STEP:Versioning

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Step Versioning Scheme

Scheme used for official Step Game Guides

by: Step Modifications  | Forum Topic

Implemented after Feb, 2023

Major.Minor.NexusUpdate

  • Major - introduce new functionality, mod groups, guide section, tools, or methods. (e.g., fundamental changes to tools or methodology, adding a new mod group, etc.)
  • Minor - changes to guide mod list or tool instructions. (e.g., adding/removing/repositioning mods, significant changes to settings or methods, etc.)
  • NexusUpdate - changes/fixes that impact the Nexus files and require immediate remedial action. (e.g., Patch updates, asset changes, etc.)
    NOTE: The third slot is no longer used in the versioning on this website as of Feb, 2023. This slot is ONLY used on Nexus to indicate a hotfix to an existing file for the Step guide with matching Major/Minor versioning. Past Step guides will retain the third slot in the versioning scheme.

Additionally ...

  • New Step guides will always begin at 1.0 (1.0.0 on Nexus).
  • A version increment to NexusUpdate will always be indicated in the Post-Release Changes section at top of the changelog of the guide with major/minor version matching the Nexus page.

Examples

Hypothetical Step-guide version example: 6.2.(0)

  • Increment of the major version from 5 to 6 could bring changes to lighting, added post processing, and introduced methodological changes to the LODGen process.
  • Increment of the minor version from 1 to 2 could bring changes to the mod lineup, some BethINI settings, and DynDOLOD settings.
  • Increment of the NexusUpdate version from 0 to 1 might be a hotfix of select Step patches.

No Man's Sky Exception

Since No Man's Sky is not a Bethesda game it has slightly different rules regarding incrementing Minor versions. The following will cause a minor-version increment:

  • changes to guide mod list or tool instructions (e.g., adding/removing mods, switching a mod from MO installation to AMUMSS, etc.)
  • changes to the game's version name (e.g., NMS:Frontiers becomes NMS:Expeditions, NMS:Sentinel becomes NMS:Outlaws, etc.)
    • Expedition updates do not trigger Minor version updates
    • Game updates without a version name change (e.g., NMS:Sentinel v3.83 to NMS:Sentinel v3.84) are updated in-place and do not increment any version numbers.

This is due to HelloGames patch release conduct, which are quick and multiple patch releases following any major update (version name changes). It's common for these updates to happen twice a week or more, therefore these minor patch updates are handled without implementing a new guide version.

Nexus File/Version Maintenance

File Nomenclature

Rule: File naming & organization conventions are IDENTICAL across Game guides.

Plugin File Names

  • Required Conflict Resolution (CR) Patch: Step Patch - Conflict Resolution.esx
  • Optional CR patches: Step Patch - ABBR.esx
  • Optional Lighting and Weather (LW) Patch: Step Patch - Lighting and Weather.esx
  • Optional Post-Processing (PP) Patch: Step Patch - Post Processing.esx

NOTE: Archive name formats are identical to plugin name formats but for the extension (*.esx vs *.7z).

Nexus File Labels

  • Required Conflict Resolution (CR) Patch: Step Patch - Conflict Resolution
  • Optional CR patches: Step Patch - ABBR
  • Optional Lighting and Weather (LW) Patch: Step Patch - Lighting and Weather
  • Optional Post-Processing (PP) Patch: Step Patch - Post Processing
  • Miscellaneous files: Step WhateverThisFileIs

Archive File Names

These should always remain the same, regardless of the version, because the versioning metadata is appended to the file once uploaded. It's redundant to include versioning or other unique IDs in the archive name. For example, always upload Step Patch - Conflict Resolution.7z, regardless of the version it contains. That's handled using the Nexus File versioning data.

Rule: The Major.Minor version numbers of Nexus mod 'global' version, Nexus Main File version, and Step wiki Guide version remain in sync for any particular Guide iteration.

Examples (SSE)

The following is a hypothetical example for Step SkyrimSE Guide version 1.2. Files were downloaded on Thursday, January 19, 2023 2:52:42 AM. 1674096762.
NOTE: The #.# version scheme prefixed on every file version name is consistent.
 Files downloaded from Nexus are named using the file label appended with -modID-fileVersion-Timestamp. 

WIKI/NEXUS GLOBAL VERSION = 1.2.1

Key: 

NexusFileLabel                      |    NexusArchiveName.7z                    |    DownloadedArchiveName.7z    |    {GuideVersionString}[.{ABBR[.Version]}]
Main Files

As long as the version of the Main File matches the global page version, MO will not flag this for update. 

Step Patch - Conflict Resolution    |    Step Patch - Conflict Resolution.7z    |    Step Patch - Conflict Resolution-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z    |    1.2
Update Files

This is for updates to the Main File ONLY that should be MERGED into Step Patch - Conflict Resolution in the MO installed mod (left pane) . Like the Main File, it's versioning is tied to the global version, and this file should update the Nexus global version to match. This will effectively manage accurate version tracking of the current guide and the Nexus "Main File" (aka, Step Patch - Conflict Resolution). 

Step Patch - Conflict Resolution (#) |    Step Patch - Conflict Resolution.7z    |    Step Patch - Conflict Resolution-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z    |    1.2.1
Optional Files

Note that CACO and LW patches have been updated previously. MO will track the versions of these files accurately and independent of the Nexus global version and the Nexus Main/Update Files. 

Step Patch - CACO                   |    Step Patch - CACO.7z                   |    Step Patch - CACO-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z                   |    1.2.1.CACO
Step Patch - CCOR                   |    Step Patch - CACO.7z                   |    Step Patch - CACO-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z                   |    1.2.CCOR
Step Patch - Lighting and Weather   |    Step Patch - Lighting and Weather.7z   |    Step Patch - Lighting and Weather-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z   |    1.2.2.LW
Step Patch - Post Processing        |    Step Patch - Post Processing.7z        |    Step Patch - Post Processing-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z        |    1.2.PP
Step Patch - TCIY                   |    Step Patch - TCIY.7z                   |    Step Patch - TCIY-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z                   |    1.2.TCIY
Miscellaneous Files

Note that ENB includes its own versioning apart from the Guide/mod versioning and is appended to the end of the version string. Note also that the ENB versions were updated from v4.9 and re-uploaded, incrementing both file and ENB version strings. MO will track the versions of these files accurately and independent of the Nexus global version and the Nexus Main/Update Files.
NOTE: Step Grass could just as well be under Optional Files. 

Step ENB - Heavy          |    Step ENB - Heavy.7z          |    Step ENB - Heavy-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z          |    1.2.1.ENB.HV.0.5.0
Step ENB - Light          |    Step ENB - Light.7z          |    Step ENB - Light-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z          |    1.2.1.ENB.LT.0.5.0
Step ENB - Milk Drinker   |    Step ENB - Milk Drinker.7z   |    Step ENB - Milk Drinker-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z   |    1.2.1.ENB.MD.0.5.0
Step Grass                |    Step Grass.7z                |    Step Grass-31054-1-2-1674096762.7z                |    1.2.GRASS
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