Skyrim- Quest Mod uploading question

[samv96UK]

I'm not sure what topic I should have posted this so I just chose this one, forgive me if it's not correct.

 

Anyway, I'm currently making a mod that has quests and custom dialogue in it. When I upload the mod, will I have to upload the creation kit file AND all the audio that I've recorded in a RAR file ready to be extracted, or will I just be able to upload the CK file and have the audio still work?

 

Also, could someone please explain if I could do this so it can be simply downloaded with the mod manager and work, instead of uploading a rar file?

 

Thank you

[62firelight]

The audio files are needed for the mod if it uses those audio files, otherwise it won't work properly and since there is no voice files to use, the game skips the dialogue making it unreadable. Also, there is a tool in the CK to create archives if I am right. Go to File > Create Archive (or something similar) and click on that, to see what happens. My guess is it would create a .RAR/7zip file and put the mod's required files into the archive.

 

And if you don't want the voice files to be 'loose' (in another folder) you can also make a .bsa file (I'm not sure about doing it that way, you need a program to make .bsas) and store the audio in it. This is optional though, it doesn't matter each way.

 

About the mod manager question, I don't think it really matters. The Nexus Mod Manager automatically extracts everything (from what I've seen. Yes, this includes the readmes) from the archive to your Skyrim dictionary. Though if you are asking that NMM needs a archive, yes.

Edited May 19, 2012 by 62firelight

[samv96UK]

Thak you for the reply. I'll experiment and see what works best. :thumbsup:

[David Brasher]

If you upload a quest mod, you will need to upload more than just the .esp. These are the things you will likely need to upload:

 

.esp

readme file

.esm (If your mod includes a house or a dungeon or something with Navmeshing.)

scripts (You have a quest, so you are almost sure to have scripts.)

meshes (Facegen data to prevent the dark face bug.)

textures (Facegen data to prevent the dark face bug.)

sounds

[samv96UK]

 

If you upload a quest mod, you will need to upload more than just the .esp. These are the things you will likely need to upload:

 

.esp

readme file

.esm (If your mod includes a house or a dungeon or something with Navmeshing.)

scripts (You have a quest, so you are almost sure to have scripts.)

meshes (Facegen data to prevent the dark face bug.)

textures (Facegen data to prevent the dark face bug.)

sounds

 

 

Would you be able to give me a quick guide on where I can find all teh data I need and how to do all of this? is there a way to make it downloadable with NMM? Thank you.

 

EDIT: Also, I have a custom dungeon with navmeshing, but I only have a esp file for it, no esm. I'm not sure I'll need any meshes or textures since I didn't make my any of my own. Is this correct?

Edited May 20, 2012 by samv96UK

[David Brasher]

I don't have any experience with NMM. I don't really know how it works. They say that if your mod is packaged right, NMM will automatically deal with it properly.

 

 

Here is the only link I could easily find on packaging mods on the wiki: Uploading To Steam Workshop

It is a shame because this page is stupid and gives bad advice that does not always work. It is also aimed at uploading to Steam Workshop, which is not what most people do because Steam Wirshop has some major problems and Skyrim Nexus will give an uploader a higher download count. One of these days I need to go add a page to the wiki that explains how to use Archive.exe to package mods instead of using the unreliable archive function of the CK.

 

The CK archive function is usable, but it is slower because you have to get clear down through all the subdirectories to the files themselves before you can drag and drop the files into the window. You also have to be sure to delete junk that the the CK added that you don't want to package, and you have to be sure to add any scripts that the auto archive function missed out on packing. Then you stop short of actually uploading to Steam unless you want to. You just take the .bsa file and put it in the package you are preparing to 7-zip or .rar for upload to Skyrim Nexus.

 

Okay, I found something on .bsa packaging:

 

Here is a way to manually pack your BSA:

 

1 - Create a folder with the exact same name as your esp/esm in a new directory

2 - Make a data folder with the meshes and textures folders inside, plus sounds if you use them

3 - Place your files in the correct places, make sure they are all there

4 - Open up the Archiver.exe in the skyrim folder

5 - Flag the meshes and textures boxes on the left, others if necessary.

