| Grumpy |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 08/02/02 |
| Posts: 1590 |
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We can make
'em all day long, and they ain't gonna' be worth a hoot if people
can't use 'em.
Have seen several posts recently on various
boards concerning mod installation ("Big yellow boxes!" (I love it-
 )).
Reading the titles of these posts might be cute for those of us who
"know the way", but I doubt it's very amusing to those who download
our mods with high hopes and then wind up with a world full of "Big
yellow boxes!".
(excuse me for a second... (still
snickering))...
Just PMed kathode to try and get the old
thread re-pinned, but that may not be possible, as it came down
after the forum upgrade, and may be gone.
Just PMed Sirkandi,
requesting that a (hopefully) short tutorial could be made that
(hopefully) will be pinned, and also suggested that if Sirkandi does
take this on, that a text version be created for inclusion in all
mods.
In the interim, I'm going to try my hand at it, and I
hope others will add to/modify/flame this thread:
To
prospective mod downloadees (er.. downloaders
(whatever)):
There are three typical formats that a mod will
come in: .zip, .rar, .ace. You WILL need a suitable decompressor
program to decompress the mod (winzip's the only one that comes to
mind, but there are others).
Very first thing! Read the
readme in it's entirety! We spend, literally seconds creating these
readme files, so please take the time to go through them! As a
general rule...
Let me talk about general rules for a second:
They don't exist. Sorry. I don't know how many times I've downloaded
a mod and read the readme which tells you to "unzip" the file to the
C:\Program Files\Bethesda Sotworks\Morrowind\Data Files folder, and
have the thing create a second Data Files folder under the existing
one (Big yellow boxes!) (could be my .zip program,
too)
(excuse me for another second... (more
snickering)).
So, lets go at this another way, and define
the contents of a mod:
Typical files included with a
mod-
.esp
This is the file that gets created
when one saves a mod in the editor. This is the one that has all of
the information (changes) that the game engine looks for when
initializing the mod upon start-up of the game. It will contain
dialog entries, new characters, changes and additions to exteriors,
new interiors, etc..
This file goes in the C:\Program
Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind\Data Files
folder.
Some mods have ONLY this file (and hopefully a
readme). These types of mods use only resources
(models/textures/etc.) that are included with the original game
(and/or add-ons).
In these types of mods, this is the only
file you will have to insure is placed in the correct
folder.
Again: .esp goes in C:\Program Files\Bethesda
Softworks\Morrowind\Data Files
There are also .esm files,
that are roughly equivalent to .esp, and go in the same folder, but
I'll let somebody else explain that (I got enough problems here
already).
icons (.tga or .dds)
Now it gets a
little more complicated. Some mods have new items,
(weapons/armor/etc.) that will require new icons. People who have
created these types of mods will have added new meshes/textures to
those already existing in the MW/Trib/BM game world. Many of these
will require new icons. Icons are what will display in the inventory
menu (icon representation of a sword for example).
Icon
files go in the C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind\Data
Files\Icons folder.
But... (you knew there was going to
be a "but" didn't you)
Most icons (but not all) will go into
a sub-folder of the Icons folder. For example: Armor icons MAY go in
C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind\Data Files\Icons\a
folder, or weapon icons MIGHT go in C:\Program Files\Bethesda
Softworks\Morrowind\Data Files\w folder.
Some have user
created folders (new). Some use those already used in the game; a or
w as noted above (a note here: If you check the icons folder in a
new (un-modded) game, there will be NO other subfolders (a,w,etc.).
These only need to be created if new content is introduced. In this
case, new icons. You can take a look at these (original) sub-folders
on the CS disk if you want to.)... However, there are some modders
who just use the Icons folder itself to store the new icons in (have
taken to this myself).
Again, icon files go in C:\Program
Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind\Data Files\Icons folder (or sub
folders).
Meshes (.nif)
Meshes are the 3D
wireframe models that are used for all 3D objects in the game. These
are used for things like walls,rugs,swords,armor,books,cups... any
object that is tangible in the game.
The same format for
icons holds true here. There is a Meshes folder under the Data Files
folder right under the icons folder, and it can also make use of
subfolders ("a" for armor, "w" for weapons, etc.), and again, a
modder may choose to use the Meshes folder itself to store these
.nif files instead of the subfolders.
Meshes (.nif) files go
in C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind\Data
Files\Meshes folder (or sub folders).
Confused
yet?
Textures (.tga, .bmp, .dds)
Last but not
least are textures. Textures are the "skins" that cover the
wireframe meshes (above). Textures can be .bmp, .dds, or .tga
files.
They are a little simpler. All textures go in the
C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind\Data Files\Textures
folder. There are typically no sub-folders used here (although if I
remember right, sombody's mod I once downloaded did use a
sub-folder).
There is a little bit of a rub though: Texture
files can be the same as icon files (no .bmp files though (.dds and
.tga)), so don't make the mistake of putting icon file textures into
the textures folder and expect mod nirvana. Usually if you misplace
an Icon texture, you'll see a "default" icon in you're inventory
menu (all white box with crossed red circle). This is not a "game
threatening" situation, so if you see this just go on about your
business and move the texture to the right folder at your
leisure.
One other note: Some .nif files have their
associated textures imbedded, meaning that you will see no other
textures included with the mod (could be a "mix", though). You will
know these because their files size will be quite a bit larger than
typical .nif files.
There are other types of files that I'm
not going to cover here. There aren't many uses of them. These
include mostly sound files. Maybe you'll get the general idea from
the above.
What this is all leading up to:
First
thing: Open the file with your decompression program and take a look
at the contents. Make a mental note of the number and types of
files. I don't know about other .zip programs, but mine does not
show directory structure, just the files. However, directory
structure is usually in there (coded??). Having some idea of what
files are in the mod (compressed file) will help you determine if
the extraction went as planned.
Generally, if you've got your
extraction program (winzip, etc.) set up to extract the contents of
the compressed file (mod) to the correct target folder, all will go
as planned. If the readme says to extract to the Data Files folder,
then aim your extraction program there and extract. Now... Open
explorer, and check to see if the thing looks like it extracted
correctly. Again, generally, if you see the .esp in the appropriate
folder (C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind\Data Files),
then the thing probably extracted correctly.
The following
is important!
The next thing to check is to see if you've
got another Data Files folder under the real Data Files folder. If
you see this, then the mod (.zip, .rar, .ace) file did not extract
correctly. Delete the new Data Files folder (NOT THE
ORIGINAL), and point your extraction program to C:\Program
Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind (one folder higher) instead, and
extract again... and again, at least check to see if the .esp file
is in the C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind\Data Files
folder.
At this point, you should be seeing a pattern here.
Yes, Binky, not all is as it should be...
That's the reason
that many of us extract the mod to a temporary folder, and then hand
place the files into the appropriate folders under the Morrowind
folder. Done this way, you'll be able to see the directory
structure, too.
I typically copy them instead of moving them,
and keep the temporary folder that I origianally extracted the mod
to. That way, if you want to remove the mod at a later date, you
have a permanent record of what files were included with the
mod.
I quit!
My fingers are tired.
Somebody
else finish it...
We (at least me) do not make these mods
intentionally difficult to install. It's just that not all things go
as planned, and it's a shame when a modder spends a bunch of time to
make an excellent mod, and then sees questioning posts because
installation didn't go right for someone.
Please bear with
us.
And best of luck to you prospective modees out there.
