SkyrimSE:0.1.0

SkyrimSE v0.1.0

Changelog   |   Release Date: June 11, 2017

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This guide is out of date and is NOT supported!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

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About STEP

A Foreword

Originally created by TheCompiler, Skyrim Total Enhancement Project (STEP) is a collaborative Skyrim modding project with input from the modding community, technical volunteers, and project administrators. Our goal is to provide tested and validated methods for establishing and maintaining an enhanced modded Skyrim. We do this by providing various guides for tools and modding elements, such as post-processors, and by providing a place for structured help and support.

The fruits of this labor is formed under Step Modifications by way of the our modding Guides, which provide detailed, well-tested build instructions for solid modding templates. New modders can follow these Guides explicitly to achieve an enhanced, vanilla experience, or more experienced modders may use them as general guides to build a foundation from.

The Step Modification 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. Engage and enjoy a warm welcome and plenty of high-quality support from a large community of experienced users.

- Visit the forums and provide feedback related to STEP.
- Follow us at our Step Modifications Facebook page.
- To support hosting and maintenance of our Community Project, contributions are welcomed.

Nomenclature

The following nomenclature is used throughout this guide and should be understood before proceeding.

• Baseline: An installation of a mod using the recommend file option listed within the Baseline column of the mod tables below.
• STEP Patches: A "patch" is a plugin that allows two or more mods to work together without conflicting. The "STEP Patches" are such plugins, but allow all of the mods in the STEP Guide to work harmoniously together. Some users refer to this as a "conflict resolution patch" or "CR Patch".

Minimum System Requirements

We recommend the following hardware configuration for running a STEP SE Core installation at a resolution of 1920x1080. The minimum requirements will allow most users to install and run the Baseline options, which are Skyrim SE's recommended requirements. The recommended requirements for this Guide will allow most users to install and run a modded setup beyond that of the Baseline options (higher quality options). For users wishing to use high quality options at resolutions higher than 1920x1080, be advised that a more powerful system will likely be required.

Hardware	Minimum	Recommended
Windows OS	Windows 7 64-bit or later	Windows 7 64-bit or later
CPU	Intel Core i5-2400 or equivalent	Intel Core i5-4430 or equivalent
System RAM	8 GB	8 GB or higher
GPU	Nvidia GTX 780 3GB / AMD R9 290 4GB	Nvidia GTX 970 or equivalent or better
Monitor Resolution	1920x1080	1920x1080 or higher

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STEP 1

Game & Tool Installation

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Game Installation and Modding Setup

Users should already have the game installed before continuing this Guide. Users installing a game guide from Step Modifications are recommended to follow our System Setup Guide before doing so. Our game guides are written with the expectation of the linked setup process already being completed. Users deviating from our recommendations will need to adjust the instructions in our guides accordingly.

The second major change comes as new installation options. Users will have the choice between installing MO2 as "standalone" or "portable". It’s purely an individual preference which method to use, unless Merge Plugins is going to be utilized. Merged Plugins will currently only work when MO2 is installed and used in “portable” mode. Merged Plugins will not be used in this Guide. Since Step Modifications recommends the use of “standalone” applications for all the tools we use, including MO2. Our game guides are designed around using MO2 with "Instances". This allows MO2 is run one install for all the games it supports. Users should decide how they wish to use MO2 before continuing; keeping in mind the space requirements mentioned in our System Setup Guide.

Mod Organizer 2

Mod Organizer 2 is the successor to Mod Organizer, and is now the official mod manager for all the Step Modification game guides. It supports both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Bethesda games. The major changes it brings are the return of the normal plugin/BSA relationship and the application’s installation options. Normal plugin/BSA relationship meaning, users will no longer be able to load BSAs without loading the corresponding plugin as they did with MO. The plugins must be active for the BSAs to load. This is the normal behavior the game expects.

Tools Installation and Setup

Step Modification recommends the tools for modding be installed and setup as “standalone” applications, when possible. This means a tool is installed once and used for all games. Most of the modding tools used already have this feature built in and some are meant to be used as such. Following this recommendation will also reduce redundant tool installations; thus, saving hard drive space, and is more organized. The instructions throughout this Guide will assume the tools are installed as “standalone” applications. However, users are free to set up their tools as they see fit.

Tool Installation

Users should install the tools to the location created while following the System Setup Guide (i.e., ..\Modding\Tools\). Install the following tools to that location:

No mods defined.

