[crimsonheadGCN]

Bethesda head honcho Pete Hines has a surprise up his sleeve – and it’s not that the Creation Kit for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will be released this week. Hines already confirmed that much via his Twitter account, where he also mentioned the download would “have a special surprise with it”. “What could it be!?” he asked – and the internet answered. In a rapidly growing thread on the game’s official forums, cogs started turning in clever gamer skulls, and a potential conclusion was reached: A High-Res graphical pack for the PC version of the game, something many fans have wanted since launch (if not before!). Backing up this theory, one gamer uncovered the following image by snooping around through Steam documentation: Read more from Player Attack: http://www.playerattack.com/news/201...#ixzz1lYADMnhH

Here is the biggest hint from the Steam registry:

[Osietra]

Hines has a surprise up his sleeve.

[Dennis]

Great news if true.

But I find the notion of adding this months after the game is released to be bizarre when you think about it. Just make the damn textures available when I buy your damn game.

[snoopeasystreet]

That all fine and good but I'm hyped for Jane's Enhanced Puffin mod more than anything

[Mr Swine]

Oh god I really hope this is true :D

[DaBuddaDa]

But I find the notion of adding this months after the game is released to be bizarre when you think about it. Just make the damn textures available when I buy your damn game.

But then there would be less to keep your game a topic of discussion months after launch!

[Gez]

I know i should wait for this but yet i still can't stop playing......

[Dennis]

I know i should wait for this but yet i still can't stop playing......

You got skyrimmed

[Emitan]

Is there a non shit quest rewards patch coming?

[GillianSeed79]

If this is to be the case, do you think it would be supported in that supposed one-step mod installation feature that Steam is supposed to be getting, or would a high res texture patch be too complex for that?

[EatinOlives]

If this is to be the case, do you think it would be supported in that supposed one-step mod installation feature that Steam is supposed to be getting, or would a high res texture patch be too complex for that?

Nah, that's probably one of the easiest types of mods, in fact.

I was wondering how they were going to distribute this, but you pretty much just answered my question: via an official mod on the Steam Workshop :P

[Lyphen]

Is there a non shit quest rewards patch coming?

Welcome to The Elder Scrolls. That shouldn't change. Now, when someone tells you 'here, take my sword' and gives you Steel Armor instead, we have a problem.

[Marcellus Wallace]

Keep improving this version and let the PS3 version rot.

[Emitan]

Welcome to The Elder Scrolls. That shouldn't change. Now, when someone tells you 'here, take my sword' and gives you Steel Armor instead, we have a problem.

I wish I got swords. Its like "thanks for killing all those zombies, here's some apples"

[NBtoaster]

Nah, that's probably one of the easiest types of mods, in fact. I was wondering how they were going to distribute this, but you pretty much just answered my question: via an official mod on the Steam Workshop :P

Don't think Steam workshop content gets added to the registry.

More likely to be something you can download from the store page like DLC.

[Corky]

But I find the notion of adding this months after the game is released to be bizarre when you think about it. Just make the damn textures available when I buy your damn game.

The irony of this statement with regards to a Bethesda game is strong enough to shatter my pelvis.

[NBtoaster]

I wish I got swords. Its like "thanks for killing all those zombies, here's some apples"

With the creation kit there will be plenty of mods to take care of that.

[luckyboyceo]

Keep improving this version and let the PS3 version rot.

Has the PS3 version not been fixed yet? I haven't been following.

[NBtoaster]

Has the PS3 version not been fixed yet? I haven't been following.

Patch should be in Sony's hands now, they said they submitted it this week.

[Derrick01]

I'll have to wait for mods to come out to completely fix the loot scaling before I can play again, but I guess better textures is nice.

[Xilium]

Hasn't the modding community already taken care of this?

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Does the new patch optimise any of the PC version's code after that embarrassing discovery?

[Erethian]

Does the new patch optimise any of the PC version's code after that embarrassing discovery?

Yep, as of the 1.4 patch they use optimisation flags when compiling the PC version. That and some AI optimisations they did.

[jediyoshi]

Hasn't the modding community already taken care of this?

Officially sanctioned goods always taste sweeter.

[Emitan]

Does the new patch optimise any of the PC version's code after that embarrassing discovery?

Huh?

[Corto]

Now all it's left is a price drop.

[EatinOlives]

Hasn't the modding community already taken care of this?

Most mods either just take the textures and sharpen them (which looks like crap) or make their own (which can look nice, but they're different textures). I imagine these official textures are the same ones, except larger and less compressed.

[Yasae]

Great news if true. But I find the notion of adding this months after the game is released to be bizarre when you think about it. Just make the damn textures available when I buy your damn game.