There are some truly wonderous mods floating around, and if you
enjoy the game as much as I do, then installation isn't as much of a
chore. Even done manually. A few times and you'll get
it...
Either that, or we'll see more posts
about....
"Big yellow boxes!" (yep... you guessed it...
)
(PS-My
appologies to the individual who coined the term "Big yellow boxes".
You were one of the reasons I've sat here since Tuesday typing this
post (4.5wpm not counting errors). Hope you understand it was all in
good fun.)
--------------------
Grumpy
My
mods
Post Extras:    |
| Acid_Basik5 |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 03/05/03 |
| Posts: 1693 |
| Loc: Illinios, United States
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Quote:
Just PMed Sirkandi, requesting that a (hopefully) short
tutorial could be made that (hopefully) will be pinned, and also
suggested that if Sirkandi does take this on, that a text version
be created for inclusion in all mods.
Now why in the world would he
need to make another?
This one is excellent!
Great job. I
hope the text of this gets pinned.
--------------------
Acid Basik
Homepage
Here (Updated Mar. 6)
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Post Extras: |
| Gen_Lee |
| Diviner |
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| Reged: 01/10/03 |
| Posts: 2172 |
| Loc: Portugal | |
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Me 2 
--------------------
Brasil-Portugal
Morrowind.
Post Extras: |
| Acid_Basik5 |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 03/05/03 |
| Posts: 1693 |
| Loc: Illinios, United States
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I wonder why
no-one is looking at this.
My guess is the title, but its still a
great tutorial.
--------------------
Acid Basik Homepage
Here
(Updated Mar. 6)
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Post Extras: |
| Monica21 |
| Master |
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| Reged: 01/16/03 |
| Posts: 6109 |
| Loc: D'Hara | |
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Very nice,
Grumpy. 
--------------------
ElricM Web Portal
Telesphoros' List 'o Mods
kwshipman's List of House Mods
Post Extras: |
| Unholy |
| Adept |
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| Reged: 06/29/03 |
| Posts: 375 |
| Loc: Hades | |
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Excellent post
Grumps. I tried to achieve the same thing with a thread I started
(which didn't go very far either, go figure....) but somewhat in
reverse.
My thread was more of a 'Modders extraction path
tutorial' and since many forum members here are modders they clearly
did not take too kindly to it.
The point was simple: do NOT
make your own data files folders or WORSE make entire paths from the
root directory within your mods and then (this beggars belief) tell
the user to extract it to the data files directory knowing full well
they will have no clue whatsoever where the files have gone, since
they will all be hidden within folders inside their own data files
directory.
Once again I come down on the side of the mod
users, who, if modders are to be believed, are all completely
stupid, just because they were dumb enough to follow the modders
instructions and extract to data files and then come on here to say
'who, what, where?'.
You have to wonder sometimes exactly who
the guilty party is... *cough*
--------------------
If
you are reading this, congratulations, you are even more bored than
I am.
Post Extras: |
| Grumpy |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 08/02/02 |
| Posts: 1590 |
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Not really
seeing a guilty party here, and that was part of the reason for the
post.
We are, in fact, dealing with something fairly complex
here (game and mods), and also have to take into consideration the
differences between the "knowledge levels", and information
available to those just starting out and those who have been at this
for awhile. Afraid that the process is not always
"intuitive".
Education is the key. Not culpability.
We
want to keep modding (and in turn the game) a viable "sport", we
better insure that we have some customer demand for the products. In
other words: If they can't use them, we (modders) are out of
business.
Kind of a veiled warning to modders.
Make
'em good...
--------------------
Grumpy
My
mods
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hey Grumpy
...
BIG YELLOW BOXES!! 
it
got funnier everytime I read it. I like the idea of a Common Use
Readme that everyone could copy and include with their new mods. It
could really catch on, I hope. Maybe it could be a feature - "this
mod includes the MW Forum's installation readme."
--------------------
Ronin's "Everything You've Every Wanted to Know About
Mods But Were Afraid To Ask" Thread
Post Extras: |
| FofA |
| Curate |
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| Reged: 09/29/03 |
| Posts: 886 |
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Excellent
guide, it seems like this one should get a sticky, or at least be
included in the top sticky to let newcomers to the morrowind scene
understand how to mod.
--------------------
Like a
phoenix ignition
like a crematorium
Like a swelling volition
from the barrel of a gun
From the ashes and the embers
like a rocket I'll ascend
Like a cry gone up for a fallen
friend
I'll ascend
Post Extras: |
| Ventyr |
| Curate |
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| Reged: 08/24/03 |
| Posts: 872 |
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Great
tutorial. LOL I suggest pictures to go along with it, maybe in html
or Windows help format? Windows help could segment it into pages and
let them search: "Big yellow boxes"
And modders could include it with their mods. "For more information
on how to install mods, see the help file".
Quote:
There is a Meshes folder under the Data Files folder right
under the icons folder, and it can also make use of subfolders
("a" for armor, "w" for weapons, etc.), and again, a modder may
choose to use the Meshes folder itself to store these .nif files
instead of the subfolders.
I would clarify this point a
little. Most modders seem to use their own subdirectory rather than
follow the Bethesda ones (ie Rhedd uses BG etc) so someone might say
"I put Sheikizza's Aedric Armor nif files in the meshes/a folder and
I still get the big yellow boxes!" Well yes of course they would,
because it goes in meshes/SKZ or whatever.
Basically, the user should be instructed to check the archive and
see which subdirectories the modder used. And sadly there's no
standard so you could have anyting from textures/ to C:\Program
Files\Bethesda Softworks\Morrowind\Data Files\Textures and you just
have to dig and look.
But overall, I am cynnical and think
people still won't read the readme or the help files and instead
come here and post "BIG YELLOW BOXES HEEEELLLPPPP!!!" or email the
author. At least with this though we'd have somewhere to point them
to so we don't have to repeat ourselves a bazillion times.
Post Extras: |
| Grumpy |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 08/02/02 |
| Posts: 1590 |
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Good point
about the subfolders.
Something else needs to be included
about error messages on game start-up (or during the game) too, but
I can't remember which are "OK", and which aren't. Think that some
people, because they've been told that the common "Older version"
(whatever) errors are OK to bypass, assume that all error messages
are OK to bypass. Have seen several people here recently with
"pooched" saves because they saved games after recieving "bad" types
of errors. Problem with this is that some of these plug-ins are
extensive, and a person could be half-way through the thing before
the error shows up. Not necessarily blaming modders, cause I've seen
the game itself go "goofy" from time to time, too: "missing object
in script, bla, bla, bla" for example, and there is actually nothing
wrong with the mod.
Given that, then some type of explanation
of error messages, and how to, or whether to proceed when one gets
them is warranted also.
Maybe something about cleaning saves
(disaster recovery).
Have noticed a few people are now
"pointing" to specific threads instead of using the ever popular
"Read the pinned stuff at the top" reply. That's
encouraging.
Problem is that it's tough to make a
comprehensive (yet, concise!) guide that will contain every possible
solution for the (ready for this?) plethora of problems that can be
encountered given the complexity (dynamics) of this situation (thas
it!! No more of the big words for now... severe pain in the brain
box), and the sad fact is that most people tend to think of their
particular problems as "special", so they assume that the "common"
solutions that are available (pinned stuff and tuts) will not apply
to their particular dilemma. The old "directions are for kids"
syndrome. (Me too, here. I remember the first time I tried my hand
at skinning and after kind of "glancing" at a tut, couldn't get the
stuff to work (Wasn't my fault the game was ill concieved and
executed!  ).
