Esp to Esm LO question

[Indio21]

Working through conflict resolution I have encountered a situation I am unsure of. As this is all new to me, I have been taking it in steps resolving conflicts and creating patches. I have read on mod authors referring to working with navmesh conflicts like entering the 8th level of hell, so I been working up to those.

 

The situation I have encountered is I have a .esp overwriting a .esm with a bunch of blank cells for navmesh areas. Not wanting deal with a custom patch for it, because of lacking know how to reach that level currently, my thought was to convert it to a .esm. Then I would be able to move it above the .esm one in my LO. The cells they have in relation seem to be fine. I researched the mods in question, and the LOOT masterlist, with nothing showing I would make more havoc doing so.

 

My questions being is this a normal practice? Would or could there be adverse affects I'd be creating converting it to a .esm?

 

All the research I have done mainly only covers reasons to convert to .esl or merge plugins. When I found info on converting to a .esm it is always just that, steps how to do it. I was hoping to find info on for what reasons it may need to be done and etc.

 

Any insight is greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time!

 

 

[HadToRegister]

Well, this really isn't a Vortex issue.
If you move the esp above the esm, then the blank cells will be overwritten with the cells in the ESM, so why have those blank cells in the esp in the first place that it accidentally overwrites the cells in the ESM?

[Indio21]

Hi HTR, yeah I was not sure on the section for posting but the fine print under the section heading seemed to fit. Plus, some great people :sad: got the posting sections shut down for xedit and such. Not sure I am following you. Are you saying making a Cpatch is the way to go or just remove the mod all together? My assumption was a .esp file could not and would not be allowed above a .esm. If you mean converting to an esl I was worried about keeping patches following it. Thanks

Edited February 29, 2020 by Indiao21

[HadToRegister]

Well, what I'm wondering is, you have an esp with empty cells.
You don't want the empty cells in the esp to Overwrite the cells in the ESM, if the ESP is loaded after the ESM, right?

But Putting the ESP above the ESM, is going to mean that the things that are changed/deleted/ or empty in the ESP, are overwritten by the ESM.

Everything in a load order flows from top to bottom.

So, whatever is BELOW another Mod, will overwrite the stuff in the mod ABOVE it.

[Indio21]

Yes, I know and understand all that. What MM are you using that will allow you to put a .esp before a .esm? As mine will not, I just tried even though I pretty certain it would not work. Hence, in my situation, I believe I need to change formats and then it will create the affects we both agree on.

[HadToRegister]

Yes, I know and understand all that. What MM are you using that will allow you to put a .esp before a .esm? As mine will not, I just tried even though I pretty certain it would not work. Hence, in my situation, I believe I need to change formats and then it will create the affects we both agree on.

 

 

You need to flag the ESP as an ESM like The Unofficial Patch does. and make sure that the ESM you want to put it above isn't a MASTER

[Indio21]

Great, yes that is what I tried to explain that I had verified in my initial post. My question is, is that common practice to accomplish what is needed here? If so, are there any negatives I need to be aware of converting/flagging the file?

 

As an example, merging plugins. I had read doing so, if not verifying, can or could problems farther along. I'd prefer not learn them that way. If there is a more reliable way of dealing it, Cpatch as an example, I will learn and do it. I am just trying to avoid after X amount of playing time learning I should have never done it and done whatever instead. Thanks

[HadToRegister]

I still don't understand why the ESP needs to be above the ESM, because the ESM is going to change everything in the ESP all back to default

[Indio21]

Hmmm, now you really got my attention :) love to learn! Am I not understanding something here with some kind of priorities of file extensions? What you said leads me to believe that somehow the original .esm will always take precedence no matter what I do.

 

I don't want to waste your time so I probably should elaborate on this with some more detail for clarification. I know you know I am new so that one is off the table. So remember the newbie lingo lol, please. It is Legacy of the Dragonborn and Skyrim Sewers I am dealing with. Both only have the game dlcs and update as masters. They only seem to conflict in the navmesh, the most, and some in the vertexes, I think they are called. So I figured by making SS into a .esm I could simply get it above Legacy in LO. Converting it sure looks a heck of a lot easier to me, lol.

 

Are you saying no matter what I do here the engine will always load Legacy first because it came default as a .esm or something?

[HadToRegister]

No, what I'm saying is this

Load order

your.esp
Lotd.esm

everything flows downward, so since Lotd.esm is LAST, the changes that Lotd.esm will take precedence over 'your.esp' so changes you made to try and change things INSIDE the Lotd.esm, won't 'filter through' and change the game


Lotd.esm
your.esp

now the last in the load order is 'your.esp', the changes you made in your.esp will take precedence over Lotd.esm