My Modding Experiment

RavenWhitehawk · Post by **RavenWhitehawk** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:02 pm

well, I hope it is ok for me to Post this here, but I wanted to tell you about my First Modding Experience:

I went to Wawnet Inn in Weye saved the game, closed it, and Started the TES Construction set. I Moved an apple from the Table over to the bar then I made the Apple a bit Larger - I know it doesn't sound like much but I am just learning - and I succeeded with out altering anything else. when I started up the Game and check marked the mod I Made. there was the Apple on the corner of the Bar where I had Moved it to, and as big as I had made it, so I took the apple and Ate it, lol, the Bar keep didn't like that much, lol.

I am definately going to continue Learning how to use the Construction set, it was very cool.

if it is ok with the Forum readers I will keep everyone posted on my Modding Lessons.

Raven

LeoStarDragon1 · Post by **LeoStarDragon1** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 4:48 am

Congratulations!

I don't mind at all of course. Keep up the good work!

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:37 am

If the mods don't object go for it, we may learn something new, even those of us who've been at it for a while, and if you need help maybe we can give it.

fable · Post by **fable** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:17 pm

At the least, it'll be interesting. Could also be a real learning experience for everyone, here. Thanks for coming up with this.

RavenWhitehawk · Post by **RavenWhitehawk** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:14 pm

Moddin' Away

the Title is a bit Strange but couldn't think of anything else, lol.

Anyway, my Second Mod Experiment is giving me a hard Time, but I will figure it out, it has to do with Teleport Marks.
I totally Removed Everything from the Basement of the Oak and Crossier Inn in Chorral, except the walls at first. then finally I totally wiped the existence of the Basement, to prepare for the Lesson on how to construct a room (of Course, I made a Copy of the Cell for the Oak and Crossier Basement).

Then I used the Chorral Fighter's Guild Basement as the New Basement, Both Pieces of the Set. So now the Oak and Crossier has this Gargantuan Basement for me to Play around with. all Went well til it was Time to place the Door, link it to the Tavern, and link the tavern to the New Basement.

Placing the NorthMarker was a bit of a Pain, but we worked around it by placing an object (NightMother Statue Base) in the Basement and then using the Find and replace tool to replace the Statue Base with the NorthMarker. I fit the Door Quit well in the Slot where the door is suppose to go, it is not Quit a Perfect fit but the Tutorial said it will still work.

Now I save the New Mod and it is time to test it out. What Happens is, when I leave the Tavern to Enter the New Basement, I get Teleported to about the Middle of the First half of the Basement instead of just inside the door, and when I leave the Basement to enter the Tavern I end up between a Void and the Tavern about 3 feet above the Floor, LMAO.

now I just have to figure out where I went wrong, and from my Experience Programming in an ancient Language called BASIC, (this Really shows my Age, lol ), figuring out the Bugs will be a Chore, but that's cool, I will just Chalk it up as a Learning Experience.

well that's it for now, there were a few other steps, but to mention them would have made this post Twice as long.

Well have fun everyone,
Raven

RavenWhitehawk · Post by **RavenWhitehawk** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 9:08 am

Working now

I got it worked out, I tried for two hours yesterday Afternoon to get those Darn Teleport Markers Moved, today I get on there, and I get them moved inside of 15 minutes, only thing different I did today was move my North Marker a bit forward. I don't know if that had anything to do with it but, at least it got worked out. I was able to Move the Teleport Markers to where they needed to be, and also was able to rotate them, for they were facing the wrong directions.

Now I get to learn how to decorate, I have Never been much of an Interior decorator, so this should be interesting, lol.

Have Fun Everyone
Raven

RavenWhitehawk · Post by **RavenWhitehawk** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:44 am

Decided to use...

I decided to use that Basement Mod for any new Characters I may make so they will have a Place to Sleep, and Store things Temporarily until they have Acquired Enough money to to buy a house. Is this Wrong?, lol.