Out of exasperation, I finally went back to the tut and saw several
steps that I'ld missed (Wasn't my fault that the tut didin't have
directions about actually reading the directions. )
and finally got the stuf to work.
Tut is now a permanent resident on my hard drive (memory ain't so
hot anymore, either 
)).
I've only released a couple of mods, but one of the
things I've done is include in the readme a list of the files, and
where they should go. Never got any complaints, so it must have
worked.
Odd thing about the "never got any complaints" part
was that my old zip program would only extract correctly if I
pointed the thing to the root (c:\) directory, so that's the way I
set it up (different from the normal Data Files target). Directions
in the read-me stated this. Either nobody ever used the thing or the
people who did use it actually read the read-me! I prefer to think
it was the later of the two. 
--------------------
Grumpy
My mods
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Helpful --
should be pinned
Post Extras: |
| Ventyr |
| Curate |
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| Reged: 08/24/03 |
| Posts: 872 |
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Has anyone
gotten around to making a Windows .hlp file of this, preferably with
images, sort of like installing mods for Dummies. This question of
how to install mods seems to get asked 2 or 3 times a day around
here and really IMO modders need some resource more than a standard
readme to throw into their archives. Alternately, Venymora says
she's practically elimated tech support with an installer program
and I notice Sea of Destiny uses one too, but I know some people are
paranoid about .exe files and for some reason can't seem to just
virus scan them and be done with it. 
Oh
and yes, I'm going to re-iterate, this thread really should be
pinned.
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Adding this,
due to frequent posts from people who install mods, change their
minds, and don't have a pre-mod backup save game to continue from.
Uninstalling a mod once it's part of your saved games is
risky. Sometimes it won't cause any problems, other times it may be
impossible to continue playing without the mod installed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard advice on using mods:
1. Before you install
a new mod for the first time, make a backup save game.
2.
Once you install the mod, spend time just testing the mod. Don't
worry about trying to make progress in the game; just spend some
time with the mod to decide if it you want to keep it, delete it,
modify it, or whatever.
3a. If you decide to keep the
mod without any changes, then just go ahead and keep playing and
saving normally. Keep the backup saved game, in case you change your
mind later on.
3b. If you decide to delete the mod, use the
backup save (made before you installed the mod) to continue your
game.
3c. If you decide to make changes to the mod, go back
to your backup save game first and delete (or at least set aside)
any saves made with the mod installed. Do all your testing from that
backup save. Don't make any saves with the mod installed until
you're done editing and testing, and you're absolutely sure you
aren't going to make any more changes to the mod.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some people have reported success using the Construction Set
to remove references to deleted mods from their save game files.
I have never tried this, but what I think you do is change
the save game's file extension from .ess to .esp, then load it into
the Construction Set and clean it up. I don't know any more about
the process than that.
I would very strongly suggest backing
up the save game first.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
And a little more advice:
Before you install a mod,
read the readme file carefull to see if it's really something you're
going to want to add to your game. And it's also useful to search
the Morrowind Mods forum for the name of the mod or the mod's
creator, to see what other people have to say about it. A lot of
times that can save you from installing a mod that conflicts with
other mods you use or has other problems.
Edited by DinkumThinkum (10/21/03 11:04
AM)
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My own addtion
to the Tutorial Scene:
How to Install Morrowind
Plug-ins:
You’ll need to have a decent compression
utility first. I use Zip Genius, personally, but many people will
suggest Win Ace or Win RAR as well. I don’t think it matters as long
as you find one you like and learn to use it. Read the Help Files -
lots of good stuff in them.
For the remainder of this post,
I am going to assume you are using Zip Genius. It’s my post, so I
can do that.
You can download it for free here:
http://www.zipgenius.it/intweb/dl.asp
The Easy Install
Double-click the icon
for your newly downloaded archive file (your plug-in). Zip Genius
will open a window and you will see the file names that make up your
plug-in. Look at the far right-hand column, the “Paths” column: do
you see where the individual files have paths associated with them,
something like “Textures\BG” or something similar? If you do, this
is good; it means that Zip Genius will automatically place all the
files into their proper locations for you when you extract the
plug-in. If you do NOT see data-paths specified under this column,
it means you are going to have put forth a little additional effort.
We’ll get to that a little later.
For now, let’s assume that
the data-paths have been specified for you. Click on the “Extract”
button and a new window will open. First, specify where you want
your file to be sent when extracted by clicking on the green arrow
and navigate to your Morrowind Data Files directory (most likely
located at C:\Program Files\Bethesda\Morrowind\Data Files). This is
your target folder for extraction - unless the “Read Me” text for
your plug-in states that you need to extract the files to some other
location. In that case, navigate to the folder specified in the
“Read Me” file.
About halfway down this window in Zip Genius
you will see two tabs, the “Files to Extract” tab and the “Options”
tab. Select “Extract All Files” and then click on the “Options” tab.
Under the “Options” tab, select “Use Subfolders Information”.
Click on “Extract” at the bottom of the screen. Your files
will be extracted and your Plug-in is just about ready for use.
To finish the Plug-in installation process, start Morrowind,
Select Data Files from the splash-screen and double-click the little
box in front of your Plug-in to finish installing it. Start
Morrowind and your new Plug-in should load up.
Now… about
that annoying little error message that crops up… the one that tells
you that your new plug-in can not find certain master files that it
needs and such… Let’s deal with that right now.
That
Annoying Plug-in “Error Message”
To prevent that error
message from occurring, fire up the Construction Set, click on
“Open” and select your Plug-in file by checking the box in front of
it. Click on “Set as Active File” and open it. This will take a few
seconds. Once the files have loaded, click on “Save” and exit the
Construction Set. Problem solved.
The Worst Case
Scenario
Now, if your Plug-in did NOT have the
data-paths specified, you are going to have to move them yourself.
If your Modder was kind, they specified where all the files in the
Plug-in are supposed to be located in the “Read Me” file. You may
need to create specific sub-folders as well. If you do, I suggest
you create them first, before you do anything else. Use Zip Genius
to extract the files, by TYPE, to the folders as specified in the
“Read Me” file.
The “Absolute Worst-Case Scenario” would be
that there is no “Read Me” file and you are completely on your own
to move the files. Generally speaking, you are going to run into
four different file types for Morrowind Plug-ins. The four file
types and where they go has been shown below. Once again, extract
them by file type to the folders indicated:
·
*.NIF
These get moved to the “Data Files\Meshes” subfolder.
· *.DDS
These get moved to the “Data
Files\Textures” subfolder.
· *.TGA
These get
moved to the “Data Files\Icons” subfolder.
· *.ESP
These get moved to your “Data Files” folder.
On a few
occasions, I have run into plug-ins that have bit map files included
(*.bmp). If the "Read Me" file does not explain what to do
with them, move them to your "Textures" folder.
After moving
your files, you will need to finish installing the Plug-in by
selecting “Data Files” from the Morrowind splash-screen, and
double-clicking the little box next to your Plug-in. Start your game
and your Plug-in/s should load up.
Yellow Geometric
Shapes
If, during game play, you get an error that
Morrowind can not find a specific file that it needs, and that it is
going to use the default error-marker.nif instead, write down the
exact wording of the error message. Morrowind is kind enough to tell
you in this error message exactly what file it is looking for that
cannot be found, and more importantly WHERE it is looking for it.
