FNV Edit Series - Converting FO3 Mods

[KeltecRFB]

Roy can you please do a merge esp/esm video since some of you don't like the merge plugin script for various reasons?  

Thanks! 

[RoyBatty]

Mator's new Merge Plugins stand alone app works quite well. In order to use it:

• 
  The mods must not have navmeshes (It is not possible currently to merge NAVM and NAVI records)


• 
  The mods must not have conflicting forms or overrides of each other


• 
  The mods need to be clean for best results (removed ITM's unless they are on purpose and undelete things)


• 
  Do not try to merge esp's into esm's and vice versa

He said he will likely also integrate Mator Smash functionality (Which is like a combination merge/bash patch) when he releases that as a standalone app.

You can find it on the nexus forums, have fun.

[KeltecRFB]

Roy, given the above, what would stop me from merging XRE-CAR car mods together?  When I did, basically the modded vehicle stopped working and when I clicked on it, it multiplied every time I did so.  Eventually I had 50 cars connected together and looked like biological cells dividing before I quit to restore back before the merge.

Below is an example of what happened...

http://www.mediafire.com/view/yyssg4iazyj3i8z/MergedBigDuallyReconGunner.gif

[RoyBatty]

Can you use a photohost that works, it loads to 100% and then just sits there.

[Risewild]

Here Roy:

http://oi62.tinypic.com/14097x4.jpg

[horredtheplague]

[quote=KeltecRFB]

 

Roy, given the above, what would stop me from merging XRE-CAR car mods together?  When I did, basically the modded vehicle stopped working and when I clicked on it, it multiplied every time I did so.  Eventually I had 50 cars connected together and looked like biological cells dividing before I quit to restore back before the merge.

Below is an example of what happened...

http://www.mediafire.com/view/yyssg4iazyj3i8z/MergedBigDuallyReconGunner.gif

[/quote]

 

Don't bother Roy, that's a CARS! exclusive---something hard-coded in those scripts we can't read. You can remove entries, but you can't add any there...The scripts also limit you to 70 cars total in-game, even though the system appears to be open-end (tried & proven). Perhaps Ermeso hid his source code for a number of reasons? Sorry Keltec, been down this road before---you'll have to leave the mods separated.

If you choose to add in some custom add-on cars (Mattel's e.g.) you can merge as many as you can fit and wire into the lists into 1 mod. I recommend the following setup (only setup that really works):

Homebrewed_FatAss_AddonCarsMergery.esp

XRE-CARS!.esp

TTW-XRE-CARS!.esp

Use the formid lists in the TTW-XRE-CARS! to reference the add-on cars (assign it as another master). I've been running this setup for a couple years  w/ as few hassles as can be expected.

[RoyBatty]

Yeah something funky in those scripts, we need a decompiler.

I won't use mods with removed script source myself, that's a dick move on an author's part.

[KeltecRFB]

@Plague - That is what I tried to do;

XRE - CARS!.esm

[The following ESP are grouped together and in this exact order;]

Merged_Big_Dually

XRE - CARS!.esp

TTW - XRE - CARS!.esp

And that's when I received the scramble eggs.  I also did try merging all of the XRE-CARS ESP and XRE just stopped working all together.   Although, I noticed that Big Dually was merged in with the latest Mattell release of Wasted Cars.  Maybe his car releases will merge better?

As for hiding the source code, I guess Ermeso wanted to keep his code from Bethesda and the community.  I agree it was kind of a dick move but I guess that was his form of payment.  Share the mod but do not show the source code.

[horredtheplague]

Keltec -- Probably a good idea to start with Mattell's base mod, as he has all the lists worked out already. His references in the ADDOn registry FormID should work with main one I hijacked in TTW-XRE-CARS! In your situation, I would wager something is missing from one or more of the forms.

And here's a quirky one to check. Does your addon mod have a miscellaneous item w/  EditorID XRocketCarLoadOrderCheckObject, and is it set for a Value of 2?

Also each car needs a Setup Object miscellaneous item referenced by the Model list form, and the Setup object needs the car's Setup script assigned to it. All your model lists have to be added into the XRocketCarADDONModels form. Maybe you already know all this, but it's the only things I can think of to cause it.

 

On the scripts: I totally agree that it was a dick move on his part to hide his source code--needlessly selfish over a mod for free. Furthermore it hurt him as much as us because clearly (while he's good) he's not the best/most efficient scriptor in the world and he could have learned from other people's optimizations, additions and improvements to his work.

Then's there's that 'sharing thing', so other people can learn from your efforts and be inspired to build on the knowledge. e.g. I included the script code back in my 2003 mod for Baldur's Gate for that very reason, even though they were nothing but extraneous files in that game. I recall many PM's thanking me for it,  a feel-good vibe on all sides of the coin (instead of many "sour grapes" postings, like this one).

In a way, he tried. He went out of his way to make a template package, allowing others to add the ability to add new car models to the mod? But that in itself helped inspire other improvements (e.g. Mattell wished he could have put working guns on the cars instead of static prop guns) that will now probably never happen.

[Anacostia Crossing]

Wonderful guide, very easy to follow, thank you so much