Correct Mod cleaning

[Darkf0rge]

Hey there.

 

I have recently got a new PC so I thought I would dust off the old Oblivion disk and get into some serious modding. Over the last few weeks I have been working away building the ultimate game hehe. Now I probably made a few error's with loading to many things at once but I am confident at least that I did it right.

 

However, so my build is approaching about 200 plugins, and about 280 relevant files all up including BSA's and upon playing I have been getting some CTD's and I have a feeling it could be due to dirty mods. So I thought I would investigate the mod cleaning side of things.

 

Now I have read all the cleaning guides I could find, on the wiki and such but I am still a little confused. Ideally these guides would be much more helpful if they used a complex mod as an example, at this point it's just a bit vague to me and i get confused.

 

So to clarify I hope someone hear can help things make sense.

 

In all the guides I have read they stress that you must load all the plugins designed to run with the mod you are attempting to clean with that mod being loaded last. and to start at the top of your (correctly ordered list, which I am sure I have right.) Ok thats fine, so I begun and immediately ran into this little number.

 

Tron.esp (underdark.)

 

explicit dependencies are Obvlion.esm (obviously) and underdark.esm

 

But In the description of wyrebash, it references

Oblivion (latest patch official patch)

Shivering Isles

Roberts male/female bodies.

Mage Equipment 21

 

as requirements.

 

So does this mean I have to load all these mod's as well. (some of which load after this patch) or am I looking into this to deeply and only need the tron.esp and two masters?

 

any help (and possibly more examples would be much appreciated, and would go along way to helping me understand how this works.

 

Thanks.

[Smooth613]

All you need to do is load the mod you wish to clean in TES4Edit. It will automatically load all masters that it depends on. Once that is done you simply Apply Filter, Remove Identical to Master(s), and Undelete and Disable References. When you exit TES4Edit it'll prompt you to save. Do so and you're done.

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I know you said you already read the tutorials but I'll link you to the ones I've used anyway.

 

FO3Edit/TES4Edit Training Manual -- This manual is loaded with information. It contains everything you could ever want to know about TES4Edit. Worded for FO3 but applies directly to Oblivion.

 

Cleaning Guide @ TES Construction Set Wiki

 

Mod Cleaning with TES4Edit @ TES Construction Set Wiki

 

Another Mod Cleaning guide with TES4Edit @ TES Construction Set Wiki

 

Basic Plugin Cleaning @ TESIV:POSItive

[Darkf0rge]

Thanks for the quick answer.

 

I am not so worried about the masters but the guides go on a lot about .....

 

"An implicit dependency is more tricky because you won’t see the required files listed in Wrye Bash. The most common implicit dependency is when dealing with the many landscape patches by Vorians and some by Arthmoor. The only way to know what implicit dependencies a mod has is to know what the mod does, which can discovered by reading its readme usually. Here again is why understanding what a mod does is crucial. Specifically, you must understand which mods a patch mod is designed to patch!"

 

This sounds like i need to include esp's that the one I am cleaning modifies which would mean knowing exactly how the mod works. Sounds daunting to me or is it just the guide scaring me too much?

 

Anyway thanks for the links I have read all of them, but I haven't seen the Fo3edit one yet. (maybe due to fallout 3 nexus site which I don't use)

[Smooth613]

Basically anything by top, well known, respected modders do not need to be touched in any way 99% of the time. Arthmoor and Vorians both fall into this category. You shouldn't have to clean any of the patches or mods these guys release. There are many more great authors out there that clean and PyFFi their mods prior to release. And really, you shouldn't have to clean too many patches anyway. There are a few lists of what to clean and what not to clean on the CS Wiki and TESIV:POSItive also for general guidelines. A good rule of thumb though, if you're in doubt don't clean it without checking with the author first.