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STEP v0.3.0b



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STEP operating expenses. May 03, 2020 Changelog | Release Date:

Notice: This is the Current version of the STEP Guide. Don't forget to visit STEP on the Nexus to endorse, if you are a returning user.

Please report any bugs or confusing instructions on the latest Bug Reports thread. Thanks and enjoy the guide!

STEP Skyrim SE Guide

Because we have been working towards a major website overhaul and guide methodology change since the last release (v2.10.0), we have been using "STEP 3.0" as an overarching term in reference to our new site, methodology, and guide(s). Details about the coming changes are on the forums, and we have refined the STEP:Mandate and some of the detail on our new direction. With the release of STEP 3.0, we will be releasing guide updates to Skyrim SE, exclusively. For our STEP Skyrim LE Guide, we will release a final update and continue to support it, but do not plan on releasing any updates beyond routine maintenance. Here, we present a beta release of the STEP Skyrim SE Guide v0.2.0b under our standard versioning scheme but distinct from that of our Skyrim LE guides.

There have been many changes, so check out the Changelog for all the fine details.

- Visit the forums and provide feedback related to STEP.

- Also follow STEP on Facebook.

- To support hosting and maintenance of the STEP Community Project, contributions are welcome.







About STEP

A Foreword

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 to achieve an enhanced, vanilla experience, or more experienced modders may use it as general guide from which to build a foundation.

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. Engage and enjoy a warm welcome and plenty of high-quality support from a large community of experienced members.



New to Modding?

We recommend that you ...

read through this Guide at least once before attempting installation.

follow all linked guides and read through them, as well.

There is a lot of information to absorb and learn in order to successfully build a modded game. We and the community, have brought together a lot of this information into guides as a free and hopefully convenient resource for all. New and experienced modders alike will find many answers within these guides and linked resources. This Guide is written in such a way that it expects users to know the basics of modding and related tools (e.g. mod managers, LOD optimizers, configuration utilities, etc.). However our support forums are always available for our users.

Nomenclature

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

'tick' means 'check' : Frequently, the word 'check' or 'checked' can mean 'ensure' in addition to "check mark", so 'check' is not used where it is synonymous with 'tick' to avoid any mistakes that can (and have) happened from this conflation.

: Frequently, the word 'check' or 'checked' can mean 'ensure' in addition to "check mark", so 'check' is not used where it is synonymous with 'tick' to avoid any mistakes that can (and have) happened from this conflation. Baseline : An installation of a mod using the recommend file option listed within the Baseline column of the mod tables below.

: An installation of a mod using the recommend file option listed within the 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 Skyrim SE 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 those 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 10 64-bit Windows 10 64-bit 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 / 4GB VRAM or higher Drive Space ~40 GBs ~50 GBs Monitor Resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080 or higher

Time Requirement

Users should be aware that it will usually take anywhere from several hours to a several days to complete this Guide from start to finish. Since this is a start to finish process, a recommend schedule for completing it is:

Day 1 : Steps 1 - 3 Day 2 : Step 4 Step 4 is installing all the mods. Depending on download speeds and previous modding knowledge, this step could span 1-3 days. Final Day : Finish the remainder of the Guide.

The overall message here is that STEP encourages users to always follow proper computer ergonomics when modding! Remember to take breaks and happy modding!







STEP 1

Game & Tool Installation

Game Installation and Modding Setup

Notice: Start Out Clean! It is particularly important for new users begin with clean installations of both Steam and Skyrim in order to be successful with the setup of this Guide the first time through.

PLEASE READ EACH SECTION BELOW CAREFULLY, as no information included in this Guide is irrelevant!

Before continuing with this Guide

Those who have not completed the System Setup Guide should stop and do so now. The STEP guide expects that all users have previously completed the steps in related guides or are at least familiar with those steps and ramifications of not having completed them.

Notice: Users deviating from our instructions and recommendations will need to reinterpret other instructions and recommendations in this guide accordingly. Make sure to note any such deviations for later reference.

Mod Organizer 2

Mod Organizer 2 is the successor to Mod Organizer, and is now the official mod manager for all STEP game guides. It supports both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Bethesda games. The major changes it brings are ...

A return to normal plugin/BSA relationship - 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, which is the intended behavior that the game expects. New MO2 installation options - Users will have the choice between installing MO2 in "standalone" or "portable" mode. Unless Merge Plugins is going to be utilized, it’s purely an individual preference. Merged Plugins will currently only work when MO2 is installed and used in “portable” mode. STEP recommends “standalone” mode for use with this guide. This allows us to design all of our game guides around using MO2's "Instances". This means one MO2 installation is used for all supported games. Users should decide how they wish to install and use MO2 before continuing; keeping in mind the space requirements mentioned in our System Setup Guide.







USERS This guide assumes that the reader is familiar with MO, so if that is not the case, please see the Mod Organizer Guide.

