SkyrimLE:2.2.7: Difference between revisions
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For this release, we recommend the following as a ''minimum'' hardware configuration for running STEP:Core (installing "Baseline" versions of "Core" mods only). For those wishing to use higher-quality options and/or to install the non-Core mods (tentatively, STEP:Extended Beta), be advised that a more powerful system is likely necessary. The Baseline install that we recommend will provide the best quality-performance trade-off. | For this release, we recommend the following as a ''minimum'' hardware configuration for running STEP:Core (installing "Baseline" versions of "Core" mods only). For those wishing to use higher-quality options and/or to install the non-Core mods (tentatively, STEP:Extended Beta), be advised that a more powerful system is likely necessary. The Baseline install that we recommend will provide the best quality-performance trade-off. | ||
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: | ! Recommended | ||
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: | ! style="color:#ccc; text-align:left;"| Windows OS | ||
: | | Windows XP||Windows 7 | ||
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! style="color:#ccc; text-align:left;"| CPU | |||
| Intel Core i3 (dual core) ||Intel Core i5/i7 (quad core) | |||
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! style="color:#ccc; text-align:left;"| System RAM | |||
| 4 GB ||8 GB | |||
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! style="color:#ccc; text-align:left;"| GPU | |||
| HD, 1 GB VRAM||HD, >= 2 GB VRAM | |||
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! style="color:#ccc; text-align:left;"| Monitor Resolution | |||
| 1280x1024||1920x1200 | |||
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= STEP 1 = | = STEP 1 = |
Revision as of 03:11, August 30, 2013
WARNING
This guide is out of date and is NOT supported! It may contain information that is incorrect or not in line with the current state of the game.Go to the latest supported SkyrimLE Guide.
- Visit the forums and provide feedback related to STEP.
- Also visit the STEP Facebook page maintained by TheCompiler (Daniel).
- To support hosting and maintenance of the STEP Community Project, contributions are welcome.
Interim Release
STEP 2.2.7 marks the beginning of our move to a new paradigm that will officially be unveiled as STEP 2.3.0. The next few interim releases will allow a smoother transition with the official introduction of STEP:Core and the gradual build-up of STEP:Extended. STEP:Core aims to stay as close to vanilla Skyrim as possible while improving visual quality and correcting several issues with the base game on the PC platform. See The New STEP article for more details.
About STEP
Created by TheCompiler, STEP is a collaborative project with input from the modding community, technical volunteers, and project administrators. The goal is to provide tested and validated methods for establishing and maintaining an enhanced modded Skyrim. Thus, the Guide provides detailed, well-tested build instructions for a solid modding template. New modders can follow STEP explicitly, or more experienced modders may use it as general guide.
The STEP team collects information from the modding community through extensive mod testing, detailed reviews, feedback, and suggestions exchanged on the STEP Community Forums. Posting rules apply, so be sure to read and follow them and enjoy a warm welcome and plenty of high-quality support from a large community of experienced STEPers. Check out the comparison screenshots on the Nexus.
Minimum System for STEP:Core
It is tentatively planned that STEP:Core (and Extended, by proxy) will continue to provide a performance-friendly version in tandem with a standard version. Given what we know about the memory limits for 32-bit applications (aka the "3.1 GB limit for Skyrim"). This will most likely entail installation options associated with many of the Core mods and possibly even two performance patches (TBD).
For this release, we recommend the following as a minimum hardware configuration for running STEP:Core (installing "Baseline" versions of "Core" mods only). For those wishing to use higher-quality options and/or to install the non-Core mods (tentatively, STEP:Extended Beta), be advised that a more powerful system is likely necessary. The Baseline install that we recommend will provide the best quality-performance trade-off.
