How does one create a fully packaged follower?

[hikotanzaki]

'Ello. Been messing with the Skyrim creation kit for a few days now, and I've been wondering how would someone go about packaging a custom created follower that uses non-standard meshes/textures/hairs/yadayada in a way that doesn't require the downloader to have certain mods active.

 

For example, if one wanted to make a female follower, with:

 

Caliente's Big Bottom Body Mod

A custom set of armor from another .ESP

Spells from an external spell pack, such as LordSirenian's Expert Spell Variety Pack;

 

Just what should I have to do to have all of this available with the follower mod so it's completely standalone?

 

I'm assuming that I would simply need to create a .bsa with these files in the proper infrastructure; but, IF that's the case, what would I do if something I'm using is simply from an ESP, and has no required other files (which is the case with LordSirenian's Expert Spell Variety Pack)?

 

Or am I going about this entirely wrong? :S

 

I'm using the official creation kit from steam if that information'll change the required method at all.

Edited October 6, 2012 by hikotanzaki

[powerofthree]

I'm no expert either, but couldn't you use loose files instead?

 

Just copy the same folders and files relevant to the other mods that you have in your Data folder and package it in your mod. Make sure to keep the file pathways the same or else the game will complain.

 

Also make sure you get permission from the mod authors to include their mods in your follower mod.

[hikotanzaki]

I'm no expert either, but couldn't you use loose files instead?

 

Just copy the same folders and files relevant to the other mods that you have in your Data folder and package it in your mod. Make sure to keep the file pathways the same or else the game will complain.

 

Also make sure you get permission from the mod authors to include their mods in your follower mod.

 

I... never actually thought about that at all.

 

Okay, that brings up another question then. If I were to just use loose files:

 

1. Do I need to migrate all these files AFTER I create the .ESP that uses them? Or should I move copies of the files to a project folder, and then create an .ESP (and somehow reference these new objects within it).

 

2. In the case of adding something that is only an .ESP, should I be adding the .ESP in with the files for my mod, or should I be adding the contents of said .ESP to my mod's .ESP? Or does either work?

 

And yes, I just kind of threw out some mods that fit what I was looking for info on how to add. I'll definitely be asking the original creators if it is alright to use their creations.

 

In this situation, I'm assuming that looking through mods of the same nature might help?

[Trinsic75]

I am also trying to create a follower of a customized race. I have no idea how to do it. I select the race in the Creation Set, make it look they way I want, and then save it. I try to play the game and go into the cell where my new NPC is and the game crashes.

 

I also don't know how to "package" files into a mod as described in this thread. Is there a step-by-step method for this?

[hikotanzaki]

Just wanted to bump this real quick. :(

[hikotanzaki]

Sorry to do so, but, bumping again.

[AnkhAscendant]

I think that it would be better practice to do it your original way, it's much neater to have everything in a BSA so that when your mod is no longer in use the extras aren't still lying around. (If you were to use loose files, meshes and et cetera, you could just leave them in your standanrd meshes/whatever folders and make sure to put them (in appropriate folders) in your .rar so that when they're unpacked and moved to the Data folder they all merge into the preexisting folders, or I think you could put them into a folder of your own before you start and just make sure you point to all of them properly.) In order of preference, by neatness and compatibility, I'd say BSA->new folder loose->merging folders loose. (I really prefer not to have loose files merging into my other folders so I can't tell what they belong to >>) Plus if you were to include the CBBE body mesh as it normally is and have it merge into the regular folder, it seems like that would put it on every female in the game... Maybe not, but I would not be happy with that surprise if it did.

 

For things that are in an /esp, like spells, it might not be easiest for you to copy them into your .esp, but it would, again, be neater (the fewer .esps the better, in my opinion). I don't actually know, but I would think that repackaging someone else's .esp in whole and redistributing it as part of your mod would be against a rule or two. Maybe not if you have permission, but it would still look lazy. Adding, for instance, the other person's spell .esp would also have unintended consequences like having the player be able to buy and use those spells, but if you recreated them in your .esp you could have only the spells you want her to have and only she would have them.

 

I don't know if it would actually work because I've never tried it, but you may be able to duplicate them fairly easily. Load your new .esp with the spell one loaded, duplicate the spell you want and rename it, then save and reload yours without the other one loaded and see if the spells are still there. In my head it seems like it would work, but it might not in practice.

 

Disclaimer: I'm not actually very knowledgeable, but you haven't gotten any better answers so I thought I'd tell you what I had.

Edited October 7, 2012 by AnkhAscendant

[hikotanzaki]

I think that it would be better practice to do it your original way, it's much neater to have everything in a BSA so that when your mod is no longer in use the extras aren't still lying around. (If you were to use loose files, meshes and et cetera, you could just leave them in your standanrd meshes/whatever folders and make sure to put them (in appropriate folders) in your .rar so that when they're unpacked and moved to the Data folder they all merge into the preexisting folders, or I think you could put them into a folder of your own before you start and just make sure you point to all of them properly.) In order of preference, by neatness and compatibility, I'd say BSA->new folder loose->merging folders loose. (I really prefer not to have loose files merging into my other folders so I can't tell what they belong to >>) Plus if you were to include the CBBE body mesh as it normally is and have it merge into the regular folder, it seems like that would put it on every female in the game... Maybe not, but I would not be happy with that surprise if it did.

 

For things that are in an /esp, like spells, it might not be easiest for you to copy them into your .esp, but it would, again, be neater (the fewer .esps the better, in my opinion). I don't actually know, but I would think that repackaging someone else's .esp in whole and redistributing it as part of your mod would be against a rule or two. Maybe not if you have permission, but it would still look lazy. Adding, for instance, the other person's spell .esp would also have unintended consequences like having the player be able to buy and use those spells, but if you recreated them in your .esp you could have only the spells you want her to have and only she would have them.

 

I don't know if it would actually work because I've never tried it, but you may be able to duplicate them fairly easily. Load your new .esp with the spell one loaded, duplicate the spell you want and rename it, then save and reload yours without the other one loaded and see if the spells are still there. In my head it seems like it would work, but it might not in practice.

 

Disclaimer: I'm not actually very knowledgeable, but you haven't gotten any better answers so I thought I'd tell you what I had.

 

That... was extremely useful information.

 

I know a friend of mine who uses completely different body packs from me, so I figure it'd be pretty easy to test whether or not I did it correctly. Thanks for the info, +kudos.

[Seshiri]

how do you include hair? Does that just stay normally too?

[rhowington]

There are tutorials for all your questions. You can even download one of my mods and look at the file structure. Nothing you are trying to do is difficult, just time consuming.