The Modding folder structure should now reflect:

• ..\Modding\Mod Organizer 2
• ..\Modding\Steam (optional; may be installed elsewhere)
• ..\Modding\Tools
  • ..\Tools\BethINI
  • ..\Tools\DynDOLOD SE
  • ..\Tools\LOOT
  • ..\Tools\Wrye Bash SE
  • ..\Tools\xEdit

STEP 2

Tool Configuration

Mod Organizer 2 - Configuration

Profile Setup

MO2 should already be installed, per the instructions above during Tools Installation. Now, users will take advantage of MO2's profile feature by creating/editing two profiles for use during this Guide:

1. Launch MO2, choosing the Skyrim SE instance.
2. On the default profile, arrange the mods in the left pane in the following order:
   • DLC: Dawnguard
   • DLC: HearthFires
   • DLC: Dragonborn
3. Click the Configure Profiles button on the menu bar.
4. Select the “Default” profile and click “Rename”.
5. Rename this profile to “Vanilla Skyrim” or something similar and select “OK”.
6. Ensure the renamed profile is still selected and click “Copy”.
7. Name the new profile "STEP SE Core v3.0.0", or anything similar.
8. Close the window by clicking “Close”.
9. Ensure that the "STEP SE Core" profile is the currently selected profile in the "Profile" drop-down menu.

Tool Setup

The final step of setting up MO2 is to add all the tools to it, which were install earlier in the guide. Some tools will have been auto-detected and added for the user. For the example below, xEdit is used:

1. Click the “Executables” button at the top of the main Mod Organizer window.
2. In the "Title" field type "SSEEdit" or "xEdit".
3. In the "Binary" field either type the path to the the “TES5Edit64.exe” file or find and select the executable using [...] button.
4. Check the “Use Application’s Icon for shortcuts” box.
5. In the Argument field type in: -SSE
6. Click the Add button and xEdit will appear in the list.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 this for DynDOLOD64.exe, TexGen64.exe, TES5Edit64QuickAutoClean.exe, and WryeBash.exe; replacing the appropriate fields with the appropriate data (see next step).
8. Since the tools are being used as standalone applications, ensure the following arguments are entered into the Argument field for:
   • DynDOLOD: -SSE
   • LOOT: --game="Skyrim Special Edition"
   • TES5EditQuickAutoClean: -SSE
   • TexGen: -SSE
   • Wrye Bash: -o “<path to SkyrimSE.exe>”
     • (i.e., -o “..\\Modding\\Steam\\steamapps\\common\\Skyrim Special Edition” )
     • Note the double backslashes used here! They are important!
9. When complete, close the window by clicking the Close button.

BethINI Setup

BethINI needs to be set up to run for the current profile in MO2 and ran to establish solid INIs before beginning the mod installations. To do this:

1. Close MO2 and run BethINI.
2. Select Skyrim Special Edition from the game selection box.
3. Go to the Setup tab
   • Ensure the Game Path is correct (i.e., ..\Modding\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition).
   • Ensure the Mod Organizer path is correct (i.e., ..\Modding\Mod Organizer 2).
   • If the MO path is correct, the INI Path menu will find the user’s profile in MO2. Select the profile created earlier in the Guide (STEP SE Core v3.0.0).

At this time BethINI should restart to grab the correct INIs. Once it is restarted:

1. Return to the Setup tab.
   • BethINI will be used for multiple games from a single installation, thus users should check the “Always Select Game” box.
   • To prevent changes to the INIs, check the “Make INIs Read-Only” box.
2. Select the Basic tab.
   • Ensure the Window Resolution matches the system resolution.
   • Click the Medium profile button (this can be changed at the end of the Guide).
   • Check the box for “Recommended Tweaks”.
3. Now Save and Exit.

Users now have a minimal setup for the game INIs for testing and running the game during the mod installations. Once all mods have been installed, BethINI will be ran again to complete the INI setup.

STEP 3

Cleanup and Considerations

LOOT

At any time during the mod installation process LOOT should be used to sort plugin load order before running the game. This is necessary to ensure proper plugin priority (load order), which can have a dramatic impact on the game. To sort with LOOT:

1. Launch LOOT via Mod Organizer 2 from the executables drop-down menu.
2. Click the “Sort” button at the top of the LOOT window.
3. Examine the resulting order carefully and look for any alerts or warnings and address each (clean any mods it says has ITMs or UDRs)
4. Click the “Apply” button, which has replaced the Sort button at the top.
5. Close LOOT.

LOOT must be run any time a mod is installed that adds one or more plugins to the load order.

