How to Remove a Step Patch Dependency

[Aiden5576]

I love the guide (been using it for years and love the efforts you guys have put into enhancing the vanilla game), but I have an issue/question about Alternate Start being a requirement for the patch.  Why?  Don't get me wrong it's a fantastic mod with all the options available, but, not everyone wants to use that.  I for one prefer Skyrim Unbound as I feel I have much more control over how I start the game than just picking a location to spawn in.  I would love to remove it as a master, but, I don't even know how to do that anyway.

 

I guess i'm basically asking why it's been made a requirement  to use the patch?  I apologize if this has been asked before already.

[Greg]

The CR patch contains two records from Alternate Start - Live Another Life:

INFO:000EA261 ("They say Helgen got hit by a dragon. One of those horrors comes here, we'll be ready." in Dialog Topic 0002BDDD carries forward changes from Guard Dialog Overhaul. This record doesn't really need Alternate Start as a master. It's just here because LOOT sorts Alternate Start after Guard Dialog Overhaul so the VMAD and Conditions changes need to be carried forward into the patch.

CELL:0000963F actually carries forward a change in a cell from Alternate Start that would otherwise be reverted by Realistic Water Two.

If you are experienced with xEdit, you can remove Alternate Start - Live Another Life as a mater from the CR patch relatively easily. Install Alternate Start per the guide and use LOOT to sort the load order. Run xEdit and load the Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp. Wait until xEdit completes loading and building all references. Once this is complete, past 0000963F into the FormId filter at the top left (above the  the plugin list). This takes you directly to the record in question. You'll see a lot of stuff with plugin names in the right pane. Scroll the right pane all the way over to the right until you find Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp. Right click on the Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp name at the top right and select Remove. You may have to wait a bit for xEdit to unlock the confirmation dialog so click Yes I'm Sure.

Now that the record is removed from the patch, scroll the left pane all the way to the bottom and you should see Step CR Patch very close to the bottom. Right click Step CR Patch and click Clean Masters (= Remove all unused masters). Once this is done, expand Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp, click File Header and scroll down the right pane to verify Alternate Start - Live Another Life.esp is no longer listed as a master. If everything is good, close xEdit and let it save Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp (a backup will be saved in your Overwrite folder).

If Alternate Start - Live Another Life is still listed as a mater, use the FormId filter for 000EA261 and remove this record from Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp. I doubt you'll need to do this, so just including this to cover the bases.

You can now uninstall Alternate Start - Live Another life and install Skyrim Unbound in its place. Note that you'll need to resolve any conflicts with Skyrim Unbound (if there are any) on your own.

[Aiden5576]

Thank's, Greg.  Clear and easy to follow instruction, as always.

[FuzzyDuck]

On 9/26/2021 at 9:11 PM, Greg said:

The CR patch contains two records from Alternate Start - Live Another Life:

INFO:000EA261 ("They say Helgen got hit by a dragon. One of those horrors comes here, we'll be ready." in Dialog Topic 0002BDDD carries forward changes from Guard Dialog Overhaul. This record doesn't really need Alternate Start as a master. It's just here because LOOT sorts Alternate Start after Guard Dialog Overhaul so the VMAD and Conditions changes need to be carried forward into the patch.

CELL:0000963F actually carries forward a change in a cell from Alternate Start that would otherwise be reverted by Realistic Water Two.

If you are experienced with xEdit, you can remove Alternate Start - Live Another Life as a mater from the CR patch relatively easily. Install Alternate Start per the guide and use LOOT to sort the load order. Run xEdit and load the Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp. Wait until xEdit completes loading and building all references. Once this is complete, past 0000963F into the FormId filter at the top left (above the  the plugin list). This takes you directly to the record in question. You'll see a lot of stuff with plugin names in the right pane. Scroll the right pane all the way over to the right until you find Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp. Right click on the Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp name at the top right and select Remove. You may have to wait a bit for xEdit to unlock the confirmation dialog so click Yes I'm Sure.

Now that the record is removed from the patch, scroll the left pane all the way to the bottom and you should see Step CR Patch very close to the bottom. Right click Step CR Patch and click Clean Masters (= Remove all unused masters). Once this is done, expand Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp, click File Header and scroll down the right pane to verify Alternate Start - Live Another Life.esp is no longer listed as a master. If everything is good, close xEdit and let it save Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp (a backup will be saved in your Overwrite folder).

If Alternate Start - Live Another Life is still listed as a mater, use the FormId filter for 000EA261 and remove this record from Step Skyrim SE - CR Patch.esp. I doubt you'll need to do this, so just including this to cover the bases.

