SkyrimLE:ModList/Polish/2.2.1

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This guide is out of date and is NOT supported!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.

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O projekcie STEP

Tytułem wstępu

STEP jest wyczerpującym i szeroko zakrojonym poradnikiem, który ma na celu uzupełnienie gry TES V: Skyrim o najlepsze modyfikacje (zwane potocznie modami) oraz optymalizację ustawień. Głównym założeniem projektu jest zachowanie wierności oryginalnej zawartości Skyrima, przy jednoczesnym wzbogaceniu wrażeń wizualnych i dźwiękowych oraz poprawieniu błędów w mechanice gry.

Autorem projektu jest TheCompiler, całość jest jednak pracą zbiorową, powstałą przy udziale społeczności modderskiej, ochotników posiadających wiedzę techniczną oraz administratorów projektu. Celem STEP-a jest zapewnienie sprawdzonych i przetestowanych metod, które pozwolą na instalację i utrzymanie wzbogaconego o modyfikacje Skyrima. W poradniku przedstawiamy w sposób szczegółowy, jak zrobić z oryginalnej instalacji wzbogacony „szablon” czy też „podstawkę” gry, którą później można wykorzystać do instalacji kolejnych modów. Niedoświadczonym użytkownikom zalecamy dokładne stosowanie się do instrukcji "krok-po-kroku" zawartych w poradniku, natomiast bardziej zaawansowani gracze mogą użyć STEP-a jako ogólnych wytycznych do modowania swojej gry.

W celu zebrania informacji odpowiedniej jakości (czyli takich, które jak najlepiej spełnią oczekiwania użytkowników), zespół projektu STEP współpracuje ze społecznością modderów poprzez szczegółowe recenzje, opinie i sugestie wymieniane i omawiane wspólnie na Forum Społeczności STEP. Na forum obowiązuje regulamin, z którym należy się zapoznać (cała strona funkcjonuje wyłącznie w języku angielskim). Po rejestracji można się już cieszyć pełnym dostępem do wszelkich udostępnianych informacji, a w razie problemów - liczyć na chętną do pomocy ekipę. W celu porównania jak wygląda Skyrim przed i po instalacji STEP-a, możecie sprawdzić zrzuty ekranu na stronie Nexus, ale tak naprawdę jedyny sprawdzony sposób na doświadczenie, czym naprawdę jest STEP, to wypróbowanie go!

Ucieszymy się z każdego wsparcia finansowego Projektu STEP - datki przeznaczane są na utrzymanie serwera, domeny i zarządzanie projektem.

Wytyczne projektu STEP

Zobowiązania

Podstawą projektu jest wzbogacenie oryginalnej wersji gry Skyrim na komputery PC poprzez...

• zamianę tekstur na lepsze, przy minimalnej utracie wydajności gry
• konsekwentny i logiczny dobór modyfikacji graficznych i dźwiękowych w celu poprawienia klimatu rozgrywki
• poprawienie komfortu UI i systemu menu
• wybór modyfikacji naprawiających błędnie funkcjonujące aspekty mechaniki gry

Projekt NIE dotyczy modyfikacji, które...

• wprowadzają zmiany sprzeczne z założeniami oryginalnej wersji gry oraz uniwersum The Elder Scrolls
• wprowadzają do gry erotykę oraz podmieniają modele kobiecych postaci
• podmieniają muzykę z oryginalnego produktu
• diametralnie inegrują w sposób rozgrywki

STEP w wersjach Wydajnościowej, Podstawowej i Ekstremalnej

Projekt STEP oferuje 3 różne wersje. Instalacja modów oznaczonych jako "Core" (zielony pasek przy nazwie moda) jest niezbędne i wymagana do poprawnego funkcjonowania wszystkich trzech wersji STEP. Pozostałe mody nie są niezbędne, aczkolwiek Ekipa projektu STEP gorąco poleca ich instalację. Poszczególne wersje STEP zostały stworzone z myślą o wydajności, w zależności od możliwości komputera gracza:

Wersja Wydajnościowa: Jedynie mody oznaczone jako "Core". Wybór opcji wydajnościowej dla wszystkich modów.