Most likely what you have is missing *.nif file. To remedy this
error, try re-extracting the files from the original archive file,
or unzip the archived file into a temporary folder, search for the
specific file that you need, and move it manually. The error message
will tell you where the file goes.
Post Extras: |
| Grumpy |
| Disciple |
|
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| Reged: 08/02/02 |
| Posts: 1590 |
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I'm going to
bump this one time.
Please add your thoughts about this
subject, and please add this "link" to your favorites so that you
can "spread the word" if the need arises and/or you have found this
information useful.
Thanks to all that have
contibuted.
--------------------
Grumpy
My
mods
Post Extras: |
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Moderator: any
possibility of pinning this thread, or of adding a link in the
pinned "Welcome to the Mod forums - Read this first!" thread in this
forum?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
After
you install game patches or expansions, when you load the game you
may get a message about changes to master files that some mods
depend on. (I don't remember the exact wording  .)
About
that message:
All that means is that the mods were made with
a different version of Morrowind: maybe a patch that is later or
earlier than what you have, for example. Or you may have Tribunal
and/or Bloodmoon and the mod was made without the
expansion.
For most mods that shouldn't be a problem, and you
can get rid of the error message easily by resaving the mod with
your version of the game (but read my NOTE below
first).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's
always a good idea to make a backup of your .esp file first,
especially if you're new at this. Just use Windows Explorer to copy
and paste the file into the same
directory.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
For
each mod that's causing the error messages (do one mod at a
time):
1. Start the Construction Set (just double-click on
the shortcut)
2. On the File menu, choose the Data Files
option.
3. On the Data Files screen, put a check mark next to
Morrowind.esm; also next to Bloodmoon.esm and/or Tribunal.esm if you
have them. (Double-click to put the checkmark.)
4. Put a
check mark next to the .esp file you need to resave. Then, with that
.esp file highlighted, click the 'Active' button. The .esp file
should now be shown as 'active' on the list.
5. Now click the
'OK' button to load the .esp file and the masters into the
Construction Set; wait for all the data to be loaded (takes a
bit).
6. If you have both Bloodmoon and Tribunal, you'll
probably see a lot of Dialogue error messages, followed by one about
a 'duplicate reference' (or something similar). This is normal; just
click the OK button to get past them.
(If you have 'Yes to
all' enabled in the morrowind.ini file, then you can just click the
'Cancel' button to get past all of them at once.)
7. You
should see the name of your .esp file in the Construction Set's
title bar; this tells you that it's the active file and will be the
one saved.
8. Now immediately save the .esp file. You can use
the 'Save' option on the File menu, or just click the floppy disk
icon in the tool bar.
All done!
Once you've saved the
mod with your version of the game, you shouldn't get those 'has
changed' error
messages.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE:
If
a mod requires Tribunal and/or Bloodmoon, resaving the mod will not
make the mod work without the required expansions. If a mod requires
Tribunal and/or Bloodmoon, then you need the expansion(s) for it to
work.
All resaving the mod will do is get rid of the error
message if you have a different patch version of the game from the
one the mod was made with.
Before installing mods, always
check the readme file to see if they require any expansions you
don't
have.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
If
you have a lot of mods installed, not all of the may need to be
resaved. Here are two ways to see exactly which ones need resaving,
which may save you time.
1. Go to the Data Files screen from
the first menu when you start the game (the game, not the editor).
Highlight a mod, and look at the information in the boxes to the
right. That will tell you if the mod is was made with a different
version of any of the master files, which means it needs to be
resaved.
2. After loading the game with all the plugins
enabled, exit and read the 'warnings.txt' file in your main
Morrowind directory. That will list all the error and warning
messages, including ones about plugins needing different versions of
the master
files.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argent's
"TES Dependency Tool Kit" can also be used to update mods to match
the versions of the master files you have installed on your
system:
http://members.optusnet.com.au/argent2/
Post Extras: |
| Grumpy |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 08/02/02 |
| Posts: 1590 |
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Quote:
After you install game patches or expansions, when you load
the game you may get a message about changes to master files that
some mods depend on. (I don't remember the exact wording
.)
I'm going to add something to
this that was alluded to above: You CAN save over these types
of error messages without problems, but (AFAIK) these are the
ONLY errors that are safe to save over. Error messages about
missing textures will probably not hurt, but you should fix them
before proceeding.
If you see any error messages on start up,
OR ON ENTRANCE TO A NEW CELL WHILE PLAYING (active (scripted)
objects do not start processing until you enter the cell in which
they reside), that say something like: "missing reference to object
in "xxx script"- DO NOT SAVE AND THEN SHUT THE GAME
DOWN!.
On some occasions a restart of the game will
suffice to fix this (MW being stupid (per Inteligenz)), but it can
also be an error in the mod itself, and if you save AFTER seeing
this type of message, it can screw your save up big
time.
Reason most modders tell you to make a clean (renamed)
save of your current game before you run any
mod.
--------------------
Grumpy
My
mods
Post Extras: |
| Gen_Lee |
| Diviner |
|
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| Reged: 01/10/03 |
| Posts: 2172 |
| Loc: Portugal | |
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Cant let this
1 goes till 23th page
--------------------
Brasil-Portugal
Morrowind.
Post Extras: |
| cooldude55 |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 05/18/03 |
| Posts: 1243 |
| Loc: United States | |
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Thanks for
tutorial and I think I have a second Data Files folder because i
followed your instructions and it didn't work. If I do have how do I
know that i do and how can I fix it? Thank you very much.
--------------------
WIP Sovngarde v1.0
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Oops, missed
this, but then again people are still posting "How do I install
mods" threads, figures. I also made a tutorial this morning and
posted it at The Portal. But thanks for the work
Grumpy.
Post Extras: |
| Grumpy |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 08/02/02 |
| Posts: 1590 |
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In windows
explorer, expand you "c:\program files\bethesda
softworks\morrowind\data files" folder. You will see the following
subfolders:
Book Art
Fonts
Icons
Meshes
Music
Sound
Splash
Textures
Video
There
should NOT be another Data Files folder here. If there is, delete it
(SUBFOLDER, NOT THE ORIGINAL!!!) If it gets screwed up, go to your
trashbin and restore to where you started from.
Expand your
mod (.zip, .ace, etc.) again, but instead of pointing your
extraction program to the "Data Files" folder like you did the first
time, jump one folder higher and point your extraction program to
the "Morrowind" folder instead.
One of the files included
with the mod will be a .esm or .esp (check first post of this thread
for an explanation of what the various file types are). Check in
your original "Data Files" folder to insure that this file is in
that folder. If it is, you should be able to enable this plug-in on
the splash screen.
Difficult (but more accurate
method):
(Disclaimer: I'm doing this the best I can, but I
ain't perfect, and take no responsibility if it don't work (use of
double negatives should fortify this "not perfect" point). At your
own peril here!)
The absolute best way to do this is to
do it manually. Everybody in the know does it this way.
-Extract the mod to a temporary folder.
-Expand this
temporary folder.
-Refer to the first post in this thread for
information about the various files that can be included with a mod
(icons/meshes/textures/etc.).
-Find the subfolders (under
Morrowind\Data Files) that match the ones now listed in your mods
temp folder.
-Copy... do not move, but copy the files from your
temp folder into the corresponding folders under Morrowind\Data
Files.
