What causes this? I am playing a ranger and it's driving me nuts!

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/900983443992561744/1B08416638F07690AAB17F02F347AA18ACD30201/

I'm not having much success in searching for a fix, because I really don't know what to call it. I am not running any lighting mods at all.

EDIT : Well, it seems this may be due to the Ambient Occlusion. I turned it off in my vid card and it helped...some. I understand that there will be some haze or mist to an extent, but it's just too much.

Any suggestions is appreciated.

EDIT : Added to OP from posts below...

This shows a gray hue over the back wall...http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163617834347/5C5B23B9B63D9019D93D44FD567DEB894A399E52/

This is after taking one step forward...http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163617835182/7E0F6D3AF215BC7AD5BA92FD58CD1F520C5D360D/

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This first shot clearly shows the grayed effect at range...http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163620106007/0C68C225265ECCFC01D7B35E8967658141073759/

This second shot is clear after one step forward...http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163620106720/7BF4C4197A39C2B7DBDE53544BA30EF31120094A/

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This first shot is looking back to the entrance of Bleak Falls Temple...http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163620294149/A1910B6BD7508D1EAB4264DA2FB21BA1C6FC970F/

Second shot taken one step closer...http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163620295006/0E265E1C163F93C8293827519D25E8CEBCDF3104/

I have a GTX 560 Ti - 448 w/ driver 306.97

Anyone know of ini tweaks that may help?

Tbh, from that screenshot, I can not see what the problem is.

Where is that screenshot taken ?
What exactly is bothering you ?
How do you think the game should be looking ?
Is the problem everywhere, or only in specific locations ?

You're kidding?

Maybe this is a better example for you. These were taken at the distance threshold.

This shows a gray hue over the back wall...http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163617834347/5C5B23B9B63D9019D93D44FD567DEB894A399E52/

This is after taking one step forward...http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163617835182/7E0F6D3AF215BC7AD5BA92FD58CD1F520C5D360D/

EDIT : Removed unrelated pic.

My current situation is the interiors.

And to rule out implemented haze..I looked at different areas with the CK and no added mists are about.

My first thought was that perhaps you have object detail fade enabled but I've never seen anything like that last screenshot.

This looks very much like bad SSAO (Ambient Occlusion).
I've played around with SSAO a lot in a number of games during the last 9 months (after I got my gtx680). Skyrim, Tera, GW2. And I've seen that effect a few times. The first direction I would look at is SSAO.

Although SSAO is working fine with Skyrim on my gtx680.

Can't say anything about the other screenshots.

I can't thank everyone enough for the input. I went back into my NCP and made sure I had AO shut off in both the Global and the Program settings tab.

That last shot was not really fair to my current situation. That was an extremity of the AO effect with a lighting mod from 6 months ago. I currently have no lighting mods installed.

Here is a couple of more shots that reflect the drastic measures. The gray doesn't lift until I get close enough. This completely nulls the effect of a ranged attack.

This first shot clearly shows the grayed effect at range...http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163620106007/0C68C225265ECCFC01D7B35E8967658141073759/

This second shot is clear after one step forward...http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163620106720/7BF4C4197A39C2B7DBDE53544BA30EF31120094A/

EDIT :

This first shot is looking back to the entrance of Bleak Falls Temple...http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163620294149/A1910B6BD7508D1EAB4264DA2FB21BA1C6FC970F/

Second shot taken one step closer...http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163620295006/0E265E1C163F93C8293827519D25E8CEBCDF3104/

I have a GTX 560 Ti - 448 w/ driver 306.97

I got dis sec lemme find it....

Try this:

Documents/My Games/Skyrim
Skyrim.ini

Add the following under [General]:
fFlickeringLightDistance=8192

If this works I'm buying you a country...

If it works just do me a favor and enjoy the game.

I had hopes, but no go on the info. No change in Bleak Falls. None the less i truly appreciate the advice. I promise it does not go without merit.

o/

Damn worth a shot.

Thanks anyway, my friend. There has to be a setting or an ini that needs to be added or adjusted. I just have no idea what that is. I don't even know what to call it to initiate a valid search for the issue.

Have you tried different video card drivers.

That, I have not yet done. I was hoping someone else was experiencing this and noted the driver they are using, before I just started experimenting.

I am going to fire up the Xbox to see how the console displays the area in Bleak Falls.

The console is doing the same thing. So, it is not mod related or PC specific. I can't believe that others are not experiencing the same thing. There are areas where a ranged attack is void, until you get in close.

Surely, there is an adjustment setting somewhere?

Ok, so are you saying your running no mods, or just no "lighting" mods?

What settings are you running at? I had that card before my GTX 670 and ran with ultra (for the most part) with nothing that looked like that except for when i was trying to use Realistic lighting w/ customization and there were some fog clashes.

something you might try to rule out a defunct ini setting is delete your skyrim.ini and skyrimprefs.ini, relaunch the launcher- set to ultra and take another look.

Actually, before you reset your ini files, i had an idea (crazy, but...?) since you mention its only an indoor issue try this;
in your skyrimprefs,ini find: fInteriorShadowDistance= and set it 3000 (good idea thoth) i recently ( today) had an issue with detail at a distance and this made the difference.

I have my shadows set to that already. It's not a shadow issue.

I am running several mods. However, it is the same on the Xbox as well. That means it is vanilla set.

Crazy question... does your PC and your Xbox share a monitor?

Yup...Actually, it's a 47" Plasma.

did this grayed out background stuff just start happening?

Any way you can hook a regular monitor up to the PC? I just have a really hard time buying that a PC and an Xbox are going to share a "graphics" (dont let me get off on a rant here about graphics on a PC vs Xbox) issue, especially with a very decent graphics card in the PC. and since the other "common denominator" is the TV, it could be the way the TV is trying to display the slight misty/foggy background that occurs until you get close enough to nullify the effect. maybe an energy saver option or something. have you tried different color settings on the TV? on my LG i have "quick presets" labeled with names like Movie, Sports, Game, ect...

So if you go to Bleak Falls Barrow, and back down the corridor after the two Bandits, look back at the entrance...you don't get this effect on your game?

This first shot is looking back to the entrance of Bleak Falls Temple...http://cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163620294149/A1910B6BD7508D1EAB4264DA2FB21BA1C6FC970F/

Second shot taken one step closer...http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/900984163620295006/0E265E1C163F93C8293827519D25E8CEBCDF3104/

EDIT : Sorry, I don't have a standard monitor. I guess the first time I noticed it was in the spring. I overlooked it as the way the game handles it. However, my current character is finding it quite a pain and the effect is growing to be a major distraction.

EDIT 2 : If you look at the dungeons in the CK, there is no fog effect happening. I can't see it being the TV settings as this would not be limited to dungeons. Outside, I have loads set to 7. I can see quite far even at night in the rain.

This is what i get from the steps ( i have RCRN on my game so it will look a bit different)

Bleak falls barrow far;


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/829/bfbfar.jpg/

Bleak falls barrow closer;


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/442/bfbcloser.jpg/

And i know you say the CK says no fog... but in this shot i circled what is clearly... Debris/smoke/mist?


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/27/bfbsmoke.jpg/