs to be released by the community or will I just be able to install a hodge podge  of mods on my own?

Edited September 18, 2014 by obi636

[DoubleYou]

STEP Core is compatible with almost everything with only rare exceptions. It provides an enhanced starting point from which to play Skyrim. It takes what the Unofficial Patches and High Resolution Texture Pack does and takes it further. You can use a pack or create your own mod setup.

[TechAngel85]

Use the Guide however you wish. It is just that...a Guide, not a Bible. It will in no way limit your options. STEP as it is, will provide a very modded game which will look far better than vanilla while still maintaining stability. If there are other options you want to use rather than what we have in the Guide, by all means use it! Many users just install the Guide and nothing more because it provides a nearly complete overhaul of the game; however, just as many users only use the Guide as a starting point and then add on top of it the mods they want. I do this in my personal profile for my gameplay but adding around 10 extra mods on top of the Guide and then topping it off with an ENB. The sky is the limit if you know how to mod! We just get you started and with a stable base.

[Nozzer66]

Speaking as someone who'd not done a lot of modding before surfing on into STEP I would say this: What STEP has done is given me a solid, stable base on which to spring from with my own ideas. 

 

Luckily, most of what STEP suggests gelled OK with my own ideas anyway, but without STEP, there's no way in hell I'd have started using things like ENB's, no way in hell I'd have known the various Edit programs did anything but let you clean mods, what a compatibility patch is, etc.

 

It's expanded my knowledge base on how games like Skyrim work about a 100 fold. And even if I don't 100% follow the STEP line on what options to use for mods, it's certainly given me the confidence to know that if I do try something and it goes FUBAR, I can have a fair shot at fixing it and getting a solid setup again.

[obi636]

This is great guys.  Awesome responses, EXACTLY what I was looking for.  Thanks so much.  I'm going to get started right away with S.T.E.P.  Sounds perfect for what I want to do.  My hat is off to the community and the modders.  Thanks for making this as painless as possible.  

[Nozzer66]

Have a look at things like the packs. I personally use the Real Explorers Guide to Skyrim pack and the Requiem pack almost verbatim from the guide. Makes the whole game so much more immersive and even difficult at low levels.

[nvanderw]

The installation process won't necessarily be painless, but everything in the STEP guide is written very well. And, by the way, there was a time long ago where mods such as Skyrim HD were in STEP.  If you search the forums you can probably find out why it was eventually removed between two versions. Also after you complete the STEP:Core install and want something a little heavier as a base, be sure to take a look at SR:LE.

[Guest]

STEP usually starts off with a discussion, which then turns into a disagreement, which it turns into a argument, and finally a history lesson which has nothing to do with a fantasy game or the subject at hand. Everyone then forgets about the mod as they are sick of arguing over it's inclusion, so it gets buried and they move onto the latest Nexus hot file which gets instantly shot down or is included within a week. 

 

*runs and hides*

[Aiyen]

Well when politicians can govern countries that way... why cant we approve/disapprove mods the same way! :P 

[Kelmych]

You forgot the part where during the discussion of a new mod a long side discussion starts on another mod or mods and sometimes there is even some progress or change that happens in the other mod, or at least change in how the STEP community views the other mods value.

 

I'm sure there is an analogy to the political process in this also.

[viper37]

Ok, I know the question sounds terribly noobish, but what exactly is S.T.E.P. for?  As I peruse the mods that are included with the guide I notice that perhaps they are not the most well known or even the best quality.  For instance, why use the Serious HD 1k texture pack instead of the 2k?  Why use Serious HD at all if it has only replaced 80% of the textures?  Why not use Skyrim HD?  I guess I just want to know, how did the creators of the guide decide which mods to include and which to exclude?  Is S.T.E.P. merely a starting point to bring Skyrim up to PC standards before adding more heavy duty mods?  I'd really like to give this a shot and see how it comes out, but I am concerned with putting in a great deal of time with little return.  Can someone help allay my concerns or perhaps explain some misconceptions I might be having about S.T.E.P.?  Thanks in advance for prompt replies.  Cheers guys!

Nothing prevents you from installing the 2k textures if you want to, it's just that, as I understand it, S.T.E.P. Core is made to be compatible with the "minimum requirements" it has set in the guide.  If you are way above the "recommended system", you can obviously go 2k or 4k (though I'm not sure 4k provides any advantages on a standard LCD monitor), I know I have 2k textures everywhere.I know the instructions aren't always clear on some places for non modders (took some time to figure out some things), but if look at the first part of the guide, there's a "MOD table legend" (It's easily missed), it explains the icons LQ and HQ.  Basically, there's the baseline wich is good for the "recommended system requirements", but if your computer is better than that, you can use that HQ version of the mod (meaning the 2k textures, usually).

Only thing to remember, imho, is to install STEP (Core or extended) + all the patches and then, when it's working properly, add any other mod that doesn't conflict, with its own proper load order (usually, at the end of STEP, but sometimes, at the very beginning).