You can now uninstall Alternate Start - Live Another life and install Skyrim Unbound in its place. Note that you'll need to resolve any conflicts with Skyrim Unbound (if there are any) on your own.

God dammit! Thank yah! 
Was searching for this XD 
Trying to build a modlist for me based on step but foccused on performance and some gameplay stuff i prefer, was looking into Realm of Lorkhan as the starter option =O 

[MrBungle317]

Oh my god! I have been looking for a way to do this forever but with another mod, and on LE. It's been hard because no one is active over there any more. Perhaps you could tell me how to rid the patch of Simple Children?   Do I need to load the patch in TESEdit and look for the records or do I also load the mod I want to remove. Is there a script you can run to help locate all the records?  I would be so grateful; if someone could help. Thank you

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by MrBungle317

[TechAngel85]

19 minutes ago, MrBungle317 said:

Oh my god! I have been looking for a way to do this forever but with another mod, and on LE. It's been hard because no one is active over there any more. Perhaps you could tell me how to rid the patch of Simple Children?   Do I need to load the patch in TESEdit and look for the records or do I also load the mod I want to remove. Is there a script you can run to help locate all the records?  I would be so grateful; if someone could help. Thank you

 

 

[MrBungle317]

Thanks TechAngel!

[FuzzyDuck]

Oh, heyt @TechAngel85! 
I had a small, stupid questio about a possible future work on the STEP Guide Patches. 
I imagin it may have been talked in the past, of course, but i don't remember the talks that was born of those conversations.
Which conversations are those? 
Well, a "Modeular Installer STEP~ CR Patch".
I mean, something similar to kryptopyr's Patch Hub. 
Maybe, a FOMOD installation, where you get the classic option of installeing the Step CR - Full. That is the one indicatted by the guide.
But, on this FOMOD, therere could be a "Custom" option.  That would give all those patches, separated,. And yeas, there would be a lot of plugings, as a resolt. Plugings that could, for advancerd usesrs, work with Merge PLugings to turn them into their own Personal Step-CR. 

This is one way i imagine it could be done. 
And as i'm not a deep modder. Most i did was really basic stuff, like creating some personal compatibilies patches and, small rebalances for personal playthghoruhgs and, yeah, small things. 
I know the complete basics, but wouldn't be able to to create a heavy FOMOD to create an "Modular Step-Conflict Resolution FOMOD". And of course, i understand the huge amount of work this would brig. 

But, i imagine that the last time something like this was seen, at least by myself, were around 2016. 
Time passed, there are new tools that could help? I guess? 

I remember aournd 2016 a concept patcher from Mattor, i guess, with an "Smashed Patch". But last i saw, it seemed liked to have been abandoned.
Any other projects working around the concept of mergeing mods, conclifct resolutions and the like for nowaday? 


~ "Fun" post, note.  How. Why, WHY THIS 11 YEARS GAME STILL HOOK ME IN AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR!!? ?  
AND EVERY FACKING TIME I FIND SOMETHING NEW!  Seriously, all complains on bethedsa, and skyim for that matter. But 99% of those are dwarfed unter the sheer  communite aorund it. Dramas, intrigues, backstabbing but cooperation and extremely good intentional people doing so much to keep this game alive for so facking long. 
So yeah, just as an final, i'm still in love not only with the base game (That, i actually can still and have fun) but with the incredible modding comunity. Even with the flaws we can see here and there.  
Lastly, ******* thank you STEP team to be one, at lesat for my experience, less  toxic spots of thos fandom\community. 
Congratz

(Okey, i may have ended up going full praise praise prasie and pretty bootlicker\toady :X towards the project)

[TechAngel85]

11 minutes ago, FuzzyDuck said:

Oh, heyt @TechAngel85! 
I had a small, stupid question about a possible future work on the STEP Guide Patches. 
I imagine it may have been talked in the past, of course, but i don't remember the talks that was born of those conversations.
Which conversations are those? 
Well, a "Modular Installer STEP~ CR Patch".
I mean, something similar to kryptopyr's Patch Hub. 
Maybe, a FOMOD installation, where you get the classic option of installing the Step CR - Full. That is the one indicated by the guide.
But, on this FOMOD, there could be a "Custom" option.  That would give all those patches, separated,. And yeas, there would be a lot of plugings, as a result. Plugings that could, for advanced users, work with Merge PLugings to turn them into their own Personal Step-CR. 

This is one way i imagine it could be done. 
And as i'm not a deep modder. Most i did was really basic stuff, like creating some personal compatibilies patches and, small rebalances for personal playthroughs and, yeah, small things. 
I know the complete basics, but wouldn't be able to to create a heavy FOMOD to create an "Modular Step-Conflict Resolution FOMOD". And of course, i understand the huge amount of work this would brig. 