STEP 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 it's 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:





The "Modding" folder structure should now reflect:

../Modding/Steam (optional; may be installed elsewhere)

(optional; may be installed elsewhere) ../Modding/Tools ../Tools/BethINI Standalone ../Tools/DynDOLOD ../Tools/LOOT ../Tools/Mod Organizer 2 ../Tools/xEdit ../Tools/xLODGen







STEP 2

Tool Configuration

Mod Organizer 2 - Configuration

Initialization

STEP recommends using all applications as standalone programs, including Mod Organizer 2. The below instructions for MO2's first run reflect this. If MO2 is run in Portable mode, users will need to adjust the instructions as appropriate. To initialize Mod Organizer 2:

➕ Initialization Instructions

Launch MO2 by running its executable (e.g. ..Modding/Tools/Mod Organizer 2/ModOrganizer.exe ) Upon launch, users will have a choose between setting it up as portable or create a new instance. Choose [New - Create a new instance.] Select SkyrimSE from the drop-down and choose [OK] . A prompt will appear informing you about the option of changing the location of data stored. Read it and click [OK] . The installer should automatically detect the Skyrim SE installation (e.g. ..Steam/steamapps/common/Skyrim Special Edition ). Select it. If it didn't find the location, browse to to the Skyrim SE installation path. Another prompt will appear for first time installers asking to run the tutorial or not. First time MO users should run it for a quick lesson on MO. Experienced MO users can skip it. MO2 is now ready to use.

Settings

The only settings covered here are to enable MO to download mods from Nexus.

➕ Nexus Mods Connection

Open the MO settings by clicking on the Configure settings and workarounds icon. Click on the Nexus tab. Click the [Connect to Nexus] button under the Nexus Connection section. This opens a browser window to Nexus Mods. If necessary, login. Then click the [Authorize] button and close the window. Upon returning to MO window, users should find their Nexus account information populated. Click [OK] to close the settings window. If MO prompts a restart, let it.

Profile Setup

Now users will take advantage of Mod Organizer's profile feature by creating/editing two profiles for use during this Guide:

➕ Profile Setup Instructions

Launch MO2, choosing the Skyrim SE Instance. On the default profile, arrange the mods in the left pane in the following order: DLC: Dawnguard DLC: HearthFires DLC: Dragonborn Click the Configure Profiles button on the menu bar. Select the Default profile and click [Rename] . Rename this profile to Vanilla Skyrim or something similar Ensure the Use profile-specific Game INI Files box is ticked and select [OK] . Users can also tick Use profile-specific Save Games, if desired. Ensure the renamed profile is still selected and click [Copy] . Name the new profile STEP Skyrim SE , or anything similar. Tick the same boxes from step 6, above. Close the window by clicking [Close] . Users will likely see a window saying some INI files were missing and will be copied. This is normal.

If an error is displayed about missing "modlist.txt" files, restart MO (or do a system reboot if one hasn't been done yet). Ensure that the STEP Skyrim SE profile is the currently selected profile in the Profile drop-down menu.

Tool Setup

All tools installed in Step 1 should be added to MO2. Some tools will have been auto-detected and added already; however, ensure the settings below are set for all tools, regardless. xEdit is used for this example:

➕ Tool Setup Instructions

Click the [Configure the executables...] button at the top of the main Mod Organizer window. Over the left pane of the executables config, click the [+] to add a new executable, and then [Add from file...] . Navigate to the SSEEdit.exe file (e.g. ..Modding/Tools/xEdit/SSEEdit.exe ). This should auto-fill most of the fields. Change the title to xEdit. The following arguments can be helpful. Input them in the Arguments field separated by a single space: e.g. -IKnowWhatImDoing -SSE -AllowMasterFilesEdit

"-IKnowWhatImDoing": This turns off a warning presented when users make edits.

"-AllowMasterFilesEdit": By default xEdit will not allow master file editing. This allows users to edit these files. Click [Apply] . Repeat these steps to add the remaining executables as indicated in the table below:



Tool Setup Table

Executable Title Argument(s) SSEEdit.exe xEdit -IKnowWhatImDoing -SSE -AllowMasterFilesEdit SSEEditQuickAutoClean.exe xEditQuickAutoClean -SSE DynDOLOD64.exe DynDOLOD -SSE LOOT.exe LOOT --game="Skyrim Special Edition" TexGen64.exe (installed with DynDOLOD) TexGen -SSE xLODGen64.exe xLODGen -lodgen -sse -o:"C:\Modding\Tools\xLODGen\xLODGen_Output\"

Users can arrange their tools in any order they wish using the up and down buttons above the list. This will dictate the order they are listed in the MO "Run" dropdown menu. When complete, close the window by clicking the [OK] button.

BethINI Setup

BethINI needs to be run for the current MO2 profile to establish the INIs before beginning the mod installations. To do this:

➕ BethINI Initialization and Setup

Close MO2 and run BethINI (e.g. ..Modding/Tools/BethINI/BethINI.exe ). Select "Skyrim Special Edition" from the game selection box. Allow BethINI to handle custom INIs, if prompted. Go to the Setup tab Ensure the Game path is correct (e.g. ../Modding/Steam/steamapps/common/Skyrim Special Edition ).

path is correct (e.g. ). Ensure the Mod Organizer path is correct (e.g. ../Modding/Tools/Mod Organizer 2 ).

path is correct (e.g. ). For the INI Path , select Mod Organizer - STEP Skyrim SE from the drop-down menu. NOTE: This depends on the MO2 Profile Setup If BethINI does not automatically find the profiles, browse to MO2's /Profile folder. For 'instance' users, the profile will be stored in the user's /AppData folder (e.g. %LOCALAPPDATA%/ModOrganizer/STEP Skyrim SE/profiles/ )

, select from the drop-down menu. BethINI should restart whenever the INI path changes in order to associate the MO2 profile information. Return to the Setup tab. If BethINI will be used for multiple games from a single installation, the “Always Select Game” box should be selected. Select the Basic tab. Ensure the Window Resolution matches the system resolution.

matches the system resolution. The recommended Antialiasing is "TAA".

is "TAA". The other recommended options to tick are: Windowed Mode Borderless Vsync Lock Frame Rate NOTE: This reduces 'tearing' effects and is optional, depending on whether or not the graphics software is used to limit frame rate.

