I wanna start modding but have NO idea were to start,,

[pinkfloyd760]

I really need something to do in my free time that takes awhile and has you actually occupied the entire time and this seems perfect because oblivion is the s***. So pretty much, were do I even start? I know basics of programming, when I say basics I mean BARE BONE basics, like if then statements and etc.. Anyways, where do I start, what software do I need, and all of that.. Someone please help me out here!!

 

Thanks!!

[WastelandAssassin]

this really depends on what you are planning on doing

you should probably start by getting the Construction Set, and learning how to use it

this page has a lot of information regarding the CS, and probably all the information that you will need, at least for getting started

 

as for more complex mods, in terms of contents, like adding new items, you will need to create these items

for creating textures (or retexturing existing items), you need a program like Photoshop or GIMP (GIMP is free, if you don't have Photoshop)

for making or modifying models, you will need a 3D modeling program like Blender or 3D Max

and then, for changing the models to the correct format and all, you will need NifSkope

 

so like i said in the beginning, you should probably start with the CS

 

one final thing

i have studied C# in high school for about 3 years, and learned quite a lot (though still the basics), but other than the basic concepts, the scripting on the CS are completely different

so start slow and small, because it's not so easy to figure it out (though if you have the time, you should really have no problem with this, as long as you keep trying)

 

good luck :thumbsup:

[LHammonds]

How to Make Mods

[pinkfloyd760]

Okay thank you so much guys both of your information and links were really helpful!

 

Whats getting at me right now is that if I start to mod oblivion, it will obviously give me an outline of what to do, but will I have to completely change my everything for the new elder scrolls coming out if I were to mod that one? Or would it still use construction set, or something else?

[NellSpeed]

Nobody knows about Skyrim yet-- way too soon to tell. I definitely hope it'll have a decent SDK. It won't use the same engine, so the current CS won't work with it.

 

Something to keep in mind either way: start small, not huge. If you look through the mod requests forum, you'll see dozens of topics with huge ideas that never, ever get made. Come up with something small-- 2-3 NPCs, a few locations, a single quest-- plan it out thoroughly in advance, and consider sticking to vanilla content only. You'll learn a lot in the process, you won't overwhelm yourself, and your mod will stand a much better chance of getting released.

 

Welcome to the world of modding! It's both harder and easier than you'd think, and a lot of fun!

[LHammonds]

Whats getting at me right now is that if I start to mod oblivion, it will obviously give me an outline of what to do, but will I have to completely change my everything for the new elder scrolls coming out if I were to mod that one? Or would it still use construction set, or something else?

As already said, too early to know. We likely won't know until after the game is released...maybe even longer than that if an SDK is not available upon release date.

 

However, the same "types" of modding will be the same. Savegames, plugins only, texture or model replacers, combination of plugin + new models/texture or animations, etc. It depends on what you want to do and what you are willing to learn how to do.

 

Learning the construction set may or may not be helpful when it comes time to learning the construction set for Skyrim...if there is one. However, the process of creating/modifying textures and models will be the same no matter what game you play. There may be minor differences in how you import / export or what you have to do to prep the models but once you learn 3D modeling and painting, you can easily adapt.

 

LHammonds

[baduk]

Hi!

 

I think u can start on whatever u want!

 

Some people say that its good to start with cs but i think on cs wel u can sure make lots of stuff with it and u can keep making different kinds of

stuff with cs. Its probably best if u want to make quests and make places.

 

Or say u start with blendering, u need just a little bit of cs to make it into your game but that part is so basic that its not really a comitment to learn.

I think the blendering is going to make u need to be good at texturing also tho. texturing is the most important thing to make what u make look nice.

Its good for if u are interested in making your art into the game.

 

Whatever is interesting u can focus on and then branch out from there when u feel u need something to be able to make what u want.

 

 

 

I hope they keep using nifs on skyrim but i dont know if they will. i like nifs cause u can find out about them and make em work but they are always still mysterious.

Edited January 10, 2011 by baduk

[bben46]

It doesn't matter if you are an expert at blender - or any other third party program used to make 3D models. You will still need to know how to use the Construction Set, to get your model into the game. So, learn the CS first. Find out what you can really do (and not do) with it, then decide which (if any) 3rd party tools you would like to work with.

[LHammonds]

You will still need to know how to use the Construction Set, to get your model into the game. So, learn the CS first.

To hit this idea home a little more, your modeling needs to be tailored somewhat to the game you are building for.

 

Example:

 

You create a set of armor (but you'll first need to import the default body/skeleton to know size and location) and it typically is done based on how you wear it: boots, pants, shirt, gloves, helmet. So if you model it this way, it should fit easily into the Oblivion body slots (boots, greaves, cuirass, gauntlets, helmet). However, if you are modeling for Fallout, you need to take into account the slicing off of body parts and cut it up where meat caps are to be placed and so on.

 

The basics of modeling is still the same but you need to tailor it based on how it is used in-game and there is no better way of seeing how this is done than looking at the SDK / Construction Set / GECK.

 

If you spend a long time creating a set of spears and later find out that Oblivion doesn't have spears (just treats them like a 1-handed or 2-handed sword), then you might be a bit upset...which could have been avoided if you looked at how weapons are implemented in the game 1st.

 

Of course, you don't have to follow a pre-determined path of learning but there is a reason why people recommend learning certain things first. If you are new to everything, it is generally easier to climb a pyramid one step at a time rather than trying to figure out how to reach the top without touching any steps.

 

Modeling example:

Importing an existing object and making simple changes and then export will teach you the basic process of importing and exporting. Building a new model of a basic sword or stick is fairly simple but you need to know how to size the stick properly, create a UV Map, texture it add a collision model and export it into NIF format. That is a lot to learn for a beginner. But if you get that nailed down, the more-difficult models will be much easier to digest. Armor for example will require all of those skills as well as rigging the model to a skeleton and working with body parts and special materials such as "skin" as well as creating separate ground meshes and menu icons.

 

LHammonds