Mod Compilations

[adman85]

With all the problems that start happening when we start getting over around 50 - 100 mods (even tiny changes still count) I am a little surprised that there are not many compilation mods. Reducing this total of mods, while adding the most that is possible to each .esm.

 

For example; AWOP, Monster Mod and IWS all in one .esm

or

CFWNV, WME (or X), calibur, missing ammo recipes and say improved throwing or something.

then

You could have a different compilation that incorporated both of the above compilations.. So on, etc.

 

I realise this would require permission from some hard to get a hold of people, also some mod makers may simply not want to work with others..

 

I for example have already gone through and removed mods that only changed game settings, or actor effects (or other small things), and added these changes to one of my personal mods, cutting out almost 15 mods in the process... I would attempt to compile more but I can in no way replicate what the Monster Mod guys have done and I'll be damned if I have to rebuild all of AWOPs locations by hand.

 

I'm sure it's not just me that feels this way, and I'd even be willing to help create some if I knew that it was being done right. But in my opinion we are going to need them.

Edited July 19, 2011 by adman85

[djmystro]

My very first mod project for FO3 was very similar to what you described. It incorporated new weapons (plus an M series like in AWOP) using master files and added tons of new objects and armors that otherwise would have been a load of individual files (even new locations and enemies). Unfortunately it was a 400MB+ mess of too many ideas badly implemented. Also a big problem with releasing such a project would be the need for constant updates as any of it's masters are updated, unless you intend you duplicate everything in your own mod, in which case it will show up as a seperate item/object in game even if you name it the same without detailed formID changes.

The nVamp project is essentially like what you describe but you still have to download many individual resources and tick a lot of mods.

If you are gonna attempt to merge stuff on a mass scale I recommend creating a practice version first until you get to grips with importing everything, Armor and items can be complicated enough but will not break anything, but many problems will arise from merging anything relating to quests, dialogue, replacers, sounds or altering locations otherwise you may end up writing off months of work like myself. On the other hand at least I learned enough with my early GECK experiements to be able to create AWOP so it was time well spent I guess.

[adman85]

That is a good point, updating would be an issue.. Maybe it could only be done with final versions.

 

And I loved the idea for nVAMP, but when I saw u still needed all the pre existing esms and esps, I realised it's not really what I wanted as I have done a basic version of that myself already.

 

Thanks for the geck advice, I could still probably eliminate another 10-20 mods that aren't based off dialogue or areas and what not, through importing and exporting. I might give that a try now..

 

Just to be clear you are saying to avoid exporting or importing quests, dialogue etc? Or just avoid attempting to merge them? (as I have already made a manual dialogue merge patch that incorporates all the AWOP, Project Nevada, NVR (and a couple of others) dialogue changes, I have not fully tested it though, I have been running it for a while with no obvious problems)

 

Cheers for the input.

Edited July 19, 2011 by adman85

[djmystro]

Dialogue and quests in particular are buggy already. Merging them well really depends on the method you use and relative skill/experience level though if you are replicating everything by hand it is both the most precise and yet flawed method so it's hard to know what to recommend. I have never attempted it myself. Back in my first mod I really screwed up a lot of other peoples dialogue by trying to add my own in but that's another issue really.

[adman85]

I made a new esp in the geck that added 1 line to the "GREETING" dialogue, then I went into FNVEdit and dragged over all the dialogues from other mods into mine (linking them as masters). After this I just deleted the line that i had inserted. Pretty basic, but it was the only conflict so i guess it works.