Custom race companions

[gpstr1]

So.... as I'm sure many have done, I tried recently to create a custom race companion, and discovered the problems with that. By loading the esp for the custom race (Corean) into the CS along with the CM companion esm and esp, I could set it up, but trying to actually approach my new companion in game led to an inevitable CTD. So I browsed around and discovered what the problem was, and discovered, much to my dismay, if not my surprise, that the solution involved Wrye Bash.

 

The problem there is that Wrye Bash frankly terrifies me. It's one of those programs that's far enough over my mostly non-techy head and does so many things that I just don't even know where to start with it.

 

So I decided that the better approach, for me at least, would be to download someone else's custom race companion, then edit it to whatever I wanted. And that did mostly work out in the long run, but it was a struggle, which got me to thinking.

 

The first problem that I ran into is that many of the files are poorly labeled and described, and that, combined with the fact that there are almost 300 pages of companions, made it pretty much impossible to browse for one. But when I tried to search for one, most of what I came up with were very custom companions that included "Corean" in the description because they used the Corean eyes, for instance, but the rest of the mod relied on some entirely different set. So that didn't help. Now conveniently, many of those mods included all the files they used, so they were playable, but for anything for which I didn't already have the full set installed (Ren's hair, for intance) I couldn't edit anything and was stuck with the one style that was included with the download.

 

That leads me to a somewhat digressive question. One of the ones I tried said that it used only Corean pieces, but when I tried to run it, the companion had blank holes in her face where the eyes should've gone. I went into the CS and discovered that it was set up to Ren eyes instead of Corean eyes, so I just changed the file path to Corean eyes and that fixed the problem. But I haven't been able to find a similar fix for hair. The one I like best uses a Ren hair and I want to switch it to a Corean, but I can't find where the file path for hair is set in the CS.

 

But anyway-- the thing I started to wonder is if it would be possible to set up a basic set of templates for custom race companions-- basically just an esp that includes one (or maybe three, to get the three basic character types) companion(s) who are set up to only use pieces from that particular custom race. They could be esp-only downloads, since they'd rely only on one custom race and would only have to include a note that that custom race must be installed for the companion esp to work. With the dependency already set up, then you should be able to use that esp in much the way you can use the CM companion esp-- pick the companion that's closest to what you want, then edit it however you desire, within the full range of choices available to that custom race.

 

Now I don't doubt that there are already companion mods out there that rely exclusively on a single custom race, but I had a hard time finding any such thing. None of them seem to be clearly marked as such, and, as I said, it seemed that most of the custom race companions were very custom-- using parts from a number of different mods. I'm visualizing something simple and straightforward, and labeled as such-- Corean companion template, Mystic Elf companion template, Lattamer companion template-- that sort of thing. Just an esp and away you go.

 

Thanks for any and all input.....

[mimada]

Hi,

The quick and dirty solution is to use TES4Gecko to convert the Corean esp file into an esm. I myself, use a heavily modified version of LFact's Beautiful People - Cosmetic Compilation. I merged her mod with Room207's Comprehensive Style Collection resources (I like having all the hair and eyes in one neat folder). I then used TES4Gecko to merge a variety of races. Be careful when merging. You have to remove any changes to cells or worldspaces otherwise the esm will screw up those locations. You can easily remove the references with TES4Edit.

 

Always backup before you merge a race and test your merged esm. You don't want to mess up what works.

 

Good Luck!

[gpstr1]

Mmm yeah-- thanks, but it's specifically all that merging and editing and such that I'm not willing to do. I not only don't know enough about the process and the possible pitfalls, but don't know enough about the various races and choices available, so can't know what I want or don't want or what's necessary or not necessary or pretty much anything about it. All I could do at this point is screw up my game.

 

I wanted to start simple,with one companion, from one custom race, with no parts from any other custom races, no extra files necessary-- nothing like that. Just one esp with the dependency already set right and set up to use one race, so that I could edit the companion with all the available options for that one particular race. Then maybe I'll download another custom race, take it out and play with it a bit and get a feel for what it can do, at which point I'd like to be able to find one esp already set up with the right dependencies for that custom race and with at least one companion that I could edit with the choices available to that race and only to that race, and so on. Maybe at some distant point, when I feel comfortable with it all, THEN I could start figuring out how to merge races and convert esps to esms and all that, but I'm just not interested in diving headlong into that right this minute. The whole idea just frankly terrifies me.

