Skyrim - Ini tweaks

Waiting for Bash to suport them but till then :

Go to C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Documents\My Games\Skyrim\SkyrimPrefs.ini
Add fdefaultfov=XX at the end of the [General] section. (where XX is the FOV value you want to change to)
Open C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Documents\My Games\Skyrim\Skyrim.ini, and search for [Display] section
Add fDefaultWorldFOV=XX (where XX is the FOV value you put in fdefaultfov)
Add fDefault1stPersonFOV=xx.0000 (where XX is the FOV value you put in fdefaultfov)

This was from changing the FOV - default is ~70.
Found this here. Well - it is not that stable. What should be stable is - open the console and type :

fov XX
saveini

The result of which being the Skyrim.ini in the My Games folder becoming ~1500 lines instead of ~15. Not sure if this is the way to go either. Investigating...

Not an ini tweak as far as I know - disable the intro beth video by renaming/deleting Data\Video\BGS_Logo.bik

Skyrim - First impressions or why I still read Tolkien

I'll be a bit harsh but don't get me wrong - I like the game. I never liked the literary part of it (since oblivion that is - I did not play the earlier ones, but I hear daggerfall was a UK thing). The story/dialogue etc. I am spoiled by Tolkien I guess - where there is an economy in the plot, justification for actions, characters have depth and so on. Very spoiled. So let's see a couple of points.

Part 1 : Let's get this over with

Ok - so we start off in a chart with prisoners political and otherwise. Reminds me of something. The dialogue could use some naturalness - especially the horse thief is ridiculous.

"I would have stolen that horse and be in Hammerfel" should be :
"I'd be in Hammerfel with my new horse", obviously. Or :

"You are the leader of the rebellion !" should be :
"The leader of the rebellion !". And so on

Dear writer - it isn't so hard.

I 'd expected so much anyway - the only book in oblivion that was really readable was "Immortal blood" - by Anonymous.

Where things get rather stupid is the execution scene - OK I must see the dragon lying with my head ready to be chopped - it's the right angle. MAKE IT PLAUSIBLE. I am not in the list - why not ? Why is the thief (I know he may not be - but the real question is why this list anyway when there is the slightest possibility to drop from it - in transit) ? Since I am not (on the list) I shouldn't be executed - or if I should be, the "captain" should prove to all the world how bad she is and look me in the eye and say : "Better safe than sorry". Do yourself a favor dear writer - dispose of the list. Dispose of the plot. Dispose of writing.

Part 2 : To kill a dragon.

So we get over the shock of the completely implausible start and we go on with the tutorial (may I call it the tutorial ?) - we get out of the sewers err the dungeon wondering when the heck will we get a chance to rethink of our race, face, name etc - and off to Skyrim.

Great view. Harvest flora not needed anymore. I am a flame thrower. Harvest containers still needed (yes with the occasional glitch - "empty" is a good addition to be sure). No more major skills - what a relief! I hope simplify is not the rule though. I still want to change my face - and where was the age slider ? Glad there are no torches everywhere. Bandits talk - not about news from the other provinces I mean. Altogether lighter. Dragons. Mighty Dragons. Breathing fire. So let's follow the main quest. And suddenly second shock.

We go kill a dragon with 4 guards, a dark elf and a noob - I was level 2 or 3 at the time - and we succeed ! WTF !?! Why ? To learn I am the dragonbaby of course but why ? Is it too difficult to understand this "takes all the juice out of it" ? No - this is an error. It throws UnhandledLoreException all the way to my desktop. Sorry.

Essential Tools and Tips

1. First off install Conscribe. Modify its ini as follows :

[ConsoleLog]
ScribeMode=PerSession
Includes=
Excludes=
[General]
TimeFormat=%Y-%m-%d %H-%M-%S
LogBackups=-1
RootDirectory=Default

This will make it keep infinite backups - per session - and sorted by date. It is very important if something goes wrong - you can check exactly when it happened. Add the folder Conscribe keeps its logs to the WB ini :

sCustom17=C:\GAMES\TESIV\Oblivion\Data\ConScribe Logs
sCustom17opt=-Option(s)
sCustom17txt=Conscribe Logs

This is deprecated with the Apps folder.

