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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim cover.png
Developer(s) Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher(s) Bethesda Softworks
Engine Creation Engine
Havok Physics
First release date November 11, 2011
The Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls: Arena 1994
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall 1996
An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire 1997
The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard 1998
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind 2002
Tribunal
Bloodmoon
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 2006
Knights of the Nine
Shivering Isles
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 2011
Dawnguard
Dragonborn
The Elder Scrolls Online 2013

Key points

Advantage Major bugs and performance issues fixed by official patches.
Advantage Extensive modding community, including Steam Workshop integration.
Disadvantage Minor bugs not fixed officially, but fixed by third-party.

General information

More information Bethesda Forums, Skyrim
More information Steam Community, Skyrim
More information Reddit, Skyrim
More information Tweakguides/Geforce, Skyrim
More information WSGF, Skyrim

Contents

[edit] Availability

Source(s) Store unlock Notes
Steam Steamicon.png All versions unlock on Steam
Amazon Amazonstore.png Steamicon.png Retail DVD.
Green Man Gaming Green Man Gaming.png Steamicon.png
Information All versions require Steam, including both retail and digital distribution.

[edit] Improvements

[edit] Unofficial patches

Information Unofficial Skyrim Patch
Information Unofficial Dawnguard Patch
Information Unofficial Hearthfire Patch
Information Unofficial Dragonborn Patch

[edit] Utilities

Information TES5Edit - Used for merging patches and cleaning plugins and master files

[edit] Modifications

Disadvantage Some mods are incompatible with other similar mods. Read about compatibility before installing multiple mods.
More information Steam Workshop, Skyrim; official host included with Skyrim. Subscribed mods are automatically installed and updated (.
More information Nexus Mods, Skyrim; third-party host. Maintains Nexus Mod Manager and/or mod files for manual installation.
Information SKSE, third-party code. Required by many mods. Enables advanced scripting capabilities.
Information SkyUI, advanced menu interface. Optimized for keyboard and mouse control, supports advanced sorting, search, scaling. Requires SKSE.
Information Categorized Favorites Menu, advanced "favorites" interface. Optimized for keyboard and mouse control, supports hotkey slots, sets, sorting, uses full screen. Requires SKSE.
Information Stones of Berenziah Quest Markers
Information BOSS, third-party pre-launcher. Resolves some mod incompatibilities.
Information Wrye Bash, third-party mod manager. Resolves some mod incompatibilities and opens game settings for edits.

[edit] Skip Intro

Instructions Skip intro logos[1]

  1. Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\
  2. Open Skyrim.ini. Navigate to the [General] section.
  3. Add the following line at the end of the section:
    sIntroSequence=
  4. Save the file.
  5. Navigate to Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\
  6. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4.
  7. Navigate to Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Video\
  8. Rename the file BGS_Logo.bik

[edit] Enable multi-CPU

Follow this link and its instructions. Do not touch ANY files located in the steam folder, use only the Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini (or Skyim SkyrimPrefs if ".ini" is lacking) located in %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\ unless told otherwise by a mod author.

[edit] Tweak rendering distance

Instructions Tweaking uGrids[2]

Disadvantage Changing the values in this tweak may corrupt your save files, cause performance issues, or make your game client unstable, even on high end systems.
Information Back up your save files before applying the following tweak.

1) Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\

2) Open Skyrim.ini. Navigate to the [General] section.

3) Add the following line at the end of the section: 

uGridsToLoad=#
Information Change # to an odd number (3, 7, 9, 11). The default, stable value is 5.
Information High values increase full-resolution rendering distance. Low values do the opposite.

4) Save the file.

If you find your game to be unstable then you can revert uGrids back to its default settings.

1) Start Skyrim and load your save file.

2) Alt-tab from your game and open %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\Skyrim.ini.

3) Set uGridsToLoad=5 and uExterior Cell Buffer=36 and save.

4) Alt-tab back to Skyrim and open the console with ` and type in refreshini.

5) Save your game.

[edit] Enable shadows for trees and rocks

Instructions Self-shadowing tweak[3]

  1. Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\
  2. Open SkyrimPrefs.ini. Navigate to the [Display] section.
  3. Change the entry bDrawLandShadows=0 to bDrawLandShadows=1.
  4. Change the entry bTreesReceiveShadows=0 to bTreesReceiveShadows=1.
  5. Save the file.
Disadvantage Setting bDrawLandShadows=1 may greatly increase the amount of shadow striping on the ground, even with mods such as Realistic Lighting Overhaul.

[edit] Game data

[edit] Save game location

  Location 
Steam %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\Saves\
Information You can import/export saved games from/to XBOX360 by following this guide.

[edit] Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Steam Cloud Native
GameSave Manager Hackable In the database.

[edit] Video settings

Graphics option Native WSGF Notes 
Widescreen resolution Native WSGF WS Gold.png Configured through the game's launcher. 
Multi-monitor Hackable WSGF MM Limited.png Use Widescreen Fixer. 
Field of view (FOV) Hackable See Field of view (FOV). 
Windowed Native Configured through the game's launcher. 
Borderless fullscreen windowed Hackable See Borderless fullscreen windowed. 
Anisotropic filtering (AF) Native Configured through the game's launcher. 
Anti-aliasing (AA) Native Configured through the game's launcher. 
Vertical sync (Vsync) Hackable See Vertical synchronization (V-sync).

[edit] Field of view (FOV)

Fix Changing FoV

1) Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\

2) Open Skyrim.ini.

3) Add the following entries to the bottom of the [Display] section: 

fDefaultWorldFOV=##
fDefault1stPersonFOV=##
Information Replace ## with your desired FoV value.

4) Save the file.

5) Open SkyrimPrefs.ini.

