I Need Tips For Making My Mod Highly Compatible

[FireFlickerFlak]

I'm a new modder and I basically just have one mod in mind for personal use (which I might release here if I can get it stable) and I want to know before I get too committed to the next part of the design what advice people have for designing a highly compatible mod.

 

So far I know that avoiding putting things into the physical world is a plus, but what if you have to put stuff into the physical world for your mod to work?

 

As an example, the mod requires adding a bunch of spell tomes to the game in some form or another and it also adds several altar-sized locations used for summoning. So how would I go about figuring the safest place to put these items? Are the interiors of buildings safe even if the exterior is modded or moved? Is there a way to search for safe exteriors? How safe is it to put tomes in level lists or in specific containers?

 

So far I've mostly been using script and I'm thinking this is safer than the physical stuff but I'm not sure so any cautionary advice here would also be appreciated. Most of my script happens during sleep, but a few are attached to spells. In the long run, if I get the base sturdy, I might want to think about altering the ways NPC's use magic so that it resembles the PC more and I'm hoping this can be done with script after I finish the base of the mod... but that can't be done until I figure out this compatibility stuff.

 

So - got any tricks of the trade to save me (and other newbies) some time here?

[crippknottick]

Place an object into the game world via construction set. Position where you want it. Is it in the right place? Good! Now make note of it's X, Y, and Z coordinates.

 

Now, using the x, y, z data you noted design a script that adds those items into the game world in the position and places you want them.

[SilvasRuin]

Are the interiors of buildings safe even if the exterior is modded or moved?

Yes, as far as I can tell. But that doesn't help if another mod adds things to that same interior. The safest way to add tomes is to stick them in a leveled list so Wrye Bash can merge the leveled lists with the modifications to it other mods make, eliminating that conflict. Of course then finding the tomes becomes a bit random at that point, and it becomes possible to get multiple of each.

 

"The altar-sized locations" are bound to be trickier. Having the mod place them via script would definitely help, but if something like Unique Landscapes modifies the area, you might get it floating in the air or being stuck under the ground. If the locations don't have to be visible, you might want to purposely stick them under the ground deep enough that it would be unlikely any landscape modifying mod would dip the land that far. Placing via script doesn't mess with the changes of other mods, and having it be placed underground prevents any visual oddities.

 

Of course I've never made a mod, so I'm only making an "educated guess" based off of what I know about Wrye Bash, what little I've picked up about modding (not much), and crippknottick's post.

[ub3rman123]

The usual method for compatibility problems is to just make the mod, release it, then make a patch later if you need to. Works well, usually.

[Norinvaux]

What I usually do is simply activate all the mods that might conflict with the one I'm making (such as better cities and the like), then make your mod with all the others activated in the CS, then save your mod, then open up wrye bash or TESedit and remove all the dependancies, and you get a mod that's compatible with all the mods you activated during the making of the mod.

 

Looking back, I kinda failed at explaining this... Ah well, you get the picture. Right? Right?

[FireFlickerFlak]

Place an object into the game world via construction set. Position where you want it. Is it in the right place? Good! Now make note of it's X, Y, and Z coordinates.

 

Now, using the x, y, z data you noted design a script that adds those items into the game world in the position and places you want them.

 

Cool trick, I'll probably do this :) Thanks

 

Having the mod place them via script would definitely help, but if something like Unique Landscapes modifies the area, you might get it floating in the air or being stuck under the ground. If the locations don't have to be visible, you might want to purposely stick them under the ground

 

Another interesting trick, the altars kinda need to be visible though, I need the pc to be able to leave the objects they summon in these areas. I might use the underground thing later though.

 

The usual method for compatibility problems is to just make the mod, release it, then make a patch later if you need to. Works well, usually.

 

That makes sense, but it sounds frustrating :wacko:

 

What I usually do is simply activate all the mods that might conflict with the one I'm making (such as better cities and the like), then make your mod with all the others activated in the CS, then save your mod, then open up wrye bash or TESedit and remove all the dependancies, and you get a mod that's compatible with all the mods you activated during the making of the mod.

 

I think I get this, the basic idea anyway, I'm only confused on the dependancies part, I'm not sure what "dependancies" are, Im new. Do all mods let you open them in cs? I want to be compatible with stuff like ooo, fcom, open better cities, etc but I'm not sure if those bigger projects can be opened. (My comp that can run this stuff is in the mail right now so I'm currently just writing script until it arrives.)

 

Anyway, thanks all for the tips, I'll probably use all of them. Kudos all around.

[ub3rman123]

It's not too complex to make a patch. FOr example, someone found that my mod the Scarlet Monastery conflicts with the Dremora companion mod. All I had to do was move it south a few cells and then reset the original location. Didn't take too long.

[FireFlickerFlak]

It's not too complex to make a patch. FOr example, someone found that my mod the Scarlet Monastery conflicts with the Dremora companion mod. All I had to do was move it south a few cells and then reset the original location. Didn't take too long.

 

Hmm, I guess I just don't understand how patches work. Is there a part of the cs specifically for making a patch? When you patch are you basically writing a script that changes your previous script or something?

[Yamcakes]

Always avoid adding stuff to pre-existing things, that aren't cells. ie: If you want to add a sword to a leveled list, don't add it to a pre-existing list, create your own entirely, with a unique ID. That way, when played with any other mods that alter a leveled list, won't affect yours, or affect theirs.

Likewise with placing items into containers, like chests. Best not to add to pre-existing containers, but to create your own, and place it in the world.

[ub3rman123]

When you make a patch, all you do is change the location of something to remove conflicts. For example, suppose both your castle and another popular one share the same location. You can simply move the castle. If your mod and another's change the same NPC, make a duplicate NPC instead.

 

Then, of course, some mods are guaranteed to conflict, like load screen mods. THose usually don't work well together.