SkyrimSE:Unofficial-Neovalen-1.0.0

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Skyrim Revisited: Special Edition
A STEP hosted mod guide created and maintained by Neovalen.
Last Update: 20:47:37 25 July 2021 (UTC)

- Visit the Skyrim Revisited section of the STEP forums to provide feedback or submit support questions related to this guide.
- This guide is graciously hosted by STEP and solely maintained by Neovalen in his spare time. Contributions directly to the author, or alternatively to STEP for site hosting are welcome.

Info-Logo.png
NOTE:
This guide is currently in early development and is not ready for use. Check for updates using PAGE TOOLS > HISTORY or by clicking here (Requires wiki log in).

Introduction and Summary

Skyrim Revisited: Special Edition is a mod guide designed to keep up with the ever changing Skyrim: Special Edition mod landscape. Key tenets of this mod guide include:

  • Increased Immersion and Realism including but not limited to blood/gore, intense combat, nudity/sex, realistic needs, and survival.
  • Maintained Lore Friendliness meaning remaining true to the majority of The Elder Scrolls lore - but not in a purist sense - some liberties will be taken.
  • Maintained Stability with Maximum Functionality including conflict resolution, mod cleaning, mod ordering, and more.

Author's Development System

The system used for the creation of this guide is as follows:

Processor: Intel Core i5 3570k @ 4.4 Ghz
Motherboard: Gigabyte G1 Sniper 3
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600
Video Card: Gigabyte GTX 980 G1 Gaming 4GB
Hard Drive (OS): Samsung 840 PRO 256GB SSD
Hard Drive (Games): Samsung 840 PRO 256GB SSD
Hard Drive (Data Backup): Western Digital Black 500GB 7200RPM

Prerequisites

Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation. --Robert H. Schuller

To use this guide to it's fullest extent, the following software must be installed and configured as specified.

Official Bethesda Content

Script Extenders

TBD

Tools

The function of this tool is to open archives manually when not using other tools as it handles most modern compression schemes and is free to use.

The function of this tool is to remove Identical To Master(ITM) records, Undelete Deleted Records(UDR), and clean dirty edits as specified by the guide the ESMs and ESPs that Skyrim: Special Edition will be loading. It will also be used for conflict resolution.

All Journeys Begin With The First Step...

The first step, my son, which one makes in the world, is the one on which depends the rest of our days. --Voltaire

The road of the Dovahkiin begins slowly and with purposeful resolve.

Configure Skyrim

Upon downloading Skyrim from Steam there are no ini files pre-generated. Thus, it is imperative to run the launcher and generate the initial set of ini files and do basic setup. 

Start The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition through the Steam context menu to open the launcher.
Click "Options".
Click the [Ultra] push-button.
Set "Aspect Ratio" and "Resolutions" through the drop down box. This should be set to the monitors optimal resolution.
Set "Antialiasing Level" to TAA (Best Quality) through the drop down box.
Click the [OK] push-button to close the dialogue and save.

Next, run the game so that a set of basic in game options can be properly added to the ini files. 

Click "Play" on the launcher to start Skyrim.
On the main menu, select "New Game".
Allow the game to run until the SKYRIM logo has faded away and access the menu by pressing [ESC] on the keyboard.
In the menu, select "Settings" then "Gameplay".
Scroll down the "Gameplay" menu and remove the X next to "Save on Rest", "Save on Wait", and "Save on Travel".
Click the right arrow on the selection bar next to "Save on Character Menu" until "Disabled" is selected.
Press [ESC] to go back to the category selection menu and select "Display".
Scroll down the display menu and mark an X next to "Dialogue Subtitles" and "General Subtitles".
Press [ESC] until back at the main menu and exit the game.

These settings have now been saved into the ini files. These settings have accomplished the following:

  • Setup the ini files with a high quality baseline.
  • Enabled subtitles so text is visible for characters that do not have voice over.
  • Disabled autosaves as they are not generally safe and may cause additional CTDs. Manual saves are highly recommended on a periodic basis.

Configure The Creation Kit

The Creation Kit is a valuable tool for Skyrim as it allows users to create and/or edit mods. It can be used to fix and change things not possible with the other 3rd party tools. Similar to Skyrim, the Creation Kit does not have default ini files until it is started for the first time and requires some basic setup to work properly for the purpose of this guide. 

Start the Creation Kit through the Bethesda.net Launcher.
Once the Creation Kit is loaded, exit the program.
Navigate to the Skyrim Special Edition folder (where CreationKit.exe is located) and open CreationKit.ini.
At the bottom of the [General] section, add the line "bAllowMultipleMasterLoads=1".
Save and close the file.