Anyway I Added a Hidden Wall safe, a Desk, and a bed. They all Work Fine, I even learned how to Change the name of Objects without Effecting Every Object that is being used in the World. I will be Upgrading the Basement Mod as I go along, adding more Stuff as I see fit, I have lots of room to work with.

Have fun Everyone
Raven

RavenWhitehawk · Post by **RavenWhitehawk** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 9:16 pm

What Can I do... ?

I was just wondering if there was anything more I could do to keep people reading and Replying to this thread. I am not much of a writer, but any suggestions would be Appreciated.

Also if you are a Modder, please Feel Free to post here, the more we reap the more we sow. please join in, once I start seeing how other Modders Post their Modding Experiments/experience, the Better my posts will become.

Thanks,

Have fun everyone and keep on Moddin'

Raven

LeoStarDragon1 · Post by **LeoStarDragon1** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:14 am

The Mod Scene!

Maybe a Mod Squad will form up here too!

The motivation for me to ask for help with my mod ideas, is that every copy I get for the C.S. is bugged somehow and I don't know how to fix it.

Anyway, does this mean that you learned how to rename Benirus Manor?

One of my first ideas for a mod involves the Minotaurs. They have two horns, yet we only get one, and they then depict only one horn missing from the head. Why not both horns?

I have more ideas, but I want to learn as I go about each one.

Keep up the good work, R.W.!

RavenWhitehawk · Post by **RavenWhitehawk** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:16 am

Yes, BUT......

Yes I learned how to rename the Manor, but Because Gabrielle Acquired ownership of the Manor when I was Playing the Game on my old Computer the Data File for Oblivion on my New Computer still see's the Manor as being Haunted and thus unowned by the Player.

I recently uninstalled and reinstalled Oblivion so I could Start with fresh new Data in the Data file, I also removed all my Previously saved Games. When I tried to use the Construction Set again I got an Error and had to remove and reinstall the set.

Could you give an example of what your TES Construction set is doing, or not doing?

The only Bug I encountered so far (As Far as I can tell being new to the Construction Set) was when I tried to Drag and Drop the NorthMarker from the Objects Window into the Render Window. I had to place another object in the basement then use the Fnd and Replace tool.

I got some Catching up to do since I am finding myself having to restart my Character, talk to you all later till then...

Have fun Everyone and keep on Moddin' on
Raven

LeoStarDragon1 · Post by **LeoStarDragon1** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:11 pm

Congratulations!

Hm. I've never heard or seen just "congratulation" before I almost made a typo above. So I ask, why is it always plural?

Anyway, a new computer for you! Hurray! I got this one for Christmas 2007 or 2008, and so I've been there. The thrill of a new computer! The agony of re-installing everything and starting all over! But that means a chance to make up for previous errors, hopefully.

I hope you know or knew that your saved games could be put away for safe keeping, during such procedures! It took me awhile to learn that and it took my brother the tech-support person to find them for me.

Good luck again with the new computer and have fun learning!

As for my Construction Set. Hm. Let me make a screenshot of the error message and attach it here! Okay, I did it! Now I don't know how to remedy that. With it I can't access any other files somehow. Thanks!

RavenWhitehawk · Post by **RavenWhitehawk** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:56 pm

Wow that is weird

I am not sure what to make of that Error, Looks More like something a Virus would Cause, I am sure that is not it, but it is very suspicious, even the Spelling of some of the words is all Messed up, like a kid typed the Message. all of the error Messages I have ever come Across (and I have come across Many in all of my Computer Experiences) have at least had Proper spelling and Proper English.

If you uninstall your Construction set and then Reinstall it, will you lose any of your work you have done? If not I would Definately Give that a Try, and Just to Be on the safe Side incase the Actual Setup.exe file is Corrupted, I would also Completely Remove the Setup file you used to install that Version of TES construction Set and Get a New one from a Reliable Site. Try That if your work will be Safe Doing it.

In the Mean Time I will definately keep an eye out for that Error Message on my Construction set.

