noodles1976

Made a few more changes...added the letterbox for screenshots, I don't really like using it in gameplay though. I did end up editing my 'uGridsToLoad' setting, made it 7 and somehow my game's performance has improved...load times are not noticeably longer, and it seems to run more smoothly. It's counter intuitive, right? I was half-expecting my game to crash regularly and turn into a slide show, based on all the 'doom & gloom' postings I've seen about adding this tweak to the .ini file.     Also...the 'spoiler' button seems to be missing in my post toolbar. Anybody else missing it? I added the spoiler thingy by just typing it in.   N~dles

There's one follower that I consider a *must have* that I didn't see listed... http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/36993/?  Her behavior can be modified in the MCM...so if you want to be all stealthy and sneak attack somebody, she won't just charge in all "Death or Glory" like so many other followers do. Or you can make her a combat commando that will help you hack everything to bits. There is some fluff with the mod, like a whole slew of dance animations and what not...not something I've ever bothered with using, but as a companion to take with you on adventures I think she's one of the best.   ENBs...wow, this is whole new can of worms. There are so many out there to choose from. Some are good, some are just okay. Others are simply amazing...but can take a healthy chunk of VRAM to run as designed by the author. I'm using this one currently: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/38917/? The screenshots posted with the mod aren't really a fair representation of what is possible with all of it's settings. I made a few adjustments with the ENB's in-game gui and got some really great results. I posted these over in the "Beauty of Skyrim" thread, but I'll post them here as well with a couple of others I didn't.   In addition to using the ENB preset's depth of field effect, I'm also using Dynavision for a static depth of field effect, Imaginator for additional color tinting and saturation options, pretty much all of Gamwich's texture mods  http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/users/5712421/?tb=mods&pUp=1 The clouds and mist you see in the shots came from one of his packs, along with the ground cover & rocks (high quality, low VRAM usage). The nice thing about ENBs is that they can be customized to suit your tastes with some effort and knowledge    Good luck!   N~dles

Hey there ao2thend...I'm partial to version 7. Again, it's the crispness and sharp details that really pop in your shots.   I did a bit of reading on TESGeneral and followed a few links here and there and came across this preset...anybody here ever tried Organic ENB? I was surprised I haven't heard about this one before, it looks amazing IMO after a few minor edits in the gui.     It's fairly performance friendly on my system (8 core 3.5 GHz , 16 GB of RAM, 1 GB GPU), getting a steady 30 - 40 FPS depending on location...it tanks in Whiterun, I think this is true for everybody regardless of preset though...   It's worth taking a look at if anybody is shopping around for a good, low performance impact ENB with great visuals: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/38917/?   N~dles

It comes down to types of graphics tweaks in my mind...physical object textures/meshes and environmental tweaks.   As stated above, a good lighting / weather mod can go a long way towards improving the environment...and an ENB is like the special sauce that makes it all pop. All you need to do is take a look at some of the character / scenery screenshots posted here to get an idea of how much variety is possible. It's all subjective, but I like using ELFX, and a customized ENB preset (still a WIP) that's suited to my tastes.   As for physical assets, the latest one that I'm testing out for the first time is aMidianBorn Book of Silence: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24909/?A really wonderful texture overhaul to the vanilla armor and weapons. I was always concerned about using it before, but I've noticed no ill-effects on my performance after installing it. Most body replacers have re-worked vanilla 3D models for clothes and armors available to use, and this mod's textures are exactly that...high detail vanilla reworks. Everything fits as it should with the UNP body & armor / clothes replacer.   I'm just curious if it's the world space that looks wrong to you or if it's the armors / weapons / character models. Posting a screenshot of what you're seeing in game vs. how you want it to look might help zero in on suggestions and the like. It might just be that you need to edit your .ini files...   A guide that I like to use for .ini and prefs.ini tweaks is here: http://www.rcrncommunity.com/five-quick-skyrim-tweaks-you-may-not-knowWhile it focuses on the use of RCRN or ENBs, a lot of the advice given is universal and will make your game look better.   N~dles

  Thanks for pointing that out! I'll have to give that a try. I really enjoy understanding how these things work, and what settings do what by comparing them to other presets. It's a bit of pain when you're completely OCD about how the game looks like I am!   Thanks a lot ao2thend!   N~dles

I'll have to try this out...I've been using FakeFullScreen for quite some time now. I'd seen this on the Nexus previously, but wasn't sure if it would do anything differently then what I've already got running. I tend to rely on personal accounts of people using mods on smaller sites, rather than the flood of 'yay, ur mod is kool' type comments elsewhere.   Thanks!   N~dles