These settings will remain set for each subsequent run. These settings have accomplished the following:

  • Setup the ini files for multiple master loads.

Clean The Bethesda ESMs

To increase stability, SSEEdit will be used to clean ITMs and UDRs from the official game files. This improves compatibility between the various DLCs and lessens the chance of instability in Skyrim Special Edition. Perform the following: 

Execute SSEEdit.
Right-click inside the file listing and select "None".
Check the box adjacent to Update.esm and click [OK]. Wait for the message "Background Loader: finished" to appear in the right pane.
Right-click Update.esm and select "Apply Filter For Cleaning". Wait for the message "[Filtering Done]" to appear in the right pane.
Right-click Update.esm and select "Remove Identical To Master Records". Wait for the message "[Removing Identical to Master records done]".
Right-click Update.esm and select "Undelete and Disable References". Wait for the message "[Undeleting and Disabling References done]".
Click the [X] on the title bar to close SSEEdit.
Verify the box adjacent to Update.esm is checked and also that "Backup Plugins" is checked then click [OK].

Update.esm has now been cleaned, meaning that any improperly removed records or edited records that were identical to the base Skyrim.esm file have been fixed.
Repeat the process above for all of the remaining ESMs in order selecting only one at a time. Do NOT attempt to clean Skyrim.esm itself. Dawnguard.esm must also be cleaned twice to remove all duplicate records.

Initial INI Tweaks

The following INI tweaks aim to increase gameplay and visuals in Skyrim by tweaking the game engine to provide a better than vanilla experience.

Skyrim.ini

Skyrim.ini controls half of the configuration for the Skyrim game. Each of the following ini changes have been confirmed working in game. If a section exists, simply add the tweak to the bottom of that section or update existing parameter if present. If a section does not exist, add it at the bottom of the file.
The Skyrim.ini file can be found in <My Documents>/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition. Open it with a text editor such as Notepad++. 

TBD

SkyrimPrefs.ini

SkyrimPrefs.ini controls the other half of the configuration for the Skyrim game. Each of the following ini changes have been confirmed working in game. If a section exists, simply add the tweak to the bottom of that section or update existing parameter if present. If a section does not exist, add it at the bottom of the file.
The SkyrimPrefs.ini file can be found in <My Documents>/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition. Open it with a text editor such as Notepad++. 

TBD

The Dovahkiin Comes

Dragonborn, huh? Was it your ma or your pa that was the dragon? --Hadvar

With the grueling start of the journey complete, the Dovahkiin strides strongly into the main quest of their journey. The important points to remember when installing mods are as follows:

  • Mods are sorted into categories and should be installed in the order presented for proper overwrites. Any deviation from a standard installation will be clearly marked.
  • The recommended option/texture size will be specified next to the version number.
  • If installing a mod with compatibility patches for a mod found later in the guide, be sure to disable those esps until after the mod being made compatible is installed.
  • If a mod is not marked for cleaning in the guide, do not clean it! Some selected ITMs are necessary to ensure proper functionality.
  • Backup a copy of the original mod archives in case a mod is ever taken down from the Nexus.
  • If testing a partial load order before the entire guide is installed, run LOOT after each mod with an ESM or ESP file to ensure the load order is correct.

Unofficial Patches

The unofficial patch project is a comprehensive bug fixing mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, the goal of which is to eventually fix every bug with Skyrim Special Edition not officially resolved by the developers to the limits of the Creation Kit and other community-developed tools in one easy-to-install package. The features of the unofficial patches include:

  • Hundreds of gameplay, quest, NPC, object, item, text and placement bugs fixed already, and plenty more on the way.
  • Created by the authors of the Unofficial Skyrim Patch.
  • No unsafe changes (such as deletions of stock objects).
  • Designed to be compatible with as many other mods as possible.

The unofficial patches are flagged as "False ESMs". This means that the extension of the files is ESP but they are flagged in the header as ESM files to overcome Skyrim Special Edition engine limitations. Unfortunately, some mod authors have not adopted using the unofficial patches as a base for their mod changes and thus some mods may overwrite records that contain fixes in them. Resolution of these conflicts using SSEEdit will be covered after mod installation has completed.

Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch

Author: Unofficial Patch Project Team
Version: 4.0.1

TBD

Many More Mods TBD.

All Good Things Must Come To An End

We come to the last leg of the journey, the road was long and hard but the end worth it.

