Regarding Optional Files

[politemaster]

Hi STEP Forums,

 

I am an intermediate modder for other games, and I recently came across the STEP guide. After carefully reading through the STEP literature, I am unclear about how to treat Optional Files, Miscellaneous Files, and alternative Main Files found on mod X's Nexus page. Some mods in STEP:Core/STEP:Extended do not explicitly advise whether or not install them. For example, Realistic Water Two (2.G. Landscape & Environment) has two Optional Files: "Realistic Water Two - ENB Textures" and "Realistic Water Two - Non-ENB Ultra Resolution", in addition to its one Main File. In this case, I assume only the Main File is recommended. However, does STEP mean "Install the ('normal/most popular') Main File and nothing else" in the absence of explicit instruction? Does a valid STEP installation extend the liberty of installing any/all Optional Files in the absence of explicit instruction?

 

At the beginning of Step 2 (Mod Installation):

• Always install plugins (ESPs/ESMs) unless otherwise noted. If there are not any notes associated with a particular mod, then all options fit the STEP mandate. The notes only provide instructions where necessary; otherwise, STEP encourages user customization.

I am not sure if "options" refer to those during installations, Optional Files on mod X's Nexus Page, or both. I hope to clarify whether I need to sift through all such files.

 

 

 

Thank you very kindly for reading my post and in advance for any answers! :)

 

- PoliteMaster

Edited February 10, 2015 by politemaster

[Nozzer66]

Usually it means any possible options you might encounter in an installer. 

 

So in the coloured instruction above if a mod has 5 options to choose on a certain page, you can choose any/all that suit your wishes. 

 

It can also refer to any optional files. If a mod has optional files, you can grab them and also install them via the merge function.

[EssArrBee]

STEP Core is compatible with just about anything, so if you want to expand on the installation then it is okay. The instructions are explicit for those installing only STEP, but you can install mods any way you want. With Mod Organizer you can install all of STEP, then copy the profile and modify that profile anyway you like. You can also install multiple instances of a mod by changing the name of it during installation if you want multiple copies for different profiles.

 

You may have noticed that some mods have a green bar, those are Core. Extended mods are mostly compatible with everything, but you're going to have to look at any mod pages for incompatibilities yourself. 

[politemaster]

STEP Core is compatible with just about anything, so if you want to expand on the installation then it is okay. The instructions are explicit for those installing only STEP, but you can install mods any way you want. With Mod Organizer you can install all of STEP, then copy the profile and modify that profile anyway you like. You can also install multiple instances of a mod by changing the name of it during installation if you want multiple copies for different profiles.

 

You may have noticed that some mods have a green bar, those are Core. Extended mods are mostly compatible with everything, but you're going to have to look at any mod pages for incompatibilities yourself. 

Thanks for your fast response, EssArrBee! I appreciate your info about Mod Manager; I never considered installing multiple copies of a mod--with different options/parts--for different profiles. Yes, I did notice the green bars. I cross-referenced STEP:Extended and saw that all other mods in the guide are exactly those added by STEP:Extended to STEP:Core (without exception). It made more sense after that, and I intend to install for STEP:Extended.

Usually it means any possible options you might encounter in an installer. 

 

So in the coloured instruction above if a mod has 5 options to choose on a certain page, you can choose any/all that suit your wishes. 

 

It can also refer to any optional files. If a mod has optional files, you can grab them and also install them via the merge function.

I appreciate your comment, Nozzer66 :) . What you said helped answer my confusion. However, I am not familiar with the merge function. I will look it up to see what it is about!

Edited February 10, 2015 by politemaster

[Nozzer66]

It's a way of installing mods. You can either replace what's installed already, which is handy when updating to new versions, merge into an existing mod, which is good for adding optionals and hotfixes etc, or rename and add the optional as a new mod completely.

 

There's reasons why you'd choose each option. :)

[politemaster]

It's a way of installing mods. You can either replace what's installed already, which is handy when updating to new versions, merge into an existing mod, which is good for adding optionals and hotfixes etc, or rename and add the optional as a new mod completely.

 

There's reasons why you'd choose each option. :)

Thanks again Nozzer66! I did find the information on Merge, Replace, and Rename. I remember reading that there might be a limit to the number of individual mods. Do you know if that true? When there are multiple downloads for one mod, I tend to keep them unmerged for organization.

Edited February 11, 2015 by politemaster

[James_Richards]

The number of active esp/esms is 255, hex FF.  I'm glad Mod Organizer lets us know this.  I believe, as I haven't attempted it yet, the game will CTD if more than that are active.

Edited February 11, 2015 by James_Richards

[politemaster]

The number of active esp/esms is 255, hex FF.  I'm glad Mod Organizer lets us know this.  I believe, as I haven't attempted it yet, the game will CTD if more than that are active.

Thanks James_Richards :) . So to clarify, it is limited by the number of active plugins and not the number of Mod folders in the left pane of Mod Organizer?

 

I also read that you can combine mods with Wyre Bash, but I am not ready for that information yet.

Edited February 11, 2015 by politemaster

[Nozzer66]

It's actually TES5Edit you combine mods with using a script.

 

And your clarification point is correct. 255 active plugins. Do note that this includes the vanilla ESMs.

[James_Richards]

@politemaster

Wrye Bash will not really merge mods, but mostly leveled lists and such.  It is not a true merge.  As Nozzer66 pointed out, Tes5Edit is used to merge plugins.  An example is this:

Realistic Water, when fully implemented with as many mods as possible yields:

RealisticWaterTwo.esp

RealisticWaterTwo - Legendary.esp

RealisticWaterTwo - Falskaar.esp

RealisticWaterTwo - Waves - Falskaar.esp

RealisticWaterTwo - Wyrmstooth.esp

RealisticWaterTwo - Waves - Wyrmstooth.esp

 

You can use Tes5Edit to merge:

RealisticWaterTwo - Legendary.esp

RealisticWaterTwo - Falskaar.esp

RealisticWaterTwo - Waves - Falskaar.esp

RealisticWaterTwo - Wyrmstooth.esp

RealisticWaterTwo - Waves - Wyrmstooth.esp

 

Leaving you with the main esp RealisticWaterTwo.esp and another esp with the other 5 esp in one.

 

Wrye Bash does not do this.  I cannot explain what it actually does, but only say it's for conflict resolution and leveled list merging...

[politemaster]

You guys are great! Thank you kindly Nozzer66 and James_Richards for the details about merging.