TB's Improved Water - A Complete Water Overhaul
⚪ Last updated 2021⚠️ Install Order · 5 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview
🔍 Analysis
- 👍 3.4% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
- 🏆 #24 of 51 Environmental mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
Why is this better
It makes use of the normal map layering system to layer 3 normal maps on top of each other this allows us to imitate very high-quality normal maps without taking up nearly as much memory.
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[]The Wave map - Represents waves created due to wind.
[
]The Wave refraction map - Represents the distortion in the waves from rocks and sides. - The Wind map - Represents the small water disturbances created by the wind going over the top of the water
It also uses a new way of shading water that is more true to the real word version.
Also, there is an ESL flagged version if your low on load order slots
Screenshots without ENB
btw the grain is much less prominent in-game
Screenshots with ENB
Resolutions
[This mod comes in a range of resolutions going from 4K - 1K however not all the maps need to max quality so the resolution of each map varies - the name relates to the size of the largest resolution normal map.
Performance
With almost all mod you will expect to take a performance hit - however, I have optimised the size of these textures so performance shouldn't be an issue with this mod.For modders
Feel free to use this mod in your mods just make sure that you make this mod a dependency (You know what I mean)
This is the compilation of 15 separate water mods - in one esp
Hope You like it
Any questions a sticky post has been posted in the comments section that should clarify things.
Works with ENB - However, parallax support not added yet
TB's Improved Water is a complete overhaul of Skyrim's water, using real-world values for reflections and refraction. It's an ESL-flagged mod with 1,493 endorsements and 43,638 downloads, last updated in March 2021. For players seeking a more realistic water appearance without heavy performance cost.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Community favorite with 1,493 endorsements and 43k downloads
- Real-world reflection and refraction values give a more authentic look
- ESL flag means it won't eat your plugin slots
⚠️ Cons
- Last updated in 2021, so it may not be fully compatible with the latest Skyrim updates or other water mods
- Overhauls all water, so it might conflict with other mods that edit the same records
- No patches mentioned for popular mods like Realistic Water Two, so you might need to pick one or the other
For Skyrim players who want a more realistic water appearance without the complexity of a full ENB or multiple patches. If you're already using a comprehensive water mod like Realistic Water Two, this might cause conflicts, so skip unless you're starting fresh.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Since it's ESL-flagged, you can safely load it with other mods, but check for conflicts with any water-editing mods in your load order.
- If you use a mod manager, you can preview the water changes in-game by toggling the mod on and off to compare.
- For best results, place this mod after other water mods in your load order to ensure its changes take priority.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Skyrim Mods
- Author
- The Blender Animator
- Version
- 2
- Downloads
- 43,638
- Endorsements
- 1,493
- Category
- Environmental
- Created
- 10/3/2020
- Updated
- 3/9/2021
🔧 How to Install Skyrim Mods
Download from Nexus.
📖 Full step-by-step install guide for Skyrim →
Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.
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