The [Medium] Preset is recommended as a baseline to avoid problems before initial testing when guide setup is complete (this can be changed at any time later).

Preset is recommended as a baseline to avoid problems before initial testing when guide setup is complete (this can be changed at any time later). Tick the box for Recommended Tweaks. Select the Detail tab. Untick Reflect Sky (water reflections are not accurate with respect to the LOD of most custom builds) Select the Visuals tab. Untick Improved Shader (introduces visual glitches and inconsistencies on snow) 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 run again to complete the INI setup.

Users should now relaunch Mod Organizer and ensure the STEP Skyrim SE profile is selected to continue with the Guide.





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. Users not running the game during the mod installation step of the Guide can wait to sort after this step is complete. To sort with LOOT:

Launch LOOT via Mod Organizer 2 from the executables drop-down menu at the top of the right pane.

Notice: --single-process If LOOT fails to start, try adding the following argument as described in Tools Setup Notice: If LOOT cannot find the game directory, add the path to ./Skyrim Special Edition folder to Installed Path under LOOT settings. Click the [Sort Plugins] icon at the top of the LOOT window. Several plugins will show warnings. The next section describes how to clean them up. Click [Apply] button, which has replaced the Sort button at the top. Close LOOT.





Notice: When running LOOT before completing the STEP Guide, additional warnings may be indicated. These will all be fixed by the end of this guide.



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

Skyrim.esm Update.esm Dawnguard.esm HearthFires.esm Dragonborn.esm

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

Cleaning Vanilla Master Files

To resolve potential issues later, the vanilla plugin masters should be cleaned with xEdit.

Clean the Masters

Vanilla masters should be cleaned in the following order:

Update.esm Dawnguard.esm Hearthfires.esm Dragonborn.esm

Standard Cleaning Procedures

➕ Toggle cleaning procedures...

Run xEditQuickAutoClean from the drop-down executable list in MO2. On the plugin selection window, double-click on the mod being cleaned (e.g. Update.esm). Once xEdit is finished, click [X] at upper right to close. A backup of the original plugin will automatically be saved into (e.g., ../xEdit Output/SSEEdit Backups ) inside of Overwrite at the bottom of the MO mod list (left) pane.

Follow the standard cleaning procedures to clean Update.esm, followed by Dawnguard.esm. Once Dawnguard is cleaned, complete the manual cleaning below...

➕ Toggle Dawnguard manual cleaning procedures...

Run xEdit from MO. At the prompt, double-click on Dawnguard.esm. Once loaded, type in 00016BCF in the FormID field (above the mod list) and hit [Enter/Return] . In the right pane, find the "XEZN - Encounter Zone" record. In the Dawnguard.esm column, right-click on the "RiftenRatwayZone [ECZN:0009FBB9]" entry and select [Remove] . If a prompt appears select Yes for each of these removals. In the FormID field again, type in 0001FA4C and hit [Enter/Return] . On the Dawnguard.esm column, right-lick on the "Dawnguard.esm" header and select [Remove] . In the FormID field again, type in 0006C3B6 and hit [Enter/Return] . On the Dawnguard.esm column, right-lick on the "Dawnguard.esm" header and select [Remove] . Now close xEdit. Ensure Dawnguard.esm is ticked in the pane, Backup plugins is ticked at the bottom of the prompted window and click [OK] .

Once Dawnguard's manual cleaning is complete, follow the standard cleaning procedures to clean Hearthfires.esm, and then finally, Dragonborn.esm.

Moving the Cleaned Files

After the vanilla master files are cleaned, they should be moved into the "Cleaned Vanilla Masters" mod in MO, and the original files should be restored into the 'real' "Data" directory in the game folder. This makes Steam happy when "validating" files so that it remains unaware of changes. To move the new files and restore the original files, complete the following:

➕ Toggle instructions

Cleaned Masters On the MO window, click the [Open list options...] button at the top of the left pane, next to the profile selection drop-down. Choose Create empty mod, name it Cleaned Vanilla Masters , and click [OK] . Move this mod up the MO mod list to just after "DLC: Dragonborn". Enable the new mod listing. In MO, hold Ctrl and double-click on the now-empty Cleaned Vanilla Masters mod to open it in Windows Explorer. Click the [Show Open Folders menu...] button above the MO mod list (left) pane, and select Open Game Folder to open the game folder in Windows Explorer (e.g. ../Modding/Steam/steamapps/common/Skyrim Special Edition/ , and open ../Data . Move the four cleaned master files from ../Data into ../Cleaned Vanilla Masters . Original Masters In MO, scroll to the end of the mod list (left) pane, and hold Ctrl + double click on Overwrite to open in Explorer. Inside the "SSEEdit Backups" folder, rename the files to "MasterName.esm" (i.e. "Update.esm"). If there are multiple copies of any of the files, use the one with the earliest timestamp (the original). Click the [Show Open Folders menu...] button above the MO mod list (left) pane, and select Open Game Folder to open the game folder in Windows Explorer (e.g. ../Modding/Steam/steamapps/common/Skyrim Special Edition/ Move or copy the renamed files into the 'real' game "Data" directory ( ../Data ), choosing to overwrite/replace, if asked. All Explorer windows can be closed now. Right click on Overwrite, select [Clear Overwrite] , and click [OK] .