Up to this point, users should only have the following plugins, in the order listed:

1. Skyrim.esm
2. Update.esm
3. Dawnguard.esm
4. HearthFires.esm
5. Dragonborn.esm

If the plugins are not in the order listed, run LOOT now.

Cleaning Vanilla Master Files

To remove errors in the Bethesda master files, it is recommended they be cleaned with xEdit before modding begins. This ensures maximum stability and compatibility within the modding experience.

Standard Cleaning Procedures

1. Run xEdit64 Quick Auto Clean from the drop-down executable list in MO2.
2. On the plugin selection window, double-click on the mod being cleaned (i.e., Update.esm, Dawnguard.esm, etc).
3. xEdit will now automatically clean the "Identical to master" and "deleted" records from the selected mod.
4. Once xEdit is done cleaning, click the X in upper right of the program window to close the program.
5. At the prompt, check the box next to the mod that was cleaned and the Backup Plugins box. Click OK to close the tool.

After the vanilla master files are cleaned, users should create separate mods for them in MO2 and restore the original files. This prevents users from having to re-clean the file after verifying their files in Steam. To do this, complete the following:

1. Right-click in the modlist. Hover over All Mods and select Create empty mod, name it “MasterName.esm - Cleaned” (i.e., Update.esm - Cleaned), and click OK.
2. On the new mod listing that appears, right-click and select Open in explorer. Leave this folder opened.
3. Open the Skyrim Special Edition Data directory (i.e., ..\Modding\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\Data)
4. Drag and drop the cleaned master file from Data to the "MasterName.esm - Cleaned" folder from step 2.
5. Open the TES5Edit Backups folder found in Overwrite in MO2 (bottom of modlist) and rename the file to “MasterName.esm”.
6. Drag and drop the renamed file from the TES5Edit Backups folder to the Data directory and choose to overwrite it, if asked.
7. Close the explorer windows.
8. Drag and drop the new MasterName.esm - Cleaned mod listing in MO2 directly below its vanilla master mod listing.

Update.esm, Hearthfires.esm, Dragonborn.esm

Follow the standard cleaning procedures to clean these master files, one at a time. Place the “MasterName.esm - Cleaned” mod listing for each below its vanilla master listing. Update.esm will not be listed in MO2 and Update.esm - Cleaned is placed at the top of the modlist.

Dawnguard.esm

Follow the standard cleaning procedures to clean Dawnguard.esm; however, it is a special case and must be cleaned twice. Therefore, once the first cleaning is complete, repeat the process a second time before continuing to the manual cleaning below.

Once the automatic cleaning is complete, Dawnguard also has some manual cleaning required. To do this, visit this topic on AFKMods and complete the section under “Dawnguard.esm needs manual cleaning as well as automatic cleaning”. Return here when those three (3) steps are completed: link

After the manual cleaning is complete, create the mod listing as directed above and place the “Dawnguard.esm - Cleaned” mod listing directly below Dawnguard.esm.

At this point, the Bethesda masters should be cleaned and the modlist order should reflect:

1. Updated - Cleaned .esm
2. DLC: Dawnguard.esm
3. Dawnguard - Cleaned.esm
4. DLC: HearthFires.esm
5. HearthFires - Cleaned.esm
6. DLC: Dragonborn.esm
7. Dragonborn - Cleaned.esm

Understanding the STEP Patches

A “conflict resolution” patch, or CR Patch, is a plugin that resolves conflicts between various active plugins. They allow users to use various mods together without any major issues, while still achieving the desired outcome from the mods. The STEP Patches are CR patches and more.

The STEP Patches are CR Patches built specifically for the modlist within this Guide. They are required to run the Guide without issues; providing conflict resolution between various mods. Additionally, the patches provide both mod integration and custom edits surrounding the use of specific mods. This means the patches are one part CR patch and one part mod.

Users should decide now, before installing any mods, whether or not they will be using the STEP Patches or creating their own. This decision will be referenced during mod installations below. Users who decide to install the STEP Patches will do so after the mod installations.

We do not offer support for unpatched mod installations!

STEP Patches Requirements - We recommend keeping the forum topic from the link open for referencing the list of required mods. This is helpful for users deciding whether or not to install a mod that may be required by the Patches.

Finally, we offer the following options in regards to Patches:

• STEP SE Core - CR Patch
  • patches the entire STEP SE Core modlist besides the Lighting & Weather mod group.
• STEP SE Core - Lighting & Weather Patch
  • patches the mods listed within the Lighting & Weather mod group with the rest of the STEP SE Core modlist.
  • this is provided as a separate patch for users wanting to customize their own lighting and weather setup.

