Can I do this with two mods? (Simple goal, long explanation)

[miketheratguy]

Not by default; I don't think. I can enable them in whatever folder I click on though. I'm kind of unfamiliar with the inner workings of Win 7 (used XP myself until late last year).

 

If there's a folder I can see hidden files in that would help, let me know and I'll "unhide" its contents.

[miketheratguy]

I also have another idea if this just won't work (I'd like to find out what my problem is, but just in case it still goes nowhere):

 

I have a second computer that has Oblivion installed on it. Could I use that computer to run the CS and load up the two mods- Glenvar Castle and Red Rose Manor- move the entire exterior of RMM next to the exterior of GC- and save as a new mod? I would then copy this new mod back over to the original computer where I'd use it instead of the corrupted RMM mod.

 

Can that be done? Can I keep RRM functioning normally AND simply move its exterior location to another wilderness cell, saving that one change as a new mod? A mod that will have the exact same functionality as the default RMM with the only difference being that the manor itself will have been moved to a different place on the map?

Edited September 30, 2011 by miketheratguy

[Striker879]

I was thinking that the "ProgramData virtual store" Hickory spoke of (I'm guessing the folder is named ProgramData) wasn't visible because hidden and system files and folders were set to not show in Windows Explorer (which is Microsoft's default setting). In Win XP it's found in Windows Explorer's Tools menu, then Folder Options and View tab. Who knows where they've hidden it in Win 7. Edited September 30, 2011 by Striker879

[miketheratguy]

Okay I could possibly be getting somewhere. I looked up how to display everything that's hidden in Win 7, and did so. I can now navigate to C\Mike\Appdata, where there IS an Oblivion folder (along with a virtual store folder). Inside the Oblivion folder are 2 DLC / plugin related text files, and a "plugins.tes4viewsettings" file.

 

Anything I should do to these?

Edited September 30, 2011 by miketheratguy

[Striker879]

You'd probably be best to wait for Hickory's advice on that. My Win 7 experience has been limited to getting the grandkid's laptops and netbooks set up after purchase. Thankfully they've not managed to break anything as of yet (oh now I've jinxed myself).

[miketheratguy]

Yeah that's fair advice. In the meantime, can you tell me anything else about this combination modding- taking two separate mods and, essentially, moving them next to each other on the world map and saving as a new mod?

 

My instinct tells me to always make any mod changes as a new mod- to save any changes as a new active file rather than overwrite the original- but will doing this retain all the features (quests, etc) of the mods being edited, or will the new saved file be a sort of redundant "ESP to the original ESP"? I remember dialogue discussing making an ESP into an ESM but that's still a little too far ahead for me I think.

 

Anyway I'm mainly focused on trying to fix this problem first, but I like getting whatever knowledge I can at a time because I feel bad about making stupid question threads.

[Striker879]

My own home grown personalizing other people's mods on my machine has always been edit their esp. I have the original downloads to everything I've installed, so if I ever wanted to revert to their original version I can just overwrite from the original. That does lead to complications when an original author offers an update that I want (i.e. do I install their new version and lose my changes or stick with my version). I've never looked in the CS to see if there is a 'Save As' option ... usually I just make an esp active and then save periodically while I'm tinkering. I'm usually not even bright enough to remember to make a backup of my changes before making more, and have on more than one occasion had to try to remember what I'd done previously when I've managed to get too 'close to the cliff edge', so as to speak.

 

The esmify and espify you refer to is done so that you can get assets from mod A into your mod B (usually that pretty hair or shiny bauble). It comes with some conditions to be aware of but from my understanding it's not rocket science. I've not ventured there myself, as I'm more familiar with stone tools and sharp sticks.

Edited October 1, 2011 by Striker879

[miketheratguy]

So whenever you decide to edit a mod you've downloaded, you just make it active and save from time to time as you work? You've never really had to make a separate esp if editing just one mod at a time? That's part of where I'm confused- I'm pretty sure the active mod was the one I was editing (Red Rose Manor) when the CS crashed, and now the change seems to be all but etched into my circuit board.

 

I deleted the Oblivion file that was previously hidden and the 3 files that came within it (after backing them up in another folder of course) and the CS still gives me endless error messages when I try to mess with RMM. *Banging head against ****ing wall, preparing noose*

 

I definitely am intrigued about combining two mods- something that, if I did it correctly to begin with, would have saved me days of frustration- but for now there seems to be no end to this RMM perma-error in sight.

[Striker879]

My own tinkering with other's work in the CS has been more in the line of changing some animations in Personality Idles - Modified Version NPCs and Companions and personalizing the interior of Aranmathi Ayleid Home. I also do quite a bit of mixing and matching bodies in BBB Designer Body Spell, but the CS isn't needed for that, just alternate bodies that are compatible with the mod's originals. Like I say ... stone tools and sharp sticks.

 

I'm not sure the combining mods as done in the conventional sense would achieve what you were originally after. Using tools like Wrye Bash and TES4Edit you can merge more than one compatible mod to save on the number of mods the game needs to load (there is a limit of 255 mods). Using those tools you aren't moving the location of any assets (example the chests that armor mods commonly add to the game so you can get the new stuff), just making a single mod out of more than one similar mod. What you are wanting to do, move the cell a mod's exterior is located in goes beyond those simpler merges.

 

Err ... I was wondering if you'd do me a bit of a favour? I've got a project that requires a large amount of rope. I couldn't borrow all the rope you have in the house by any chance? Just until this current situation is resolved. :thumbsup:

Edited October 1, 2011 by Striker879

[miketheratguy]

I can spare you some, but I think I need to keep about 6 feet around, just in case. :)

 

You're talking about exactly what I mean: If I cannot get around whatever is causing the CS to regard RMM as irreparably edited, then maybe I can still make my OWN mod using its resources. Granted, I'd have to do this entire process on the second computer where RMM isn't corrupted, but it might work. If I could essentially leave both mods as they are, and do NOTHING but drag the exterior of Red Rose Manor and plop it next to Glenvar Castle (where, presumably, I will still be able to enter RMM as normal; exiting would simply drop me out into the relocated exterior cell), then save this as my own plugin, maybe this will all work.

 

To do this would I need to make both Glenvar Castle and Red Rose Manor into ESMs, or just Red Rose Manor? In this scenario I'm actually not doing anything to GC; I'd just be nestling the RMM exterior next to it and would therefore only be touching RMM resources.