For mod authors with Bethesda history

[Slavemaster4u]

This topic is for those who have a history and knowledge of modding Bethesda games.

Topic focus: Loading esm, esl, esp files.

These files all have one main thing in common. They let the game engine know that changes and\or custom content is being made\added to game.

Without these files the game can load bsa, ba2, and loose files.

But without an esm, esl, esp the game will not know what to do with that new content.

In past Bethesda games. These esm, esl, and esp files were loaded by game engine via a file called "plugins"

When the game is started. It loads it's default files. Then loads any files listed in the plugins file from top to bottom. So new files added after default files would

over write files above them (default game files). This gave modders a way to change the game.

With FO76, the plugins file no longer exist, so new content could not be added to game.

With FO76 we can only change what already exist through ba2 files, and adding those to a "FO76custom.ini" file.

If a ba2 is added to that list that contains content, other than default content, then the game engine will load it. But has nothing that tells it what to do with the new content.

Yet, I'm seeing a few authors out there that have custom content that includes either an esm, esl, or esp. That is placed in data folder.

So this leads me to ask. How is the game engine going to load those esm, esl, esp files without a plugins file?

I have search through the FO76 folders\files in AppData->Local->FO76, in the root game, and documents. And have found no file that gives the game engine the instruction to load

that new file. I'm not saying that those mods don't work, just not understanding how they work. Based on previous games. So any mod author input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

Only as a reference, no bad to the author: only an example; "Bak a file" adds an esm to data folder.

[philip92dk]

did you ever find out how the game loads the game files without a plugin file?