Problem: I Suspect RTS (Tailor Maid related, too)

[Cyberweasel89]

Hi. I just installed an ass load of mods, and I went to test them out (after some extensive console commands of adding outfits from Ling's Finer Things: A Type 3 Shop to my inventory).

 

Here's the order of things. I've gone through this several times, so the problem has to lie somewhere in here.

 

1. Real Time Settler (RTS) gives me a message that it's on.

2. I reconfigure the buttoms for RTS so that the Construction Kit isn't running on the same key as the interaction key.

3. I leave my modded Megaton house (which uses the Megaton House and Theme Overhaul)

4. Those three guys who I assume help you start your settlement are just outside, usually in a narrow walkway blocked by their pack Brahmin.

(the following have happened in varying orders)

5, 6, or 7. I unequip all of the items I'm wearing in preparation for trying on the Ling's Finer Things outfits (occasionally omitted in the process, but still leading to the same result).

5, 6, or 7. I have a conversation with one of the three guys and agree to help him find a place for a new settlement.

5, 6, or 7. I Wait five hours so that it will be daytime. With Fellout, I can only see clearly in the day, and I need to see the outfits.

8. Nothing at first.

9. After a few moments, a diamond-shaped box appears over my charracter, with an exclamation point (!) in it. When I walk, it trails behind me just a tad, but catches up when I stop. I can't get rid of it, other than to quit the game and start up from back inside my house (at the beginning of this process).

 

My theory is that agreeing to help those guys find a new settlement puts a invisible armor item on me that marks me for them to follow. However, this "follow token" armor item probably has something wrong with it, causing it to bug that ! box on my character. I've encountered the same thing when I first tried to use Tailor Maid. Any Tailor Maid item I equipped just showed up as a ! box. Thus, I'm one of the few mod users who doesn't use Tailor Maid. Not much point wearin' a ! box, yeah?

 

Anyway, main point: First, what does the ! box mean? I have my suspiscion that it's a bugged or missing world model, but I need confirmation. And second, is my theory above on RTS causing the problem correct?

[csb]

First, a ! indicates that you are missing a resource, usually a texture (if it is a mesh, it usually means an invisible person or body part).

 

I have a post on Earache's Comments page on the safe way to install Lings Finer Things and then remove the duplicate textures/meshes from your Data sub folders.

 

There are two utilities and a guide to help you step through other conflict issues. First and foremost, you'll need Fallout Mod Manager (FOMM) by Timeslip. Next is ElminsterAU's FO3Edit so you can detect and resolve mod conflicts. You'll want Miax's great FO3Edit Guide - Web-enized to learn how to use this tool to find and eliminate mod conflicts.

 

Regardless of culprit, FOMM (by playing with load orders) and FO3Edit will help you find (a) the optimal load order and (b) creating a merge patch plug-in to resolve mod conflicts favorably.

[Cyberweasel89]

Um... Maybe I should've clarified:

 

I have both FOMM and FO3edit. Neither tells me the proper load order, aside from ESMs and ESPs. And as for conflicts, FO3edit doesn't tell me where there are missing textures.

 

I appreciate your input. Thank you very much. But considering that I already have both FOMM and FO3edit, and neither are helping... yeah...

 

So where can I get a missing texture? I've been trying to uninstall RTS (assuming it's the cause of this ! box), but I'm spending hours trying to undo master files that I created using FO3edit to resolve previous conflicts.

[Cyberweasel89]

Also, I suspect my FO3edit isn't working right. It won't straight up and tell me where there's conflicts. At first glance, when looking at the list of files, everything looks okay. I actually have to open up files and look through each. And every. Single. One. Once I actually find a file that has a conflict, only then will it tell me that there's a conflict.

 

Is FO3edit supposed to work that way? Or is mine broken?

[csb]

If you don't have it, Miax's FO3Edit Guide Web-enized is the most current version.

 

Did you apply a Conflict Detection filter by right-clicking in the tree view panel in open space and then select Apply Filter from the context menu? Did you then use FO3Edit's automated merge patch function (again by right-clicking in open space in the tree and selecting Create Merge Patch? That only gets you about 90% there. Yes, stepping through a long load list is a pain in the butt the first time you do it. But once done, adding new mods will be a relatively quick process. And they will definitely be conflict-free.

 

Load ordering in FOMM is somewhat science, somewhat art. After a time or two through FO3Edit and conflict detection, you start to get a feel for which mods are the "problem children." Load order tweaking will only get you part way there, however -- then it is in to FO3Edit to resolve the ones that exist.