[LE] Modding while playing: Best Practices?

[learn34]

I am relatively new to modding, but am looking to dive into the deep end thereof. To help in this, I would like to know if there are any tools or best practices available which will enable the following: I would like to experiment with mods, both creating my own and Frankenstein-ing others', without messing up my Skyrim install directory. The simplest, but least appealing, way to do this would be to have a complete copy of my Skyrim install directory which I would shuffle around with the baseline install. The baseline would contain all the mods I'm playing with, while the copy would contain all my experiments.

 

My understanding is that newer mod-management tools (MO2 & Vortex) make it possible to play with mods without actually altering the Skyrim install directory, but I don't know if they also allow for creating/experimenting with mods in the same manner. Do they allow one to create mods in the same partitioned/isolated manner they allow play, or are there way to tell the CK/xEdit/etc. to look at directories other than the Skyrim install directory?

 

On a related note, do either of MO2 or Vortex enable easy re-installation of mod structures after a new install (and I mean, drag-and-drop-folders easy)? I've got a very old computer, and have had to make frequent refreshes of late. Each time, I have had to restart my mod installations from scratch. If I were to get a new computer, I would have to do so again. I am not interested in putting upwards of several hundred hours into modding only to have to go through it again when I upgrade my comp.

[greyday01]

Use MO2 for mods you are using in your playing game. That keeps your Data folder clean.

If you are going to do any scripting unzip scripts.rar to your Data folder.

Running Skyrim directly from the exe with no mods active get all the way through the intro and I usually wait until I reach Riverwood and make a save and use that for testing my mod.

For making my own mod I open the CreationKit directly from its exe.

For loading someone elses' mod I usually if it isn't complex install the files into Data manually or use NMM.

When modding you want all your assets easily found, so any script, or object you create should be given a name starting with a 4 letter mod prefix. It makes it easy to search for things you make.

In the Data Folder make a folder called textures, and in that make a folder with your mod initials. Put textures you make in that folder.

In the Data Folder make a folder called meshes, and in that make a folder with your mod initials. Put meshes you make in that folder.

For the Scripts folder and in Scripts the Source folder you can not have more folders just for your mod unfortunately. So just make sure all your scripts start with your mod initials so you can find them all together.

 

For making your mod ready for uploading make a folder on your desktop with your mod name. In that make a folder called scripts and in that make a folder called Source.

Copy your esp from Data into the YourMod desktop folder and rename it yourmod 01. The next time you save copy the latest version of your esp into the desktop folder and rename it Yourmod 02. And so on.

That way if you make mistakes you have earlier versions available.

Drag the entire meshes folder with your meshes into the desktop yourmod folder, do the same with textures.

For your scripts open scripts in the data folder and select and copy just your scripts (they should all be together by the mod initials) and paste them into yourmod desktop folder in the scripts folder, the same with your script source files.

To make a mod to upload just select the latest esp (with no version number), the meshes, textures and scripts folders and Zip them.

[learn34]

Awesome. Thank you very much for the guidance!