-If a particular folder does not exist, you can just copy
the entire folder to the appropriate location (..."Data
Files\Meshes\a" or "Data Files\Icons\w" for example (there can be
many of these new folders in some mods).
-Copy ALL files/folders
to the appropriate locations. When your done, check and make
ABSOLUTELY SURE that all files/folders are in their correct
locations by comparing what is in your temp folder against what is
in the Data Files folder.
-If you mess this up, it ain't
gonna' work!
-Reason that we copy these files/folders
instead of moving them is so that if you pooch it, or at a later
date, you decide that you want to remove the mod, then you'll have a
record (your temp folder) of what files/folders were included with
the mod.
NOTE: Removal of any mod can present a whole new
new set of problems, but I'm not going to go into that here.
--------------------
Grumpy
My
mods
Edited by Grumpy (10/29/03
07:57 PM)
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It's simple...
Get Zip Genius. It solved 99% of my plug-in install problems. You
can see the data paths specified BEFORE unzipping, allowing you to
make sure the files wind up where they should the first time.
If you use mods, get Zip Genius. Truly. It's awesome and
it's free. Get it here: http://www.zipgenius.it/intweb/dl.asp
Post Extras: |
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until it gets
pinned.. BUMP! (hey i still know how hard it is when u first d/l a
mod!)
Post Extras: |
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Great
post...B...U...M...P...
Modhod,
bumpin till it sticks
Post Extras: |
| Rkelly1 |
| Initiate |
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| Reged: 10/30/03 |
| Posts: 77 |
| Loc: detroit,MI | |
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some one
program a plugin or mod installer. program it to install the file
types to the right folder.
Post Extras: |
| cooldude55 |
| Disciple |
|
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| Reged: 05/18/03 |
| Posts: 1243 |
| Loc: United States | |
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I have a
suggestion for people who just started downloading mods. Just
yesterday i downloaded my firts unofficial mod and then 20 more. I
checked them in Morrowind and started playing. I got a warning
message about some armor? I thought it was nothing, but I started a
new game and it froze in Census and Excise office, I then had to
load one by one till I found a mod that caused the problem. So I
suggest evn if it takes time to download a mod then check it it
works correctly.
--------------------
WIP Sovngarde v1.0
Post Extras: |
| FofA |
| Curate |
|
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| Reged: 09/29/03 |
| Posts: 886 |
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Bump for a
useful newbie thread. This really should pinned or included in a
link from the posts already pinned.
--------------------
Like a phoenix ignition
like a
crematorium
Like a swelling volition
from the barrel of a
gun
From the ashes and the embers
like a rocket I'll ascend
Like a cry gone up for a fallen friend
I'll ascend
Post Extras: |
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Quote:
DO NOT SAVE AND THEN SHUT THE GAME DOWN!.
oops! i think thats why i
cannot get Firemouth to work! It autosaved before gonig into a door
so i could reload that, but everytime i try the door its still
buggered! i had to give up an divine intervention myself home. An
that really sucked as i havnt found a bit in morrowind with quite to
many creatures as yet, and is was great fun. I i didnt think i would
screw up installing another mod, id ask for suggestions of mods out
there that are like it!
Post Extras: |
| Grizzly_UK |
| Disciple |
|
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| Reged: 04/21/03 |
| Posts: 1233 |
| Loc: England, UK | |
|
Small bump to
bring this one back from near-death!
--------------------
True friends are few and far between
so cherish the friends you have!
Morrowind GOTY for PC
owner!
Mod Installation Tutorial by Grumpy
Post Extras: |
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Quote:
Small bump to bring this one back from near-death!
For those who may not have
noticed, this thread is now linked from the pinned "Welcome to the
Mod forums - Read this first!" post at the top of the forum. (Just
have to ask the right person. 
)
So lately I've been telling people to look in the "How do I
install mods?" section of that post, rather than keeping track of a
direct link to this thread.
Who knows: maybe some of the
people I refer to a pinned post will remember to look at the pinned
posts next time they have a question! 
By
the way: could somebody explain what a readme file is for? 
Post Extras: |
| Grumpy |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 08/02/02 |
| Posts: 1590 |
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Thank you Mr.
Thinkum!!
--------------------
Grumpy
My
mods
Post Extras: |
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ehh..i read
only partially part of this thread..woulda read more,, but i got
stuff to do. anyways..a while ago i posted a how to install mods
visual aid... only got..like 20 replies...but o well..guess u have
to be known.. for anyone to actaully use it... but from some of the
replies ive seen, im guessing u made a good explanation...any hoot.
hope this thing gets pinned like you were saying at beggining of
your post.
--------------------
"We rode on the winds of
the rising storm,
We ran to the sounds of the thunder.
We
danced among the ligtning bolts,
and tore the world asunder."
Lady Moiraine's Forum
Post Extras: |
| Iudmin |
| Curate |
|
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| Reged: 03/14/03 |
| Posts: 560 |
| Loc: London | |
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Quote:
Quote:
DO NOT SAVE AND THEN SHUT THE GAME DOWN!.
oops! i think thats why i
cannot get Firemouth to work! It autosaved before gonig into a
door so i could reload that, but everytime i try the door its
still buggered! i had to give up an divine intervention myself
home. An that really sucked as i havnt found a bit in morrowind
with quite to many creatures as yet, and is was great fun. I i
didnt think i would screw up installing another mod, id ask for
suggestions of mods out there that are like it!
I had that problem with
Firemoth! It's not one of the doors in the underground tunnels is
it?
That was my first real lesson on how to load a mod,
trying to find and rearrange that error. I can't remember what I
actually did, though.
--------------------
Tonight the
moon is a desklamp
The world is a page
Wardrobe bulging with
bones
And bills I haven't paid
Ever feel like a sailor
who just swallowed a sea?
I better leave before I
be
a happy zombie...
Post Extras: |
| Grizzly_UK |
| Disciple |
|
|
| Reged: 04/21/03 |
| Posts: 1233 |
| Loc: England, UK | |
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Quote:
Quote:
Small bump to bring this one back from near-death!
For those who may not have
noticed, this thread is now linked from the pinned "Welcome to the
Mod forums - Read this first!" post at the top of the forum. (Just
have to ask the right person.
)
So lately I've been telling people to look in the "How do
I install mods?" section of that post, rather than keeping track
of a direct link to this thread.
Who knows: maybe some of
the people I refer to a pinned post will remember to look at the
pinned posts next time they have a question!
By
the way: could somebody explain what a readme file is for?
While it is indeed good news
that this thread is now linked from the pinned "Welcome to the Mod
forums - Read this first!" post at the top of the forum and
therefore makes it easier to explain to people where to look for an
explanation of mod installation, it would appear that some people
either don't bother reading the pinned threads or don't actually
bother clicking the links in the pinned threads until they're told
to!
--------------------
True friends are few and far
between so cherish the friends you have!
Morrowind GOTY for
PC owner!
Mod Installation Tutorial by Grumpy
Post Extras: |
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This thread is
godly. I have already discovered the answer to several of my
questions and I'm just reading through this at work. Great job guys.
*runs to re-install mannequins mod*
I do have a question
for you, when using zipgenious to extract files, if it places files
in other folders, is there any way to tell them apart from the
origanal files? I went through and (thought I) deleted all my plug
ins to I could start from scratch. I didn't occur to me that there
could be stray files running around. In this case, would it behoove
me to just copy my non-mod using save files and delete and
re-install the whole game?
