[TES5Edit] Questions about manual conflict resolution

[Concentre]

Hello Nexus Mods community!

 

First off, let me clarify my current situation.

 

For the last few days I've been actively updating my old mod setup. With the help of guides made by many good people and with the critical advice by the folks over at r/SkyrimMods IRC, I've managed to build this load order (minus CompPatch.esp, Bashed Patch, 0.esp, ASIS-Dependency.esp and ASIS.esp):

https://modwat.ch/u/ahnassi

 

After the load order was more or less settled (for both archives and plugins), I knew that I needed to:

- First, make a Merge Patch in TES5Edit to automatically resolve conflicts between plugins (exluding leveled lists)

- Second, produce a Wrye Bashed patch for leveled lists

- And last, run ASIS patcher taking into account compatibility notes by EnaiSiaion (Ordinator and the rest of his mods)

 

But then I stumbled upon a couple of comments on Reddit that made it pretty clear that automatic merge patching with TES5Edit breaks as much as it fixes. Manual conflict resolving was strongly advised. I've learned what I needed to know from NVEdit Manual and started the process.

 

So here's the deal. There appeared many strange overwrites between my plugins, some of them I understand some I have little idea what they do. What I DO know though, is that they are ITMs. Roughly 70% of the overwrites are edits of USLEEP that are in turn changed by mods with identical to vanilla game data.

 

For instance here Interesting NPCs ITMs overwrite navmesh records that were changed by a more recently updated USLEEP (coupled with normal edits):

 

http://i.imgur.com/ANtYDXe.jpg

 

 

Or here, SkyTEST places a Mammoth with coordinates that were tweaked by an seemingly more recent USLEEP edit.

 

http://i.imgur.com/HUpPhrW.jpg

 

 

Here, Clothing & Clutter Fixes overwrites USLEEP edit with its ITM

 

http://i.imgur.com/7Wjt3OT.jpg

 

 

What I am wondering is: am I doing right when I solve these conflicts by merging USLEEP edits with other mod edits (getting rid of ITMs), or there is a chance that by doing so I will break the aforementioned mods completely?

[snelss0]

From what very little I know or understand of TES5edit removal of ITMs is that some mods to use them for effects, but for the most part they go unused in mods. I would say to go ahead and remove any that you feel like. Just reinstall the mod if it screws up the game, right?

[Novem99]

I would recommend to filter (deleting ITM) your patch at first just with Skyrim.esm & Update.esm. loaded into TES5Edit. After this you can filter and see if your plugin conflicts with the USKP. Did you do it this way?

[Concentre]

From what very little I know or understand of TES5edit removal of ITMs is that some mods to use them for effects, but for the most part they go unused in mods. I would say to go ahead and remove any that you feel like. Just reinstall the mod if it screws up the game, right?

Sounds about right, only I'm not sure how much time one is supposed to invest into the game with their current load order before revealing how exactly ITMs (especially overwriting USLEeP) affect the game.

 

I would recommend to filter (deleting ITM) your patch at first just with Skyrim.esm & Update.esm. loaded into TES5Edit. After this you can filter and see if your plugin conflicts with the USKP. Did you do it this way?

No, I load all my plugins, do a conflict filter suggested in FNVEdit Manual, then go from top to bottom (starting with Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch.esp).

[Concentre]

Here are two main examples I don't fully understand. What my decision should be if:

 

1. http://i.imgur.com/XdZ8E3v.png

 

2. http://i.imgur.com/KkgsZVW.png

Edited November 12, 2016 by Concentre

[twiztedmongoloid]

I am not a TES5Edit expert but i can give you what ive learned from majoity of guides and my own experience.

 

Not all conflicts are bad.

 

I would only clean the vanilla esms. update and the DLC.

 

Manual conflict resolution is MUCH preferred over merge patch.

 

When doing manual conflict resolution what your looking for is two mods changing the same thing. So if mod B is changing what you want mod A to do for you then you would carry over mod As changes to resolve the conflict.

[Novem99]

Here are two main examples I don't fully understand. What my decision should be if:

 

1. http://i.imgur.com/XdZ8E3v.png

 

 

Record #1: doesn't touched by USLEEP so the mod should change this record.

Record #2: is removed by USLEEP (for a reason). If the mod just restores it to Skyrim.esm means that the mod doesn't change the original record so I would adopt the change (remove the record) made by USLEEP.

Record #3: same as Record #1

 

 

[Concentre]

Not all conflicts are bad.I would only clean the vanilla esms. update and the DLC.

The way I see it, on a clean install where the only mod to be additionally loaded is the unofficial patch(es), any records between Skyrim.esm <> Dragonborn.esm should be overwritten by Unofficial. So with that setup no manual patching is required; the only thing you'd need TES5Edit for is to automatically clean ITMs (as suggested by LOOT).

 

Problems arise when you got mods that load after Vanilla+Unofficial patch(es). Since community patches update often, many records in mods like for instance "SkyTEST - Realistic Animals and Predators" or "Clothes & Clutter Fixes" have edits that are identical to Skyrim.esm <> Dragonborn.esm chain and NOT identical to Unofficial, effectively undoing any change or fix that the community patch did.

 

And then there's everything else. CCF undoing Interesting NPCs edits, Purity undoing ELFX image spaces... ELFX maniacally removing light sources from cells while occasionally leaving some alone and erasing an essential fix made by USLeEP there... That sorta thing. Ultimately the ones not conflicting with the Unofficial patch are easy to solve.

 

Record #1: doesn't touched by USLEEP so the mod should change this record.Record #2: is removed by USLEEP (for a reason). If the mod just restores it to Skyrim.esm means that the mod doesn't change the original record so I would adopt the change (remove the record) made by USLEEP.Record #3: same as Record #1

Thanks for making this clear. One barely familiar with modding (noob like me) would think that a blank space (in item properties for instance) is ignored by plugins that load next.

 

Anyways, finished a thorough conflict patch today after watching this tutorial. Testing on a new character.

There was some discord between ELFX and Purity, so I try to test these out first. Loot tables are working properly (mainly Wintermyst enchantments, nothing fancy). As for the rest... If I broke something in Interesting NPCs or CCF that's okay. But if any of EnaiSiaions' Perk/Shout/Spell overhauls and questlines turn out totalled I am probably gonna turn every horizontal surface into vertical in my room.

[Robert246]

my question is that how could i overwrite USLEEP using mods