Game Is Unnecessarily Dark

[abortedwafflez]

Hi there, i'm new to Skyrim and modding in general, so talk to me as if I have no idea about anything in the world.

 

I've noticed my game will sometimes be just unnecessarily dark to the point of unplayability. The worst times seem to be dusk and dawn where lighting seems to be almost non-existent.

I think depending on how many darker color tones there are on screen, my game will just auto-darken. As an example, here is me looking at the sky and then panning into the ground.

The color darkens dramatically to the point of pure darkness. I'm pretty stumped as to what's causing it and honestly I have no idea where to even begin looking.

I have some lighting, texture, and weather mods so maybe it's related.

 

Any ideas?

 

Example of Problem:

https://streamable.com/57wq2u

[gnarly1]

Please post your load order in spoiler tags - if you're using a mod manager you should be able to export your LO from that as a .txt document or similar.

 

Did you read the mod descriptions of each mod to ensure:

 

1. You installed the correct version/plugin

2. You did any required tweaks to the ini files

3. You took note of any incompatibilities and/or conflicts with other mods

4. If the mod has an MCM menu, you may need to make adjustments using that.

[anjenthedog]

there are a few mods that can help to combat this purposely over-dark condition

 

see

 

Imaginator - this mod provides a variety of globally acting, color and brightness/contrast/etc controls

 

Interior Vs Exterior Brightness Settings SSE - very basic brightness control for interior and exterior spaces.

 

I use both, the latter for a baseline adjustment, the former for fine tuning.

 

Also, some weather & lighting mods will do this. dunno why frankly, but whatever floats their boat. I used to use one of the very popular weather mods that made the whole game super dark. I did not like it at all, even with the "cool" storms it produced.

 

If I want challenge, I'll go outside (in real life) and try to pick up a 100lbs - ~45kg - rock (I have chronic disc damage that's reduced my lifting capabilities substantially), something I used to do with routine and without thinking. A 20lbs rock is almost to much for me these days... or an even more challenging situation... suffering through speaking with my permanently triggered SJW ex gf for more than 5 minutes. :wink:

[abortedwafflez]

Please post your load order in spoiler tags - if you're using a mod manager you should be able to export your LO from that as a .txt document or similar.

 

Did you read the mod descriptions of each mod to ensure:

 

1. You installed the correct version/plugin

2. You did any required tweaks to the ini files

3. You took note of any incompatibilities and/or conflicts with other mods

4. If the mod has an MCM menu, you may need to make adjustments using that.

Honestly, I mostly click and shipped every mod and just used the LOOT sort option in Mod Manager 2. I haven't tested each individual mod, but I have tested all of the lighting and weather mods. Disabling them makes the game more visible, but at the same time the "darkening" effect is still there. After some googling, I think it can be linked to Skyrim's eye adaptation. I have mods that supposedly disable it, but they require a new save which I can't utilize. And there's no effective way to get rid of it from what i'm finding. It's weird because Oldrim doesn't seem to have this effect or at least to this degree. I'm kind of forced to edit my settings via mods constantly in-game and its pretty irritating to adapt to whatever lighting or weather is happening.

Skyrim.esm
Update.esm
Dawnguard.esm
HearthFires.esm
Dragonborn.esm
RSkyrimChildren.esm
Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch.esp
ApachiiHair.esm
ApachiiHairFemales.esm
Cathedral - 3D Mountain Flowers.esp
RealisticWaterTwo - Resources.esm
SkyUI_SE.esp
SMIM-SE-Merged-All.esp
Ars Metallica.esp
Footprints.esp
JKs Skyrim.esp
KS Hairdo's.esp
RaceMenu.esp
RaceMenuPlugin.esp
RichMerchantsSkyrim_x5.esp
RSChildren.esp
XPMSE.esp
KALA_BEAST RACE EYES.esp
MoreKhajiitHairs.esp
Saeri_Khajiit_Hair.esp
CBBE.esp
dD - Enhanced Blood Main.esp
Cathedral Landscapes.esp
BlendedRoads.esp
Immersive Encounters.esp
Skyrim Flora Overhaul.esp
DisableHDREffects.esp
DigitigradeKhajiit+ArgonianRaptor.esp
Joy of Perspective.esp
Khajiit Overhaul.esp
Slof's Fluffy Khajiit Tails.esp
MCS.esp
Dog Followers are Huskies.esp
CrownHelmetsRedux.esp
UnreadBooksGlow.esp
QuickLight.esp
Immersive Citizens - AI Overhaul.esp
Relationship Dialogue Overhaul.esp
RealisticWaterTwo.esp
ELE_SSE.esp
Cathedral Weathers.esp

[gnarly1]

Your problem is likely caused by:

DisableHDREffects.esp

 

I assume you've installed SKSE and have confirmed via the console that it is working?

You could try a previous version of that mod which is what somebody else did per the posts section of that mod page.

[abortedwafflez]

 

Your problem is likely caused by:

DisableHDREffects.esp

 

I assume you've installed SKSE and have confirmed via the console that it is working?

You could try a previous version of that mod which is what somebody else did per the posts section of that mod page.

 

 

I have SKSE but no, haven't confirmed on the console if its working. Not sure how to do that.

I've tried out different weather mods and honestly I think the problem was just the mod itself. Other weather mods seem to work fine.

But now I have an annoying new issue where light sources, especially on Conjured Flame Atrononach's, introduce a really abhorrent lensflare.

People with similar problems said its anamorphic lensflare, which i've turned off in addition to lensflare in general, but still there.

Tried turning of all weather and lighting mods but to no avail. Still a lensflare.

 

Man, modding's a pain.

[abortedwafflez]

Okay I THINK I've resolved everything. Got rid of Cathedral as a weather mod, downloaded Obsidian and that seemed to handle the lighting issue.

As for the lens flare, I went into the SSE Launcher, not SKSE, and turned off the Lens Flare option through the Advanced Settings option.

 

Now everything is working fine.