As part of the tutorial, I've
only downloaded a dozen mods, but I've already run into a problem.
TO THE MODDERS: Make sure you give your Read-me and origanol name. I
have three read-mes called, get this, "readme." Confusing as you can
imagine.
Post Extras: |
| zahratustra |
| Disciple |
|
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| Reged: 05/12/03 |
| Posts: 1835 |
| Loc: London, England | |
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*BUMP* 
--------------------
"You know, said Paul, it's probably
the worst idea since somebody said: "Vote for Bush, he will make a
great president""
Post Extras: |
| zahratustra |
| Disciple |
|
|
| Reged: 05/12/03 |
| Posts: 1835 |
| Loc: London, England | |
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Can we make
this thread sticky??? It will disappear soon and people
(understandably) keep asking the same questions over and over
again!!!
--------------------
"You know, said Paul, it's probably
the worst idea since somebody said: "Vote for Bush, he will make a
great president""
Post Extras: |
| Grizzly_UK |
| Disciple |
|
|
| Reged: 04/21/03 |
| Posts: 1233 |
| Loc: England, UK | |
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There is a
link to this thread in the "Welcome to the Mod forums - Read this
first!" thread which is pinned at the top of the forum.
Unfortunately I don't think people are actually reading that thread,
given the number of times that people ask about installing mods etc.
If this thread were to be pinned at the top as well it might help to
reduce the number of posts on this topic!
--------------------
True friends are few and far between
so cherish the friends you have!
Morrowind GOTY for PC
owner!
Mod Installation Tutorial by Grumpy
Post Extras: |
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Nah, I'm not
going to pin it. I don't want to get in a situation where I'm
pinning a bunch of stuff that's "probably" useful to a lot of
people. Then we'll end up with a page of pinned threads like last
time. I linked it in the thread, and I just expanded it with some
general instructions, and moved it up a slot. If people ask, just
refer them to that thread pinned at the top. People are always going
to ask about it no matter what kinds of huge obvious notices I put
up, so best to just grin and bear it and let the topics die once
someone answers it. If it continues to be a big problem, I'll
consider pinning it, but I'd much rather have someone do a single,
nicely organized tutorial on a website somewhere, instead of pinning
a big thread with a ton of different posts for people to read
through.
The best thing to do of course, is to always
include a read me with detailed installation instructions in your
mods. Some people are better at this then others...
Post Extras: |
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Quote:
This thread is godly. I have already discovered the answer to
several of my questions and I'm just reading through this at work.
Great job guys. *runs to re-install mannequins mod*
I do
have a question for you, when using zipgenious to extract files,
if it places files in other folders, is there any way to tell them
apart from the origanal files? I went through and (thought I)
deleted all my plug ins to I could start from scratch. I didn't
occur to me that there could be stray files running around. In
this case, would it behoove me to just copy my non-mod using save
files and delete and re-install the whole game?
As part of
the tutorial, I've only downloaded a dozen mods, but I've already
run into a problem. TO THE MODDERS: Make sure you give your
Read-me and origanol name. I have three read-mes called, get this,
"readme." Confusing as you can imagine.
If I understand your question
correctly, no; there is no easy way to tell what mod put any
particular file into a particular folder. I would suggest that you
keep the original archive file for your plug-ins in a separate
folder. That way if you need to reinstall it, you have it somewhere
handy. I also rename the "Read Me" files to something unique and
move them all into into yet another folder (this one I keep on my
desktop) for quick reference.
Post
Extras: |
| zahratustra |
| Disciple |
|
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| Reged: 05/12/03 |
| Posts: 1835 |
| Loc: London, England | |
|
I understand
the dangers of "overpinning" kathode but it IS Mods Section and can
you think about a more important topic than "How to install your
mods sucessfully"????
--------------------
"You know,
said Paul, it's probably the worst idea since somebody said: "Vote
for Bush, he will make a great president""
Post Extras: |
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Thank You so
much i feel so stupid now 
"big yellow boxes"!
--------------------
As it
moved, the wurm's spines gathered up bits of flowstone, which took
the shapes of dead villagers' heads. Each head spoke a single sound,
but if taken together, they said,"Alas for the living."
Post Extras: |
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its an ok
topic, unfortunatly, some modders,like myself, are having far more
complicated issues, that seem to require programming degrees to
figure out.
see my recent post for example!:
http://www.elderscrolls.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=2018399&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=14&fpart=1
just
a recommendation for all us forum users...let's stop adding [posts]
to the helpful and pinned tutorials because it takes forever to find
the actual info when you're wading through gobs of ..."Good JOB
man!! totally helpful post/tutorial/topic/info whatever...blah blah
i did this blah and it worked too yah for me!!"
lol
see what i
mean? i hope lots of folks see this so the word gets around. Posting
is fine, of course, for regular stuff but hard to read though on the
pinned topics/tutorials.
yes
i realize i have just added to this tutorial..heh heh....shaddup
Post Extras: |
| oldie |
| Curate |
|
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| Reged: 10/24/03 |
| Posts: 625 |
| Loc: Drow City | |
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Well done,
Grumpy, Dinkum and others!!
This should be standard bed-time
reading for all newcomers to the world of modding (would have saved
me a whole lot of time if it had been around when I started)! 
--------------------
You can see more
of my Avatar and her friends behind DOOM_DOOR <---link!
Post Extras: |
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Just gonna
bump this one quickly maybe ask for it to be pinned?
Post Extras: |
Umrahel |
| Sheep Extraordinaire |
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| Reged: 08/05/02 |
| Posts: 22704 |
| Loc: North of the equator
| |
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There is no
need in bumping this thread. It's already been incorporated in this sticky thread at the top of the forum.
--------------------
I may be
lying
Samurai Bunnies
Morrowind Chat
Post Extras: |
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Ah yes of
course sorry.
Edited by BigDes (01/31/04 09:23
AM)
Post Extras: |
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Deleted
Edited by Umrahel (02/01/04 04:10
PM)
Post Extras: |
| MotokiMO |
| Diviner |
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| Reged: 09/05/03 |
| Posts: 2910 |
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Bumping this
in honor of Grumpy and because it's still very much needed. If
there's only one thread here that should be pinned, IMO it's this
one.
--------------------
Bladman86: "Why thank
you
I'm mainly looking for opinions of agreement"
Post Extras: |
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This should
help everyone
--------------------
What Is Up My Homie G
Dog / Pie Slice?
Post Extras: |
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great tutorial
--------------------
http://www.cuneo.us/tesmw/browse.php?dir=scifiguy52
<- my pictures
Realm of the Damned thread
Post Extras: |
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How do I get
my Pack Guar to work? I saved it in my data files in
morrowind.
It won't show up!
--------------------
I AM A GAMER GIRL
Post Extras: |
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Ok im gonna
seem like a nOOb posting on this thread but: I transferred all the
files correctly and im still getting those BYB's!
(Im not
going to say the real word cos u all know what it means)
AND:
I cant drag and drop the modded items into the TES render window
from the Object list. help me.....
Me = Teh n00b
--------------------
Post
Extras: |
| Egghead |
| Novice |
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| Reged: 05/27/03 |
| Posts: 34 |
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Wife out of
town + week off of work + Morrowind + Good Skooma pipe = A Good
Week.
Except installing mods is problematic at times, enough
so that I'm going to wind up reinstalling MW & Tribunal (and
going out to get Bloodmoon so I'm up-to-date enough to install every
mod I possibly can, and mebbe even finish the damn game once and for
all; something I rarely do.)
