Modding a mod, with another mod.

[KaptenN]

Is it possible for an ESP-file to change something placed by another ESP-file?

 

For example:

A mod adds a large rock in a place. I want to move that rock, but I don't want to edit the original mod (for various reasons such as someone else made it, I want to be able to revert the change easily, editing the original mod might screw something up, ect.).

Trying to move it in another ESP-file merely creates a duplicate.

Something tells me that it is possible. I think it may have been done before or I've read how it's done but forgotten and I'm simply not good enough at modding to know how to do it.

 

To be specific:

I'm trying to modify Open Cities Reborn to give Skingrad back its classic look. That involves moving or removing objects placed by Open Cities Reborn.esp. I don't want to modify Open Cities Reborn.esp because,

1: I want to be able to change back easily.

2: I'm not the owner of that mod.

3: Loading and saving Open Cities Reborn.esp shrinks the file 28 kB for some reason and I'm afraid that I will screw something up if I do that.

4: Making the changes I want to do in a separate ESP-file would make it possible to distribute it as an add-on to OCR without including the entire OCR mod. If I get the original mod author's permission of course!

I would be greatful for any hints on how to do this.

 

 

EDIT: Solved!

For any other inexperienced modders looking for how to do this, you need only read the third and fifth post in this thread.

Edited October 10, 2011 by KaptenN

[Maskar]

Yes, easy. Unless you use the construction set extender you first have to turn the esp into a master file (there are many programs that can do this). Then create your mod using whatever file you want to edit as a master file. I did the same to fix Alternative Start for Better Cities.

[The_Vyper]

The easiest way (that I know of) to do this would be to use TES4Gecko or Wrye Bash to turn the Open Cities Reborn.esp into an .esm. Any changes you made could then be saved as a new .esp. The original OCR.esp will still be there if you need to revert back to it.

 

Edit: Ninja'd! :ninja:

Edited October 9, 2011 by The_Vyper

[KaptenN]

Thanks guys. I thought it was something like that, but when I simply changed the file ending to ".esm" CS still recognized it as a plugin.

Thanks for the help. ^^

[KaptenN]

I need help again!

 

When I loaded up the mods in Oblivion a lot of landscape and structures in and around Skingrad was missing. I've tried loading my addon both before and after Open Cities Reborn.esp.

What I did in the addon was add, move and remove some things in Skingrad, edit some pathing and only a slight modification to the landscape. Though it is the first time I make modifications to the landscape so I might have done something wrong, though that wouldn't explain why some structures that I didn't even touch have disappeared, would it?

 

EDIT: Solved! I had to use TES4Gecko to change the master list, removing Open Cities Reborn.esm and adding Open Cities Reborn.esp. Now I'm going to use TES4Edit to clean the mod as I just now read an article about doing so here: http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/TES4Edit_Cleaning_Guide :D

Edited October 10, 2011 by KaptenN