STEP:Mandate

The New Direction of STEP

A lot of people seem to think that STEP is stagnating, since it is not continuously updating its mod list or imposing "unreasonable" restrictions on new mod additions. Although, these trends are accurate, the reasons behind them may not be clear; therefore, we are presenting this article to inform the Skyrim modding community about where the project is heading and some of the challenges that we have been tackling in getting there.

Abstract On Direction

One of the primary reasons for keeping STEP:Core pretty strict with regards to vanilla is that the overarching STEP project intends to evolve into a more community-driven initiative of mod 'recipes' constructed on top of a central "core recipe" (aka, STEP:Core). These mod recipes are simply mod 'guides' that we have been referring to as STEP 'Packs'. These packs will be extensions of STEP:Core that build on it in ways that express or support different visions of the game. Therefore, STEP:Core needs to include only what are viewed to be the most essential mods necessary to 'correct' Skyrim, serving as the common denominator for all STEP Packs (e.g., the USPs, tweaks to suit the PC interface, 'fixes' that lie outside of USP mandates, etc.). STEP Packs are where the substantive deviations from vanilla Skyrim can and will occur, depending on the vision of any given pack author. Some of the packs may be focused on gameplay changes, others on further graphic enhancements, but together they will allow users more flexibility and choice when determining their modded Skyrim experience. The real beauty of this paradigm is that ANY STEP member will be able to author their own STEP Pack and host their guide on the STEP wiki. Think of it as a 'Nexus' of mod recipes that will serve to expand on the ideas of the Steam Workshop, the Nexus, TES Alliance, Planet Elder Scrolls, etc. as a "mod-setup-creation infrastructure" using a common set of development tools to derive a limitless expanse of potential outcomes, each with its own support infrastructure (e.g., forum threads, wiki resources, custom tools, etc.). In this way, STEP can become a completely community-driven initiative reliant on resources provided by the existing mod-delivery repositories like the Nexus. STEP will house the information on how to bring it all together ... and it is not limited to just Skyrim (but that is a story for another time).

The STEP Vision Schema

Examples of STEP Packs (TBD by YOU)

All built atop of STEP:Core ... STEP:Extended - A "Super" Pack that will represent the fully-modded setup as envisioned by TheCompiler and the STEP team. Skyrim Revisited - A "Super" Pack representing Neovalen's vision of a complete modded setup, including all of the possible options like lighting, weather, char/gameplay enhancements, etc. STEP:Stealth - A thief-oriented Pack STEP:Radiance - A lighting Pack STEP:Parallel Universe - Maybe this would be a complete overhaul of the Skyrim world STEP:Realism - A purist-realism Pack ... and so many more possibilities.

STEP:Core

STEP:Core Flowchart

Skyrim was originally created for the console, and while Bethesda has released official texture packs and patches to correct for the PC platform, they missed a great deal. Core STEP comprehensively enhances vanilla Skyrim for the PC in order to properly finish what Bethesda attempted. Specifically, ...

STEP:Core is about ...

... bug fixes and corrections to malfunctioning aspects of vanilla Skyrim.
... HD asset replacements in the style of vanilla Skyrim.
... improvements to existing content that increases the consistency of vanilla Skyrim.
... interface mods that improve the menus and UI for the PC.
... new content that is interpreted as a "should have been included" resource and remains consistent with vanilla Skyrim.

STEP:Core can be defined as a comprehensive assemblage of game modifications that are 100% consistent with the above bullets. This will maximize the stability of a core "fix" whilst minimizing the possibility of conflicts. Another way to think of STEP:Core is that it simply takes the Unofficial Skyrim Patches a step further by integrating them all along with other miscellaneous fixes and vanilla asset enhancements. Template:Notice Small

STEP:Core is NOT about ...

... content that conflicts with TES lore or vanilla Skyrim lore.
... mods that subjectively alter or contrast with the style of vanilla Skyrim.
... new content that is out-of-scope with vanilla Skyrim.
... mods that subjectively alter gameplay mechanics.
... mods that have a high likelihood of having "data conflicts" with other mods.
... mods that have a high performance penalty.

STEP:Extended (aka: the STEP Pack)

STEP:Extended is about ...

... content that is consistent with Skyrim and TES lore as established by Bethesda's creators and extrapolated on by the STEP community in accordance with the Imperial Library and the UESP.
... continuity and qualitative consistency of all in-game behaviors and assets (e.g., sounds, graphics, models, gameplay, etc.)
... new content, assets and effects that "fit" Skyrim and TES lore.

STEP:Extended is a somewhat subjectively creative extrapolation or the STEP community's vision of what vanilla Skyrim could and should be. STEP:Extended does come with a bit of a performance cost, but it is worth it for those that want to experience a more "realistic" style of play. In addition to adding upon the visual and acoustic enhancements of vanilla Skyrim, STEP:Extended modifies aspects of the vanilla game in terms of gameplay mechanics and may include mods that add or subtract specific functionality to yield an overall more immersive experience. The cost is paid in terms of a slight performance drop and a more advanced mod-maintenance overhead. STEP:Extended ultimately takes most of the vanilla-extraneous STEP experience of days past and adds the "best" mod options available.

STEP:Extended is NOT about ...

... Sex mods, body replacement mods or beauty mods that unrealistically affect or digress from the ambiance of the TES series.
... Music replacement mods or game style overhauls.
... Gameplay overhauls that affect a particular play style (i.e., gameplay alterations are chosen that affect all play styles without bias).