A couple of gripes are:
- Lack of organization with mods - I don't really know what is
and isn't going to work with each other, what are really good mods
to dl & install (still doing much reading & dl'ing and
have found good info here and elsewhere.)
- File formats. .exe, .ace, .rar, .zip - Good God. I'd rather
see .zip all the way around but that's just me... At least I
haven't seen any .tar.gz extensions [yet]. Heh.
- README files. Do I need to say more? Well okay then, I will.
I'm willing to help anyone write or update a README. One nice
thing to include would be a 'this is a total conversion mod and
not designed to work with anything else'. Meh. Plus an inventory
of files and desired placements instead of 'extract to Data Files'
and an apology that you haven't tested the mod out very well.
Known bugs would be nice, too. (IMO making a mod is not a 'fire
and forget' process.)
- Plug-in descriptions. I have a couple that list nothing in the
description in the MW launcher/plugin addition (Data Files?)
section. Instant candidates for removal.
Okay,
sorry, had to do it. Part of the problem is ignorance on my part;
Bethesda did a fantastic job on the game & TESCS or else there
wouldn't be so many mods out there. IMO the sheer amount of work
done by the community makes it a top 5 all-time game. Eternal thanks
to the devs, and eternal gratitude to the community for the hard
work that I *know* I'm going to enjoy as soon as I get going on
this. About half of the mods work, mostly the official mods and a
few others (Abu Manor comes to mind. Fantastic, beautiful house.
Needs a smithy.)
My problem is mainly ignorance/n00bishness,
this thread helps a little; I think I'm resigned to extracting the
mods and then copying files one-by-one to their desired directories.
Egads. I've gone through several different philosophies about how to
properly install a mod and still don't know if I'm completely right.
IMO the proper way to do it would be to have a mod folder in 'Data
Files' that contains all textures/icons/etc. and then the .esp (or
.esm) file in the 'Data Files' folder as well. That way nothing
would ever be overwritten. Hopefully I can get this sorted; this
thread helps a *little* and thanks for the effort. The beautiful
thing about being a n00b with MW mods is that in essence, I get to
experience something like two years of additional development done
by hundreds-if not thousands--of 'developers'. Not to mention the
addition of Tribunal and Bloodmoon. This week is going to KICK ASS.
My wife is going to KICK MY ASS when she gets back and sees that
absolutely nothing was done around the house except to wear a groove
in my extra-large mousepad. Such is life.
So please confirm
just one thing for me. When installing a mod, is the most reliable
way to do it by hand? By that I mean extracting the files, then
moving them one-by-one to their destination folders? 'One-by-one'
doesn't mean single files, but like copying (for example) a
'Textures/z' folder to 'Data Files/Textures', or else copying
everything inside the 'z' folder if a 'z' folder already exists in
'Data Files/Textures'. Get what I'm saying?
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Yer making it
too complicated man!
take it from somone who's actually had the
game for about 2 years but has yet to actually start a real game
(past level 5) because i've spent MANY man hours just messing around
with the mods to make them work/rework/erase/start over/give up/
come back to again/download the newest version etc etc...i'm talking
about over 200 mods. anyways
the thing i do with the zip (or any
other for that matter) file is look to see in the far right column
if it has a designated folder/path to go to, and not either blank,
or a bunch of numbers (.rar files somtimes have these). if the
destinations are there in your zip window, just do what the readme
says, i usually just [Ctrl A for "all"-within the zip window] then
extract to, manually find the data files folder (in the drop-down
explorer) and they should overwrite within that folder. your path
should be saved in the drop down list of destination folders the
next time you do this. if its a textures only mod, just extract and
find your textures folder and do the same.
one thing i've done
too is make a seperate folder within data files called "READ ME"
where i manual put all the readme files, but i delete the prefix
"readme..."so that i can easily find the doc i'm looking for.
example:
"Balmora House2.txt; PainInTheAssMod V3.doc"
-another
thing is be careful with texture only stuff like "Visual
pack"/"Landscape remix" for though they are great advances, i am
having probs with mixing/matching/overlapping ground and tree
textures. therfore ALWAYS make a back up of your textures folder and
keep it somwhere safe in case you want to go back.
i would be
glad to help with any other questions/concerns, but i am no
proffesor, i have many questions of my own...!
Good Luck!
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Best modding
tutorial ive seen in weeks!!
Post Extras:
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| Ronin49 |
| Disciple |
|
|
| Reged: 03/08/04 |
| Posts: 1792 |
| Loc: Canada | |
|
Grumpy and
everyone else - good to see this re-version circulating again.
Pinned would be good.
I agree: it is not about
culpability. Nor are the following comments meant as criticism.
[Hey, I am a GRATEFUL 'user'
]
Some modders make readmes that tell you what you need to
know, including the files involved. This matters.
If you read
lots of the 'other' readmes you will perhaps acknowledge why some
folk perhaps do not pay as much attention to them as they
might.
There is a corollary here.
I see some wonderful
mods all snaffled up on release and re-release and patch and
re-re-re-release and never having a readme that goes beyond
'cutsie'.
While not meaning to detract from the intent of
Grumpy's thread here at all, which I entirely agree with, I wondered
if there were tutorials for:
- writing a useful readme
file
- how to release your mod
Most folk are neither
stupid nor lazy. They need education , yes. And people here by the
way do that very well.
They also need the initial support you
can give them as modders - a comprehensive readme file and a smooth
release. There are excellent examples around.
--------------------
"And to everyone seeing naked and
headless people, READ THE README!!! It's the answer to all your
troubles." Neoptolemus
Mythic Mods
----> Starting Out With Mods, Telesphoros' List o'Mods,
Ronin49's Lists & Links, Theme Mod Lists.
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I too am glad
that this thread is cruising near the surface, if for no other
reason than to see if any new tips have been posted. However, now
that I've played the game for a while I think the tutorial is too
short.
What I think needs to be added is discussion and
explanation of what I've come to think of as "the fine art of
installing and running a large number of mods." In trying to teach
myself how to assemble a much larger Morrowind eperience, I have
learned that there is: hugo's list leveler, tesfaith, tespcdv,
testool, and a java program that will let me reorder plugins. Now, I
have some technical savy, but when the rubber meets road, I'm still
just a former poly sci major at heart.
So, I would
appreciate, and I suspect many others would also, anyone who would
build on what Grumpy has done, and describe how to successfully
build a larger Morrowind experience. Thanks
Post Extras: |
| Elyod |
| Layman |
|
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| Reged: 04/29/04 |
| Posts: 1 |
| Loc: Harrisonburg, VA, USA
| |
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I am a noobie
to Morrowind and have done a couple of auto-installs for mods and
one of them loaded into the wrong folders...this helped me get
everything working...THANKS!!!!
Post Extras: |
| Ronin49 |
| Disciple |
|
|
| Reged: 03/08/04 |
| Posts: 1792 |
| Loc: Canada | |
|
I think
Chief_Kilchis makes an excellent point, though it goes beyond the
intent of Grumpy's excellent tutorial.
Yes, not knowing how
to do a good install is a major hurdle to mod use and one that most
of us encounter at the start. And pretty frustrating for the authors
of mods, I would imagine. A big initial problem - but for most
people, I would guess, a one time problem.