Have fun Everyone, and keep on moddin' on
Raven

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 8:46 am

I just thought I'd point out that there's a beginner's tutorial for the construction set available here. Can't say I've read it, but it might be of some use.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:02 am

RavenWhitehawk wrote:even the Spelling of some of the words is all Messed up

The messed up spelling is the responsibility of the modder who created the uber cheat amulet, not the default error message. Frankly if someone creates a device that tries to do so much 'rule breaking' then trouble will almost certainly ensue.

LeoStarDragon1 · Post by **LeoStarDragon1** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 3:28 pm

For Raven Whitehawk, Fable, & Galrean!

Hi, Three Amigos!

Hm. Okay, when I click on "No", it closes out. Clicking on "Yes" it locks up. Clicking on "Yes to All", and another pop-up appears as words flash by quickly.
Then it opens up to the basic items, "Shirt", "Shoes", and "Pants" and then that's it. It won't access or can't access anything else, not even "Dagger's Amulet"!

So the bad spelling is a bad sign then? I wasn't sure if that was it, or the weird machine codes I see sometimes during error messages.

Thanks for the linl, Fable. I hope that has a clean one.

Galraen, it's "Dagger's Amulet". Odd thing is, it works just fine in the game. This part with the Construction Set is the only bad part I've had with it.

Oh, well, unless I count duplication glitches. I usually give the extra amulets to NPC friends though to help keep them alive, or conscious now that I know how to set them to essential.

I guess then that I keep finding the same bad one. For I have uninstalled it and went to get another version to reinstall it, and still I get the same error message.

"Dagger's Amulet" uses the "Dreamworld Amulet" to start with, and then modifies it. Could that be it? But then other modders have modified other items, so I'm not sure. "Dagger's Amulet" has a lot of nice features, but the most handy one is "Feather 5000" always on. I'd hate to give it up. But I've found competive mods, so if need be, I suppose I could give it up. Plus now I know how to use the Console Commands. So it isn't essential, just handy.

But I still don't how it relates to the Construction Set problem!

Thanks for the advice and help, guys!

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 5:58 pm

There are different versions of the CS for one thing, not all of them are compatable. Also if the active .ESP is dependent on .ESMs or ither ESPs and you either don't have them, or have different releases of any of them that also will cause problems. The CS can be a lot less tolerant than the game engine in this regard.

Take into account the number of dodgy commands that must be in the attatched script (ShowRaceMenu and ShowClassMenu being prime examples) then getting it to run in the CS is bound to be problematic.

If the main concern is crrying capacity then there is an easy fix. Open the CS, select Oblivion.ESM, click on OK. When the CS is loaded select Gameplay in the top menu bar, select Settings in the drop down menu. Toward the bottom of the Game Settings window (don't scroll) you should see fActorStrengthEncumbranceMult, click on that andyou should see 5.0000 in the Numeric Value box. Change it to whatever you desire, I us 10, doubling the carrying capacity. This is of course technically cheating, however I have no qualms about using it, the weighting of weapons in the game is ay off. For example the heaviest longswords in the Middle ages were less than four pounds, even taking into account the fact that TES uses AD&D values multiplied by four for it's attributes. Four multiplied by four is sixteen, on a quick look the lightest in Oblivion I saw (Baurus' Katana) is 18, other than that your looking at 20+, a glass longsword being is a ridiculous 40!!!! The most heavy weapons, Two-Handed Swords and Halberds etc., should only weigh 25, so doubling ones carrying capacity is well in order IMHO. Just feel sorry for the poor saps stuck with consoles who have to grin and bear it.

LeoStarDragon1 · Post by **LeoStarDragon1** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:39 pm

Hi, Galraen!

#00: Oh, I've tried to have the latest version of the Construction Set! But it seems like no matter where I get it from, or which version it is, once installed, that error or warning pop-up appears, darn it!

#01: So I'm thinking about my character selling "Dagger's Amulet" before uninstalling that mod, to see if that remedies the problem. But I'll miss it I think, until I get used to a new routine.