Czyli: "Z litości nie będę katował procesora i karty graficznej, ale muszę mieć STEP!"

Wersja Podstawowa: Mody oznaczone jako "Core" oraz dowolne mody dodatkowe. Wybór opcji wydajnościowej lub średniej jakości, jeśli to tylko możliwe.

Czyli: "Mój komputer daje radę, ale nie zniosę, jeśli gra będzie się choć trochę zacinać!"

Wersja Ekstremalna: Wszystkie mody oznaczone jako "Core" oraz wszystkie mody dodatkowe. Wybór opcji oferujących najwyższą jakość, jeśli to możliwe.

Czyli: "Posiadam superkomputer!"

KROK 1

Konfiguracja przed instalacją

Wymagania

• Oficjalny Patch v1.8
• Cierpliwość i szczegółowe wykonywanie instrukcji krok-po-kroku

System

Poradnik STEP został napisany z myślą o komputerach posiadającyh poniższe (lub porównywalne) parametry:

• Windows 7
• Intel i5/i7 quad core
• 4+ GB pamięci RAM
• Karta graficzne 1+ GB VRAM (DDR5)
• Rozdzielczość ekranu: 1680x1050

1.A. Instalacja platformy Steam oraz Skyrima

Niniejszy poradnik zakłada, że użytkownik zainstalował aplikację Steam zgodnie z Poradnikiem Instalacji Skyrima (chwilowo dostępny jedynie w wersji angielskiej). Zalecamy poświęcić trochę czasu na poprawną instalację i konfigurację zarówno platfortmy Steam jak i samego Skyrima, według instrukcji zawartych w poradniku.

UWAGA! Ważnym jest, żeby dalszą instalację STEP przeprowadzać na ŚWIEŻYM, NOWO ZAINSTALOWANYM SKYRIMIE! Ewentualnie można spróbować przywrócić Skyrima do podstawowej, świeżej wersji według tego poradnika (w jęz. angielskim).

UWAGA! Poradnik STEP przeznaczony jest do gry w wersji angielskiej. Autor tego tłumaczenia posiada grę właśnie w takiej wersji i nie gwarantuje, że Projekt STEP będzie w pełni funkcjonalny w polskiej wersji gry. Wiele z modów zawartych w poradniku podmienia opisy przedmiotów, ras itp. Autor tłumaczenia nie wie, jaki wpływ na polską wersję gry będą miały mody tego typu i nie bierze odpowiedzialności za wszelkie ewentualne problemy, które wynikną z tego tytułu ]].

1.B. Opcje Menu Startowego Skyrima

1.B.1. Ustawienia Menu Startowego

1. Uruchom Skyrima przez aplikację Steam i kliknij na [Opcje]. This will establish the INI file configurations according to the detected hardware. It will also establish the registry entries necessary for utilities and applications used downstream.
2. Click the [Ultra] button.
3. Under Antialiasing, select 4 Samples, as the difference between 4 Samples and 8 Samples is very subtle and not worth the performance loss (per Tweakguides). Drop down to 2 Samples as a last-resort to improve performance. NOTE: If using SMAA, set this value to zero.
4. Under Anisotropic Filtering, select 16 Samples (use 8 Samples for a very slight performance gain).
5. Click the [Advanced] button and make sure FXAA is UN-checked. FXAA reduces the Anisotropic Filter effect as well as overall texture detail. It is a huge performance improvement over AA, but comes with a quality cost. For more information on FXAA, and to see if it is right for you, see this post. NOTE: SMAA is a superior alternative to FXAA.
   • Consider setting shadow detail to 'High' rather than 'Ultra' for video cards with less than 1 GB VRAM (Performance STEP), or leave at 'Ultra' for Extreme STEP:
   • Under [View Distance], make sure Object Detail Fade is UN-checked and adjust grass to 100% with all other settings around 50%.NOTE: High-end systems can handle max view distances just fine.
6. Exit and click Play from the Skyrim Launcher. This will create the necessary configuration files, and registry settings required by downstream applications (contrary to popular belief, the INI files are created immediately, and the game does not need to launch).

