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Standardization


ICERAY2000

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  • 2 years later...

I totally agree this is one of the biggest snags in the modding community mod file naming conventions. This is realy drives me up the wall when I find files not seamlessly named accurately in corresponding order, where then is pain to search for in NMM or Wrye Bash. Especially when I'm finickly meticulous and sort my mod files. If mod authors di the jobs correcly in the first place I perhpas would trust using NMM far mor but know I donot, I simply download manulay, plonk all the necessary files into the Bash Installers Folder and check each mod explicily and individually. Now this takes up a lot of time if you got over 255 Skyrim/NMM limit - hence the use of WB. Now I know im not the only person whom likes to be tidy and organised and not because I know how to use and program computer systems for the last 34yrs but it generally pays off to resolve issues sooner.

 

There should be a defacto naming convention that all mod files and their authors adhere to. Nexus is definitely a place to do this and has the potential to do this providing the community is educated. However we are all individuals and we are all far from perfect even though some think they are gods amongst other civilians. Even expert professional programmers make mistakes but there's no reason for lazy idle simple disorganisation.

 

Irrelevant to my attention to detail in my method of installation I always create doc folder within the data directory. Thus wen I also check individual mods for readme.txt - I then repackage the mod so that associated readme file *.doc,*.txt. *.html, *.rtf is name to the corresponding mod and also insert the missing useful contents. This is so simple that even my 5yr old child cand do this and it fries my brian that most of the people that create mod's can comprehend a simple task correcly. I also add another directory within the Data folder called "OPCFG" (optional plugin configuration) simple but effective any mod that has optional configs i.e fonts, .esp, .ini, .cfg, etc....goes into a sub directory appropriately to corresponding mod under "opcfg" folder.

 

Now for files I download from Nexus - I understand the naming convention where you have mod name descriptor nexus mod id followed by the version number i.e mymodname - 1111-01. This is fine imo. But why on earth duplicate the version number in front of the nexus mod ID. It really looks messy within NMM and WB. What pains me is when I change the files in WB it screws up the colour mismatches, I can live with it but would be nice not actually to go throught the whole installation process changing the name conventions. In fact it would be nice to actually play the game properly and test out mods thoroughly rather than spend more time on installation. Anothing the mention is the use of file compression standards. Meh!!! I got know personal quarrel with disk space as an IT specialist it not much of a concern. Though noticing after many file unpacking and repackaing of the use of .zip, .rar. and .7z there is a considerable amount of difference.

 

Firstly .zip it was good when it was invented and its use is stil common for simply stuff, rar is also great and has better functionality and aslo its interafaces is far more user friendly that the three commonly used file compression archiver's. 7.z (7zip) originaly was not a fan of this due to the simple interface gui design, however I find it superior to the other two programs not due to its more added abilities and features but mainly its compression ratio is far better and the other two. I notice that the 7.z files are halfed nearly in comparison to a .rar compression.

 

Naturally I have not read the whole of Nexus forum so apologies on my behalf if this has already been covered but I felt I needed to let of steam in written literature, but it would be nice to see if there is page on guidlines for this and no doubt there is probably upon uploading mod files, not at I would have seen that as I not uploaded any files on Nexus before.

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I can see both points, being someone who has made mods and someone who uses them. Ultimately I would think anyone who downloads a mod has the responsibility to view the files first and if needed, rename the readme so it does not overwrite other readmes in the data folder. Or better yet, as someone else has mentioned, extract the file to another location first to atleast make sure vanilla files are not being overwriten. I have personally used many mods with many various game titles and it is always that one mod that I blindly install directly into my game folder that messes something up. So long story short, is it a good idea for mods to be released with a readme that identifies said mod? You bet. Is it a good idea to check the files and quickly rename the readme? You bet. For the record, I have only released a few mods for FNV and every readme was named just that-readme. When I install a mod, most are named the same so if I need to rename it I do just that. In closing, many great veteran modders work within a certain syntax when creating mods, so "readme" seems fitting and a simple 3 second rename on the users end is a small price to pay for a mod which can cost the modder many hours or days to make. Just my thoughts on it.

 

-Peace!

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Wonderful idea, I hereby appoint the OP to go through all 70,000 or so mods and contact the author to make that change to the name of the read me in all of the mods. And to keep watch for anyone committing this modding faux pas in the future.

 

But meanwhile in the name of stomping out thread necromancy, I'll close this one. :tongue:

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