More difficult is
the challenge of running a large number of mods together. Some
people have lots of experience with this and are very helpful when
the issues crop up. But it would be extremely useful IMHO were some
one to capture that knowledge and experience and make it available
to all in a tutorial like that suggested.
--------------------
"And to everyone seeing naked and
headless people, READ THE README!!! It's the answer to all your
troubles." Neoptolemus
Mythic Mods
----> Starting Out With Mods, Telesphoros' List o'Mods,
Ronin49's Lists & Links, Theme Mod Lists.
Post Extras: |
| Lord_Sauron |
| Initiate |
|
|
| Reged: 04/18/04 |
| Posts: 73 |
| Loc: Mount Doom | |
|
THANK YOU
--------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
"One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them. One Ring to
bring them all and in the darkness bind them. I need as many
modelers as i can get. Check here.
Post Extras: |
| Tyrian |
| Curate |
|
![]()
|
| Reged: 06/08/04 |
| Posts: 463 |
| Loc: Earth | |
|
There is just
one thing im not sure of, when i downloaded the Eljiit, and
extracted it, it came up as Eljiit.exe . . . Am i just suppose to
run that and follow the installation?
--------------------
"Damn the broccoli, damn you, and
damn the wright brothers!"
-Stewie
Post Extras: |
| Vitonli |
| Initiate |
|
|
| Reged: 06/10/04 |
| Posts: 53 |
| |
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Still dont get
the .Rar folders?
--------------------
- I Am the Grandmaster -
- I
am the thinker-
- I know all-
- LvL 232 -
Post Extras: |
|
|
|
As Grumpy
mentioned on earlier in the thread;
Quote:
There are three typical formats that a mod will come in: .zip,
.rar, .ace. You WILL need a suitable decompressor program to
decompress the mod
Windows XP & WinZip will
handle zip files natively, but you'll need to download a different
program in order to 'unzip' other formats like .rar, .ace
etc.
Many people on this forum recommend ZipGenius, though I use WinRAR myself.
Post Extras: |
|
|
|
What does
"font 0 not found" etc.. blah mean? I get this when I try to start
Morrowind now after I plugged in the Metal Queen business.
Post Extras: |
| feng |
| Disciple |
|
|
| Reged: 05/02/04 |
| Posts: 1248 |
| Loc: thirsk | |
|
yes now i can
add some mods.
--------------------
my pictures
My Screenshots
[IMG]http://www.members.lycos.co.uk/butcheri/theonceforce.jpg[/IMG]
Post Extras: |
| feng |
| Disciple |
|
|
| Reged: 05/02/04 |
| Posts: 1248 |
| Loc: thirsk | |
|
when i unzip
the files do i unzip the folder or the objects themselves for
example: i have a textures folder do i take that folder and stuff it
in the textures part of the data files. Or would i go into that
texture folder take out all the files and put them in the textures
data files?
--------------------
my pictures
My Screenshots
[IMG]http://www.members.lycos.co.uk/butcheri/theonceforce.jpg[/IMG]
Post Extras: |
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Every single
mod I've ever downloaded has had subdirectories in the archive, so I
can just unzip it to my Data Files directory and everything goes
where it should. I notice that this is an old thread, so is this
kind of packaging a new trend?
Post
Extras: |
| Chile_ |
| Initiate |
|
![]()
|
| Reged: 06/23/04 |
| Posts: 84 |
| Loc: Texas Bitch! | |
|
yellow boxes!
Ahh! What do I do now?
Post Extras: |
| Ronin49 |
| Disciple |
|
|
| Reged: 03/08/04 |
| Posts: 1792 |
| Loc: Canada | |
|
Quote:
yellow boxes! Ahh! What do I do now?
Reinstall - following the tutorial to
get files in the correct folders.
--------------------
"And to everyone seeing naked and
headless people, READ THE README!!! It's the answer to all your
troubles." Neoptolemus
Mythic Mods
----> Starting Out With Mods, Telesphoros' List o'Mods,
Ronin49's Lists & Links, Theme Mod Lists.
Post Extras: |
| Chile_ |
| Initiate |
|
![]()
|
| Reged: 06/23/04 |
| Posts: 84 |
| Loc: Texas Bitch! | |
|
by that u mean
delete those files and do it over again by downloading them?
Post Extras: |
| Chile_ |
| Initiate |
|
![]()
|
| Reged: 06/23/04 |
| Posts: 84 |
| Loc: Texas Bitch! | |
|
hello?
Post Extras: |
| Chile_ |
| Initiate |
|
![]()
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| Reged: 06/23/04 |
| Posts: 84 |
| Loc: Texas Bitch! | |
|
*bump*
Post Extras: |
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When I extract
files to folders and subfolders... what if i get a 'will you
overwrite this file' bla bla bla? Yes?
Post Extras: |
| Ronin49 |
| Disciple |
|
|
| Reged: 03/08/04 |
| Posts: 1792 |
| Loc: Canada | |
|
Snofjol -
Click <Yes>.
--------------------
"And to everyone
seeing naked and headless people, READ THE README!!! It's the answer
to all your troubles." Neoptolemus
Mythic Mods
----> Starting Out With Mods, Telesphoros' List o'Mods,
Ronin49's Lists & Links, Theme Mod Lists.
Post Extras: |
| stupid_kangaroo |
| Initiate |
|
|
| Reged: 07/15/04 |
| Posts: 67 |
| Loc: somewhere under a rock beside another
rock beside a tree close to a town filled with lots of town
bosses | |
|
um...........sorry if someone already answered this but,
where do the .kf files go?
Post Extras: |
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Extensions are
usually three letters (i.e. .nif, .bmp, .doc) and I've not heard of
a .kf file type ever.
What mod are you trying to install
that has a file with this ".kf" extension?
Post Extras: |
| stupid_kangaroo |
| Initiate |
|
|
| Reged: 07/15/04 |
| Posts: 67 |
| Loc: somewhere under a rock beside another
rock beside a tree close to a town filled with lots of town
bosses | |
|
I THINK ITS A
MESH THING...oops all caps.........it was in the meshes folder, so
it should be a mesh....if its not i'll figure it out
Post Extras: |
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Quote:
um...........sorry if someone already answered this but,
where do the .kf files go?
If I remember right, .kf files
are related to animations. They go into the same folder as the .nif
file with the same name.
I.e., "XWyvern.kf" would go into the
same folder as "XWyvern.nif".
Post Extras:
|
| stupid_kangaroo |
| Initiate |
|
|
| Reged: 07/15/04 |
| Posts: 67 |
| Loc: somewhere under a rock beside another
rock beside a tree close to a town filled with lots of town
bosses | |
|
yea........i
just figured that out .........thanks
for replying,,,,,,,,lots of nice people these days
Post Extras: |
| I_See |
| Acolyte |
|
|
| Reged: 07/23/04 |
| Posts: 126 |
| |
|
As a long-time
player just recently braving the use of "unofficial plug-ins", I
have been too nervous about dickering around with the Data Files
folder. Very appreciative to all the effort you have put into this
thread... getting braver.....................
Post Extras: |
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bump
--------------------
Be not
afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.
Chinese Proverb
Post Extras: |
| Juggalo0504 |
| Acolyte |
|
![]()
|
| Reged: 06/30/04 |
| Posts: 122 |
| Loc: Wisconsin | |
|
Quote:
bump
was it really needed?
--------------------
Member of the Orcarina of Time Mod
Team WIP Thread
My Screens
Post
Extras: |
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