After seeing ao2thend's shots, I took a look at the NLA preset and found my GPU really couldn't handle it satisfactorily. It looked very pretty...One. Frame. At. A. Time.   What really caught my eye was the saturation of the colors, very brilliant and crisp. I found a preset that has a good foundation for customizing (based on vanilla lighting, with very bright colors) and have started making a few personal choice edits. It's still a bit too bright for my liking, but it's getting there!     ...the colors were a bit too muted, however the DoF effects were superb. With this edit, I'm hoping to get a hybrid between two of them.   N~dles

Since so many people have mentioned SkyUI already, I'm going to go with XCE http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/2356/? . I would consider this the only mod to get if we couldn't have body replacers, GUI overhauls, custom races etc. This might be cheating a little bit, as it's a compilation of all Xenius' work...but how could you live with all those fugly compression issues with the normal maps, bad eyes, low res facepaints/scars etc. It just fixes so much for a vanilla +1 mod install. Sure the characters are still physically ugly, but the textures will look nice...somewhat like a PC game, and not a PS3   N~dles

I'm not a lore monger by any stretch of the imagination, I like to keep my games in a state of reasonable proximity to the original design. I'll use mods that are influenced or taken from other sources, but at least fit into a high fantasy game like Skyrim...like LoTR weapons or something like that.   However, I don't feel a responsibility to be some kind of forum vigilante running around telling people that what they like to use in their own game is wrong because it doesn't fit into my own personal view. If I see something that doesn't suit my tastes, I just move along without comment...or just post a kindly word about the effort made by the author who created something. I might not use their mod, or care for the content in the screenshot or whatever...but I respect the effort at least. I don't think I have the right or am entitled to try and force somebody to agree with my opinion.   I just see the really aggressive lore mongers as trolls...just some random person out there trying to evoke some kind of negative response for shits 'n' giggles. I ignore them, and move on to the next comment. It's not like they're a personal friend of mine whose point of view is something I value, or a forum member that I regularly converse with.   N~dles

  N~dles

@ LisabethE - Good to hear...I was worried there for a minute.   I just wanted to add that CMO looks like a good choice for a male body replacer. I haven't used it personally, but the author states that it is compatible with SoS...so, that's a good thing. Really, you can't go wrong with SoS or mods that are compatible with it.   You had mentioned camera / pov mods previously. I've really only tested one, and I was so happy with it that I didn't try out any others. I use Enhanced Camera: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/57859/?    Here's something to take a look at...I'm currently testing this little gem out... http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/65044/?It may not look like much, but it does add some wonderful features...like being able to adjust jump height and it adds the illusive 'sprint jump'. Some other mods claim to be able to add jumping while sprinting, but they are mostly buggy. It's worth taking a look at. It's simple to install, easily configured through a text file, and is simple to use. Best of all, it's managed through a SKSE plugin...no .esp or extra script files to muck about with or cause conflicts.   N~dles

Got to agree with those who said all the vanilla followers are complete garbage. Worst of the bunch? Serana & any of the Companions...   At least some mod followers are decent...like only one: Selene Kate. At least you could modify her behavior through the MCM. I wonder if there is a mod that would allow you to edit the behaviors of the vanilla followers the same way, while in game through the MCM? No more 'death or glory' charges when you're trying to be sneaky & stealthy, then be able to sick them all on a dragon balls out style...wouldn't that be nice?   Yeah, all the followers are a mountain of suck.   N~dles

A couple new shots, I switched over to a different ENB...couldn't quite get RCRN & the previous setting adjusted the way I wanted. I swear, I change this stuff around more often than underwear       N~dles

  Sorry for the confusion...I'll try to clarify.   Each body type uses it's own specific textures. You can't use UNP textures on any other body, you can only use UNP textures on UNP bodies. Same is true for Lady Body, CBBE, LB3 etc...they all have their own textures for use. They cannot be mixed and matched together.   I'll start from the beginning and show you how to set up the proper effect you want to get...   D/L the UNP body and install it: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/6709/?   Next, d/l Seren4x textures for UNP: https://www.flickr.com/photos/seren4xx/15342092530This requires a manual install, can't be done with MO or NMM. This will overwrite all the textures installed by the UNP package. There are several options available in the d/l package, test everything out until you find the look you want.   Next, d/l and install the Sporty Sexy Map for UNP: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/13377/?tab=1&navtag=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Fskyrim%2Fajax%2Fmoddescription%2F%3Fid%3D13377%26preview%3D&pUp=1This will overwrite the normal maps and give your character the toned / athletic look you desire.   You don't need to install anything other than what I listed above, stick with textures made only for UNP...don't worry about anything else other than that. You can make further changes later on once you get more comfortable with all this stuff.   I hope I didn't confuse you too much...I feel really bad now   N~dles