2. Coming to talk of the WB ini a couple of useful settings are :

sScriptFileExt=.es4   ; this is the extension used by misterMcCoonie's Notepad++ definition file
bSkipHideConfirmation=1   ; does not ask you if you really want to hide a package
s7zExtraCompressionArguments= -ms=on -mx=9   ; solid Ultra compression

3. Updating WB from Sourceforge the easy way :

• Lojack, from whom those instructions came, suggested to sync the whole oblivion folder - I took a modular approach (the non modular approach has some drawbacks, see below) .
• Download and install Tortoise SVN - needs restart.
• Right click on the "Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Mopy" folder->SVN Checkout...
• For "URL of repository" use: https://oblivionworks.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/oblivionworks/Programs/Wrye%20Bash/Mopy/
• For "Checkout directory", for example, use "C:\Program Files (x86)\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Mopy".
• Make sure it's set to "Fully recursive".
• Click yes on the :

  The target folder
  C:\Games\Oblivion\Oblivion\Mopy
  is not empty!
  Are you sure you want to checkout/export into that folder?
  

  warning.
• Let it update. I had to right click > revert on recently changed files (poor tortoise thought I actually edited the files and was willing to let me commit them - while they just were a couple revisions old). So open the Mopy folder and right click > Revert on all files with a red exclamation mark (select them all at once).
• Rinse and repeat for Data\Bash Patches, Data\Ini tweaks and Data\Docs. Use respective urls (https://oblivionworks.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/oblivionworks/Programs/Wrye%20Bash/Data/Bash%20Patches/,
  https://oblivionworks.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/oblivionworks/Programs/Wrye%20Bash/Data/Docs/,
  https://oblivionworks.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/oblivionworks/Programs/Wrye%20Bash/Data/INI%20Tweaks/).
• Now to sync a folder with the latest SVN right click on folder > SVN update. Done !

• If taking the non modular approach : right click on the Oblivion folder > SVN Checkout... For "URL of repository" use: https://oblivionworks.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/oblivionworks/Programs/Wrye%20Bash. For "Checkout directory", make sure it didn't tack on a "Wrye Bash" to that, for example use "C:\Program Files (x86)\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion". This also downloads the forum starter post, the.nsi etc. I will post a solution (if one does not want those files around). Also if using this approach you might get a purple question mark on all files/folders in the Oblivion\ folder that are not in the repository. A workaround exists by editing the registry. See here.
  

Now that you synced open up the Bash folders - you will notice a green checkmark on synced files - the ones with no checkmark are not (anymore) present in the SVN and are most (all) safe to delete - do not delete your .ini or bashed patch saved configs (etc) along.

4. And an autohotkey script to open your oblivion install folder - whether your 2006 install in Program Files or your C:\Games one or whatever :

^!0::     ; Ctrl + Alt + 0
    RootKey = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    SubKey = SOFTWARE\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion
    RegRead, Ob_path, % RootKey, % SubKey, Installed Path
    run %Ob_path%
return

TBC

Last edited : 2011.08.29 12.39 UTC

XP PRO post format checklist

First some format tips : XP does not recognize SATA (SP something does but not the vanilla one). I had to use a floppy to install the driver - and don't forget to install the drivers once you boot into XP. Also computer name and user names cannot match - didn't know that. Install language packs for east asian languages etc during install - it will save you a reboot when you first see the □S in a filename. Ah - err, you'll need the key during install.

Now - once you booted and all :

1. Install all updates - namely service pack 2 then 3 then what's left. I used IE -once SP2 is installed configure automatic updates to "only download but not install" - some say that this won't actually prevent Windoz from "not installing" updates - you have to actually disable the service. Dunno if fixed in SP3. Install also IE8 for the times you'll need IE.
2. Go to device manager and make sure all devices are ok - some drivers can be downloaded in step 1 from windows update (I find the IE interface adequate).
3. Now is a good time to run Autoruns. Let it verify signatures and save the .arn scan. It will come very handy when you want to compare your current set of autoruns with the initial - Autoruns conveniently compares with saved scans and highlights newer entries. Save also a scan with "Hide windows entries" checked (you need to refresh Autoruns). In my set up the only non windows entries apparent were the gfx interface - the audio one had an MS signature - and a bunch of not found drivers, which apparently one shouldn't mess with.
4. Folder sizes : has its share of bugs (locking drives/folders, refreshing when it shouldn't) but I need it.
5. Now maybe it's a good time to install Beyond Compare and save a complete scan of the hard drive. If you are that anal. I never messed with ghosting etc but you might as well.