1.C. Display & Video Card Settings

1.C.1. Nvidia Users

1. Download and install the latest Nvidia drivers (beta if available).
2. Download Nvidia Inspector.
3. Due to the variability of Nvidia configurations, Inspector settings are not recommended here, but see the Tom's Hardware article for helpful tips and links to relevant guides. Be certain to filter the potential options to accommodate the correct STEP configuration.

1.C.2. ATI Users

1. Download and install the latest AMD drivers (beta if available).
2. Open Catalyst Control Center, and click on the [Preferences] button in the upper right. Select Advanced View.
3. Under the Gaming section on the left select 3D Application Settings.
   • Mirror the anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering values set using the Skyrim Launcher above.
   • Set [Tessellation] to {{fc|#E6B69E|AMD Optimized"
   • Set [Catalyst A.I.] to highest texture quality and tick Enable Surface Format Optimization
   • Set [Wait for vertical refresh] to Quality
   • Set [Anti-Aliasing Mode] to Multi-sample AA
   • Tick Triple buffering under [OpenGL Settings]

1.C.3. Display

Configure the monitor's display settings using Windows Display configuration utility (Control Panel > Display > Calibrate Color).

• First use the monitor's built-in configuration to attempt to complete the wizard. (ignore the ClearType tuner process)
• Repeat the calibration wizard using the GPU's driver configuration settings.
• For each run, be certain to execute all calibrators with particular attention to gamma, brightness and contrast. Most users' monitor output will be significantly darker and slightly more color-saturated.

1.D. Performance Benchmarking

The 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 ...

• There should be a clean install of both Steam and Skyrim as recommended by the SIG (see above),
• the baseline INI settings should be configured (via the Skyrim Launcher), and
• the monitor and video-driver configurations should be optimized.

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.

Points during setup that benchmarking is suggested will be indicated by:

Benchmark

Use the following checklist to calculate the standard STEP benchmark:

1. Identify any unnecessary background programs that may be running. Most importantly, determine if it is possible to set any anti-virus/spyware to low priority or "game mode". Any running background processes will consume some proportion of resources that Skyrim could otherwise use and increase the chances for instability. It is fine to have processes running in the background, but it is a good idea to be aware of what they are for troubleshooting in case there are problems.
2. Launch Fraps in order to measure FPS. Set to output FPS to a log file.
3. Launch GPU-z in order to measure GPU and system memory-usage statistics. Set GPU-z to output the following to the log file (Sensors > Log to File; each variable log can be toggled by selecting the corresponding drop-downs):
   • GPU Core Clock (MHz)
   • GPU Temperature (°C)
   • GPU Load (%)
   • Memory Usage (Dedicated) - This is on-card-VRAM
   • Memory Usage (Dynamic) - This is the amount of VRAM transferred to much-slower system RAM
4. Launch Skyrim, and start a new game. Once loaded and the sound starts and the FPS counter appears, hit the FRAPS benchmark hotkey (F11 by default).
5. Let the game progress up to the first autosave just after jumping down off the cart, and press the FRAPS benchmark hotkey again to stop benchmarking. Total time since first depressing the benchmark hotkey will be approximately 240 seconds.
6. Quit the game and go to the GPU-z log. Identify the point in the log where the GPU Core Clock first maxes out and find the point beyond which the GPU Load values and the Dedicated Memory max and become fairly consistent (it should be around 10-40 rows from the top of the file). Delete all preceding rows (keep the header row!).
7. Move down to the end of the file and locate the point at which the GPU Load and Dedicated Memory begin to recede again (signifying loading the menue and quitting the game). Delete all rows after this point. The GPU-z log file is now trimmed of noisy data.
8. There are many ways to do this, but get GPU-z log data into a spreadsheet program and calculate the mean and standard deviation for:
   • GPU Load
   • GPU Temperature
   • Memory Usage (Dedicated)
   • Memory Usage (Dynamic)
9. Open the Fraps FPS log, and copy that column into the GPU-z spreadsheet.
10. Download this example spreadsheet as an actual working example.