STEP 4

STEP SE Core Modlist

At this point users should have their systems fully set up and ready to install mods from the modlist below. Users who are unaware of how to complete mod installations using Mod Organizer 2 should return to that Guide and refresh their knowledge. When installing mods from the list below, keep the following in mind:

• Mods should be installed in the order that they are listed to ensure other mods further down the list overwrite those occurring before them. This is necessary to ensure the desired in-game effect.
• Mods are listed in alphabetical order within each section and any deviations from this are purposeful to achieve the desired outcome.
• Always install plugins (ESLs/ESMs/ESPs) unless otherwise noted.
• If there are no notes associated with a particular mod, then all options fit the our mandate and it's the user's decision which option to install. Mod notes only provide instructions where necessary; otherwise, STEP encourages user customization.
• Unless otherwise stated, follow LOOT's advice in regards to mod cleaning and sorting.

Mod Table Reference

Below is the legend and reference for the mod tables used in this Guide. Users should refer back to it when confused about a mod listing.

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

Legend

	Core Mod	STEP:Core mods are indicated by the presence of a green vertical bar in the row at the immediate left-hand column of the table before the mod name. A STEP:Extended installation includes these mod PLUS all the remaining mods in the list.
	Mod Name	Shortened version (where applicable) of Nexus mod name presented as a link to Nexus for download.
		Link to the mod's wiki page, which includes various information about the mod.
	Baseline	This notes the STEP Baseline version or option of the corresponding mod that should be installed, and usually refers to options affecting performance/quality. General suggestions are located in the "Notes" column; see below.
	Quality Options	Indicates if there are lower or higher quality options for 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. Do not install the mod, unless all DLCs listed are present. During mod installation instructions, STEP assumes a Legendary version of the game is being used (all DLC are installed).
	Notes	Brief notes that apply to the mod or installation. In some cases, mods with several 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 option, which fits the STEP Mandate. These instructions will take the form of: "Use 'Option A'." Users will also see links displayed as: Detailed instructions available. Users should follow these links to find detailed instructions for installing the mod.

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STEP 1

Pre-Installation Setup

1.A. Install Steam & Skyrim

Detailed Information --> Skyrim Installation Guide

1.B. Initialize the Game

Detailed Information --> Skyrim Launcher Guide

As a prerequisite to installing the remainder of this Guide:

1. Launch Skyrim from Steam to initialize the auto-detection process and accept the preset provided. Users will customize these settings below.
2. Launch the game to the main menu and then exit to desktop. This completes the required game initialization steps.

1.C. Install Utilities

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A mod-management utility is REQUIRED in order to easily keep track of a complex mod setup like STEP. These utilities also make it far simpler to deconstruct a STEP install in order to update to a new STEP version and to update to newer versions of the mods. This is impossible to do simply or efficiently without a mod manager.

There are a two mod managers that can be used to manage the STEP setup; however, to simplify Guide maintenance/support for staff and mod management for users, the STEP Guide only officially supports Mod Organizer. Although Wrye Bash is also mod manager, STEP recommends that it only be used for the functionality of creating the Bashed Patch. The reason for the limited support of Wrye Bash is, again, due to simplifying this Guide. Users who wish to use Wrye Bash may do so to install and maintain STEP, however, unless these users are experienced in modding, these users may find it difficult to install this Guide. Wrye Bash users can use the Wrye Bash Guide for detailed instructions on setting it up as a modding utility package. Wrye Bash users should also be aware that support may be limited when seeking help on the forums due to Wrye Bash not being the officially supported mod manager.

No mods defined.

1.D. INI Tweaks

Detailed Information --> Skyrim Configuration Settings Guide

The INI tweaks from previous versions of the Guide have been replaced with the BethINI utility listed in section "1.C Install Utilities". If you did not set up BethINI per the mod page instructions, please return there and so so now. For more advanced information about INI settings, please see the "Detailed Information" link below the header above.

1.E. Display & Video Card Settings

Often under-appreciated, display and driver settings have a huge potential impact on the graphic quality of games and anything else displayed on the monitor in 2D or 3D, so it is important to get these settings done correctly. Below are listed only the essential settings. No further tweaking is necessary beyond them. It is highly recommended that only the bare minimal tweaking be done here until after the Guide is installed and configured according to the Baselines provided.

Update Video Drivers

If there is any reason to believe that the latest drivers installed are not installed correctly and are causing issues, then complete the following instructions. Else, simply install the latest drivers as normal.