Post Install INI Tweaks

Some mods installed during the previous section require ini tweaks to be used for proper operation.

Skyrim.ini

Skyrim.ini controls half of the configuration for the Skyrim game. Each of the following ini changes have been confirmed working in game. If a section exists, simply add the tweak to the bottom of that section or update existing parameter if present. If a section does not exist, add it at the bottom of the file.
The Skyrim.ini file can be found in <My Documents>/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition. Open it with a text editor such as Notepad++. 

TBD

SkyrimPrefs.ini

SkyrimPrefs.ini controls the other half of the configuration for the Skyrim game. Each of the following ini changes have been confirmed working in game. If a section exists, simply add the tweak to the bottom of that section or update existing parameter if present. If a section does not exist, add it at the bottom of the file.
The SkyrimPrefs.ini file can be found in <My Documents>/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition. Open it with a text editor such as Notepad++. 

TBD

Conflict Resolution

Various mods will conflict with each other in one way or another, when this happens it must be dealt with. This is essential for bug free gameplay. Due to its size, this section has been moved into its own subguide.

Info-Logo.png
NOTE:
This step is required. DO NOT SKIP.

LOOT

Load Order Optimisation Tool, or LOOT, is designed to help users maintain a working load order for their mods with a minimal amount of effort. Perform the following (and again every time mods change with an esp): 

Start Mod Organizer.
Select LOOT in the executable selection box and click [Run].
Find the icon that looks like a horizontal bar graph (mouse over text should state "Sort Plugins") and click it.
After some processing, the calculated load order is displayed in the right pane of LOOT. Click the [Apply] button.
Click the [X] on the title bar to close LOOT.

All mods currently installed will now be ordered based upon the master list downloaded by the tool and the user metadata that was created while installing mods in this guide. However, they may not be in the order the plugins themselves are expecting. To fix this perform the following: 

Open TES5Edit in Mod Organizer and click [OK].
Select all ESMs/ESPs and select "Sort Masters".
Click the [X] in the upper right hand corner, uncheck "Backup plugins", and click [OK].

Wrye Bash

Wrye Bash is a tool that can be used to install/manage mods but more importantly it has tools to merge leveled lists and can even merge entire mods together into a "Bashed Patch". Perform the following (and again every time mods change with an esp): 

Start Mod Organizer.
Select Wrye Bash in the executable selection box and click [Run]. The Wrye Bash main interface should appear.
Scroll down the mod list and right-click Bashed Patch, 0.esp and select "Rebuild Patch".
A popup asking to deactivate mods prior to patching may appear. If a mod is marked "NoMerge", simply uncheck the box next to it then click [Ok]. This will deactivate the mod files not marked "NoMerge" and they will be merged into the bashed patch.
Check only "Merge Patches", "Import Names", "Import Stats", "Tweak Settings", and "Leveled Lists" in the left pane.
Click on "Import Names" in the left pane.
Uncheck Skyrim.esm.
Click on "Tweak Settings" in the left pane.
Right-click "Crime: Alarm Distance" and select "1000".
Right-click "Timescale" and select "10".
Check the box next to both "Crime: Alarm Distance" and "Timescale" to apply them.
Click on "Leveled Lists" in the left pane.
Click [Build Patch] at the bottom of the window. A dialogue asking to activate it may appear, click [Yes].
Exit Wrye Bash by clicking the [X] in the top right corner.

The Bashed Patch, 0.esp is automatically moved to the Mod Organizer/Overwrite directory for inclusion in the game.

In-Game Configuration

This section details settings for the various mods recommended by the author. 

TBD

Tips, Known Issues, and Troubleshooting

Skyrim Special Edition was created by Sheogorath himself. Issues ARE going to occur in any adventure through Skyrim even with full conflict resolution. That said, this section will list any known issues and some troubleshooting tips any good Dovahkiin should know.

Tips

  • If the character dies, completely exit the game and reload the last save. The automatic load erroneously retains data it should not from after the save.

Known Issues

Visuals

  • None

Gameplay

  • None

Troubleshooting

Crashes and/or Freezes

  • Verify VRAM is not overloaded using a tool such as PrecisionX to check VRAM load and adjust mods accordingly.

Low FPS

Depending on the system configuration some effects may be too much to handle. To help tailor the experience, some of the higher FPS hitting effects are listed with possible tweaks.

  • If playing at high resolutions such as 1440p and above, consider dropping resolution to 1080p/1200p to ease rendering.

Important Dates

  • 11/01/2016 - Development started.

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