If you have a question or problem, please read the description page before posting a comment here, thank you.
If you are not sure what version of this mod to use, read FAQ No.1, or just get the "lite" version.
You can always try one version, and then another version later - its totally safe to uninstall and re-install different versions during your playthrough.
No need to start a new game. Safe to update on games in progress, despite the esp file name change.
CHANGELOG: Summary: extensive fine-tuning update, using 4 years worth of user feedback (and a lot of additional playtesting by me), to address the most common problems users had. Difficulty is generally slightly lower for interiors now, which should improve how the vanilla Thieves Guild sneak quests play. NPCs should feel more responsive when you are out of sneak mode, and should have slightly less difficulty finding other NPCs (if hit by frenzy spells etc). Difficulty scaling has been improved between vanilla, RAID Lite, RAID Medium, and RAID High versions.
Details:
Reduced interior detection distances (a bit closer to vanilla values), significantly for RAID Lite, and slightly for RAID medium, and very slightly for RAID high. This mitigates problems users had with excessive sneak difficulty (both visual and sound), particularly for the Thieves Guild sneak quests, which were designed with vanilla detection distances in mind.
Increased the detection ability bonus NPCs get while searching in RAID Lite to the same level as RAID med/high, to slightly improve NPC responsiveness when searching (this makes it a bit easier for enemies hit by "frenzy" type illusion spells to acquire targets in the dark).
Made NPCs react faster to you or other NPCs running into them OUT OF sneak mode, particularly for RAID Lite. They will now be more likely to skip the "search" mode in well lit environments and go straight to combat mode (closer to vanilla behaviour).
Slightly lowered the speed NPCs can detect you while sneaking outside in RAID Lite, particularly during pleasant weather, partly to compensate for the above reaction speed increase, and just to lower the general daytime sneak difficulty slightly.
Increased overall NPC hearing ability, particularly for RAID Lite, to compensate for the above reduced interior detection distances (which also nerfs hearing), and partly to slightly improve NPC ability to find other NPCs via sound detection in dark environments.
Reduced the amount of additional noise running makes compared to walking for all RAID versions (closer to vanilla levels), to prevent a significant increase in difficulty due to the above increased hearing ability edit (while still retaining the boost to NPC-on-NPC search performance, as that seems to be considered "walking" instead of "running" by the game).
Increased how well enemies can hear action sounds (melee, spells, arrow impacts, etc), particularly for RAID Lite, partly because it was a bit on the low side, and partly to compensate for the newly reduced interior detection distances. Compared to the previous version of RAID Lite, distances are now slightly lower for interiors, but slightly higher for exteriors. However, the sneak eye indicator will tend to open a bit more, at closer distances (but still far less than in vanilla).
Increased the minimum movement noise the player or NPCs make (when not wearing any armor etc), while slightly lowering the effect of heavy gear weight on movement noise (to compensate), after I realised a higher minimum value would slightly mitigate RAID's problems with un-armored NPCs struggling to find each other in dark environments (as they now make more noise for each other to hear). This only has a small effect on player sneak difficulty when wearing no armor.
Increased the effect walking (as opposed to running) has on visual detection particularly for RAID Lite, as the old value was a bit too forgiving, and to slightly help NPCs search for each other (NPCs technically walk during searches, even though the animation looks like slow running). This also gives standing still, walking, and running, a slightly smoother progression in terms of how easily you are detected for each.
Slightly lowered the overall large difficulty jump from RAID Lite to RAID medium.
Very slightly increased the ability of NPCs to see in dark outdoor environments in RAID Lite, to be more consistent with interior sneaking difficulty in similarly dark places.
Very slightly increased the difference standing or crouching (sneak mode) has on detection.
Crime response range of city guards has been further reduced slightly for RAID Lite.
Reduced the time an enemy stares at the location of a detection event (where a spell was cast, or a projectile impact) from 4sec to 3.5sec before starting a search.
Detection range of dead bodies was reduced slightly for RAID Lite (to remain consistent with the reduced interior detection ranges).
The GMST Datasheet optional download has had some minor description/wording updates.