1. Download the latest stable AMD drivers / Nvidia drivers.
2. Download DDU and install it (DDU forum Page).
3. Restart the system and boot into safe mode by repeatedly pressing F8 once the boot check initializes and before the OS begins loading (no need to uninstall the current drivers, but it will not hurt at all).
   • If using UEFI while using Windows 8 or later, go to to your power options and while holding down the Shift key, press restart. This will open the advanced menu where you can select to boot into safe mode.
4. Launch DDU, and select the appropriate driver from the drop-down combobox.
5. Note the recommendations in DDU and initialize the cleanup.
6. Reboot normally and install the latest drivers.

1.E.1. Configure Driver Settings

STEP has more detailed information in both the AMD-CCC guide as well as the Nvidia Inspector guide, and other AMD-CCC and Nvidia Inspector / Control Center guides exist for the inquisitive user. The following information is minimalistic, sound advice, and users are encouraged to add their own 2 cents for consideration via the AMD-CCC Talk and Nvidia Inspector Talk pages.

In Short - The graphics software should only be forcing max Anisotropic Filtering (AF). All other settings should be left to the Skyrim configuration (see above) and ENBoost configurations (see below).

1.E.1.1. AMD Users

Detailed Information --> Catalyst Control Center Guide (for old driver versions)
Detailed Information --> Radeon Settings

AMD users should read one of the above guides to correctly configure their driver graphics settings.

1.E.1.2. Nvidia Users

Detailed Information --> Nvidia Inspector Guide: Editing Skyrim Settings

Make the following changes via Nvidia Inspector, otherwise leave the defaults (they can be tweaked later if absolutely necessary).

1. Download Nvidia Inspector. This is a portable program and requires no installation. Simply place in a convenient location and create a shortcut to the executable.
2. Launch nvidiaProfileInspector.exe.
3. In the "Profiles" bar, select the "Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" profile and keep all of the default settings except for the following changes:

1. Ensure Antialiasing - Mode is set to [Application-controlled]. If set to [Override], AA will be turned off in Skyrim, regardless of the Skyrim INI setting!
2. Force Anisotropic filtering:
   1. Set Anisotropic filtering mode to [User-defined / Off]
   2. Set Anisotropic filtering setting to [16x]
3. Click [Apply changes] at the top of the windows twice and then close.

1.E.2. Display Calibration

Color calibration is critical to photographers and graphic artists who work across media types, but it is also equally important for gamers. This is because there is a lot of screenshot sharing and qualitative discussion about in-game visuals. It is ideal if all users' systems are somewhat 'standardized' for comparative purposes alone. However, with that said, all monitors will be slightly different in their accuracy of displaying colors.

The gist: Calibrate the monitor's display settings based on the video driver configuration utility with all other configuration baselines set to something akin to "mid level".

There are three places to configure color saturation, temperature, brightness, contrast, gamma, etc:

1. The monitor's built-in configuration menu
2. Windows color management
3. The driver configuration utility (see "Configure Driver Settings" above)

The value of one setting can affect the appearance of other settings, and depending on the quality of the monitor, #1 above could be very good or just 'OK'. The #2 and #3 objects should be standard though, since they are made to work across various monitors.

• Ensure that #1 above is set to "the middle ground" with respect to all settings. Having extreme settings in the monitor configuration could potentially constrain the other configurations. For some, setting all #1 values to mid levels will be best, but for the other options the 'auto-config' will be best (auto-config may not set all #1 values to mid settings). Depending on the monitor, there may be other auto-config options based on various presets. Whatever seems most "middle of the road" is probably best for option #1 above.
• Optionally, also run option #2 (Control Panel > Display > Calibrate Color) and set to 'vanilla' mid-levels with respect to all attributes. If this was never run previously, then it should already be at mid-levels.
• Calibrate using option #3 (see below) using a this reference image and in a room with no direct lighting that could affect what the monitor shows (not-too-bright, diffuse-lighted room). The main calibration should be done using option #3 once a mid baseline 'canvas' has been established for options #1 and #2.
  • AMD-CCC: |Desktop Management| > |Desktop Color| (click "Reactivate AMD color controls").
  • Nvidia Control Panel: Access from the Windows Control Panel. |Display| > |Adjust desktop color settings|

Final Pre-Installation Notes

A Final Consideration

• A STEP:Core installation is an installation of all, and only, the STEP:Core mods indicated in the tables below by a green bar to the left of the mod's name.

• Remember that STEP:Core can be used as a base for ANY modded setup. It is a universal build and will not spoil any downstream setup or Packs, although there may be a few minor redundancies whereby a STEP:Core mod is later installed again with some added or subtracted options.

