Merged (not bashed) patch for Skyrim?

[yuser]

First, sorry for my English.

 

I just read this in the ASIS improved INI-files FAQ:

 

 

 

Q: How do I make a Merged Patch? TES5Edit is scary.
A: Making a merged patch in a few easy steps:

    Download and install TES5Edit. Generally you stick it right in the Skyrim folder.
    Run TES5Edit. If you are using Mod Organizer, you'll need to run TES5Edit through MO's executables button.
    When it shows you a list of all your files with checkboxes next to them, just click the OK button.
    Wait until the status bar at the bottom says "Background Loader Finished." This can take several minutes. Go eat a sandwich or something. Get me one too.
    Right click on ANY file on the left-hand list, select "other" on the popup menu, and then select "Create Merged Patch."
    Click OK on the unnecessarily melodramatic warning(s), then enter a filename without an extension. I always use "Merged Patch", but don't use "Merged Patch.esp"!
    Wait a few seconds for TES5Edit to work it's magic, and then just close the program, clicking "OK" when it prompts you to save your shiny new Merged Patch.

Done!

If you want to use a bashed and a merged patch, make your bashed patch first. It should be at the end of your load order. Next, load up TES5edit. Be sure to load your bashed patch with all your other mods. Follow the steps above except for #7. Once you've created your merged patch, click on the little [+] next to it to open it up. CTRL-left click on the Leveled NPCs and Leveled Items entries, then right click on them and select "remove." Click yes. Next, click on the little [+] next to your bashed patch, CTRL-left click on Leveled NPCs and Leveled Items, right click on them, and select "Deep Copy as Override", and copy them into your Merged Patch. Now close TES5Edit and be sure to save.

 

 

I used merged patches for Fallout 3/Fallout: New Vegas, but never read about this for Skyrim before. I even remember that I tried to create a merged patch about 1,5 years ago and TES5Edit displayed a message, something like "merged patch is not needed for Skyrim, it is for Fallout".

 

 What merged patch does besides leveled lists merging? What is the advantage of using merged patch instead of bashed patch or both of them together?

Edited March 16, 2015 by yuser

[DanimalTwo]

 

 What merged patch does besides leveled lists merging? What is the advantage of using merged patch instead of bashed patch or both of them together?

I merged patch is created by xedit scripts added to TES5Edit. You can read about the mod and download it here. I is different from a BASHed patch in that it combines multiple ESPs into a single one. Skyrim has a limit as to the number of ESM/ESP one can have, IIRC it is 254. Therefore, the advanced is reducing the number of ESM/ESPs used. Most often it is used for mods that come with multiple ESPs and merging them all into a single one. It does not eliminate the need for still creating a BASHed patch.

[Octopuss]

That's not what merged patch is. It's called merged patch for a reason. It's supposed to resolve conflicts that bashed patch doesn't, in other words records that are not levelled items.

Personally, I don't use it. I did it at some point, but the result wasn't very convincing (in my particular case) - only a few records I'd really want merged/forwarded/whatever, and I had to spend fairly long time deleting everything else (a LOT of stuff was merged together).

Edited March 16, 2015 by Octopuss

[Mator]

Check out Mator Smash.  It's a single xEdit script that replaces both the Merged Patch and the Bashed Patch, covers more conflicting records, and is under active development. 

[Octopuss]

Oh it can act as both?! Now that's interesting. I'll have to break my rule of not using anything beta and give it a shot.

[Nozzer66]

Merged Patches can certainly do levelled lists. 

 

But if and when Mator Smash is in a near complete state I'll be grabbing it. :)

[GrantSP]

Judging off the standard of product that is the Merge Script package, Mator Smash will be an essential addition to all modders.

Merge Script looks to be nearing completion now, most of the very minor sticking points appear to getting removed almost at an hourly rate, so we might see Mator Smash accelerate toward a finished product in months.

[Mator]

Judging off the standard of product that is the Merge Script package, Mator Smash will be an essential addition to all modders.

Merge Script looks to be nearing completion now, most of the very minor sticking points appear to getting removed almost at an hourly rate, so we might see Mator Smash accelerate toward a finished product in months.

:D

 

Yep.  The Merge Plugins Script will be getting a large development cycle for a version 2.0, but that's at least a month (maybe two months) off in the future right now.  (depending on things).  Mator Smash has been in a testing/thinking stage for almost a month now, and will enter rapid development again after I finish my xEdit Scripting Guide (which shouldn't take more than two weeks I hope).

 

Gotta scramble like mad to get everything done I want to get done in a timely manner, so anyone who wants to help me developing things please let me know so I can tie you into my development process on Asana or something.  User feedback is greatly appreciated, as you all know I make it my goal to make the most useful and user-friendly tools I can.

 

:)

 

BTW, congrats on 1,000 posts GrantSP!

Edited March 17, 2015 by Mator

[yuser]

Thanks for replies. As I understand this merged patch is not needed actually. And I will try Mator Smash later.