Feedback on v3 from veteran RAID users is appreciated (if it feels very similar, or if you can't tell the difference, thats a good thing - I was trying to refine the wheel, not re-invent it)
I was using Immersive detection of NPC until after years on a page I discovered how it really worked, of those I was seeing your mod was the one that caught my attention the most, so far it works wonders. Although I no longer remember what vanilla was like, I can only compare your mod with Immersive detection of NPC. Another thing that I liked is that since the search state now lasts longer, my character is raising the sneak skill very quickly, maybe there would have been some modifier so that that doesn't happen. Otherwise I really liked it, although animals have no sense of smell and I can be surrounded by 2 bears + a wolf and they can't find me (invisible of course), on the one hand I liked it, on the other I don't, I am invisible but not odorless
thanks for the work and sharing it, I really liked it
So, this mod does not fix the issue with enemies where if one sees you sneaking then every single enemy in the cell knows exactly where you are instantly. But it does all that other stuff? IDK why google listed this as a skyrim mod that makes it where enemies arent telepathic.
Well, I've seen when enemies in nearby rooms are attracted by the sound of combat, but if there's a wall between you it should normally be easy to hide from them again once you've dealt with the enemies that can actually see you (even taking into account that this mod is also supposed to make enemies search a wider area, and spend more time looking). I wouldn't say they're telepathic, they can just hear that something's happening on their turf.
I have to admit, at first I didn't like this mod. It wasn't you, it was me. I am a stealth gamer. I come from Thief, Tenchu, MGS... Over the years, the stealth genre has pretty much died. Where it remains, it's been dumbed down to a non-thinking, minimal effort, skill-less wreck. I have been conditioned to accept modern "stealth" as the norm. So after I loaded your mod, I couldn't figure out why I couldn't sneak up to enemies the way i always have in Skyrim at 100% sneak; In the middle of the day crouch walking right up to the target, in the middle of a crowd. I thought "this mod is lame!" Then I realized that it was I that was lame. My stealth muscles had atrophied into casual paradise! Now, I have reason to sleep during the daylight, look for the dark areas, sneak walk instead of run, use darker night mods, turn off the music and actually be sneaky! Thank you for this!! You have breathed life into a dead genre.
Give this man a fucking award! I actually went back to Thief 1 (Gold on steam with Tfix) after a decade, and despite the muddy graphics and ugly character designs, I discovered that I'd forgotten what it was to be 'immersed' in an impossible fictional setting.
Thank you for this: I'll download this excellent mod now, thanks to your comment.
On a side note: I've found myself going back to older games recently. The first Tomb Raider, Ico, Soul Calibur II: I had no idea that I'd forgotten what it was to actually 'escape'. The more I realize it, the more I hate modern gaming (save for the Indie scene, which actually seems to give a s#*! for the most part).
You sold it to me, and I'm now a satisfied customer. Thank you!
If nothing else, I'm now much more likely to use shields and conjuration to help keep enemies off of me since the sneak skill isn't so overpowered anymore. Also, invisibility is suddenly useful. Immersion 100.
Yo, hi! I already said that before, but again, Thank you for this exelent mod!
But I wanted to ask something for you... I'm not having any kind of issues with your mod, it's just a matter of optimizing the game flow and making it a relaxing and less stressfull to play after a day of work.
I'm using Realistic Lightning Overhaul with Vivid Weathers, and wanted you opinion/help on what version to use of your mod.
The scenario I want to create is a "not-too-bright" and "not-extremely-dark". It's dark and bright when necessary (night far from cities/inside florests are very dark, a sunny, clean day is very bright, etc). And I'm not using ENB's.
RLO and Vivid Weathers can be an awkward combination. RLO uses real lighting (and its darker versions benefit from the RAID High), but Vivid Weathers uses fake lighting (as explained on the description page, and thus goes best with RAID Lite). So its hard to say, but RAID medium/medium is probably the best compromise. If that proves a bit hard, just swap it for RAID lite afterwards.
I've long used the same set-up myself, though I never thought it looked weird (I mostly use RLO for the more dramatic lighting). Lately though, I've contemplated removing Vivid Weathers after finally learning how to use Imaginator (I was mainly using Vivid Weathers for its graphics-altering MCM to be honest, I only started looking at imaginator because I was sick of the lack of features in the LE version of VW). That said, I'm not sure what weather mod I would switch to. Climates of Tamriel looks depressing to me. Obsidian Weathers looks only good for a bleak horror build. I've long used True Storms (I got the compatibly patch for it and VW before it was removed), though I've used it for so long I don't really know what effect it has on the game anymore other than making rain storms more dramatic (does it make nights darker? I really don't know). Similar issue with VW; I don't really know what it does anymore its been so long since I played without it.
Long story short, I was thinking of switching out Vivid Weathers, but I don't know what to replace it with. Either way, I wouldn't really know which module to use with most set-ups; the mod page only seems to bring up ELFX, which I've never really liked. RLO 5 does make interiors darker, though not nearly as much as ELFX does. I don't even really know what True Storms and Vivid Weathers do anymore because I've played with them for so long they're just how Skyrim's supposed to look to me.
