STEP:Mod Testing

Template:Warning Template:Notice Mod Testing for S.T.E.P. -- by MadWizard25, the S.T.E.P. Team and Wiki Editors

Updated: 18:37:39 6 May 2012 (UTC)

GUIDE FORUM THREAD

Introduction

This guide will attempt to lay out good practices for testing mods to recommend for S.T.E.P. as well as for testing mods should this be asked for or required by TC and S.T.E.P. team. With a guide as complex as S.T.E.P., it is beneficial to reduce as much variation as possible, since complexity can breed a host of issues. This guide will try to recommend standardized testing techniques. The approach will be bottom-up, meaning recommendations will begin at the hardware level, progressing to software and then to mods.

Computer Stability

A stable computer is crucial to testing a new mod. Without a stable computer, it will much harder to determine if the mod itself is incompatible or buggy with other mods or Skyrim, or if the mod is incompatible with your computer. Here are some tips to increase stability.

Overclocking

If you are currently overclocking your computer it is recommended setting everything to its default stock settings. This goes for the CPU, GPU, and RAM. Although the chances are low, it is possible for a new mod that is resource intensive to instigate stability issues, even if you previous overclock settings were stable. CPU and RAM overclocks can be managed from your motherboard's BIOS, and GPU overclocks are managed by a variety of programs. A recommended program for GPU overclock management is MSI Afterburner.

Ghosts in the Machine

Over time a computer will generate many redundant files that at the minimum will do nothing harmful, and at worst will cause stability issues. These files can include temporary files or redundant registry keys. It is recommended to use a program such as CCleaner to clear these files, as well as to fix registry issues.

Disk Fragmentation

Over time files that are regularly used by the computer will fragment, increasing read times and potentially causing stability issues. It is good practice to make sure the computers drives are defragmented before testing a mod. It is a good idea to defrag your computer after installing a new mod, especially with large mods such as texture overhauls. A recommended program is Defraggler, which allows full drive defragmenting or specific file and folder defragmenting.

Background Processes

Background processes will take up resources, also potentially introducing stability issues when playing or testing Skyrim. A great program for eliminating as many of these background processes as possible is Game Booster. This will close redundant programs as well as services, and is optimized towards games. Another program that is useful is Process Lasso, which acts as a much expanded task manager. This will allow you to set Skyrim's CPU and I/O priority to high.

TESV.exe Properties

These settings will ensure that when Skyrim runs, Windows Aero Theme will be disabled, freeing up VRAM. To access these settings navigate to your skyrim folder, right click on TESV.exe, and then click on the Compatibility tab.

Skyrim

This section will describe best practices to ensure a stable Skyrim platform to work from. It will also detail various tips for debugging, error tracking, etc.

Notes/ Ideas

- Camera mod

- DDSopt if testing texture mods

- videos i. fraps ii. youtube

- gifs

-image galleries i. hosting sites

- compatebility checking i. tes5edit, tes5gecko when released ii. ck workarounds

- wrye bash i. esmfy esps to fix ctds - INI tweaks / WB ini tweaks

i. medium default settings for stability a. maybe host ii. papyrus logging iii. mod tracing (need to test)

- in game tools i. elysmeminfo

- software tools i. nvidia inspector, skyrim info, gpu-z