• A STEP:Extended installation is an installation of all the mods listed below.

• Whether installing STEP:Core or STEP:Extended, install mods in the order that they are presented in the mod tables to achieve the correct result.

• Read the ReadMe files and other mod-related documentation that comes packaged with most mods. This also includes the mod description on 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 Patches

The STEP Patches are patches provided by STEP for the STEP:Core and STEP:Extended mod lists below. These patches resolve any conflicts between these mods which could cause issues if left unpatched. Users should decide now, before installing any mods, whether they will be installing STEP:Core or STEP:Extended and whether or not they will be using the STEP Patches. These two decisions now will be referenced later during mod installations. Deciding now will allow users to know which instruction sets to follow and will alleviate any confusion when these decisions arise. Users who decide to install the STEP Patches will do so at the end of the Guide during the STEP Compilation install.

All users should use one of the STEP Patches unless a custom patch will be made!
We recommend the use of the STEP Patches, even if users will be installing mods on top of a STEP build which require further patching. Using the STEP Patches will give these users a head start as most of the mods will already be patched for them. New users who are unfamiliar with the mod patching process are highly recommended to use the Patches.

• STEP Patches Requirements - It is recommended to keep the STEP Compilation topic open for reference to this list of required mods.
  • Users who decide they will not use the STEP Patches will need to install all relevant patches for mods listed on that topic. Take note of those plugins since they are not listed throughout the Guide.

Finally, we offer the following options in regards to the STEP Patches:

• Full STEP:Core Patch
• Full STEP:Extended Patch
• STEP:Core Patch without Enhanced Lighting for ENB (ELE) and/or Immersive Citizens AI Overhaul
• STEP:Extended Patch without Enhanced Lighting for ENB (ELE) and/or Immersive Citizens AI Overhaul

That is a total of eight (8) Patch options to choose from.

STEP 2

Mod Installation

2.A. LOOT Sorting

At any time during the mod installation process LOOT should be used to sort plugin load order before running the game. This is necessary to ensure proper plugin priority order (load order), which can have a dramatic impact on the game (or at worst cause a CTD). To sort with LOOT:

1. Launch LOOT via Mod Organizer from the executables drop-down menu.
2. Click the [Sort] button at the top.
3. Examine the resulting order carefully and look for any alerts or warnings and address each.
4. Click the [Apply] button which has replaced the Sort button at the top.
5. Close LOOT.

2.B. Cleaning Vanilla Master Files

To remove errors in the Bethesda master files, it is recommended they be cleaned with xEdit before modding begins. This ensures maximum stability and compatibility within the modding experience.

Standard Cleaning Procedures

1. Run xEditQC from the drop-down executable list in MO2.
2. On the plugin selection window, double-click on the mod being cleaned (i.ee, Update.esm, Dawnguard.esm, etc).
   • xEdit will now automatically clean up the "Identical to master" and "deleted" records from the selected mod.
3. Once xEdit is done cleaning, click the X at upper right of the program window.
4. At the prompt, check the box next to the mod that was cleaned and the Backup Plugins box. Click OK to close the tool.

After the vanilla master files are cleaned, users should create separate mods for them in MO2 and restore the original. This prevents users from having to re-clean the file after verifying their files in Steam. To do this, complete the following:

1. Right-click the Overwrite folder in MO2 and select Create Mod..., name it “MasterName.esm - Cleaned” (i.e., Update.esm - Cleaned), and click OK.
2. On the new mod listing that appears, right-click and select Open in explorer. Leave this folder opened.
3. Open the Skyrim Special Edition Data directory (i.e., C:\Modding\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\Data)
4. Drag and drop the just cleaned master file from Data to the "MasterName.esm - Cleaned" folder from step 2.
5. Open the TES5Edit Backups folder found in Overwrite in MO2 and rename the file to “MasterName.esm”.
6. Drag and drop the renamed file from the TES5Edit Backups folder to the Data directory and choose to overwrite it.
7. Close the explorer windows.
8. Drag and drop the new MasterName.esm - Cleaned mod listing in MO2 directly below its vanilla master mod listing.

Update.esm, Hearthfires.esm, Dragonborn.esm

Follow the standard cleaning procedures to clean these master files, one at a time. Place the “MasterName.esm - Cleaned” mod listing for each below it's vanilla master mod listing. Update.esm will not be listed in MO2 and Update.esm - Cleaned is placed at the top of the modlist.