@ LisabethE -  Yes...that is correct. There are 2 additional textures that make up the entire texture package along with the skin texture (color), normal map (bumped out appearance).   There is the specular map, which adds things like the sweat or water details from the Glorious Perspiration mod. It can also add goose bumps and other refined details above and beyond what the skin texture and normals can deliver.   There is the subsurface scattering map...hopefully, somebody can help me out here a bit as my understanding of how this texture works is a bit vague. As I understand it, it handles how light and shadow react to the skin textures in the game world. I could be completely wrong, so don't take my word as 100% truth. All I know is when you have a bad _sk.dds (subsurface scattering texture), your skin will get an odd gold-ish / bronze reflection or shine to it. There are some mods that correct it, like the 'No More Bronze Shine' mod (I think I saw listed in your list).   So, basically you've got:   Skin texture, also called a diffuse map. It's name & extension is always something like: femalebody_1.dds Normal map. It's name & extension is always something like: femalebody_1_msn.dds Specular map. It's name & extension is always something like: femalebody_1_s.dds Subsurface scattering map, or just call it sk texture for short. It's name & extension is always something like: femalebody_1_sk.dds   So, yeah...you got it! Glad you like the SRG textures. I think you'll be really happy using those for the long run, they're great for taking screenshots with.   Hope this helped!   N~dles

Completely agree with you guys about CWO...I enjoyed it when I had it installed, but I had issues with it playing nicely with other mods. It's not a quest line that I even bother with playing any more...I just skip the Civil War missions completely and resolve things the "diplomatic way". No spoilers   @ LizabethE - A mod to check out for archery is ABT: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/11941/?There are some really wonderful options in this mod, I highly recommend it. Still poking through your list to see if there are any other alternatives for suggestion...might have a couple more to throw at you later.   N~dles

  N~dles

  ...you can really see the difference in the deltoids, biceps and triceps...as well as the abs.   You can pick any body that is appealing to your eye (since it's all subjective, there really isn't a wrong way to go), a skin texture that is fit to that specific body that provides high resolution or HD quality, and a set of normal maps fit to that specific body that gives you the toned / athletic look you want. Always use all the normals provided...this ensures that textures don't end up mismatched and cause ugly and visible seams between body parts...don't ever mix and match normals maps for hands from one set, face from another and body from a different set. Some people may disagree with me here and say this works, but in my own personal experience I can see the differences in my game, and mix and matching never turns out well.   I would highly suggest using Seren4x's textures. I really believe these are some of best textures available now. Take a look at his tumblr for examples of it & d/l: http://seren4xx.tumblr.com/post/99919848365/srg-female-textures-for-over-a-year-youve-been   As for the Demonica race, I completely understand your hesitation to use it the first time out modding Skyrim. Like I said previously, that's getting into more of a 2nd phase of modding, when you've had some time in game and testing out releases and are interested in further customizing your set up.   The community at LL is great, without a doubt. I was a lurker here for many, many years (joined in 2011...I've posted less that 20 times ) and only recently started posting here with any sort of regularity. I've always found the people who contribute here to be very helpful, and learned oodles of things about modding that otherwise I might not have found out about. Never judge a book by it's cover, as the saying goes...I guess when the herds of sheeple think of "adult themed mods", their brains go immediately to the stereotype of the lowest common denominator about this place. The only good thing about that is it keeps the trolls and immature numpties away   I hope this post had some useful information for you that you may not have been aware of previously.   Good luck!   N~dles

Something to consider with body replacers...   I use almost all of them. I should say that I use them as replacers for different custom races. It's an easy way to compare the different body types in game while you play...and decide which one you want as an "overall" replacer. My breakdown is like this:   Ningheim - UNP skinny with SRG Female Textures (Seren4X's edit of the Real Girl textures, just do a Google search for SRG Female Textures, should be at the top of search results...really amazing work) Lunari - E55 Temptress - 7B Bombshell with SRG Female Textures Epic Elves - Lady Body (using this body required some major editing in the CK, and not recommended to try until you're comfortable with using the Creation Kit) Ashen Race - CBBE with Navetsea's textures   All vanilla use UNP with SG Female Textures Renewal or True Daughters of Skyrim or Mature Skin...just depends on how I want the female population of Skyrim to look for each play through. TDoS is great as it makes all the ladies look...ahem...rustic? Not a beauty skin replacer for sure, if you'd prefer your females look a bit grittier.   As for the vanilla clothing and armor, it's all fit to the UNP standard body. I don't usually use vanilla stuff...with so many amazing custom mods out there, why stick to the boring stuff for your character? I have edited the race plugins to add properly fit starting outfits at the beginning of game for each body type, depending on the race, and only use custom armor specifically made for each body.   Additionally, if you want to dig deeper into this concept, there is this mod: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/8720/? It simply allows the vanilla race player character to use a separate body / texture combo from every other character in Skyrim. So, in theory you can have your character use CBBE while everybody else is using UNP, ADEC or whatever.   I'm currently using the Demonica Race created by KrisTa...while this has one of the best looking bodies available for Skyrim IMHO, it is a stand alone mod. It isn't meant to be a replacer for vanilla race bodies. It's simply a race mod with very customized body / head meshes made specifically for it, with (at this time) limited support for armor / clothes etc. The modders that create work for it are very passionate and dedicated to making some very high quality mods. I'd suggest taking a look at it if you're interested in using custom races...BlackElf maintains a blog for English translations of the available mods here: http://blackelf-skyrim-en.blogspot.com/?zx=8113105128233b51   With all that being said above, I do have to agree with the other posters that suggested using CBBE & Body Slide. It will give you the most amount of versatility with customizing your character. My suggestions are more or less for if and when you decide to edit / alter plugins for personal use...sort of the phase 2 of modding we all eventually get into   Good luck!   N~dles