 

And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

 

And it probably got lost in the midst of that enormous first post, so-- does anyone know (someone certainly does, I guess) how the file path to hair is established? I've found the lines in the CS to set the file path for all the other body parts, but can't find one for hair.

 

Thanks for the response though-- I'll keep it in the "someday when that sort of thing isn't so scary" file. :biggrin:

[mimada]

Well then, just use TES4Gecko to change the Corean esp file to an esm and you're all set. I believe Corean doesn't change any worldspaces or cells so there shouldn't be any problems.

 

BTW, the path for setting hairs in the CS is in the dropdown: Characters>Hairs...

[gpstr1]

BTW, the path for setting hairs in the CS is in the dropdown: Characters>Hairs...

Yeah-- I was afraid that was the only entry. I'd already found that one, but (as an example) on the mod I'm using, which contains three different companions, the only hairstyles other than vanilla listed are the exact three that they use. I communicated myself poorly-- more what I wanted to know is if it was possible to add more hairstyles to the existing list. Sorry 'bout that.

 

I have the sinking feeling that making all the hairstyles of a particular mod available is something that has to be set while the pertinent esp is an esm (if it can be set at all) and that if I try to do an end-run around it by loading the race mod esp into the CS along with the companion mod esp, I'm back to the CTD problem.

 

Let me try something real quick........

 

 

 

Yeah-- as I suspected. If I load the corean esp into the CS along with the companion mod, then that drop-down lists all the Corean hairstyles. So the CS lists all the parts that are available in the esms and esps that are loaded into it, correct? But the only ones that can be used without causing a CTD are the ones in the esm (or esp that used to be an esm) upon which the esp you're creating is/are dependent, correct? Simply having another choice in an earlier loaded mod isn't enough-- you have to establish a dependency on that esm/esp, correct?

 

All of which, plus my terror of using a program like Wrye Bash (or even TESGecko-- I guarantee that if I so much as push a button in any of those, my entire system is going to disintegrate), is why I started to think that a basic set of templates would be a cool thing.

 

But I have no choice do I? I have to either use someone else's companion, with maybe the limited range of editing possibilities they left in their esp, or try to make my own by first trying to turn the custom race esp into an esm, then watching helplessly as my computer explodes, or at least my game stops working. Is that about right?

 

:unsure: :(

[mimada]

You get the CTD because esp's cannot directly communicate with each other. So, say you have the Corean esp and your companion esp installed. Your companion esp cannot access the forms defined in the Corean esp ingame. When your companion esp attempts to create an instance of the companion, the game can't see the forms and blows up.

 

Here's a step-by-step:

Launch TES4Gecko

Click on "Convert to Master"

Locate the Corean esp "IDKRRR_C_Race.esp" (Intuitive, isn't it?)

Select the mod and open it.

You'll get a form confirming it's been done. Click through and close Gecko.

 

In the CS, make sure you check mark IDKRRR_C_Race.esm along with your companion esp. The companion esp should be set as the active file.

Open up your companion's form.

Change their race to one of the Coreans.

The Corean hair styles and eyes should now be selectable.

Make your changes, save, then close the CS.

Before you launch the game, deselect IDKRRR_C_Race.esp and activate IDKRRR_C_Race.esm.

Activate your companion esp if it's not.

Launch the game and enjoy!

 

Your idea for a template might have worked if it was made a standard when the game came out, but here we are.

 

I'm going to make another post in a minute regarding adding hair styles to other races.

[mimada]

Okay, I wanted to keep this section separate so it wouldn't be too confusing (for me anyway).

 

Once you have the Corean esp converted to an esm, load up the CS.

Check the IDKRRR_C_Race.esm and your companion esp. Set your companion esp as the active file.

 

Say your companion is Breton and you want him/her to have Corean hair.

 

Open Characters>Races, select the Breton race, and click on the Body Data tab.

Open Characters>Hairs...

Scroll until you find the Corean hair you want.

Drag the hair into the Hair Styles box in the Race form.

Open your Breton companion's form.

You should now have the Corean hair selectable.

 

Let me know if you need any clarification of this procedure.

