short break (maybe going to sleep)

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after this let's make a break...

 

the first ini.settings for skyrim, choosing an ENB, looking for bugfixes and more has to be done with care ( after a rest)... time to check all installations (maybe a backup, too)... so we are able to continue soon

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Now the first (and important) changes BEFORE starting skyrim...

 

checking the .ini's... let's doing it the right way... first, start the "skyrim launcher" withing MO... if the menu pops up, you have won... skyrim is installed, all relations are found and BigBrother steam is not complaining... now you have to change inside the menu (options) some settings... we are adventurous... go for the highest settings and max resolution for your graphiccard, uncheck the last two boxes (antialiasing and anisotrop filter)... close the menu

 

Now go into the game directory and look out for the SkyrimEditor.ini ... check under [general] that "sLanguage=YOURLANGUAGE" (as in YOURLANGUAGE is ENGLISH, GERMAN or whatever) is set... also "bAllowMultipleMasterLoads=1" has to be set here (for making sure, that you are able to load multiple masters inside creation kit, when we will do some modding).

 

last changes inside SkyrimEditor.ini will be with [archives]. We have to make sure, that ALL Masterfiles of the DLC-package are mentioned (playing with the legendary-version of skyrim)... so lookout, that the following settings are met

 

SArchiveList=Skyrim - Textures.bsa, Skyrim - Meshes.bsa, Skyrim - Animations.bsa, Skyrim - Voices.bsa, Skyrim - Interface.bsa, Skyrim - Misc.bsa, Skyrim - Sounds.bsa, Skyrim - VoicesExtra.bsa, Skyrim - Shaders.bsa, Update.bsa, Dawnguard.bsa, Dragonborn.bsa, Hearthfires.bsa

 

*** be sure to check Hearthfires spelling... it is a common mistake to miss the last "s" in the name here (one of the bugs never be changed from Bethesda)

 

and change to (if not there)

 

SResourceArchiveList=Skyrim - Textures.bsa, Skyrim - Meshes.bsa, Skyrim - Animations.bsa, Skyrim - Voices.bsa, Skyrim - Interface.bsa, Skyrim - Misc.bsa, Skyrim - Sounds.bsa, Skyrim - VoicesExtra.bsa, Dawnguard.bsa, Dragonborn.bsa, Hearthfires.bsa
SResourceArchiveList2=Skyrim - Shaders.bsa, Update.bsa, Dawnguard.bsa, Dragonborn.bsa, Hearthfires.bsa

 

you have to google here, if you want the settings to not give out error-messages when opening the creation kit. It is very annoying to click every message away to open a simple modfile. In my experiences these messages are overdone... it will open or not... nothing to do for you during the process... so I got rid of this part, but it is up to you and this information is not hard to be found.

 

after this .ini changes comes the most important part, you will ever do with skyrim... yes, you are trembling and fear it... MAKE a backup of this inis inside MO... go for profiles/default ( D:\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim\ModOrganizer2\profiles\Default) make a new directory here "backup_ini" , copy "skyrim.ini" and "skyrimprefs.ini" from the default-dir inside and never forget to put the changed "SkyrimEditor.ini" here in, too...

 

we will install our first mod now with ModOrganizer the "Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch" (we will see, adding mods are working and we have done a first step to make the game stable and fixed some bugs at the same time).

 

and... , we will do a BENCHMARK - test... open skyrim the first time, click all given choices (standard race, standard-name) go through the first scenes and finish the game after you left HelgenDungeon... save here, name the save "VanillaGameHelgenEscaped60FPS" (skyrim will add ".ess" to the file)

 

this savegame will be your "bread and butter"-save, testing all further settings, seeing, if some mods are messing with you (or you with the mods)... now open this savegame and do your "running" to Riverwood... nvidia-cards have a build-in FPS-counter (key-DEL inside the game, if the option is checked inside the driver/game-settings)... never halt during running, no interactions, no fighting just running up to the point you reach riverwood, watch your FPS... it should be near 60 FPS most of the time, no freezing and hopefully no CTD... now save  the game a second time "RiverwoodFound"... run through riverwood to the honeybrewinn... save there again... reload the last save and run back to HelgenEscape... always watching your FPS... write down your stats so you have them for future comparings

 

my FPS at this stage are between 40-60... all the time, mostly between 55 and 60... you see, there are some drops at some locations (meeting the wolves after the guardian stones, before riverwood and if you run up to honeybrewinn at some locations between, too). This is a sign for heavy scripted locations, maybe some dragonattacks in the future and other comingup events. This is not important for now, just a basic information why there are droppings in the FPS-count without doing (much) to the game (therfore "vanillagame").

All we want is a feeling, how our char is reacting, no stumbles, no freezing, no CTD and what FPS is in the basic game... write the stats down...

 

you will likely never seen these again - no fear... we will install our first ENB and there will be droppings because of that. But if we do it right, they are less than you will think, now

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ENB installation...

 

ENB is personal, so having in mind some playstyle in the future I have chosen "Caffeine-ENB" https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/90169?tab=description . This ENB works fine with most mods (even with DungeonENB), gives you special light features (and is working with facelight, nightvision and others, too)...

 

READ carefully how to install the basic ENB-files, what to change inside inis... and install the needed mods ( Enhanced Lights and FX, Real Clouds), too... you have read, that the ENB has tweaked them, right?... install the enb-stuff inside the game-directory manually - yes, read right... the .dll, enbhost.exe and the enbseries-directory has to be install there... (the installed ENB-Manager will show its magic, soon)

 

start the game.... what the f***??? the loadtime looks horrible now... and worse... the FPS is likely the half as before????... but never fear, do your benchmarks as before... even if the fps is at the half-rate, your gamebehaviour is the same (no stumble, no CTD, running smoothly)... but better looking...

 

we will fix the fps-rate with some bugfixes and settings in the future... for now we concentrate about adding mods in the right way... you DID a LOOT before starting the game, right? and you DID a personal change to your enblocal.ini to be found inside the game-dir?... if not... you know, what to do...

 

general rule:

installing new mods?... do your LOOT... (later on, check if you have to do FNIS, Outfitstudiochanges, new WryeBatchpatch)... for now LOOT is the only needed step

 

open the ENB-Manager within MO... save the first slot as "Caffeine ENB"... you will see, that all enb-related-files will be saved inside the slot-directory... and if you don't want to play with ENB, you are able to delete all files with one click from the game-directory (not the slot-directory). The reverse is possible, too... one click now, and you have your enb-settings installed... if you want other ENB-testings, just remove all files, then install your wanted ENB as written on the ENB-mod-page (lookout for ini-changes, these might be "general" changes, for other mod-settings, too, so write them down, if you have change special ones)... after installing your new ENB, testing it inside the game, save the new one into the next slot-dir with the ENB-Manager... you are able to "switch" your ENB with one click, too, now...

if your new ENB depends on other mods (weather, lightning), too, you might activate, deactivate these mods inside MO to your liking... sometimes a mix will lead you to surprising good new results