Question about default Bethsda folder.

[rileymarks]

If you have installed your Oblivion game and directories in a folder other than the default Bethesda, can your mods still be uploaded and shared with the rest of the community? I always install my programs under the program name rather than the company name since I can never remember what company made what. So my Oblivion game and directories are located under C:\ #My Programs#\Oblivion. I have created several resource mods for my own personal use and I thought I would share them. But then I got to thinking since I changed the default directories that others might not be able to use them unless I reinstall Oblivion into its default directory and reroute everything which would be a massive undertaking. Any help on this would be appreciated.

[DrakeTheDragon]

It is actually recommended to install Oblivion anywhere else 'but' inside the default location, especially when on OS like Vista, Win7 or Win8, as on those OS the User Account Control (UAC) will interfere with file access permissions and 3rd party tools, if the game is installed anywhere inside 'program files' (or however this over-protected system folder is called on the respective OS).

 

As a matter of fact pathes in Oblivion modding, be it inside of NIF files or inside a plugin in the CS, 'always' start inside 'data'. Textures are referenced as "textures/characters/MyRace/male/somebodyskin.dds" for example, and meshes from inside a plugin through "meshes/characters/MyRace/headhuman.nif" for example.

 

Any use of 'absolute' file paths ("C:/something/something/somethingelse/...") inside any of those environments will render the mod totally useless for anybody else but its creator, and as such it is to be avoided by all costs.

It matters not the least 'where' your game is installed though when creating a mod. Any such information simply must not be included within the mod's file paths. The game 'expects' pathes to be relative to the 'data' folder, but it will not 'complain', if it's given absolute pathes instead. It is the responsibility of the mod author to avoid any absolute pathing in his or her mods.

 

Oh, almost forgot, while tools like Blender and NifSkope will allow absolute pathes to be entered in the NIF, the Construction Set on the other hand will not even provide that option. Any file pathes selected through the CS' browsing buttons will always be formatted correctly and 'not' absolute.

Edited June 4, 2013 by DrakeTheDragon