Creation Kit: Making a master the active file

[primem0ver]

I can't seem to do this. I want to be able to open a master in creation kit and save it. According to the Creation Kit website, doing this is possible but I can't find a way to do it. When I try, it always asks me to save an esp and it DOESN'T save the loaded esm.

[Algabar]

Is the .esm file you want to resave part of the Vanilla game? That would explain it.

 

You CAN create custom master (.esm) files and/or change/edit .esm files from other mods. But you CANNOT change master files by Bethesda.

 

In fact, you don't really want to change Bethesda's original files. First of all, these are part of the core game files. Changing them might break your game. Second, these master files by Bethesda might get updated (which is a thing especially with AE). If you COULD change Bethesda's files, you would have to redo the changes after each update - or you couldn't update the game any more. So, the fact that you can only change Bethesda's files via plugins (which can always be removed in case something goes wrong) is a good idea. It doesn't prevent you from changing things if you like - but it also kinda protects your game.

[Gorgopis]

When we first started in the 32-bit CK. we loaded the master for Skyrim LE, while missing that we had to set an active file. We "edited" and also provided new hair for about 60 vanilla NPC.'s, while adding about 25 new NPC's, and then when it came time to exit the CK, the CK flash-screen "asked us" to name and save our work as a "mod" which defaulted to "Skyrim.esm."

 

It now works great in our mod manager, and all of the NPC's appear as edited. While it also works fine with the 60 or so mods we have since downloaded from other creators.

 

We don't remember if we ever set an active file, though, in the beginning.

 

Later whenever we tweaked it, we figured out to set our Skyrim.esm as active. Hope this post serves as a pointer?

Edited March 24, 2022 by Gorgopis