ACCEPTED STEP Patches

[z929669]

Sounds good. Just FYI: s4n and I have been pretty busy testing forums software and other applications. We are well on our way to implementing these but still a lot of testing, config and polishing yet to do. We have time to keep up with relevant conversations on the forums, but obviously no time for much help with STEP per se ... just mostly helping you all to be as effective as possible while we are twiddling around.

 

I am happy to see so many new and old site staff and key community members stepping up these past few weeks.

[Nearox]

I just need to work with Github a bit more before I can fully comprehend it. This is the first time I'm working with such a developer-type of tool. 

 

@EssArrBee I'm not sure whether WBE is redundant. Looking at the records, it seems as if USKP only fixes argonian breath and not for all other races. Not sure why that is the case though, but it has been like that since 1.3.3c and perhaps before as well because Neo also patched WBE with USKP for an older USKP version and it is basically the same edit. https://wiki.step-project.com/User:Neovalen/Skyrim_Revisited#Waterbreathing_Breathless_Emerge

 

I haven't found anything in the extended patch that needs changing, nice work there! 

[phazer11]

Alright, my STEP install is done I'm working on my Skyrim Revisited/Custom Pack profiles done now. Anyone able or mind shooting me off a list of what mods and such are being included in the patch?

[Nearox]

Phazer11 you can find the mod list here:

 

https://github.com/EssArrBee/STEP-Patches/blob/master/Readme.txt

[phazer11]

I'll add that Moon Size Tweaks can be gotten rid of if we add the changes to the patch.

[EssArrBee]

The way WBE was fixed in SR wasn't done correctly for this patch, Neo changed the actual WBE.esp and forwarded a fix from a really old version of USKP, but USKP also added some subrecord fixes that needed to be forwarded. The way it is done in our patch is by changing the three subrecords to have the two argonian changes, the vanilla dialog, and the WBE change. Now it will play the sound at the right time, but always skip the lizards and anyone with a waterbreathing effect active.

 

The thing is that WBE.esp just adds a couple things to the subrecords and forwards one fix from the USKP, so if we forward those changes to the patch it might just make the entire plugin redundant. That is not exactly the approach I wanted to take by getting rid of peoples work completely, but in this instance it is the only way to blend WBE and USKP together. I'm pretty sure there are a few other plugins that could just be merged right into the patch as well, EBQO comes to mind, but that would mean just removing someones work entirely from STEP and would be a bit disingenuous to the authors that put in the work in the first place. Maybe we should contact Alek and tell him to add the USKP fixes to his plugin.

 

Anyone who uses the my repo since late last night will get the latest version of the patches which should be ready for a final review and then uploaded for people to start using. I guess we should also set up a wiki page and put the directions for disabling plugins on there.

[z929669]

A guide should definitely be created. I would work with Kelmych, who is already planning on creating a guide about merging plugins/mods and patching. This would be more along the lines of using patches. Best thing to do would be to begin creating a new page wherever and ping Kelmych for input and incorporation of his guide somehow.

[EssArrBee]

We could probably use a guide for combining a few mods like moon size tweaks. Kelmych's pages are already pretty sources for that kind of thing, but that is not needed for this project. I already merged some things into this patch and it is better for the end user not to mess with it. We would just need to tell them what patches not to use and that they must use all the mods from Core or Extended for that respective patch.

 

I'd definitely help out on a guide for combining mods and using TES5Edit for such things. I didn't realize how many things I'd forgotten about using TES5Edit while doing this little project, since the days I was modding FNV to death. I gotta get my skills back.

[Kelmych]

I'll add that Moon Size Tweaks can be gotten rid of if we add the changes to the patch.

and there are questions about whether it is should just be eliminated and leave the moons at the vanilla size as multiple STEP users have recommended.

[z929669]

As far as using this patch, it should probably be included as a "mod" in the STEP Guide with its own detailed instructions and install position.

 

Would that work, and if so, where wouold you put the 2.2.7 version in the STEP mod list ... and what mods can we sunset from the guide (and I assume that the resources still need to be downloaded, so se can link to these mods from withing this patch "mod")?

[EssArrBee]

So far I just added patches for other mods into the patch, that way I wouldn't be taking someone else's work, copying it into the patch, and then getting rid of their mod from STEP. That seemed to be bit harsh to me, though I can see something like moon size tweaks and WBE being just changes to a vanilla record anyway so it isn't exactly taking something original and then tossing the source aside. EBQO could basically be merged too, but in that case the descriptions were someone's creative reworking of the quest objectives and not just changing a variable from 1.0 to 0.5. That is why I stopped with forwarding the changes from the individual mod patches for EBQO and left the original mod and dlc plugins alone.

 

Maybe I'm a being a bit to nice to people's work, but I'm sure we could get another 3-4 plugins out of the list with a bit of work. Let me know what you guys wanna do and it should only take a couple minutes, not a huge task to inherit those changes into the patch.

 

Put it at the end of Fixes, the plugin at the end of the load order and Bash Tag: Stats. Also, upload it on the STEP Nexus page to drive up traffic on the website and that will give people something to download and endorse with instead of the pdf with a link in it. The directions you can take right from the readme or just change some of the current descriptions to say this patch is not needed if you use the STEP patch.

[z929669]

I personally prefer doing the most good for everyone rather than lending too much good to the one. If an existing patch is 100% overlapping with the big patch, then I think that the patch *mod* should be excluded in favor of the compilation. Technically, you could independently merge the disparate records of two mods without including a previous patch to help you along, but if that is not done or not possible, then crediting the original patch author is good enough.

 

Using mod patches is not the same as using mod resources. There is nothing new added by an existing patch, it just contains a bit of someone's sweat, which can be paid for with written credit (but even that is not strictly necessary, especially if you independently achieve the same result without reference to the redundant work).

 

Regarding EBQO, which has some creative additions, then I would say that this should be merged entirely with permission from --and credit to-- the author.

[EssArrBee]

In that case Spinning Death Animation, Realistic Ragdoll Force, WBE, both More Salt Please, both Moon Size Tweaks, and the three each of EBQO and Disease Descriptions could technically be merged. That is only two from Core, I believe, Spinning Death Animation and WBE, but Core only has 40 plugins anyways. That would 13 total for Extended. This would be about 50% patch and 50% mod compilation if we did provide that.

 

If that 128 plugin bug was really a problem then that would probably drop Extended somewhere near or below that number that number.

 

EDIT: Added a plugin I forgot about.

[z929669]

I think that the patch should include them all, but I think we really need to determine what is essential and what is not. STEP:Core should be condensed to the max. None of those mods are going anywhere. I am not so sure about Extended.

[WilliamImm]

As I said in the FAQ for EBQO, you are encouraged to merge the original patches yourself into a single file. In fact, that's exactly what I do. I even link to a easy TES5Edit script to merge plugins. When Bash has support for merging names, I think I can discontinue the many patches.

 

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