[gpstr1]

Well, I have to say that that's a damned fine present-- thanks. I didn't get you anything, though. :D

 

So let me check one detail. For example, I have a Bosmer companion that I made starting from the original CMPartners mod. It was after finally giving up on trying to make her more attractive than the vanilla Bosmer setup allowed that I started looking into custom races in the first place, though now I've ended up just parking her at the Gray Mare and playing with this entirely new companion (Allegra from Divine Avenger's Sonnet mod)

 

So-- as a CM based companion, her esp is already dependent on the CMPartners esm. If I convert the Corean esp to an esm and load it into the CS along with the CMpartners esm and that esp, then edit that esp and change the race to Corean, will the CS then simply add a dependency to the Corean esm? Is that the way it works? I don't have to essentially 'start from scratch,' but can edit my companion's esp to make her a custom race so long as the esp for that custom race has been converted to an esm and loaded into the CS?

 

I have to assume that if I do want to start from scratch, that's just as easy as doing so with the CM partners esm, except that I'd need to load that AND the custom race esp converted to an esm.....

 

Actually-- another question. The tutorial I read on custom race companions said that you have to convert the custom race esp to an esm, make your companion esp, then convert the custom race esm back to an esp. I have to assume from your explanation that that's not really necessary?

 

 

Regarding the templates-- I didn't post this in the requests forum just because I wasn't sure if such a thing was feasible anyway. I can visualize all sorts of potential problems with implementing it, but, as I've demonstrated, I don't know a whole lot about the whole process, so I posted it here just to bounce it off of people.

 

 

I'm still afraid that my computer's going to disintegrate as soon as I push a button in TESGecko, but you've given me some glimmer of hope and ambition........ thanks.

[mimada]

I don't have to essentially 'start from scratch,' but can edit my companion's esp to make her a custom race so long as the esp for that custom race has been converted to an esm and loaded into the CS?

Yep.

 

Actually-- another question. The tutorial I read on custom race companions said that you have to convert the custom race esp to an esm, make your companion esp, then convert the custom race esm back to an esp. I have to assume from your explanation that that's not really necessary?

Nope. In fact, if you convert the race file back into an esp, the companion file will cause a CTD as before. As I stated before, esp files cannot directly communicate with each other ingame without some black magic (i.e.,Wrye Bash, et al)

 

The best advice I can give you right now is: Don't fear the Gecko (or Wrye Bash for that matter). They're your friends and will serve you well. I'm hoping you are also using the Oblivion Mod Manager as well. It makes testing stuff a whole lot easier.

 

If you are super paranoid, backup your entire data folder (preferably on a large flash drive). If you screw up major, just delete the data folder in the Oblivion directory and restore from backup.

 

I'm still afraid that my computer's going to disintegrate as soon as I push a button in TESGecko, but you've given me some glimmer of hope and ambition........ thanks.

It won't disintegrate...but it may change color to match its surroundings :whistling: and you're welcome.

 

BTW let me know if your project is successful or if you've run into any difficulties.

[gpstr1]

Okay, I wanted to keep this section separate so it wouldn't be too confusing (for me anyway).

 

Once you have the Corean esp converted to an esm, load up the CS.

Check the IDKRRR_C_Race.esm and your companion esp. Set your companion esp as the active file.

 

Say your companion is Breton and you want him/her to have Corean hair.

 

Open Characters>Races, select the Breton race, and click on the Body Data tab.

Open Characters>Hairs...

Scroll until you find the Corean hair you want.

Drag the hair into the Hair Styles box in the Race form.

Open your Breton companion's form.

You should now have the Corean hair selectable.

 

Let me know if you need any clarification of this procedure.

Got it.

 

That's why the mixed custom companions that I looked at only had one hairstyle or one eye choice or whatever from the additional custom race, right? Because adding the additional esm only makes the choices available to transfer into the esp-- it doesn't add them all to the esp from the start.....

 

One clarification (for now)-- is an esm equivalent to an esp as far as gameplay goes? What I mean is, if I convert the IDKRRR_C_C_Race.esp to an esm to use it with other esps, then will it still function as the original esp did, just for starting a new game with the custom race, for instance?

 

From one of your earlier posts:

Before you launch the game, deselect IDKRRR_C_Race.esp and activate IDKRRR_C_Race.esm.

Do I need to keep the esp around? Will I need it again at some other point, for instance to just play a character of that race, or will the esm be a workable substitute for it from now on?

 

Thanks for the answers and the patience........ :D