@ OzoneHole - Unfortunately the author of Better Vampires has retired from modding, and is no longer supporting it. Which is a shame, it really is a good one! It's still available to d/l, I just prefer to use mods where the author is still actively supporting it.   @ LizabethE - I'm such a lunk head...I forgot to mention one other utility that is a *must have*...   LOOT: https://loot.github.io/   ...essentially an automatic load order sorting tool that prioritizes mod plugin placement. One of the best, created by the team that made the old plugin sorter BOSS. Very highly recommended and honestly a requirement in my mind.   N~dles   EDIT: I just checked the Better Vampires mod page on the Nexus...seems that Brehanin2 didn't retire after all. Seems like he came back to work on BV again. Last time I checked his mod, he was done with modding for good. My bad

That is one heck of a mod shopping list      This is just a cursory impression of what I saw on your list that jumped out at me...   Under C, # 6 - Combat...the mods Dance of Death & VioLens essentially do the same thing. I would personally suggest using VioLens, as it's being updated & maintained by the author, whereas Dance of Death is essentially a "dead" mod...no support from the author anymore. I use VioLens and am very satisfied with it.   Under E - Weather and Lighting Mods...RCRN is a wonderful mod. I'm probably in the minority here, but it's my personal preference over CoT. I use it with ELFX and a slightly edited Ruvaak Dahmaan ENB preset. Everything you listed in this section looks great except for everything in #1. If you choose to use RCRN, all the weather mods listed in that section will conflict with it.   Here are some recent screenshots with RCRN, ELFX and the Ruvaak Dahmaan ENB Redone to give you an idea of the visuals...   A mod that I would suggest taking a look at would be Vampiric Thirst - Dawnguard Edition by MsLeeches. It's one of the few remaining vampire overhauls that the author continues to offer support for, and updates whenever needed. One of my favorites.  http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/24222/?   A utility program that I find absolutely necessary that I didn't see on your list...just figured I'd point it out in case you missed it. Because Skyrim "bakes" script data into your save files, if you remove a mod that depends on a script, the script continues to run and causes your save file to bloat and possibly cause save game corruption. This little beauty removes "orphaned" scripts to prevent this, and allows for testing and "safe" removal of mods with scripts. As often as I'm swapping out mods in my install, this is an absolutely crucial utility for me.    TESV Save game script cleaner: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/52363/?   Have fun!   N~dles

Couple of quick grabs...     N~dles    

  Thoughts, opinions?   N~dles

  Thank you very much for the info & links Guk! I have some of those mods already installed, I'll have to take a look at the ones I'm missing. It's too bad about the 2K Realistic Clouds mod...when mods go to the Bermuda Triangle of file moderation on the Nexus, they are never seen again (sometimes along with the author ). As for the ENB, I'm not sure if my system will handle it for game play. I have overkill for RAM, but my GPU is a little weak for VRAM...so my frame rate suffers when using more intense ENB presets. My current set up gives me 40 - 50 frames consistently, whereas something like K ENB gives me the Skyrim Slideshow...it's like watching a Power Point presentation at work! I'll take a look at Tranquility ENB and see how it works for me...although I have the sneaking suspicion that it will hate my 1 GB graphics card   Anyhow, thanks again for taking the time to type all that info out! This is why I respect the LL community so much...people are willing to help out whenever possible.   Hopefully I'll have some new shots that are worth posting soon...making another texture edit to my character's face...again   N~dles

  A little bit more editing to the ENB .ini files and testing a different weather/lighting mod. Think this set-up is close to being a keeper...till I change my mind again   N~dles