USERS Any time Bethesda updates these master files, they will likely need to be cleaned again and replaced in MO2. Any previously cleaned versions of these same files that exist in the MO mod list must be either disabled or deleted first, because xEdit will see only the cleaned versions otherwise.

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

DLC: Dawnguard DLC: HearthFires DLC: Dragonborn Cleaned Vanilla Masters

Notice: To verify that the vanilla mods have been cleaned, LOOT can be run again, and no warnings should be apparent.

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. Thus, the STEP Patches are one part patch and one part mod.

Notice: The STEP Patches are built specifically for the STEP mod list. They are required to run the STEP mod build and are dependent on specific mods within the STEP mod list (those tagged at left with a green vertical bar), and they will not resolve conflicts with any applicable mods that are not in the STEP mod list in this guide. For experienced users using this guide as a basis for further build customization, the STEP Patches may be skipped or disabled, as they could cause issues if dependencies are not present or if other mod conflicts are introduced via customization.

STEP Patches

STEP Skyrim SE - Conflict Resolution Patch For those that would opt for their own custom lighting and weather mods

Patches all applicable mods except for Lighting & Weather mods STEP Skyrim SE - Lighting & Weather Patch For those that are using STEP Guide lighting and weather

Patches only the applicable Lighting & Weather mods





STEP 4

STEP Skyrim SE Mod List





Notice: At this point users should have their systems fully set up and ready to install mods . Users who are unaware of how to complete mod installations using MO2 should return to that Guide and refresh their knowledge. When installing mods, keep the following in mind:

To maintain compatibility with downstream Patch instructions, it is important to install Patch-related mods as described in their respective Notes .

. After installing a mod, enable the mod in MO.

the mod in MO. If no Notes or STEP recommendations are provided for a particular mod, STEP encourages user customization.

or are provided for a particular mod, STEP encourages user customization. Mods should be arranged in MO in the order that they are listed to ensure other mods further down the list overwrite/override those occurring before them. This is necessary to ensure the desired outcome.

to ensure other mods further down the list overwrite/override those occurring before them. This is necessary to ensure the desired outcome. Mods are listed in alphabetical order within each Mod Group and any deviations from this are purposeful to achieve the desired outcome.

to achieve the desired outcome. Always install plugins (ESLs/ESMs/ESPs), unless otherwise noted.

Always follow LOOT's advice in regards to mod cleaning and sorting unless otherwise noted.

STEP does not recommend extracting BSAs as a general principle, since it adds to the potential for user error and unnecessary support issues. Experienced and self-supporting users may derive benefit from doing so, however.











USERS MO Separators:

Mod Organizer features the ability to create separators within the mod list to group mods for easier visual reference. STEP recommends using these separators for each Mod Group following. To create a separator: Click the Open list options button on the top of the mod list pane. Select [Create Separator] and give the separator a name. STEP recommends using the Mod Group names (i.e. Extensions, Resources, Audiovisual - Lighting & Weather, etc.). Create a new separator for each new Mod Group while working through the Guide.

Separator colors can be customized by right-clicking on any separator and selecting Select Color.

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

STEP Patch A green vertical bar in the row at the immediate left-hand column of the table before the mod name indicates that the mod is required by the STEP Patches. 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. 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: "Download and install '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.

Extenders

Third-party programs (or extensions thereof) that enhance a games functionality or display.

Mod Name Baseline Quality Options DLC Required Notes SKSE64 Detailed instructions available





Resources

Programs or mods that provide additional resources or functions for modding.





Foundation

Mods that should be listed early in a modded setup and overwritten by other mods.





Audiovisual - Animations & Effects

Mods that alter the animations and effects in the game.





Audiovisual - Models & Textures

Mods that alter the appearance of objects in the game.





Audiovisual - Sounds & Music

Mods that alter game audio including music, sound effects, environment, voice, etc.





Character Appearance

Mods that alter any aspect of character appearance.





Fixes

Mods that fix various bugs within the game.





Gameplay - General

Mods that alter gameplay mechanics, which don't fit into any other gameplay mod group.





Gameplay - AI & Combat

Mods that alter AI and combat mechanics.





Gameplay - Economy & Item Balance

Mods that alter the money systems in various ways and/or alter item stats.





Gameplay - Immersion & Role-playing

Mods that help to improve game immersion and add in character role-playing scenarios.





Gameplay - Quest & Stories

Mods that alter aspects of in-game quests.





Gameplay - Skills and Perks

Mods that help to improve skills and perks.

Mod Name Baseline Quality Options DLC Required Notes Lock Overhaul (SE) Download and install the Lock Overhaul Main File. Smithing Perks Overhaul SE STEP Recommends: Smithing Perks Overhaul -- Modified Vanilla Tree





Interface

Mods that alter various aspects of the in-game user interface.





