SSE BSA or ESL upload file

[Adventurer1111]

Hi -

 

Wondering if anyone can help me out...I am seeing a lot of comments on ESL and how mods should be downloaded in this format to avoid the plugin limit. I have always converted files to .BSA and published along with the .ESP but now I am seeing multiple mods being uploaded outside of a .BSA.

 

My question (sorry if it is obvious) is how do I upload my mods so they are ok to use as an ESL?

 

Is it just a matter of not packing them to a .BSA?

 

Is this the new preferred file upload format and I didn't get the memo?

 

What are you using?

 

Thanks in Advance!

 

Adv1111

 

[Adventurer1111]

For those that are looking here is directions for modders with Creation Kit:

 

Creation Kit - Converting to ESL

Check it out/Source: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/21146

Please make sure to read everything carefully. And as always, before doing anything, first of all make a new save in the game so that you can go back to that should you have to re-install the original mod when something went wrong.

Also, before converting an esp to esl, check where the esp was sitting in NMM's load order, so that you can place the esp back in its original spot after having to go back to the esp. When having tons of mods, LOOT often keeps the latest added esp plugins at the bottom of the pack. I like to keep the lot where LOOT originally placed them.

This is not a mod as such, in that it doesn't add anything to the game. This is just a simple and small tutorial. Simple because it takes just a few clicks. Small because there's not much to it.

The only thing you do need in this case is the Creation Kit. And some patience. Plus, some common sense. The former can be obtained through going to the Bethesda Dashboard page and logging into your acount or make one. Then you can download the Bethesda Launcher to download and install the CK. For patience and common sense, you're on your own.

Okay, to business.

Once you've installed the Creation Kit, here's the steps to follow:

Step One:

- Open the CK, hit "File" in the top toolbar and select "Data" from the roll-out menu. Wait for the CK to finish.

Step Two:

- In the Data menu that opened in a small window, scroll through the list with plugins to the one you want to convert, select it and hit "Set as Active File". The selected esp will get its box ticked in the Data menu list. Click "OK" and wait for the action to finish (This is the "patience" part, depending on how fast your computer is).

Tip:

Keep NMM open on its Plugins tab and also keep the Fallout 4/Data folder open. Then you can activate the esl in NMM and in one go immediately get rid of the converted esp from the data folder. Keeps you from getting headaches when having converted ten or more plugins in a row and forgot which ones.

Once the CK is done, an at first alarming looking "Warnings" menu will pop up, telling you there's a whole bunch of errors (471, to be precise). You can safely ignore these warnings and continue on.

Step Three:

- Hit "File" again in the top toolbar and now select "Compact File Forms IDs" from the pop-up menu and then select "Yes" in the Confirm Box* that pops up. A "Done" message will appear with the active file form's I.D. number. Just click "OK".

*Attention!

As is mentioned in the Confirm Box, the conversion changes the Form IDs that were in the original esp. As such, the game will see the esl as a new file and mods that place objects like weapons into the world and that you have retrieved will no longer be in your inventory and will have to be retrieved again. No harm will be done, but it's always better to use converted plugins on a new playthrough.

Step Four:

- Hit "File" again and now select "Convert Active File to Light Master" from the pop-up menu. In the confirm box that pops up, hit "OK" and you are done.

Step Five:

- Open your Mod Manager, and activate the new esl file, then open your game's data folder and throw the esp of the mod you just converted in the waste bin.

[dizietemblesssma]

Just to chime in, I use xedit to convert my esps to ESL flagged esps, which do not have the esl extension and can be loaded later in the order.

Open in xedit, right click the esp name, choose 'compact formids for esl', after that go to the 'view' tab for the file and double click on 'record flags' check the 'esl' box - leave anything else untouched. Save. You can reopen in xedit and you should see that xedit has given the file an 'FE' preifx to the formids.

 

 

diziet