1.E. Install Utilities

1.E.2. Better Oblivion Sorting Software

Better Oblivion Sorting Software (BOSS) is the recommended utility for managing mod plugins for Skyrim and is compatible with most mod managers. Download BOSS and install according to the instructions provided by the author.

1.E.3. BOSS Userlist Manager

Boss 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.4. 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.

• Wrye Bash

Wrye Bash (WB) is perhaps the most powerful mod-management utility, and is full of features for both modders and advanced mod authors alike. A fairly comprehensive mod-maintenance process is presented in the Wrye Bash Guide and presented in a context that applies to STEP. Presently, Wrye Bash lacks a Nexus-compatible-mod-update management system, so this will need to be managed by the user. Mod updates are not necessary for STEP though, and it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that regular STEP users avoid updating single mods piecemeal. This is the kind of thing that the STEP mod testing team works on for upcoming releases, and troubleshooting issues related to mod updates takes resources away from supporting others that are using supported versions of mods. (The mod testers are specifically encouraged to use Wrye Bash as the preferred management utility to simplify information exchange, although MO is another option).

• Mod Organizer

Mod Organizer (MO) is a feature-rich management utility that utilizes data virtualization to keep your Skyrim folder pristine. See the Mod Organizer Guide to learn more. MO does keep track of mod updates on the Nexus, and is as accurate as long as the Nexus metadata is current.

• Nexus Mod Manager

Nexus Mod Manager (NMM) is a mod-management utility from Blacktree Gaming, the owners of the Nexus sites, and provides a convenient download manager, and mod tracker. The Nexus Mod Manager (NMM) Guide By TheStigma provides good instructions for using this tool.

1.F. INI Tweaks

INI 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.

Go to "Documents/My Games/Skyrim" or "My Documents/My Games/Skyrim" (depending on Operating System) and find Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPref.ini. Make a backup of the files. 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 INI

Go to the bottom of the Skyrim.ini and create the following:

Increases the distance arrows fly. (From "Arrows and Bolts Tweaks").

[Actor]
fVisibleNavmeshMoveDist=12288.0000

Places the camera just above your character's head in third-person view, and correct the camera angle in third-person view while on horseback. (From "Third Person Horse Camera"). Provides instant camera-angle switching when switching view types or when mounting/dismounting your horse. (from "Instant Camera POV Switching").

[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

Speeds up the book opening animation, and move the HUD elements closer to the borders of the screen.:

[Interface]
fBookOpenTime=200.0

fSafeZoneX=10
fSafeZoneY=10
fSafeZoneXWide=10
fSafeZoneYWide=10

Add the following under [Combat]:

Shifts the point of aim to the center of the aiming reticule for arrows and crossbows (with this setting targets will be hit where the cursor is placed at approximately 100 feet from the target).

f1PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7
f3PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7
f1PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7
f3PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7

Add the following under [Display]:

Fixes the shadow flickering issue. Shadow flickering is caused by updating sun shadows.

fSunShadowUpdateTime=0
fSunUpdateThreshold=2.0

Increases the time that blood decals remain visible (tweak from “Enhanced Blood Textures” mod).

fDecalLifetime=512.0

Helps reduce Z-fighting, but may increase clipping, especially with a higher field of view. See Gopher's More Z-fighting video for more information and examples.

fNearDistance=18.0000

Add the following under [General]:

Disables the annoying intro sequence.

sIntroSequence=DISABLED.BIK

Prevents crashes when loading into a large interior area.