Locations

Mods that add new locations and/or alter vanilla locations by either changing them in small ways or overhauling them entirely.





Audiovisual - Lighting & Weather

Optional mods that alter the lighting and weather systems in the game. An additional patch is provided for users who choose to install these mods.

Notice:

This section is optional!

We wish to be clear that the mods included within this section are completely optional. They are still within the We wish to be clear that the mods included within this section are completely optional. They are still within the Mandate , however, we've made this section optional for users who wish to customize their own lighting and weather for their games. As such, we've included an additional patch solely for this mod group.









Utilities

Tools that are installed within the Data drive, therefore making them a "mod" of sorts.

Generating Animation Files

Once FNIS SE is installed, the animation files need to be generated for the skeleton changes.

Sort the load order with LOOT, ignoring any plugin errors or warnings at this time. Run FNIS SE via Mod Organizer 2. In the Available Patches at the bottom of the window, tick the box adjacent to "SKELETON Arm Fix". Click the [Update FNIS Behavior] button and wait for a message to appear in the window stating "X animations for Y mods successfully included". Click [Exit] .

After closing FNIS SE, there will be files in Overwrite (essentially a fake mod located at the bottom of the left pane if sorted by priority ascending):

Right-click Overwrite and select Create Mod Name it STEP FNIS SE Output and click OK. This will create a new mod listing in the left pane for the FNIS SE generated files. Tick the new mod entry to enable it.

Patches

Game patches.

Sorting and cleaning the new load order

Before moving on, users should run LOOT, sort, and accept the default load order provided. Users should also take note of any plugins that LOOT reports as needing to be cleaned and perform the standard cleaning procedures on these mods. Keep in mind that LOOT tends to lag behind on the report information, therefore, it will not always be accurate. Users should ignore any reported missing compatibility patches. The STEP Patches take care of all the patching, thus eliminating the need for those additional plugins.

Users should be aware the new STEP Patches are designed to work with a default, LOOT-sorted order. This eliminates the need to set rules on the load order, thus, reducing user tasks and streamlines the Guide's installation. From this point on, users should:

Sort their load order using LOOT when adding, removing, updating mods that adds, removes, or replaces a plugin (ESL, ESM, ESP) from their load order.

Update LOOT (the program) any time it notifies their is an update available.

For good measure, ALWAYS sort your load order by running LOOT before running the game.





Notice: At this point, it's a good idea to launch a NEW GAME to verify that Skyrim SE loads without CTD (after sorting with LOOT). The game should successfully load into the Alternate Start character generation interface. If so, just Alt + Tab to close Skyrim. If the game crashes, there is a problem with load order, enabled mods, or any number of things missed in the above instructions. Please review mods installed and enabled as compared to this guide and ensure LOOT is run and plugins sorted.







STEP 5

Level of Detail (LOD)

Users should now have all the mods and patches installed and sorted. The next step is to generate custom LOD data for the modded setup. Thankfully, xLODGen and DynDOLOD makes generating the data fairly simple. Before moving on, create three empty mods to use for the output files in this section:

Right-click on Overwrite in the mod list in MO and hover over All Mods (this can also be done from the menu at the top of the left pane in MO as described earlier). Select, Create empty mod. Name it (TEMP) - SSE Terrain - Tamriel - xLODGen (recall that this will only be used as a resource for xLODGen). This places a new, empty mod at the bottom of the mod list. However if it's not, place it last in the mod list. Repeat these steps to create three other new mods named: STEP SSE - xLODGen Output , STEP SSE - TexGen Output , and STEP SSE - DynDOLOD Output ; or anything unique and descriptive to their source/function. Place these other new mods directly after (TEMP) - SSE Terrain - Tamriel - xLODGen.



The last few mods in the mod list should now reflect the following (numbering is approximate):

DLC: Hearthfires

... (TEMP) - SSE Terrain - Tamriel - xLODGen STEP SSE - xLODGen Output STEP SSE - TexGen Output STEP SSE - DynDOLOD Output

Notice: Because order is so important for properly generating all of the data, follow this section in the order it's presented!





xLODGen

xLODGen is run first to generate updated LOD terrain textures and meshes so that landscape LOD is updated with mod changes:

Preparation

➕ Terrain LOD preparation

Visit the STEP Forum and download SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm. Place the file in the (TEMP) - SSE Terrain - Tamriel - xLODGen folder in MO and enable (tick) the mod. If the Overwrite folder isn't empty, it should be. Remove or delete all files/folders. Ensure the new plugin is active in the plugin list (ticked). Ensure the (TEMP) - Cathedral Landscapes - LODGen and (TEMP) Magestic Mountains - LODGen mods from the Foundation mod group are enabled, as these will be used by xLODGen to regenerate corrected landscape and mountain LOD. Sort with LOOT.

Generation

➕ Terrain LOD generation

Run xLODGen from the MO2 executable drop-down list. Select all worldspaces. Ensure that ONLY the Terrain LOD box is ticked in the right pane. Use the following settings, which have been verified in extensive testing:

LOD4

LOD8

LOD16

LOD32 Click [Generate] to run the process, which will require upwards of 30 minutes, depending on the PC. Once the "LOD generation complete" message has appeared, close xLODGen.