6 - There is a list to the left to check, just do the top two and the bottom options

7 - Now to go to "edit" and "choose directory", then locate your folder and select the folder named the same as your file

8 - You should have a list of all the meshes and textures, go to "edit" and select "check all"

9 - Save the file to the skyrim\data directory, but that should be the default path anyway and save as the same name as your esp/esm

Source: Forum Thread.

 

From what you describe, it sounds like your mod will have these things for you to package:

 

.esp

readme file

scripts (You have a quest, so you are almost sure to have scripts.)

meshes (Facegen data to prevent the dark face bug because you have a quest and custom dialog and presumably added custom NPCs.)

textures (Facegen data to prevent the dark face bug because you have a quest and custom dialog and presumably added custom NPCs.)

sounds

[samv96UK]

I don't have any experience with NMM. I don't really know how it works. They say that if your mod is packaged right, NMM will automatically deal with it properly.

 

 

Here is the only link I could easily find on packaging mods on the wiki: Uploading To Steam Workshop

It is a shame because this page is stupid and gives bad advice that does not always work. It is also aimed at uploading to Steam Workshop, which is not what most people do because Steam Wirshop has some major problems and Skyrim Nexus will give an uploader a higher download count. One of these days I need to go add a page to the wiki that explains how to use Archive.exe to package mods instead of using the unreliable archive function of the CK.

 

The CK archive function is usable, but it is slower because you have to get clear down through all the subdirectories to the files themselves before you can drag and drop the files into the window. You also have to be sure to delete junk that the the CK added that you don't want to package, and you have to be sure to add any scripts that the auto archive function missed out on packing. Then you stop short of actually uploading to Steam unless you want to. You just take the .bsa file and put it in the package you are preparing to 7-zip or .rar for upload to Skyrim Nexus.

 

Okay, I found something on .bsa packaging:

 

Here is a way to manually pack your BSA:

 

1 - Create a folder with the exact same name as your esp/esm in a new directory

2 - Make a data folder with the meshes and textures folders inside, plus sounds if you use them

3 - Place your files in the correct places, make sure they are all there

4 - Open up the Archiver.exe in the skyrim folder

5 - Flag the meshes and textures boxes on the left, others if necessary.

6 - There is a list to the left to check, just do the top two and the bottom options

7 - Now to go to "edit" and "choose directory", then locate your folder and select the folder named the same as your file

8 - You should have a list of all the meshes and textures, go to "edit" and select "check all"

9 - Save the file to the skyrim\data directory, but that should be the default path anyway and save as the same name as your esp/esm

Source: Forum Thread.

 

From what you describe, it sounds like your mod will have these things for you to package:

 

.esp

readme file

scripts (You have a quest, so you are almost sure to have scripts.)

meshes (Facegen data to prevent the dark face bug because you have a quest and custom dialog and presumably added custom NPCs.)

textures (Facegen data to prevent the dark face bug because you have a quest and custom dialog and presumably added custom NPCs.)

sounds

 

Do you happen to know where I can get the said textures/meshes from? I've made the folder, like the instructions said, and put in the voice/sound data, the .esp and I've also made a readme in notepad. I'm about the add the scripts now.

 

Will the .esp contain the quest data and location data all in that file?

 

Thanks

[gasti89]

Yes, everything you need that isn't script/texture/mesh/sound is in the esp.

[David Brasher]

It may be that you have not yet generated your facegen meshes and textures to avoid the dark face bug, or that your mod does not add any new NPCs or edit the faces of any existing ones. If you do generate facegen data for your mod, it will be found in places like these:

 

Data\Meshes\actors\Character\FaceGenData\FaceGeom\MyQuestMod.esp

Data\textures\actors\Character\FaceGenData\FaceTint\MyQuestMod.esp

[samv96UK]

It may be that you have not yet generated your facegen meshes and textures to avoid the dark face bug, or that your mod does not add any new NPCs or edit the faces of any existing ones. If you do generate facegen data for your mod, it will be found in places like these:

 

Data\Meshes\actors\Character\FaceGenData\FaceGeom\MyQuestMod.esp

Data\textures\actors\Character\FaceGenData\FaceTint\MyQuestMod.esp

 

Ah, that would be why. I don't believe I've generated the facegen data yet. I'm assuming I do that via the creation kit?