Dawnguard.esm

Follow the standard cleaning procedures to clean Dawnguard.esm; however, it is a special case and must be cleaned twice. Therefore, once the first cleaning is complete, repeat the process a second time before continuing to the manual cleaning below.

Dawnguard also has some manual cleaning required. To do this, visit this topic on AFKMods and complete the section under “Dawnguard.esm needs manual cleaning as well as automatic cleaning”. Return here when those three (3) steps are completed: https://afkmods.iguanadons.net/index.php?/topic/4110-manual-cleaning-skyrim-and-skyrim-se-master-files/

After the manual cleaning is complete, create the mod listing as directed above and place the “Dawnguard.esm - Cleaned” mod listing directly below Dawnguard.esm.

No mods defined.

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2.O. Launching STEP:Skyrim

When ready to play for the first time after a STEP install, it is recommended to start a brand new character. In the past, we advised that users they could continue an existing save, but with recent mod updates, we feel it is imperative users start a new character.

LOOT Meta Rules

Once all mods have been installed, run LOOT one final time to ensure the correct plugin order is set. Ensure the rules below were not missed before creating the Bashed Patch! If any were missed, please apply them and re-run the Bashed Patch:

Mod Configuration Menu Settings

Coming soon...

STEP 3

Tips & Troubleshooting Common Issues

3.A. Troubleshooting Common Problems

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 30 or more FPS on average without any noticeable stuttering.

3.A.1. Failure to Launch

Skyrim still sometimes fails to launch, and the following are some of the most common causes and solutions:

• Improper load order - Run LOOT and examine the output. Plugins out of order or plugins with missing masters will cause this. LOOT will sort everything properly, but certain patches installed with certain mods included with STEP:Extended will not apply under a STEP:Core install, so these plugins need to be un-ticked in MO or WB plugin lists.
• Improper Bashed Patch - This can result from ticking options that are not explicitly mentioned in this guide, or it can result if the Bashed Patch was not rebuilt after a mod-list/order change.
• Bad INI settings - If Skyrim.ini or SkyrimPrefs.ini were edited in a way that was not described in STEP 1.D. (or if a fresh, default INI was not used as a baseline), certain settings can cause this issue. The quickest solution is to revisit that section and regenerate a fresh INI with the recommended settings.

3.A.2. Crashes to Desktop (CTD)

There are unfortunately many reasons for CTDs just after launch or shortly thereafter, but if this guide was followed precisely, STEP mods should not be the cause. Following are some common causes and solutions.

• Improper Load Order - Run LOOT and examine the output as in the previous section.
• Missing Masters - If an active plugin is missing its dependent master, a CTD will occur immediately. To fix, either locate the missing master and add it in or deactivate the plugin missing its master.
  • MO will show a red exclamation icon next to the plugin, while Wrye Bash will show a red checkbox next to the plugin.
• Improper Bashed Patch - See the previous section.
• Bad INI settings - Yep, see the previous section.
• Bad video settings or incompatible driver version - Revisit STEP 1.E. and verify settings, back them down to 'performance' options, or update to the proper video driver.
• Windows environment issue - This is highly possible and unfortunately too difficult to prescribe any remotely ubiquitous solution other than restarting the computer and checking for conflicting processes (e.g., anti-virus/maleware). Google is a friend to all in need.

3.A.3. Semi-Invisible People, Objects or Misbehaving Walls

Following are some solutions:

• Transparency Antialiasing - Turn off any transparency (adaptive) sampling if enabled under antialiasing settings of the graphics-driver software (see references under STEP 1.E.). Also, remember to download the latest graphic drivers.
• Bad INI settings - If using ENB, set bFloatPointRenderTarget=1 in the SkyrimPrefs.ini.

3.A.4. Stuttering

• Microstutter - This is an annoying 'glitchiness' when moving or panning for those using higher-end graphics cards (usually) or multiple GPUs in SLI or CrossfireX configs (purportedly). Follow the recommendations for ENBoost, noting in particular EnableVSync=true . If this does not resolve the issue:
  • Ensure that microstutter is not being confused with 'macro'-stutter, which is more severe and memory related. Remember: microstutter is very annoying, but not hindering in any way.
  • Try forcing vsync via Nvidia Inspector (Nvidia users) or RadeonPro (AMD users) ... sorry Intel users. Also (and this is very important), enable D3D-compatible triple buffering via RadeonPro. Nvidia Inspector users: D3D-compatible triple buffering is not available. Use D3Doverrider instead. This may also have a vsync function.
• Macrostutter - This is most likely the result of using textures and meshes that exceed the limits of GPU VRAM. ENBoost should prevent this in most cases, but certain user configurations and/or hardware may not behave as expected:
  • Verify ENBoost settings and graphics settings described under STEP 1.E.!
  • Re-install the most performance-friendly versions of mods as indicated by the "Quality Options" column of the mod tables above.
  • Consult the DDSopt Guide to learn how to optimize textures accordingly.
  • Finally, Un-install Skyrim Flora Overhaul, which is easily the most VRAM-intensive mod in STEP (although there are others under STEP 2.F. and STEP 2.G. in particular).
  • Enable windowed mode via ENBoost (instructions at bottom of mod page).