Wrap Up

➕ Terrain LOD wrap up

Navigate to the xLODGen output folder (e.g. ..Modding/Tools/xLODGen/xLODGen_Output ). Back on MO, open the STEP SSE - xLODGen Output mod in an Explorer window (Ctrl+double click). Cut and paste the files from the LOD generation to the Step Skyrim SE - xLODGen Output folder. Close both folders. Enable STEP SSE - xLODGen Output mod. Disable (TEMP) - SSE Terrain - Tamriel - xLODGen and (TEMP) - Cathedral Landscapes - xLODGen mods (only needed as a xLODGen resources). NOTE: (TEMP) Magestic Mountains -LODGen will still be needed for object LOD.

DynDOLOD

Users will now create object LODs using Dynamic Distant Objects LOD (DynDOLOD). DynDOLOD is one part mod and one part tool. Users should already have both parts installed from earlier in the Guide.

Run TexGen

TexGen, shipped with DynDOLOD, is a program that will generate custom object LOD textures based on enabled mods. This means distance object textures will better match their fully rendered counterparts. To run TexGen:

➕ Instructions for TexGen

Run TexGen from the MO2 executable drop-down list. Keep the default Output location. STEP Recommends: GPU with VRAM ≤ 4 GB: LOD Texture Size = 512 Diffuse Alpha = BC3 Normal Specular = BC7 Max Diffuse = BC1 Normal = BC7 Max

GPU with VRAM > 4 GB: LOD Texture Size = 1024 Diffuse Alpha = BC7 Max Normal Specular = BC7 Quick Diffuse = BC7 Max Normal = BC7 Quick

Once the option has been chosen, click [Start] . Once the completed message has appeared (5-30 minutes, depending on the PC), click [Exit] . Navigate to the DynDOLOD TexGen_Output folder location (e.g. ../Modding/Tools/DynDOLOD/TexGen_Output ). Copy or cut the files from the TexGen_Output folder. In MO2, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click on the STEP Skyrim SE - TexGen Output mod created previously. This opens the mod's folder in an Explorer window. Paste the files into the mod's folder, and close the window. Enable the STEP Skyrim SE - TexGen Output mod in MO.

Run DynDOLOD

DynDOLOD will now be run to generate the remainder of the LODs for the game. Users have the options of generating higher quality 3D Trees or generating the standard tree LOD. Following one of the two sets of instructions below, depending on the option desired.

Standard (2D) Tree LOD

➕ Instructions for Standard Trees

Run DynDOLOD from the MO2 executable drop-down list. Click [Advanced] once the main tool window is displayed. Select all worldspaces. Ensure the following are ticked: Candles FXGlow Generate static LOD Generate tree LOD Create texture atlas Generate DynDOLOD Windows High Set Max tile size equal to the texture size used for TexGen previously. Keep the default Output Path and click [Medium] . NOTE: Users with systems able to handle High settings, may do so. Click [OK] , and get a cup of coffee. This takes ~20-30 minutes on SSDs. Once the completed message has appeared, click [Save & Exit] .

3D Tree LOD

This Guide will result in Hybrid 3D Trees. Full 3D trees are possible, but are not recommend for gameplay; thus, not covered here. Hybrid 3D Trees are a performance friendly option for high quality tree LODs. It generates 3D branches with 2D trunks.



➕ Instructions for 3D Trees

Open the ./DynDOLOD SE folder (e.g. ../Modding/Tools/DynDOLOD/ ). Open the DynDOLOD_SSE.ini file (e.g. ../DynDOLOD/Edit Scripts/DynDOLOD/DynDOLOD_SSE.ini ) Set TreeLOD=0 Run DynDOLOD from the MO2 executable drop-down list. Select all worldspaces. Ensure the following are ticked: Candles FXGlow Generate static LOD NOTE: "Generate tree LOD" will be greyed out as 'N/A' if TreeLOD=0 was set in DynDOLOD.ini as described above. Create texture atlas Generate DynDOLOD Windows High Set Max tile size equal to the texture size used for TexGen previously. Keep the default Output Path and click [High] . NOTE: The High preset is the only preset that will generate 3D Trees! NOTE: If High is too performance heavy, users can select another preset and manually edit the tree line in the mesh rules to match how it reads from the High preset. Click [OK] , and get a cup of coffee. Once the completed message has appeared, click [Save & Exit] .

Wrap Up

➕ Instructions for DynDOLOD Wrap Up

Navigate to the ./DynDOLOD folder location (e.g. ../Modding/Tools/DynDOLOD ). Copy or cut the files from the ./DynDOLOD_Output folder. In MO2, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click on the STEP SSE - DynDOLOD Output mod created above. Paste the files into the mod's folder and close the window. In MO2, enable the mod. Disable (TEMP) Magestic Mountains - LODGen. Ensure the DynDOLOD esm and esp files are ticked in the right pane. Sort with LOOT. Ensure DynDOLOD.esp is the last plugin in the load order and enabled. If not, sort with LOOT.