Oliver, I have a question. Is there any way you are aware of as to diminish the Sneak Skills upgrading speed rate? When the enemies search time is encreased (which is one of the RAID's main features), it is the Player's Sneak skills who upgrade too fast.
Hello. Just found out about this. This looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing. Do you know if this plays well with immersive detection of NPC's? (https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/61255/) ? I was interested in keeping the weather buffs and debuffs from immersive detection of npc's while using your changes to everything else.
immersive detection of NPC's should be removed because it uses unsafe scripting routines which will blow your save game! never ever use that mod. And by the way, why adding two mods if you get a save mod here ?
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241 comments
If you are not sure what version of this mod to use, read FAQ No.1, or just get the "lite" version.
You can always try one version, and then another version later - its totally safe to uninstall and re-install different versions during your playthrough.
No need to start a new game. Safe to update on games in progress, despite the esp file name change.
CHANGELOG:
Summary: extensive fine-tuning update, using 4 years worth of user feedback (and a lot of additional playtesting by me), to address the most common problems users had. Difficulty is generally slightly lower for interiors now, which should improve how the vanilla Thieves Guild sneak quests play. NPCs should feel more responsive when you are out of sneak mode, and should have slightly less difficulty finding other NPCs (if hit by frenzy spells etc). Difficulty scaling has been improved between vanilla, RAID Lite, RAID Medium, and RAID High versions.
Details:
Feedback on v3 from veteran RAID users is appreciated (if it feels very similar, or if you can't tell the difference, thats a good thing - I was trying to refine the wheel, not re-invent it)
thanks for the work and sharing it, I really liked it
It wasn't you, it was me.
I am a stealth gamer. I come from Thief, Tenchu, MGS...
Over the years, the stealth genre has pretty much died. Where it remains, it's been dumbed down to a non-thinking, minimal effort, skill-less wreck.
I have been conditioned to accept modern "stealth" as the norm.
So after I loaded your mod, I couldn't figure out why I couldn't sneak up to enemies the way i always have in Skyrim at 100% sneak; In the middle of the day crouch walking right up to the target, in the middle of a crowd.
I thought "this mod is lame!"
Then I realized that it was I that was lame.
My stealth muscles had atrophied into casual paradise!
Now, I have reason to sleep during the daylight, look for the dark areas, sneak walk instead of run, use darker night mods, turn off the music and actually be sneaky!
Thank you for this!!
You have breathed life into a dead genre.
Thank you for this: I'll download this excellent mod now, thanks to your comment.
On a side note: I've found myself going back to older games recently. The first Tomb Raider, Ico, Soul Calibur II: I had no idea that I'd forgotten what it was to actually 'escape'. The more I realize it, the more I hate modern gaming (save for the Indie scene, which actually seems to give a s#*! for the most part).
If nothing else, I'm now much more likely to use shields and conjuration to help keep enemies off of me since the sneak skill isn't so overpowered anymore. Also, invisibility is suddenly useful. Immersion 100.
This is 'the' perfect stealth mod, as far as I'm concerned. 10/10
But I wanted to ask something for you... I'm not having any kind of issues with your mod, it's just a matter of optimizing the game flow and making it a relaxing and less stressfull to play after a day of work.
I'm using Realistic Lightning Overhaul with Vivid Weathers, and wanted you opinion/help on what version to use of your mod.
The scenario I want to create is a "not-too-bright" and "not-extremely-dark". It's dark and bright when necessary (night far from cities/inside florests are very dark, a sunny, clean day is very bright, etc). And I'm not using ENB's.
Sorry for the english!
RLO uses real lighting (and its darker versions benefit from the RAID High),
but Vivid Weathers uses fake lighting (as explained on the description page, and thus goes best with RAID Lite).
So its hard to say, but RAID medium/medium is probably the best compromise. If that proves a bit hard, just swap it for RAID lite afterwards.
Long story short, I was thinking of switching out Vivid Weathers, but I don't know what to replace it with. Either way, I wouldn't really know which module to use with most set-ups; the mod page only seems to bring up ELFX, which I've never really liked. RLO 5 does make interiors darker, though not nearly as much as ELFX does. I don't even really know what True Storms and Vivid Weathers do anymore because I've played with them for so long they're just how Skyrim's supposed to look to me.
Is there any way you are aware of as to diminish the Sneak Skills upgrading speed rate?
When the enemies search time is encreased (which is one of the RAID's main features), it is the Player's Sneak skills who upgrade too fast.
thanks again