You're a corporate apologist, but even you should know better than to make statements like these.

[teh_pwn]

Huh?

Bethesda compiled PC target binaries without compiler optimization flags enabled. A mod worked around it and boosted performance significantly. Patch 1.4 officially fixed it.

[Moaradin]

I really hope so. I'm starting to not regret my purchase with all the steam integration and mod tools news.

[3rdman]

Now all it's left is a price drop.

I held off until the X-Mas sale so I scored it at $40.00...fair price for such a great game. Hopefully this drops soon...I've been playing everything except the main quest and any of the major guilds until I wipe out my miscellaneous quests. :P

[Ciastek3214]

What if console version also got high res texture pack? Imagine the negative fps-fest.

[bengraven]

Played for a straight month and still didn't beat it, nor played the Mages Guild and still have like 40 misc. quests left. Then took the last few months off.

I was already waiting on the CK to start playing again, but I'll be waiting for this now as well.

[elohel]

You got skyrimmed

lol .......

[MikeE21286]

Now all it's left is a price drop.

scooped up the PC version at $29.99 from GMG last week. No regrets

feelsgoodman.jpg

[LiquidMetal14]

Does the new patch optimise any of the PC version's code after that embarrassing discovery?

Have you though it over enough to answer the original "huh" reply?

If you were on the beta patches, it has been improved tons. The 1.4 final release will fix more than you know. It's definitely headed in the right direction on PC.

[crimsonheadGCN]

Now all it's left is a price drop.

It will probably be the mid-week sale along with the other Elder Scrolls titles.

[HarryHengst]

I cant wait for mods to make this a fun game.

[Bisnic]

I cant wait for mods to make this a fun game.

But its already a fun game. Nearly 150 hours on a character should be proof enough.

[VistraNorrez]

But its already a fun game. Nearly 150 hours on a character should be proof enough.

Seriously. That's like someone saying I can't wait until some reader edits Lord of the Rings and makes it readable.

I'm definitely looking forward to fan made quests and content, but I can't stand visual or game mechanic mods.

If you don't like the game as the developers made it, it's not the game for you. No need to disrespect all the artists behind it.

[Terbinator]

What time today are we meant to be expecting the CK and possible HQ textures?

[jayhawker]

Seriously. That's like someone saying I can't wait until some reader edits Lord of the Rings and makes it readable. I'm definitely looking forward to fan made quests and content, but I can't stand visual or game mechanic mods. If you don't like the game as the developers made it, it's not the game for you. No need to disrespect all the artists behind it.

I agree with you on graphics mods, especially texture mods. High res texture mods are so ugly.

But game mechanic mods? I couldn't play Oblivion without OOO.

[UrbanRats]

Seriously. That's like someone saying I can't wait until some reader edits Lord of the Rings and makes it readable. I'm definitely looking forward to fan made quests and content, but I can't stand visual or game mechanic mods. If you don't like the game as the developers made it, it's not the game for you. No need to disrespect all the artists behind it.

What? Is it not possible to dislike some key choices, therefore wait for fan made modifications (even radical ones) to enjoy the game fully?

[WhatRobEats]

Seriously. That's like someone saying I can't wait until some reader edits Lord of the Rings and makes it readable. I'm definitely looking forward to fan made quests and content, but I can't stand visual or game mechanic mods. If you don't like the game as the developers made it, it's not the game for you. No need to disrespect all the artists behind it.

Yea, those dejected developers I can't believe they are creating exhaustive Wiki's and releasing a Creation Kit to alter their masterpiece. /derp

[Tain]

Seriously. That's like someone saying I can't wait until some reader edits Lord of the Rings and makes it readable. I'm definitely looking forward to fan made quests and content, but I can't stand visual or game mechanic mods. If you don't like the game as the developers made it, it's not the game for you. No need to disrespect all the artists behind it.

That's a pretty short-sighted and limiting stance. Why would you turn down elements of a game that you may strongly prefer simply because the original developers didn't make them themselves? It's arbitrary, too, that you'd be fine with fan made quests messing with the structure of the world and not some UI changes.

[Jtrizzy]

What kind of performance hit will people see when using high res textures?

[Dreamwriter]

Depends on the resolution of the textures and the amount of memory in your graphics card

[therealminime]

What kind of performance hit will people see when using high res textures?

It usually depends on your VRAM on your graphics card. Normally, high res textures do not really impact performance all that much, except for some extended load times and a few fps. If your card has 1.5gb and up then there is basically no impact providing the textures are not of an obscenely high resolution.

[StoppedInTracks]

This + Steam's mod integration should go live on the same day.

Skyrim sales on the PC will skyrocket then. AGAIN.

[Jtrizzy]

How much does vram does vanilla use @1080p ultra?