#02: Oh, when I played it on my brother's X-Box, I found the restrictions very annoying and time consuming. Took the Fantasy aspect out by making it too realistic for me. Hurray for the "Bag of Holding" and other like mods!

#03: Oh, and simply opening the Console Command Window and entering "TGM" helps with the load. I was just using it while decorating before coming here.

#04: Hm. One time I gave my brother a boomarang and machete together for his birthday anniversary, and then a katana for Christmas, to go with his shurikens, throwing knives, nunchakus, and bokken. As adults we didn't and don't find them to be heavy. Had we been children when we first got them, then who knows. I do recall that as children, of course the guns felt heavier then they do now. But the point is, I understand your point about weight! The weights need to be light enough to be practical to use!

Happy Posting!

RavenWhitehawk · Post by **RavenWhitehawk** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:26 am

I Agree with Galraen

...For example the heaviest longswords in the Middle ages were less than four pounds, even taking into account the fact that TES uses AD&D values multiplied by four for it's attributes. Four multiplied by four is sixteen, on a quick look the lightest in Oblivion I saw (Baurus' Katana) is 18, other than that your looking at 20+, a glass longsword being is a ridiculous 40!!!! The most heavy weapons, Two-Handed Swords and Halberds etc., should only weigh 25, so doubling ones carrying capacity is well in order IMHO. Just feel sorry for the poor saps stuck with consoles who have to grin and bear it.

Yes Galraen, I was a bit disappointed about the weight of some of the items we get in the Game, but I don't like to Complain, so I dealt with it, but I will Definately use the CS to Fix the Weight Issue, I haven't a Qualm about that either. Thanks so much for that Informative Post.

Thanks Again Galraen,
Have Fun Everyone, and Keep on Moddin' on
Raven

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:33 pm

Something else I'd recommend looking into is using the CS to protect some of the Master Trainers, a couple of them are suicidal and should be made essential.

A prime example of this is Alawen, she's the Master Marksman trainer (in spite of only having something like 56 points in the skill!!!!). Spoiler ahead:

She lives North West of Anvil in a camp, if she's still alive when you need her training consider yourself very fortunate, the chances of her continuing to live are virtually nil. The idiotic AI has her wanering a long way (nearly always north),so when it's time to sleep the nearest bed isn't hers, it's in a bandit camp. The result is she wanders into the camp and gets killed, every time, every game I played before fixing the problem. The Master Destruction trainer and Master Acrobatics trainer usually don't live long either. I've seen the former get killed by a passing Imperial Legionaire who got caught in one of her spells by accident. It's easy to make someone essential, just tick the box.

LeoStarDragon1 · Post by **LeoStarDragon1** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 6:35 pm

Hi, Galraen!

galraen wrote:Something else I'd recommend looking into is using the CS to protect some of the Master Trainers, a couple of them are suicidal and should be made essential.

A prime example of this is Alawen, she's the Master Marksman trainer (in spite of only having something like 56 points in the skill!!!!). Spoiler ahead:

She lives North West of Anvil in a camp, if she's still alive when you need her training consider yourself very fortunate, the chances of her continuing to live are virtually nil. The idiotic AI has her wanering a long way (nearly always north),so when it's time to sleep the nearest bed isn't hers, it's in a bandit camp. The result is she wanders into the camp and gets killed, every time, every game I played before fixing the problem. The Master Destruction trainer and Master Acrobatics trainer usually don't live long either. I've seen the former get killed by a passing Imperial Legionaire who got caught in one of her spells by accident. It's easy to make someone essential, just tick the box.

Wow! Those are funny to me, if frustrating to you, anecdotes! My problem with Alawen, is trying to catch her while she's chasing animals! But most of the time I find them near their bedrolls. Hm. Well, I look forward to one day being able to use the CS for that purpose, for as it is now, I click on them and set them to essential, one at a time. Except when I think about it in advance and do so before I even see them. (Thanks to the scroll with the NPC numbers.)

But anyway, learn anything yet about the gates?