Occlusion

Users will now use xLODGen to update the occlusion data for the new mod list. During so will prevent holes in the distance landscape that is notoriously bad over water cells. To do this:

➕ Instructions for occlusion generation

Run xLODGen from the MO2 executable drop-down list. Select only the Tamriel and DLC2SolstheimWorld worldspaces. Ensure only the Occlusion box is ticked. Use the following settings: Quality: 3

Height: 100

Radius: 100

Mode: -Flat +Borders Click [Generate] to run the process. Once the completed message has appeared, click the red X to close xLODGen. Occlusion.esp is saved automatically and will be placed in the Overwrite folder in MO. Right-click on the Overwrite mod listing and select, [Create new mod] . Name it STEP SSE - Occlusion or anything unique. Ensure the new mod is active (ticked). Ensure the Occlusion.esp is the last plugin in the load order just after DyDOLOD.esp and that it is enabled, else run LOOT and sort plugins.

When do users need to rebuild LODs?

Users should rebuild their LODs any time mods are installed or removed that include added, removed, or relocated exterior objects such as buildings, roads, trees, etc.





STEP 6

Mod Configuration (MCM)

Users should now be ready to load the game for the final steps, configuring mods in the MCM. The MCM is a feature of SkyUI that allows mod authors to provide custom settings for their mods, which users can set within the game. Below users will find recommendations for all the mods installed within this Guide.

First Launch

Notice: The addition of MCM menu item may juxtapose the 'Exit' menu item, so be sure to scroll down to exit if it is 'missing'.

To run the game, select the SKSE Skyrim Launcher executable from the drop-down list and click the Run button. Users should keep the following in mind when first launching from a fresh Guide installation:

A new game is required! ... In other words, don't load from a save when first launching after a fresh Guide installation unless you know what can happen (which is beyond scope to support). NOTE: Users upgrading from a previous installation of the Guide should review the changelog of the update to determine whether or not a new game is recommended.

... In other words, don't load from a save when first launching after a fresh Guide installation unless you know what can happen (which is beyond scope to support). When launching the game for the first time after a Guide install, the load could take significantly longer than normal. This will only be a one-time wait as all the installed mods are being initialized. Subsequent load times should be shorter.

Finally, users may find INI files in their Overwrite folder after closing the game (e.g. ../SKSE/Plugins/SkyrimUncapper.ini ). NOTE: These files should be moved to their respective mod folders, respecting their folder structure in the move.

Alternate Start

Users starting a new game will see Alternate Start - Live Another Life in action. Lets face it, Skyrim is old and the vanilla start quest is the last thing many want to play through. Alternate Start provides a variety of ways to start the game for these users. Once a new game is started, players are loaded into a locked cell. Simply talk to the statue in the room, choose a preference for starting the game (the vanilla start is provided as an option), and then sleep in the bed to start your new life. Users choosing an alternate start location can start the main quest line by simply visiting Helgen.

Mod Configuration Menu Settings

Cathedral Weathers

Users who have installed the optional Lighting & Weathers mod group should set Interior Vision to "Darker" in order for Luminosity to have the correct interior brightness.

Complete Crafting

The following screenshots display the recommended settings for the mod's MCM:



Recipe Display



Learning & XP



Mining & Materials



Miscellaneous

Farmhouse Chimneys SE

Vanilla villages should all be ticked on the first page. The following screenshot displays the recommended settings for the Mod Support page:



Mod Support

Lanterns of Skyrim II

The following screenshots display the recommended settings for the mod's MCM:



Settings

Lock Overhaul

This mod must be activated to work. Once enabled, the settings are user preference.

Storm Lightning

The Minimal preset in the MCM is recommended.

Timing is Everything

Timing is Everything is set up in a way that integrates DLC content and balances the game's quests. Vampires and werewolves will show up early in the game because the are a part of the world. Dragonborn will not start until the news of your deeds have time to reach the island and you become something that must be dealt with. Attack chances are lowered from 100% so users will have less of a chance to predict an attack. Other things are active that make sense, such as not being able to do the Break of Dawn quest if you're a vampire, Thalmor won't attack until after they enter the questline, etc. The following screenshots display the recommended settings for the mod's MCM:



DLC Quests



Other Quests



Extra Options

Remaining Mod Configurations

The remaining mod configurations are recommended to be left at their defaults for the most enhanced, vanilla experience. However, users may adjust the settings for these mods to their preference.





STEP 7

Optional Customizations

(optional) BethINI Customization

Users are now ready to play their enhanced Skyrim SE, however, please consider reading the remainder of the Guide before taking an arrow to the knee.

The final consideration is customizing BethINI once the game is confirmed to be stable. Users who have no issues with performance and aren't knowledgeable with the settings can simply follow along. Other users can feel to customize the settings to their personal preferences. Caution is advised against using the custom INI input feature. This feature will allow users to make custom INI edits, however, doing so without the knowledge of exactly what the customizations are doing can cause instability.

The following are provided as examples of the settings used for taking the screenshot's on Nexus (1920x1080 using a GTX 1060). The recommended settings are called out and/or shown in the screenshots below. Simply click on a section heading to expand it.

➕ Basic STEP Recommends: Antialiasing: TAA

Windowed Mode

Borderless

Vsync

FPS: 60

Recommended Tweaks

BethINI Presets Users should select a preset. High was chosen for the screenshots.



Basic Tab ➕ General STEP Recommends: Users should match the image.

Screenshot settings are optional and can be customized.

