Best Tutorials for Beginner

[Matth85]

I wouldn't 'highly' recommend them, but I still recommend them because they do teach the basics

 

 

They go up and beyond and teach you the best way possible, with the best tools possible. They don't skip important stuff. Instead of pure anatomy lessons, they go into the skeleton, teaching you how to model that.

 

If you feel that you "miss" something, you are simply tunnel visioning your learning. I have been a member for a year now, and I can tell you one thing: EVERYTHING is covered in great details. It's spread around different videos, but it is all there.

 

High poly modeling in max can be risky because it has a polyn limit(it will crash when it's reached).

 

 

It's not risky at all. You simply got to avoid going into the millions, which is very easy. And even if you do, you can simply add groups and hide/unhid groups as needed. Allthough you never need that kind of polygon count unless you high poly model a mechanical model. Organic is best for Zbrush.

[DeltaWulf]

Honestly, I think the most important thing to consider first, even before looking for tutorials, is what you like to do. You'll notice many of the best mods on the Nexus weren't completed entirely alone by one person, or use a lot of the free-to-use resources available to modders made by others. This is because it's rare that any one person has the time or ability to do an all-encompassing mod (3d modelling, scripting, level building, etc). For example, you see a lot of custom weapons and item mods, but there are no new quests or levels (or at least nothing too complex) in them. You see a lot of quest mods (with full stories, lots of new NPCs, events, etc), but they typically don't have a load of brand new weapons and items made from scratch. People stick to what they're good at and enjoy to do.

Figure out what you feel most comfortable doing, whether it be 3d modelling or scripting quests or building cells, all are equally valuable and relevant skills because there's always someone else out there that doesn't know how to do them or simply can't. My particular weakness is 3d modelling, not for lack of creativity, but I just simply don't enjoy all the nuances of learning to use the software required and I'm terrible at creating custom textures. So, I stick to writing quests, creating new NPCs and making their dialogue, building worldspaces, and generally doing everything I can within the CK, to learn it to the fullest and focus my effort there to make sure I can create something that has quality.

Once you figure out what you want to do, learn what resources are available to you. Youtube has months worth of tutorial videos covering nearly all aspects of anything you need to know about anything to do with Skyrim modding, from learning 3ds Max, Nifskope, to the CK itself. Google is your friend, obviously, and if you don't understand something after looking everywhere else, the Nexus generally has people willing to help you, or even go over to Bethesda's forums and ask there.

Probably most importantly, there is no substitute for straight up hands-on experience. You can watch all the videos and read all the tutorials you want, but until you actually dive in and start working with the kit, you'll never understand it enough to create something genuinely unique. Get the basics down from tutorials, learn the terminology, and then just go and make something.

Finally, one of a modder's most important resources are other people themselves. Don't be afraid to ask people to help you out if you lack in a certain area. There are a lot of incredible modellers, scripters, and writers here on the Nexus. There are a lot of other free resources made by modders for others that are out there for the community to use. If you see something you really like in a mod, don't hesitate to speak to the creator about it and ask them if they'd be willing to give you permission to use it or if they'd like to collab with you on your own mod. However, don't ever forget to give as much credit as possible where it is due. I'm sure your fellow modders would love to be memorialized in your own mod itself even, if it became very popular.

[AfroGamerNinja]

Well then. The wheel of my mouse seems to be unresponsive most of the time when I click on it. So much for being motivated.