6) Add the following entry to the bottom of the General section: 

fDefaultFOV=##
Information Replace ## with the same value you used in step 3.

7) Save the file.

8) Load your latest Skyrim save and open the console.

9) Enter the command fov ## and exit the console.

Information Replace ## with the same value you used in step 3.
10) Save your game to make the change permanent.

[edit] Borderless fullscreen windowed

Fix Enabling borderless fullscreen windowed

Information This method requires a 3rd-party executable.
  1. Launch Skyrim through Steam (or through SkyrimLauncher.exe).
  2. In the options menu, enable Windowed Mode.
  3. Download the main file from the Simple Borderless Window mod.
  4. Follow the instructions in the mod's description or in the download's readme.

[edit] Vertical synchronization (V-sync)

Fix Disabling V-sync

Disadvantage Disabling V-sync is HIGHLY UNRECOMMENDED. It introduces bugs with physics, time-scaling, graphics and controls.[4]
  1. Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\
  2. Open SkyrimPrefs.ini. Navigate to the [Display] section.
  3. Change the entry iPresentInterval=1 to iPresentInterval=0
  4. Save the file.

[edit] Removing screen tearing and Smoothing mouse movements

Fix Removing screen tearing and Smoothing mouse movements

Information This method requires a 3rd party application extension.
Information This method should only be used if you have screen tearing and/or jittery mouse movements.

1) Download the main file from the FPS Limiter mod

2) Extract the file you downloaded to Skyrim's main folder - Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim\

3) Open antilag.cfg in Skyrim's main folder with Notepad.

4) Change the FPS in FPSlimit=30 to an FPS that your computer can handle.

5) Save the file, and Skyrim should now have little-to-no screen tearing and smoother mouse movements.

[edit] Input settings

Input Settings Native Notes 
Remapping Native    
Mouse acceleration Hackable  See Mouse acceleration.  
Controller support Native  If enabled, prevents using the mouse. 

[edit] Mouse acceleration

Fix Disabling mouse acceleration

  1. Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\
  2. Open SkyrimPrefs.ini. Navigate to the [Controls] section.
  3. Change bMouseAcceleration=1 to bMouseAcceleration=0
  4. Save the file.

[edit] Issues fixed

Instructions Fixing crashes • Link

Information Make sure your game is fully updated.
Information Apply the unofficial patch.
Information Make sure you have the latest graphics driver. If not, perform a clean installation[5].
Information Disable/uninstall GPU utilities such as Smart-Doctor, GameOSD or Splendid.
Information Verify game cache through Steam[6].
Information Deactivate recently installed mods.
Information Install the Creation Kit for better compatibility with some mods.
Information Make sure your power supply is strong enough for your graphics card.

[edit] Blurry Text/Font

Using either Catalyst Control Center or Nvidia Control Panel

Add the TESV.exe (located in your Skyrim folder within Common files to your 3D applications, ignore any message about how AMD has already made a profile and Turn off 'Morphological Filtering'

[edit] Using a non-standard screen resolution

Fix Using a custom resolution.[7]

1) Go to %USERPROFILE%\My Documents\My Games\Skyrim\

2) Open SkyrimPrefs.ini. Navigate to the [Display] section.

3) Find the following values: 

iSize H=
iSize W=

4) Change iSize H= to your desired vertical resolution. (e.g., iSize H=1080).

5) Change iSize W= to your desired horizontal resolution (e.g., iSize W=1920).

6) Save the file.

[edit] Game stutters when playing on a laptop

Fix Changing maximum processor state

Information This fix is relevant if the laptop meets the game's System Requirements but stutters even on the lowest settings.
Information This method is only relevant on Windows 7.

1) Open the start menu.

2) Type in edit plan and press Enter.

3) Click on Change advanced power settings.

4) Expand Processor power management.

5) Expand Maximum processor state.

6) Change the value to 90%

[edit] Quiet audio

Fix Fixing quiet audio[8]

Disadvantage This method slightly reduces sound quality.
Information This method does not work on Windows XP.
  1. Open the Start Screen/Start Menu, type mmsys.cpl and press Enter.
  2. Open the Default Device (marked with a tick Tick.png).
  3. Go to the Enhancements tab.
  4. Enable Loudness Equalization.

[edit] Crash on Launcher or Crash when Starting Skyrim

Go to your SteamApps\common\skyrim and open the Skyrim folder in there. The file you're looking for is called SkyrimPrefs.ini. delete it and this should be fixed.

If it crashed with the error message "Application Load Error P:0000065432", restart Steam.

[edit] Stuttering in first person

Fix Fixing 64hz stutter bug

Information This fix will cap your framerate below Skyrim's maximum default of 62/64
  1. Download the Skyrim Suttering 64hz Bug Fix mod
  2. Drop the files in \%STEAMDIR%\Steamapps\common\skyrim
  3. Edit antilag.cfg and set the framerate cap to 59 or 60

[edit] System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit) Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
Processor (CPU) Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent Quad-core Intel or AMD
System memory (RAM) 2 GB 4 GB
Video card (GPU) DirectX 9.0c compliant with 512MB RAM DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD with 1GB RAM (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 / AMD Radeon 4890 or higher)
Hard disk drive (HDD) 6 GB 8 GB
Information Initial installation requires one-time internet connection for Steam authentication.

References

  1. ↑ http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=11
  2. ↑ http://www.geforce.com/Optimize/Guides/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-tweak-guide
  3. ↑ http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2227329
  4. ↑ http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1280991-do-not-disable-vsync/
  5. ↑ http://www.pchelpforum.com/xf/threads/how-to-do-a-clean-video-driver-install.90352/
  6. ↑ https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2037-QEUH-3335
  7. ↑ http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120118080040AAZVDZb
  8. ↑ http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/35452/how-can-i-increase-skyrims-volume
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