iLargeIntRefCount=262144

Helps prevent lighting “pop-in” by pushing back the distance at which the flicker/pulse animation loops begin.

fFlickeringLightDistance=8192

1.F.2. SkyrimPrefs INI

Modify the following under [Controls]:

Disable mouse acceleration.

bMouseAcceleration=0

Add the following under [Decals]:

Enables higher resolution blood decals on NPCs.

bDecalsOnSkinnedGeometry=1

Modify the following values under [Display]:

Valid values range from 0 - 7. Lower values will sharpen shadows (not the resolution), making vegetation more "vibrant." It gives a subtle increase in performance, but also gives more pixelated and striping effects to shadows. Higher values will make shadows softer and more blurred. Consider a value of zero if using ENB.

iBlurDeferredShadowMask=2

Enables shadows rendering on trees.

bTreesReceiveShadows=1

If running Extreme STEP using 'Ultra' setting for shadow shadow quality to in 1.B.1, this tweak will further improve shadow resolution at a performance cost. Consider also raising 'iShadowMapResolutionSecondary' to 4096 on high-end machines. For Performance or Baseline STEP, do not change the default values for either of these settings.

iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=4096
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=2048

Improves the blood decals number per scene (from “Enhanced Blood Textures”).

iMaxDecalsPerFrame=256

ENB users ONLY! Enabling these without an ENB will decrease performance with no visual impact and possibly introduce excessive shadow striping.

bDrawLandShadows=1
bFloatPointRenderTarget=1

Modify the following under [TerrainManager]:

Helps reduce Z-fighting, but may increase clipping, especially with a higher field of view. See Gopher's More Z-fighting video for more information and examples.

fBlockMaximumDistance=500000
fBlockLevel1Distance=140000
fBlockLevel0Distance=75000
fSplitDistanceMult=4.0

Modify the following under [MAIN]:

Also helps reduce Z-fighting. See Gopher's More Z-fighting video for more information and examples.

fSkyCellRefFadeDistance=500000.0000

Benchmark

Reminder - Essential Guides

The following guides form the base from which STEP builds and provide details on many of the topics mentioned in this Guide.

1. Skyrim Installation Guide (SIG) – Comprehensive installation and configuration guide to Skyrim and its DLCs, mods, extensions, and utilities.
2. Wrye Bash Guide (WBG) – A practical, hands-on introduction to Wrye Bash using STEP as a working example.
3. Mod Organizer Guide (MOG) – A WIP with some advice and troubleshooting suggestions.

Final Notes

A Final Consideration

Install 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:

"When you play Skyrim with a mod, in most cases, the new data for the mod will be written into any new saved games you create. For example, if you play Skyrim with Mod X and create a save, the next time you load that save, the game will expect Mod X to also be loaded. If you no longer want to play Skyrim with Mod X, it is best to unload Mod X (by unchecking the plugin under Data Files in your Skyrim launcher) and loading a save that does not require Mod X, usually an older save or a backed up save."

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

Mod Installation

	Mod Name	Baseline	Performance Options	DLC Required	Notes
	Mod Name	Baseline		DG	Notes

	Core Mod	Core mods are indicated by the presence of a green vertical bar in the row at the immediate left-hand column of the table.
	Mod Name	Nexus mod name (where applicable) presented as a link links to Nexus for download.
		Link to the mod's Wiki page.
	Baseline	This notes the STEP Baseline version or option of the corresponding mod.
	Performance Options	Indicates if there are performance-friendly or performance-unfriendly versions of the mod relative to the Baseline recommendation:
		Relative to Baseline, a lower quality, less demanding version of the mod is also available.
		Relative to Baseline, a higher quality, more demanding version of the mod is also available.
		Relative to Baseline, both lower and higher quality versions of the mod are available.
	DLC Required	Any DLCs listed here are required for the mod to function. If all DLCs listed are not present do not use this mod.
	Notes	Brief notes that apply to the mod or installation. In some cases, mods with many alternative options will include a suggested option. These suggestions will take the form of: "STEP recommends 'Option A'." In other cases, there may only be one appropriate alternative option that fits the STEP Mandate. These instructions will take the form of: "Use 'Option A'."

