How to Manually Sort FE (###)?

[MisterKen]

I need to manually sort a mod that Vortex/Loot doesn't understand very well I guess, but it is FE(000) in the Mod Index. When I try to manually sort it in between two other mods where it must go (between 0D and 0B, also manually sorted), Vortex had red text indicating my choice of 0C might not apply.

 

How do we tell Vortex what to do with FE(###) mods?

[HadToRegister]

If it's an ESL then it can't be sorted.


If it's an ESPfe, then it can be sorted.

ESL will have the ESL filetype

ESPfe will have the ESP filetype, but can be spotted by looking in the PLUGINS tab, and seeing if there's a FEATHER Icon, indicating that the ESP is "Light", meaning it's an ESPfe.

[Tannin42]

Well, files with the .esl extension can also be sorted, but they are implicitly masters and can therefore not load after any non-master.

 

both espfe and esl always have a mod index of FE, that cannot be changed (not our restriction, it's how the game engine works).

However, for the load order, as in: which plugin gets overridden, the load order column is relevant, not the mod index.

E.g. if you have an espfe at load order 42 with mod index "FE (000)" and a regular esp at load order 43 with mod index "29" then that regular esp still has precedence over the espfe and will replace its records if in conflict.

 

Thus load ordering works as usual with ESL files, there is no difference, all you have to know is: the mod index is no longer reliable as the indicator for priority and .esl files are actually ESMs with the light flag.

[MisterKen]

So an ESPfe is an ESM "lite" version? Is that an ESP that is flagged as an ESL or an actual ESM file flagged some other way? Something the mod author decides on, or an inherent flag automatically applied because of content?

 

Badlands 2's landscape texture file apparently is flagged as ESPfe, and it needs to be loading after other landscape textures that are apparently regular files, so it results in what you'd expect if you don't manually sort it. Asking in that mod page too, but trying to wrap my head around the fundamentals of this here.

[HadToRegister]

So an ESPfe is an ESM "lite" version? Is that an ESP that is flagged as an ESL or an actual ESM file flagged some other way? Something the mod author decides on, or an inherent flag automatically applied because of content?

 

Badlands 2's landscape texture file apparently is flagged as ESPfe, and it needs to be loading after other landscape textures that are apparently regular files, so it results in what you'd expect if you don't manually sort it. Asking in that mod page too, but trying to wrap my head around the fundamentals of this here.

 

 

ESPfe is a "light" ESP that will be treated as an ESL

 

ESLs are "light" ESMs

[MisterKen]

Ok. What about this question: Something the mod author decides on, or an inherent flag automatically applied because of content?

[HadToRegister]

Ok. What about this question: Something the mod author decides on, or an inherent flag automatically applied because of content?

 

 

Mainly they decide on Converting them in order to save an ESP slot in the Load Order, because of the 254 ESP limit, and millions of people will Request it, because they have massive load orders

 

Some convert to ESL, others convert to ESPfe

That's up to the Mod Author

[Tannin42]

You have two relevant flags stored inside the file and the file extension, all three may be relevant:

 

light = 0, master = 0, extension = .esp => regular plugin (ESP)

light = 0, master = 0, extension = .esm => master plugin (ESM)

light = 0, master = 0, extension = .esl => light master plugin (ESL)

light = 0, master = 1, extension = .esp => master plugin (ESM)

light = 0, master = 1, extension = .esm => master plugin (ESM)

light = 0, master = 1, extension = .esl => light master plugin (ESL)

light = 1, master = 0, extension = .esp => light plugin (ESPfe)

light = 1, master = 0, extension = .esm => light master plugin (ESL)

light = 1, master = 0, extension = .esl => light master plugin (ESL)

light = 1, master = 1, extension = .esp => light master plugin (ESL)

light = 1, master = 1, extension = .esm => light master plugin (ESL)

light = 1, master = 1, extension = .esl => light master plugin (ESL)

 

and yes, the mod author has free choice of all three factors.