3.A.5. Texture Flickering, 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.
• ENBoost has a couple built in hotkeys that are helpful (can be adjusted in enblocal.ini section [INPUT]):
  1. Show FPS: [*] (on the numpad not shift+8)
  2. Free VRAM: [f4]
  3. Screenshot: print screen (Skyrim's screenshots do not work with ENB/ENBoost)
• Steam screenshots are [f12], but if using a keyboard with multimedia keys it could be [shift+f12].
  1. Be aware [shift+f12] is also the ENB Series Graphics hotkey to toggle the effects on/off. ENBoost ONLY users are not affected.

3.B.1. Optimize Field of View (FOV)

Prior to 2008, the most common monitor resolutions were 16:10 aspect ratio (source). Since then, 16:9 has become the standard. The Skyrim FOV defaults to 65 and is optimized for a monitor aspect ratio of 16:10. Therefore, users with 16:9 monitors (e.g. 1920x1080) will want to increase their FOV to 70.59. Setting this in the INI does not persist, so it must be done via the console. Within Skyrim, open the console (tap the tilde [~] key) and type: fov 70.59. Those rare and unfortunate users stuck with 4:3 aspect ratio will need to reduce their FOV down to 55.93.

A helpful conversion calculator can assist in calculation of other monitor types and aspect ratios. To use:

1. Change Resolution of single monitor to your total resolution (if using multiple monitors, use the combined resolution)
2. Change Number of monitors? to the number of monitors being used Across and Tall (e.g., if you only have 1, set both Across and Tall to 1. If you have 3 beside each other, set Across to 3 and Tall to 1. If you have 4 monitors arranged so that it is 2 by 2, set Across to 2 and Tall to 2.
3. Change Old Res or Ratio to 16:10.
4. Change Old hFOV to 65.
5. Your new optimized FOV value will be labeled New hFOV immediately below and to the right.

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.4).

STEP Packs

Community Add-ons

STEP Packs are generally intended to go over the STEP:Core build. Be certain to read the Pack instructions to determine what build the Pack is dependent upon.

Consider reviewing some of the Packs that our users have been developing to augment STEP.

STEP Packs

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 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 mod testing. More detail is presented in the Mod Testing Guide.

In order to suggest a mod, visit the Mods section of the STEP Forums.

Call for Wiki Content Editors

The 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 TechAngel85 via PM on the forums (Please register on the forums and see the very bottom of the Forum Team page).

Call for STEP Mod Testers

STEP community members interested in becoming testers, please contact TechAngel85 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 given by testers. Before deciding, read through the Mod Testing Guide to get a sense what mod testing involves.

Call for STEP Benchmarks

Users 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 Moderators

Regular STEP community members interested in becoming moderators, please contact TechAngel85 via PM on the forums (Please register on the forums and see the very bottom of the Forum Team page).

Thank you for reading and enjoy the game!

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 authors of mods who granted permission for their mods to be placed inside the STEP Compilation
• The core STEP Community for feedback, suggestions and input
• The STEP testers for their good humor and rigorous analyses
• The Nexus community
• Bethesda Softworks for Skyrim (and TES in general)
• Tannin for the gift that is Mod Organizer

The core STEP team is:

• EssArrBee - Release Coordinator, Fallout survivor, STEP Patches maintainer
• stoppingby4now - Lead Site Developer, administrator, Semantic Mediawiki developer & extraordinaire, site founder
• TechAngel85 - Lead Release Coordinator, Forum administrator, FOMOD extraordinaire
• z929669 - Wiki & forums content editor, administrator, hosting maintenance, site founder
• Other active volunteer staff: Aiyen, DoubleYou, Greg, GrantSP, GSDfan, hishutup, Kelmych, Nebulous112, phazer11, WilliamImm
• Honorary members: TheCompiler, Farlo, MontyMM, oqhansoloqo, rootsrat, torminater

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