Template:Notice

2.A

No mods defined.

2.B

No mods defined.

2.C

No mods defined.

2.D

No mods defined.

2.E

No mods defined.

2.F

No mods defined.

Benchmark

2.G

No mods defined.

2.H

No mods defined.

2.I

No mods defined.

2.J

No mods defined.

2.K

No mods defined.

2.L

No mods defined.

2.M

No mods defined.

Benchmark

Post-Installation Housekeeping

Once all mods have been installed and are ready to play, be certain to either:

• Start a brand new character, or
• load the save game generated just after character creation if it exists, or
• load an existing character after clean saving the relevant save game.

STEP 3

Tips & Troubleshooting Common Issues

3.A. Technical Tips

The 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 STEP

A 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:

• Try using SSAO (using video driver settings) for better quality graphics and note the performance hit.
• Use one of the STEP-recommended ENB configurations.
• Make sure Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini are writable and, using the Skyrim Launcher, max out ...

1. • anti-aliasing
   • anisotropic filtering
   • view distances
   • shadow quality
   • texture quality

3.A.2. Fix game launch crash after installing STEP

For crashes to desktop (CTDs),

• Set the Skyrim executable "TESV.exe" to run as administrator (right click TESV.exe > Properties > Compatibility > Check Run this program as administrator).
• If using RCRN or any other FXAA-Injector/ENB mod, turn off any on-screen display programs and monitoring tools such as Fraps, ATI Tray Tools, MSI Afterburner, GPU-Z, etc.
• Get the latest DirectX runtime installed.

3.A.3. Defrag the Hard Drive

For 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 Auslogics Disk Defrag and Puran Defrag Free Edition. Do NOT defrag an SSD as it will detrimentally affect its lifetime.

3.A.4. Semi-Invisible People & Misbehaving Walls

Be 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 Performance

If 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:

• Disable SSAO or Supersampling AA (or both) if enabled.
• Reduce shadow quality from the Skyrim Launcher.
• Install the performance-friendly versions of textures where applicable.
• Consider texture optimization.
• Reduce The [View Distance] settings in the game launcher (see 1.B.1).

3.A.7. Texture Shimmering, Etc.

Refer to the Z-Fighting Guide.

3.B. In-Game Tips

The 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 Loading

This is a likely indicator that VRAM is too often operating at or beyond capacity (see 3.A.6).

User Contributions

How YOU Can Help

STEP 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.

Thank you for reading and enjoy the game!

Special Credits

The STEP administrators would sincerely like to thank (from the bottoms of our fuzzy little hearts):

• The authors of mods recommended in STEP
• The core STEP Community for feedback, suggestions and input
• The STEP beta testers ... for their good humor and rigorous analyses
• The Nexus community
• Bealdwine, EisDrache & MontyMM - site founders on indefinite leave (we hope you guys are well!)
• Outstanding v2.2.1 contributors - Techangel85, Neovalen, rpsgc, Besidilo, JudgementJay, torminater, Kelmych, Korentin & Mothergoose729
• Bethesda Softworks for Skyrim (and TES in general)

The core STEP team is:

• Farlo - Mediawiki developer & extraordinaire, Mod-list co-compiler, forums admin, site founder
• frihyland - Solutions developer (Thunderbolt), mod extraordinaire, site founder
• stoppingby4now - Main site developer, Semantic Mediawiki developer & extraordinaire, site founder
• TheCompiler - STEP creator, mod-list extraordinaire
• z929669 - Wiki & forums content editor, main site administrator, hosting maintenance, site founder
• EMPTY SLOTS WAITING TO BE FILLED BY ESTABLISHED & DEDICATED COMMUNITY MEMBERS!

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