But, i imagine that the last time something like this was seen, at least by myself, were around 2016. 
Time passed, there are new tools that could help? I guess? 

I remember around 2016 a concept patcher from Mattor, i guess, with an "Smashed Patch". But last i saw, it seemed liked to have been abandoned.
Any other projects working around the concept of merging mods, conflict resolutions and the like for nowaday? 

Providing a modular setup is what we used to do for some mods (like those not wanting to install the AI overhaul mod from the Guide). These modular patches allowed for more flexibility, but they also add a ton of maintenance for us. A lot of work would have to go into maintaining such patches from release to release. As such, doing that is not feasible for us. We'd rather spend the time we have on the Guides rather than maintaining a bunch of modular patches. Therefore, it was decided to drop all the ones we had and maintain an "all or nothing" approach with the Guides. Basically you install all the Patch requirements or you don't get the Patch. The more knowledgeable users can take the Patches we provide and customize them as needed. Users without that knowledge will either have to stick with the Guide or learn the knowledge to do as they desire.

[FuzzyDuck]

2 hours ago, TechAngel85 said:

Providing a modular setup is what we used to do for some mods (like those not wanting to install the AI overhaul mod from the Guide). These modular patches allowed for more flexibility, but they also add a ton of maintenance for us. A lot of work would have to go into maintaining such patches from release to release. As such, doing that is not feasible for us. We'd rather spend the time we have on the Guides rather than maintaining a bunch of modular patches. Therefore, it was decided to drop all the ones we had and maintain an "all or nothing" approach with the Guides. Basically you install all the Patch requirements or you don't get the Patch. The more knowledgeable users can take the Patches we provide and customize them as needed. Users without that knowledge will either have to stick with the Guide or learn the knowledge to do as they desire.

Ohhh fair enough! I think i remember this that you said about past versions having some options.
But, may i, this humble no one duck offer an new possibility? 
It may end up beeing a lot of work. May not even be avabile at the next release, it would be fair. 
But, the idea would be. As Greg gave a pretty good explanation on how to a User to go and Manually clean certain masters from the CR Patch. 
Could, there be a page, maye a link to that page on the STEP 5 Patches section, that have an more in-depth explanations on what FormIds are related to each mod affected on the CR? 
So that at least, we, users, could go manually, having a reference page, to clean ourselves. 
Of course, it should be tagged as "Advanced Users for Those Modfiying STEP GUIDE"

On that, i'm just spitballing ideas tbh, i really don't know how difficult it would be to create this FormID reference sheet. 
But, just seeing Gregs tutorial here, it's already a fantastic blueprint!
Maybe only formated to be on somewhere on the wiki? 

Other possible idea, is having this exemple on the post as an "Exemple on how to clear  Info and Masters"  

And, an tutorial on how to find what FormIds needed to be cleaned. 

Of course, with a lot of alarms that "It's an Advanced Guide for those looking to change the base CR Patch." ~ Step Team is not Responsable for Changing the CR Patch. ~ Kind of disclaimer. 


Again, those are just ideas that came in mind

And as always, thank you folks so much for this, seriously, fantastic work.  
I can say that at least for my friends and social nerd group, STEP has been the reference point for modding Beth games for years. 
You folks are amazing

[CorpCord]

How do you remove dependencies when they involve an ESL? For example, Butterflies Unchained comes with an ESL patch for Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul, but I want to remove CACO. And I can't use the xEdit script to find the Conflict Resolution references to the Butterflies - CACO ESL, because there's no load order number for me to give it.

Edited July 20, 2022 by CorpCord

[z929669]

55 minutes ago, CorpCord said:

How do you remove dependencies when they involve an ESL? For example, Butterflies Unchained comes with an ESL patch for Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul, but I want to remove CACO. And I can't use the xEdit script to find the Conflict Resolution references to the Butterflies - CACO ESL, because there's no load order number for me to give it.

There are likely considerations for ESL specifically that others may mention, but general steps to manually removing a patch dependency are outlined here:

 

[TechAngel85]

Yeah, unfortunately the old "list records from specific plugin" script doesn't work. It will not list all the records. I suspect it's not been updated for SE use. Manually removing the records is the only way I know of and that is descripted at Z's included link above.

[Rey_Vegeta]

So how would you remove Consistent Older People as a dependency from STEP CR patch?

[z929669]

2 hours ago, Rey_Vegeta said:

So how would you remove Consistent Older People as a dependency from STEP CR patch?

Read this topic and the topics linked from my and TechAngel's posts.