Step Modifications is an extensive project gathering and bringing together information from across the community in the form of extensible modding and "how-to" guides. These are step-by-step guides to enhancing games with a focus on quality and performance over quantity. Step tries to stay as close to the 'vanilla' experience as possible, while addressing game bugs, improving visual quality, and correcting game-play mechanics. Our users should always expect an enhanced rendition of the game's original concept and mechanics when following one of our guides.

The Guide

This is our official guide for Skyrim Anniversary Edition, offering all that is needed to build out an enhanced vanilla experience. The Step mod list and patches are always extensively tested to ensure a stable and sensible game with performance/quality options at user discretion. Having gone through extensive testing, we're happy to present version 2.0.0 for use with the Anniversary Edition DLC (required).

Features

• Mesh, texture, sound, quest, and game mechanics bug fixes
• Corrected animations and movement speed
• High resolution texture mods consistent with vanilla style
• Enhanced trees that are 2D and Hybrid-3D LOD compatible
• Updated UI that is geared toward PC users (mouse and keyboard)
• Improved soundscape experience with higher quality audio and more realistic sounds
• Vanilla NPC appearance overhaul (body textures, hair, clothes, paints, children, beast races, etc.)
• Lighting and weather improvements provided as an optional section of the Guide
• Three conflict resolution patches
• Pre-generated grass cache for generation of grass LOD.
• Customized Cathedral Weathers
• UPDATED Custom lightweight ENB tailored for the guide with three quality/performance options.

Important Links
-> Step Modification Forums
-> Current Changelog
-> Feedback & Bug Reports
-> Facebook

The Step Guide Mandate

Step Modding Guides
Step offers complete, stand-alone modding guides for our supported games. These guides are intended to be a complete, 'Step-modded' setup for each of their games. In addition to adding upon the visual and acoustic enhancements of a vanilla game, Step Modding Guides modify aspects of gameplay mechanics and may include mods that add or subtract specific functionality to yield an overall more immersive experience.

Step Guides are about ...

• ... bug fixes and corrections to malfunctioning aspects of the vanilla games.
• ... HD asset replacements in the style of the vanilla game (or as close a representation as possible).
• ... improvements to existing content that increase the consistency of the vanilla game.
• ... interface mods that improve the menus and UI for the PC.
• ... tweaks that improve consistency in gameplay or meet realistic expectations of intended game features.
• ... new content, assets, and effects that are consistent with the game's style and lore, as established by Bethesda's creators and extrapolated on by the STEP community in accordance with resources:
  • Skyrim: Imperial Library and UESP
• ... continuity and qualitative consistency of all in-game behaviors and assets (i.e., sounds, textures, models, gameplay, etc.)

Step Guides are NOT about ...

• ... sex mods, body replacement mods, or beauty mods that unrealistically affect or digress from the ambiance and style of the vanilla game.
• ... sound replacement mods that digress from the game's vanilla ambience.
• ... texture mods that significantly deviate from the game's original visual style.
• ... mods that are only required for a specific user base (i.e., a mod that fixes UI issues but only for users running at 4K)

User Contributions
How YOU Can Help

Step Modifications is always looking for volunteers willing to help out. We need help at many levels from mod suggestions and testing to forums management and release coordination. Please jump over to the Step Community forums and PM any of the staff there ... or just jump into the mix and help out as you are able.

Credits

Mod Credits
The following mods are incorporated into the Step Guide Patches and credits for the original ideas goes to their authors:

• Cipscis and Reize - No NPC Greetings (Special Edition)
• NTense - Battle Cry Fix
• Whitefang37 - Don't Talk With Your Mouth Full
• Move it Dammit - for Skyrim Special Edition

Screenshots

• Taken after implementing the full Step SkyrimSE Guide with optional Lighting & Weather mods, custom Step ENB and optional Post-Processing mods.
• 2K textures were used for most options, however, some larger object textures were selected as 4K when available.
• 3D Hybrid Trees were generated and used with DynDOLOD.
• 3D Grass LOD was generated by DynDOLOD.