General Tab ➕ Gameplay STEP Recommends: Over-Encumbered Reminder: 300 (5 mins) or 3600 (1 hour) Optionally, users can tick NPC Use Ammo or a more realistic experience. This will cause NPCs to only use the ammo available in their inventories. Optionally, users can tickor a more realistic experience. This will cause NPCs to only use the ammo available in their inventories.

Gameplay Tab ➕ Interface STEP Recommends: Untick Mod Manager Menu

Tick Fix Map Menu Navigation and Remove Map Menu Blur

Interface Tab ➕ Detail STEP Recommends: Water: Select all but Sky Reflecting the sky can cause LOD seams on the water to be more visible.

Particles: 4500 (this just over doubles vanilla)

Tick Depth of Field

Untick Lens Flare (optional)

(optional) Untick Anamorphic Lens Flare (optional, this is the flare seen on candles)

Detail Tab ➕ View Distance STEP Recommends: Grass Fade: 18000 (max)

Light Fade: 50000 (max)

Flickering Light: 8192 The remainder of the Fade values are user preference. They are set fairly high for Tech's system, which allows for longer distance viewing of NPCs for archery and strategy planning. uGridsToLoad should never been changed from vanilla's default of 5. The preset here should match the preset selected on the Basic tab. The remainder of the Fade values are user preference. They are set fairly high for Tech's system, which allows for longer distance viewing of NPCs for archery and strategy planning. uGridsToLoad should never been changed from vanilla's default of. The preset here should match the preset selected on thetab.

View Distance Tab ➕ Visuals Grass:

If using Untick Improved Shader. Majestic Mountains - Cathedral Concept includes a custom INI that makes edits to the Sparkles and Improved Snow Shader, if used. If using Landscapes - Cathedral Concept , these setting should not need to be adjusted. If not, set the values for grass according to the installation instructions of the grass mod in use.

Visuals Tab ➕ Custom Make the custom adjustment in the image to speed up the book opening animation by twice the speed of vanilla.

Make the below additional adjustment to fix the line in the water from SSR:

[Display]

fWaterSSRIntensity=0.5

Custom Tab

(optional) ENBSeries with the STEP Skyrim SE Guide

Because the effects of ENB are so variable, depending on 1) use of lighting/weather mods, 2) a great many other options for various mods, and 3) PC hardware and software environments, the Guide doesn't include an ENB preset. Instructions and recommendations would result in a massuve flurry of support 'issues'. To provide a bit of direction, we've included a small list of ENB presets below which were made to work with Cathedral Weathers without breaking the horizon. We've included a variety of "looks", but users should search on Nexus to find the preset that works best for their preferences.

Notice: ENBoost is entirely redundant in Skyrim SE on a 64-bit system with > 4 GB RAM. A 64-bit PC should ALWAYS have > 4 GB RAM, as ≤ 4 GB introduces a completely unnecessary memory ceiling for any 64-bit app. The ENBoost option exists solely so that the Skyrim LE engine can behave more like a 64-bit game engine by providing extra memory spaces in a 32-bit environment. Use it only for Skyrim LE (past STEP Guides). It might be beneficial for those running Skyrim SE on a 64-bit system with ≤ 4 GB RAM.





COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS

Help build STEP

STEP can only get bigger and better with help from the community. It is very time consuming for the STEP team to ensure that the Guide is consistently maintained at the highest quality possible. We need people to help us identify mods that improve the vanilla game while adhering to our Mandate. We also need ongoing bug reports, reviews, and updates on mods that may cause problems or that stray from the Mandate.

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

Call for Mod Testers

Community members interested in becoming Mod Testers, please contact TechAngel85 via PM on the forums. Once registered, Mod Testers will be given access to Staff forums that houses useful information. For more information about our mod testing process, read through the Mod Testing Guide to get a sense of what's involved.

Call for Forum Moderators

Regular community members interested in becoming moderators, please contact TechAngel85 via PM on the forums. Forum Moderators will be determined based upon level and quality of activity within our community.

STEP Core Builds

STEP Builds are user-created guides that use one of the STEP Core mod lists as a foundation to their own mod list within their guide. If a STEP Build adheres to our guidelines, it can be considered as a candidate for being hosted on the STEP 3.0 website. An example of a STEP Build will be provided with the release of STEP 3.0 in the form of Tech's Skyrim Special Edition Guide. Be certain to read the STEP Builds documentation when it becomes available.







USERS This one of the reasons why Mod Organizer is the chosen mod-management utility for STEP. MO2 makes building mod lists for STEP Builds a breeze.





Thank you for reading and enjoy the game!





Credits

Thank you all!

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

The authors of mods recommended within our Guides

The authors of mods who granted permission for their mods to be incorporated into the STEP Patches

The core Community for feedback, suggestions and input

The Beta and Mod Testers for their good humor and rigorous analyses

The Nexus community

Bethesda Softworks for their games

Tannin for the gift that is Mod Organizer

All the developers that kept MO alive to create MO2

STEP Staff

Administrators

TechAngel85 Lead Release Coordinator, Patch Coordinator, Lead Forum Administrator, Mod Author

z929669 Project Founder, Lead Site Developer, Lead Site Administrator



SM Forum Moderators

Currently active STEP Forum Moderators:

DoubleYou

Greg

Honorary Staff

Retired Founders, Administrators, and Staff: