Questions for STEP veterans

[jeedge]

Hello,

 

I'm taking the plunge and making the move to Mod Organizer and have started following the STEP guide:

http://wiki.step-project.com/STEP:2.2.9.2

 

Depending on the response here, I may or may not decide to join STEP forums and post my questions there. Probably not a bad idea but I thought I'd post the questions up here first.

 

Questions:

(1) STEP:CORE is a 'universal' base. How often have you installed STEP:Extended?

From what I read, the 'leaders' of STEP added the STEP:Extended mods into the same sections as the CORE mods then one can tell them apart since the CORE mods listed have a Green bar to the left.

Then I read somewhere where the STEP:Extended mods are really regarded as a STEP:Pack. If it were my decision, I wouldn't have combined those with the STEP:CORE mod listing even though those are visually segragated by the Green bar.

 

(2) Could I run STEP:CORE, skip the STEP:Extended, if for example, I wanted to install fores, CBBE bodies, max skeloton, mature skin, bihin npcs, etc?

 

(3) Do you install STEP:CORE and follow STEP for mainly setting up the INI file settings, but then go off and do your own thing?

 

(4) STEP PACKs, if I wanted to follow the STEP guide to install Requiem pack for example, and I discover that STEP's Requiem version that's being called out is older than the current Requiem version, do I simply use the latest Requiem version or should I still follow the guide verbatim and use the Requiem version specified (and miss out on new mod features)?

 

I understand most of the guide and am following it. As of right now, I only plan to install STEP:Core and have an MO profile for that, then start another MO profile that will re-use STEP:Core *plus* whatever mod direction I feel like going in or perhaps use some combination of compatible STEP packs.

 

I can already see how much more powerful MO is than NMM. Its profile features , mod virtualization features, and conflicts listing overwrites by mod name and enough reason to move to it - I see how much potential time I'll be saving in the near future, . :)

 

Jeedge

 

 

[ironbender800]

The STEP team is very smart and their guides are very good.

 

What i personally recommend you do is use STEP as a guideline. Definitely follow their setup in regards to skyrim installation, INI edits, and tools. As well as texture optimization.

 

Also follow their installation order.

 

and instead of 2.2.9.2 i would use neovalens guide which is linked in my sig. Its more in depth.

 

As far as what mods you choose to use from STEP depends on what you want in addition to STEP and if their compatible.

 

I use Requiem so everything i install is catered around that.

 

Neovalens guide in my sig is what i use a guideline. My personal mod list is also in my sig and was setup uing neovalens guide as a base. Ive yet to have a CTD. :smile:

 

And yes MO is amazing. I switched about 2 years ago and never looked back. I also use MO for New Vegas.

Edited June 26, 2016 by ironbender800

[jeedge]

I had no idea about Neovalen's, thanks for the link.

 

The link to your mod list will be useful - mostly in showing me that you left it at a pretty concise number of plugins. I see that you installed EFF - but surprised to see with EFF added, no add-on followers like inigo or something like interesting NPCs. I get to start over again so this will be good.. I mistakingly installed MO on my backup data drive (platter HDD) and this was before I made the 'connection' in my head that due to MO's virtualization, MO and the mods MO uses need to be on the same drive as Skyrim game, in my case - the SSD. So I cleared off the other games I never play anymore and will be set to try again at some point this week. Neovalens guide will take some time for me to look through anyway.

 

I may end up changing my mind around since Neovalen's guide that is 'sponsered by STEP' seems to go a slightly different route than STEP 2292:

"Increased Immersion and Realism including but not limited to blood/gore, intense combat, nudity/sex, realistic needs, and survival."

 

I think I like it!

 

Thanks again!

 

Jeedge

[ironbender800]

A gentlemen on YouTube posted a long video series documenting the ENTIRE SRLE guide installation start to finish.

 

I know you arent a beginner but neovalens guide is pretty complex and uses a lot of advanced methods. So the video series is extremely helpful if there are steps in the guide you arent sure about. I know it helped me seeing someone else do it. Heres the video series....keep in mind neovalen updates the guide frequently so this video is a bit out of date now......but still helpful.

 

https://youtu.be/71SSkbG-5WA?list=PLaHO2M49jtr28CV0Of1RbMhQhmR3_yVS-

 

Its literally start to finish all the way from installing skyrim and the tools to running patchers and conflict resolution.

 

Also i purposely kept my mod list somewhat minimal. Its hard to work around requiem because it touches so much.

 

As far as follower mods i have used vilja, arissa, and sophia in the past but find them buggy and kind of annoying. Arissa and Sophia would randomly strip naked and vilja became unresponsive and stuck in combat mode. There are plenty of easy to acquire vanilla followers. They all suck anyways weather thier custom or vanilla. Right now Lydia is my follower and shes decked out in full orcish armor and weapons and half the time just stands back and watches as things attack me. I just use them as meat shields and distractions to take the heat off me lol.

 

Majority of my list is textures and UI and bug fixes. Am using neovalens dual sheath redux tho which is awesome. Along with FNIS and immersive animations.

 

EFF was simply for a little more follower control. Probabbbly not needed but a LOT of other requiem players use it so i threw it in there. I look at other players mod lists when setting up my own. Good to see what other people are doing. Particularly other requiem players.

 

If you still use or plan to use Requiem......use Minor Arcana. The author is now part of the Requiem devlopment team and its changes are being implemented into the next version of requiem. Thats how good it is. Check the page for details.

Edited June 28, 2016 by ironbender800

[jeedge]

Very cool IronB. Yea, follower mods have been great then one day - a follower will just.....stand there...even after cleaning 'the system'. I've taken those living 'statues' and teleported them to whatever home I may own in the game so that he or she can live out the rest of their lives as living mannequins. LOL

 

Alright - I read through the guide, whew - not a 4-5 hour thing. I think I will wait until this weekend and/or whenever my next work vacation starts. Thanks again for all your help with the advice and links - I'll bookmark the videos, something to watch during my lunch break. :)

 

ps - I just tried out another option in LAL, and starting Requiem with your best child-hood friend, 'Erik the Slayer' is not such a bad deal at all if you're going all out Jaime Lannister! You get a full set of Heavy armor, a heavy shield, and sword and Erik the Slayer follower to be your early game meat shield. I noticed so far in Requiem, shields are very GOOD things to have early on to make those arrows bounce away from those damn archer bandits!

 

 

Cheers,

 

Jeedge

[ironbender800]

Very cool IronB. Yea, follower mods have been great then one day - a follower will just.....stand there...even after cleaning 'the system'. I've taken those living 'statues' and teleported them to whatever home I may own in the game so that he or she can live out the rest of their lives as living mannequins. LOL

 

Alright - I read through the guide, whew - not a 4-5 hour thing. I think I will wait until this weekend and/or whenever my next work vacation starts. Thanks again for all your help with the advice and links - I'll bookmark the videos, something to watch during my lunch break. :smile:

 

ps - I just tried out another option in LAL, and starting Requiem with your best child-hood friend, 'Erik the Slayer' is not such a bad deal at all if you're going all out Jaime Lannister! You get a full set of Heavy armor, a heavy shield, and sword and Erik the Slayer follower to be your early game meat shield. I noticed so far in Requiem, shields are very GOOD things to have early on to make those arrows bounce away from those damn archer bandits!

 

 

Cheers,

 

Jeedge

 

Vilja i know is VERY script heavy. I just dont think its worth risking anything breaking my game. For me a follower freezing like that is game breaking. I am very obsessive compulsive when it comes to this stuff lol. Its weird. If one little thing isnt right it will bug the s#*! outta me to where i delete everything.

 

But yeah the guide is definitely something you would need a weekend for. Dont install everything tho just use it as a guideline.

 

I have used LAL a lot but recently switched to skyrim unbound....LOVE not being dragonborn. For roleplaying LAL is better tho. Just dont pick the necromancer start......starts you in blackreach which even in vanilla is a near impossible start....but in requiem its pure INSANITY!!!!! Blackreach is one of the toughest areas in the game.

[Nozzer66]

I've done Neovalen's guide from scratch a few times. It'll take a full weekend if you follow it religiously. Maybe a little longer if you add onto it due to having to do your own conflict resolution etc.

 

And yes, Requiem is fun to add onto Neovalen's. Makes the game a real challenge. :)

[ironbender800]

I've done Neovalen's guide from scratch a few times. It'll take a full weekend if you follow it religiously. Maybe a little longer if you add onto it due to having to do your own conflict resolution etc.

 

And yes, Requiem is fun to add onto Neovalen's. Makes the game a real challenge. :smile:

 

Theres another guy on here who did the entire SRLE + Requiem. He had a lets play on YouTube with it. Thats a real challenge tho to make the entire guide work with requiem and beyond my skill level and patience level lol.

 

So i use a good chunk of the guide but not all of it. It blows the basic STEP guide out of the water.

[Nozzer66]

I wasn't 100% sure I'd patched every issue but I had it all going well enough to make it enjoyable.

 

Was a LOT of work but was well worth it.