Minimum | Recommended | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Windows OS | Windows XP | Windows 7 | ||||||||||||
CPU | Intel Core i3 (dual core) | Intel Core i5/i7 (quad core) | ||||||||||||
System RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | ||||||||||||
GPU | HD, 1 GB VRAM | HD, >= 2 GB VRAM | ||||||||||||
Monitor Resolution | 1280x1024 | 1920x1200
}} STEP 11.A. Install Steam & SkyrimThis guide assumes that the reader has installed Steam as recommended by the Skyrim Installation Guide (SIG). Please take some time to properly set up and configure Steam as recommended by the guide before continuing. It is very important to begin by reverting to a clean Vanilla Skyrim installation. 1.B. Skyrim Launcher Options1.B.1. Launcher Settings
1.C. Display & Video Card Settings1.C.1. Nvidia Users
1.C.2. AMD Users
1.C.3. DisplayConfigure the monitor's display settings using Windows Display configuration utility (Control Panel > Display > Calibrate Color).
1.D. Performance BenchmarkingThe following procedure is very important in determining baseline performance and ultimately helps the STEP team to assess performance variation across a wide range of computer configurations. This ultimately allows the accurate prediction of performance requirements for the various versions of STEP to come. User contributions in this regard are highly valued and much appreciated! Even more importantly, this routine should be used to assess the performance of the strict STEP versions as described above. Database-comparison benchmarks will be available as sufficient numbers of user-submitted data accumulate. At this point ...
This is a perfect point to collect some baseline performance data, as all tweaks after this section are manual and could have significant performance impact on some systems. A baseline benchmark provides valuable information about the setup and the gaming environment. Detecting driver issues, software incompatibilities, hardware problems or other issues is essential while the build is simple, as these kinds of problems are much more difficult to diagnose and solve as the build becomes more complex. It is recommended that users execute the following process again after the INI edits following are applied and after each sequence of potentially-impactful changes is introduced (e.g., after each mod section). Points during setup that benchmarking is suggested will be indicated by: Benchmark
Use the following checklist to calculate the standard STEP benchmark:
=AVERAGE(A2:A240) =STDEV(A2:A240) Example benchmark results: 1.E. Install Utilities1.E.1. Better Oblivion Sorting SoftwareBetter Oblivion Sorting Software (BOSS) is an essential utility for managing mod plugins for Skyrim. Specifically, BOSS ensures proper mod order and Bash Tags, and it also identifies plugins (ESPs/ESMs) that need cleaning or other special treatment (more on this below). Download BOSS and install according to the instructions provided by the author. 1.E.2. BOSS Userlist ManagerBoss Userlist Manager (BUM) helps to make BOSS even easier by providing a GUI to edit the BOSS masterlist, which is used to define load order. Includes automated BOSS masterlist management and more. 1.E.3. Mod Manager(s)There are several utilities that may be used to manage the STEP setup. Truth be told, mods can even be installed manually (not recommended). A mod-management utility is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED in order to keep track of a comlpex setup like STEP. These utilities also make it exponentially simpler to deconstruct a STEP install in order to update between versions. This is impossible to do simply or efficiently (or even correctly) otherwise.