Tweaks :

1. Fluff : System Properties > Advanced > Performance > Settings > Visual Effects. Disable everything except Show windows content while dragging and Smooth edges of screen fonts. Go to Desktop > Properties > Appearance > Effects and choose clear types for the method of fonts smoothing. This one pays.
2. Now still in System Properties > Advanced : disable error reporting and go to Startup and Recovery and uncheck automatically restart. So you can read the blue screen. Do it.
3. Again in Desktop > Properties> Desktop > Customize Desktop, disable the icons you don't need (all of them that is) - and turn off desktop cleanup wizard and screensaver.
4. Go to Recycling Bin > Properties and disable the "Delete confirmation dialog" - do not disable the RB though.
5. Go to a high level folder : choose the view you want (details), adjust columns the way you want and launch Folder Options > View > Folders views > Apply to all folders. Great - details everywhere - no more chaos. No way to "Size all columns to fit" by default.
6. Still in folder options : check Do not cache thumbnails (do it now!), Display the contents of system folders, uncheck Hide protected OS files, Hide extensions for known filetypes (duh). Toggling hidden files/folders needs an autohotkey script - will post one soon.
7. Start menu / Taskbar: classic start menu (>customize > hide run, display admin tools), untick group similar taskbar buttons.
8. Search : turn the dog off, choose advanced files and folders search behavior.
9. Disable "Use the Web service to find the correct program" - save :

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   
   [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
   "NoInternetOpenWith"=dword:00000001
   
   [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
   "NoInternetOpenWith"=dword:00000001

   as a .reg file and run it.
10. Disable sounds from Control panel> Sounds and Audio Devices > Sounds - you won't miss them.
11. The Places bar locations in a Common Dialog box (Open/Save As) can be customized to your choice of folders. You can do it many ways but the easiest is to create a reg file - cause you simply have to edit this file whenever you change your mind instead of running tweakUI, gpedit.msc etc. Here is mine :

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\comdlg32\PlacesBar]
    "Place0"="C:\\Dropbox"
    "Place1"="C:\\"
    "Place2"="F:\\"
    "Place3"="C:\\Documents and Settings\\USER\\Desktop"
    "Place4"="F:\\P R O G R A M S"

12. Run > gpedit.msc. Here you can remove a couple more items from the Start menu and disable the recent documents no-feature. Check screenshot. Also disable autoplay here, for good.
13. Run defraggler - go to files tab and choose all files - defrag checked.

Programs :

Firefox, Autohotkey, Dropbox, 7z (associate all archive types), Notepad++(associate .ini, .nfo, .xml and .txt with it), foobar2000 (associate all audio), IrfanView (associate all images), Sumatra pdf (adobe creates folders everywhere as well as startup entries - renders better though), CCleaner, Defraggler, Clipboard Recorder (I'd rather use something free - haven't found any - this one (or similar) is a must), Java, Open Office (yes I know),  Renamer (mass renames folders too), cmd here powertoy, Duplicate cleaner, Taskbar Shuffle (discovered it too late). And the Sysinternals Suite.

Some run commands :
Device Manager    devmgmt.msc
Disk Management    diskmgmt.msc
Event Viewer    eventvwr.msc
Group Policy Editor (XP Prof)    gpedit.msc

This is still a WIP - feel free to correct me.

ToDo : more reg files - rather than fumbling through menus.

Last edited : 2011.04.24 00.12 UTC

NetBeans + MinGW = C++

It is simple but not as simple as it could be, so :

• install the latest jdk (1.6.24) - the SE one (stands for Standard Edition and is all you need in all probability). I had the infamous 1335 error (XXX.cab corrupted) - maybe it had to do with my network - still after redownloading 3-4 times the jdk-6u24-windows-i586.exe it worked.
• Install netbeans - 6.9.1 at the time of writing. I install the full one.
• Download the MinGwin get-install : mingw-get-inst-20110211.exe at the time of writing. You get it from sourceforge.  If you are Admin it will install for all users - to avoid this you will have to Run as... a limited user - if you care. Leave the install dir C:\MinGW - don't go looking for trouble. You can choose prepackaged repositories or let it download the newer ones - I usually opt for the second. Select the compilers you want and the MinGW Developer Toolkit (I think gdb is in there).
• Let it install - it will download the packages it needs so grab a snickers.
• Append ;C:\MinGW\bin to the end of the Path System variable found in System Properties > Advanced > Environmental variables > System vars. Semicolon needed. This adds C:\MinGW\bin to the paths Windoz looks for executables - so it will know about the existence of the compilers you just installed. Bingo. Don't forget the ;.
  
• Download and run MSYS-1.0.11.exe. This very one. Let C:\msys\1.0 alone. Once it finishes it will throw a "post-install screen". The answers are : y, y, c:\mingw. Don't mess it up. It will install the correct make.
• Run netbeans, update the updater, update the rest.
• Done !

Last edited : 2011.03.05 12.21 GMT