Project:About

About Step Modifications

aka, 'STEP' or 'Step'

by: Step Modifications

Welcome to Step Modifications!

TheCompiler originally created the "Skyrim Total Enhancement Project" (STEP, now simply "Step"), a PDF modding guide on Nexus Mods on November 11, 2011, the day Bethesda released Skyrim. Soon after, a few of the guide's most ardent advocates, the Step Founders,1 established The Forums to replace the limited posting abilities of the Nexus page. Almost immediately, The Wiki was conceived as a means to host the STEP modding guide, itself, in addition to many other modding-related guides. Collectively, The Forum and The Wiki are referred to as our "platform" or "The Site".

In November 2018, STEP incorporated as a nonprofit under the alias "Step Modifications"; thus, "STEP" became "Step Modifications". Step Modifications is still validly referred to officially as "STEP", but this title is no longer intended to represent "Skyrim Total Enhancement Project", because STEP now supports more than just Skyrim. We operate this community-maintained website and provide a guided "modding methodology" primarily with respect to Bethesda RPGs, but we also support other mod-able games.

Step's official guides are geared towards the general public, so little to no technical experience is required to understand and use our core guides. Step also offers and supports advanced modding guides. To this day, The Site is a free resource and service available to all without any on-site advertising. Step relies on community contributions to help with operating costs, such as hosting and application fees — our only significant expense other than time.

In order to support a game, we require at least one individual — or preferably a team — with extensive familiarity of said game(s) as well as expertise in general modding, particularly within the context of said game. The Wiki also hosts community-generated content, and we welcome such contributions. Many wiki articles link to corresponding forum topics for discussion rather than relying on the built-in wiki 'Talk' pages, which may still be used.

Step Modifications practices "cathedral modding" or "Open Modding" (see Open Modding Guide), which aligns well with our nonprofit status. Since we do interact with other modding sites, like Nexus Mods, and users that practice or allow the parlor philosophy, Step also respects the parlor philosophy of modding as it relates to the work of mod authors and their individual philosophies and rights. Nevertheless as part of our work as a nonprofit work, if work is hosted from Step, given to Step, or created by Step then it's either community-owned or becomes community-owned upon its transference to Step.2