So I have read through alot of the TOTO site and I am confused about how to accomplish what I want. Combined with variants of mods and vague install requirements I don't know what I need. I like the screenshot from Table 2, Row 1, Column 3, which is BT2048 with medium noise:
http://devnull.sweetdanger.net/lod2.html

I have the medium noise mod, which was easy to find. But there are several Better Tiling variants and some require QTP2 and some don't, and I would like to figure out which one was used in the screenshot. I thought it was Blade's for QTP2, but in the article they say they are using QTP3, so is the BT for QTP2 work fine with QTP3 instead?

Also not sure whether QTP3 includes the distance LOD stuff, such that I wouldn't need BT after all? In some places it sounds like it does include it? Would I use Blade9722's Better Tiling LOD for QTP2? It says it requires QTP2. So I am not sure what I should get.

It normally takes alot to confuse me, but I feel pretty confused.

I still have migraines from when I tried to figure it all out. So after much pain here is how I make the landscape look good:

QTP3 Redimized for all the things you see and interact with (roads, wood, walls, barrels, etc).

These 4 files make all the distance look good:
Blade 2048 color maps - need this to go with normal maps
Qarl 2048 normal maps
Koldorn strongest noise filter - need this to get rid of the pepper effect
Blade 2048 border regions maps

Depending on your computer CPU and VRAM, you can go as high as 4096 maps or lower to 512. I found 1024 size maps to be as good as 2048 bust since I have the VRAM I went for the marginal improvement of 2048.

Make sense?

I did alot of combination testing (BAIN is superb for that) until I got the effect I wanted. Make sure all these load last as many mods overwrite these file textures.
I did my testing just as I exit the sewers and at a spot by the IC stables.

Thanks there are three of Blade's 2048 LOD's that I've found:
http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=6996
http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5146
http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=7212

I think "Better Tiling textures for Qarl v1_11" is what I should use? It says I need QTP2, but do you think it will work with QTP3 instead?

I only use the 2nd link file for my config for color maps.

The I use Qarl for normal maps:
http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=3392
I use the QN2048 file

Then Blades for border regions:
http://tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=5147

My isntall order is:
Blade 2048 border regions
Blade 2048 color maps
Qarl 2048 normal maps
Noise filter (HTF or Koldorn)

Take a look at it and see how you like it.

I am using this setup also. But after looking at the PES link, I noticed that http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=3392 (Qarl 2048 normal maps) requires http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=1928, http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=2584 (which is already listed) and http://planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=OblivionMods.Detail&id=2246. So I'm still a little confused.

Those "Reduced LandscapeLOD Textures" are pretty old now. I mean, they'll still work, but there are (arguably) better, more recent alternatives that are - in terms of file size and such - very similar, or possibly a bit sleeker.

Yes, they do require several mods at 2048 or 4096 or whatever it is, as a foundation, but (as you can see in the filenames) they actually end up as 512 or 1024. The process is most likely similar to that for QTP3 -> QTP3 Reduced. I believe you need the original for that as well, and the reduced form merely adds on its own, well, reductions.

Basically, pick a resolution and style that appeals to you (whether that's Vibrant, Qarl's 1024/2048/4096, or something else again) and install any prereqs you need to, first. Generally, that'll be none, but in the case of "reduced such-and-such", it's often as above.

edit: Tomlong recommends "Optimized DistantLOD Max", I think it's called. Might be worth a look too.

Which more recent alternatives are you referring to exactly?

OK. The confusion was compounded by old/new versions, differences in naming conventions, a trained eye to test with, etc.

Here's my current setup: The BAIN format came from Psymon's excellent http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/957424-custom-bain-projects/ thread.
BAIN_[DL ID]_Mod name_________________________________________Archive name

00___[PES ID=3813]Qarl Texture Pack 3 Redimized Patched ______QTP3_Redimized.7z
00___[Tes 5217]LOD NormalMap Fix MipMap Fix __________________Landscape_LOD_Normalmap_Fix__MipMap_Fix-5217.rar
10___[Tes 5147]Blade9722 2048 LOD replacement Border regions _Blade9722LOD2048Border.7z
20___[Tes 11441]QN 2048 Normal Maps __________________________Reduced_LOD_QN2048-11441.7z
30___[Tes 5146]Blade9722 BTQ 2048 Color Maps _________________btq2048lod.7z
40___[Tes 9952]Noise Reducer Koldorn Medium __________________Koldorns LODnoiseReplacerFINAL.rar
50___[Tes 15278]Optimized Distant Land Max (50%): ____________Optimised Distant Land MAX 1_1.