1.E.4. TES5EditTES5Edit is a utility that can be used to 'fix' plugins in order to prevent problems during gameplay. The potential for incompatibilities, CTDs and other issues increases as the mod load increases. Thus, it is inevitably necessary to do some basic cleaning of a few mod plugins that BOSS identifies. The process for cleaning mods can be found here. 1.F. INI TweaksINI files can be used to managed many aspects of the game and also ancillary mods to Skyrim. Following are relevant tweaks that apply to Baseline STEP. Performance STEP may require that some of the following settings be relaxed, and Extreme STEP settings can be further enhanced in some cases. Potential performance impact is indicated for each tweak. The Skyrim INI files are located in "Documents/My Games/Skyrim" or "My Documents/My Games/Skyrim," depending on Operating System. At this point, the default INI files should have been established due to actions completed in step 1.B, and the following tweaks assume that the Skyrim INI files are not already customized in any way. If using Mod Organizer, editing INI files is done by clicking [Edit Ini]. Wrye Bash users can edit and manage all INI files via the INI Tweaks tab. 1.F.1. Skyrim INIGo to the bottom of the Skyrim.ini and create the following:
[Actor] fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist=12288.0000
[Camera] fOverShoulderAddY=0.0 fOverShoulderPosZ=18.0 fOverShoulderPosX=0.0 fOverShoulderCombatAddY=0.0 fOverShoulderCombatPosZ=24.0 fOverShoulderCombatPosX=0.0 fOverShoulderHorseAddY=-72.0 fOverShoulderHorsePosZ=50.0 fOverShoulderHorsePosX=35.0 fActorFadeOutLimit=-100 fMouseWheelZoomSpeed=60.0 f1st3rdSwitchDelay=0.95 iHorseTransitionMillis=001
[Interface] fBookOpenTime=200.0 fSafeZoneX=10 fSafeZoneY=10 fSafeZoneXWide=10 fSafeZoneYWide=10 Add the following under [Combat]:
f1PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7 f3PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7 f1PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7 f3PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7 Add the following under [Display]:
fSunShadowUpdateTime=0 fSunUpdateThreshold=2.0
fDecalLifetime=512.0 Add the following under [General]:
sIntroSequence=
fFlickeringLightDistance=8192
iLargeIntRefCount=131072 1.F.2. SkyrimPrefs INIModify the following under [Controls]:
bMouseAcceleration=0 Add the following under [Decals]:
bDecalsOnSkinnedGeometry=1 Modify the following values under [Display]:
iBlurDeferredShadowMask=3
bTreesReceiveShadows=1
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=4096 iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=2048
iMaxDecalsPerFrame=256
bDrawLandShadows=1 bFloatPointRenderTarget=1 Benchmark
Reminder - Essential GuidesThe following guides form the base from which STEP builds and provide details on many of the topics mentioned in this Guide.
Final NotesInstall mods in the order that they are presented in the following tables in order to achieve an aesthetically and mechanically well-vetted result. More experienced or adventurous modders may want to use STEP as a loose guide. Information from certain mods used can write additional information into save games. Thus, some mods can continue to affect the game even after the mods are removed or updated. From the Bethesda document, Skyrim Mod Troubleshooting: Best Practices:
The short version is “Never continue with a save once a mod it relies upon has been removed.” Although this is good advice, there may be occasions when it is inconvenient to revert to an older save. The Troubleshooting Guide provides a "best-practice procedure" for attempting to ‘clean’ the effects of a removed mod from a save game. FINALLY...
ALWAYS read the ReadMe and other mod-related documentation that comes packaged with most mods. This includes the mod description on the Nexus. If the mod author has seen fit and taken time to create these reference materials, then they are relevant and important in the eyes of the mod author. This means that they are relevant and important to you!
STEP 2
2.A.No mods defined. 2.B.No mods defined. 2.C.No mods defined. 2.D.No mods defined. Benchmark
2.E.No mods defined. Benchmark
2.F.No mods defined. Benchmark
2.G.No mods defined. Benchmark
2.H.No mods defined. Benchmark
2.I.No mods defined. Benchmark
2.J.No mods defined. Benchmark
2.K.No mods defined. Benchmark
2.L.No mods defined. Benchmark
2.M.No mods defined. Benchmark
Wrye Bash Realistic Crime Radius fixOnce all mods have been installed, locate Bashed Patch on your Mods tab in Wrye Bash. Follow these steps to apply the crime radius tweak:
Post-Installation HousekeepingOnce all mods have been installed and are ready to play, be certain to either:
STEP 33.A. Technical TipsThe following is a good place to begin, but be certain to also check the Troubleshooting Guide. Also, search the support & Troubleshooting forum on the STEP Boards, 3.A.1. Maximizing STEPA heavily modded Skyrim can bring even a very powerful system to its knees. Maximum visual quality is highly dependent upon total on-card graphics-dedicated video memory (VRAM), the number of GPUs, and monitor resolution. The goal should be to maintain 32 or more FPS on average without any noticeable stuttering. Following are some enhancements that users with rather powerful systems might be able to take advantage of:
3.A.2. Fix game launch crash after installing STEPFor crashes to desktop (CTDs),
3.A.3. Defrag the Hard DriveFor hard drives (not SSDs), this is a very important task once most/all mods are installed. The Windows defrag utility may be used, but it is sub-standard. A couple of the best free utilities are Defraggler and Auslogics Disk Defrag. Do NOT defrag an SSD as it will detrimentally affect its lifetime. 3.A.4. Semi-Invisible People & Misbehaving WallsBe certain that ATI Antialiasing is set to Multi-Sample and NOT Adaptive. Also, remember to download the latest ATI drivers. Also be certain that bFloatPointRenderTarget=1 in the SkyrimPrefs.ini if using ENB. 3.A.5. Using Windowed Mode (ATI)If having stuttering problems or CTDs in full screen mode, try "full screen" windowed mode by downloading Simple Borderless Window. The "Simple Borderless Window" launcher SBW.exe launches SKSE, so start the game through SBW.exe. 3.A.6. Increase Overall PerformanceIf after following the whole guide and installing the enhanced graphics, the game is unplayable due to low performance, try one or more of the following:
3.A.7. Texture Shimmering, Etc.Refer to the Z-Fighting Guide. 3.B. In-Game TipsThe console can be activated by pressing the tilde ([~]) key, often located just below [Escape], while in-game. 3.B.1. Optimize Field of View (FOV)In the console enter the following using a number from 66-100, depending on resolution and screen ratio. Default is 65 (4:3 screens), but 70-75 works nicely for 16:10 screens and 75-80 works nicely for 16:9 screens: FOV ## This change will be permanent in the saved game. Other INI FOV tweaks don't require opening the console, but they don’t 'stick' and can corrupt the game. Also note that high FOV can cause a performance drop for some configurations. 3.B.2. BIG Frame Drops During Cell LoadingThis is a likely indicator that VRAM is too often operating at or beyond capacity (see 3.A.6).
User ContributionsSTEP can only get bigger and better with help from the user community. Even simply maintaining the current STEP is too much work for the core STEP team to ensure that the highest quality is maintained. We need people to help us identify mods that are thought to improve Skyrim while adhering to the STEP Mandate. We also need ongoing reviews and updates on mods that may be causing problems or that stray from the STEP philosophy. Finally, we need help from the community in terms of testing, benchmarking and analysis. More detail is presented in the Mod Testing Guide. In order to suggest a mod, visit the Mod Suggestions section of the STEP Forums. Call for Wiki Content EditorsThe STEP Community Wiki is open to editing by all registered community members; however, we need assistance maintaining and creating new supporting content. We are particularly interested in obtaining a few people with a passion for writing and editing. Familiarity with wiki markup is preferable but not necessary. Interested parties please contact one of the STEP Admin via PM on the forums (Please register on the forums and see the very bottom of the Forum Team page). Call for STEP Mod TestersSTEP users interested in becoming testers, please contact one of the STEP Admin via PM on the forums (Please register on the forums and see the very bottom of the Forum Team page). Once registered, record your system specs by clicking on the button and filling out the form. These specs will be associated with performance data by tester. Call for STEP BenchmarksUsers interested in helping out with the STEP Benchmarking Project, see our benchmarking guidelines and submit results on the forums (see link at upper left of site header bar). Call for Forum ModeratorsRegular STEP forum users interested in becoming moderators, please contact one of the STEP Admin via PM on the forums (Please register on the forums and see the very bottom of the Forum Team page).
Special CreditsThe STEP administrators would sincerely like to thank (from the bottoms of our fuzzy little hearts):
Site DonorsWe have had a handful of generous user donations to keep this site alive and viable. Most of these donors have not left their user names, so they will remain anonymous; however, the following are site contributors that have generously given a bit of their livelihood in support of STEP. For that, we thank them immensely!
The core STEP team is:
... and please welcome our newest staff, whose roles are still evolving:
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