Elder Scrolls Forum: Dirty saves: Causes and Cures

Some more tips on avoiding dirty saves:

The basic cause of dirty saves is changing a mod after it's already included in your saved game.

When you're developing mods, the easiest way to avoid dirty save problems is to always test your mod using a clean saved game: a save game made before you first added the mod to the game.

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One approach:

Do all your mod testing with a brand-new character straight off the ship, created with no mods of any type installed. Run through the character creation process (with no mods installed), and save the new character as soon as you walk out into Seyda Neen.

Name the save something you'll recognize (<Test character at start> or whatever suits you). It's a good idea to make a backup of the save game (.ess) file in case you overwrite or delete the save by accident.

Now, any time you want to test a mod, load your test character using that saved game.

Remember NOT to save the game with the mod you're testing loaded (or at least don't overwrite your test save) since that will leave you with a dirty save. (That's why I recommend making a backup copy of the save; avoids having to redo character creation if you mess up the test save.)

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Since this will be just a first level character, you'll probably want to buff them up and give them some better equipment, etc. before charging off to test your mods.

I use a global script to boost my test character's skills and attributes, and to give her some decent equipment. I have the script in my 'DT_SuperCharTest.esp' file, which I enable along with the mod I'm testing.

Once I'm in the game, I just open up the console and run the script to give my character a nice boost so she's ready for almost anything.

Here's part of the script I use; I left out some lines that give the character unique items I have in my test mod. You can use this as is, or as a starting point for your own script that adds your personal choices of equipment, etc.:

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Begin DT_SuperChar

;A script to boost stats and enhance the equipment of test characters,
; for easier testing of mods.

;Script can be run from the in-game console,
; by using 'StartScript, DT_SuperChar'

player -> SetStrength, 100
player -> SetIntelligence, 100
player -> SetWillpower, 100
player -> SetAgility, 100
player -> SetSpeed, 100
player -> SetEndurance, 100
player -> SetLuck, 100
player -> SetPersonality, 100

player -> SetHealth, 1000
player -> SetFatigue, 1000
player -> SetMagicka, 1000

player -> SetLongBlade, 100
player -> SetLightArmor, 100
player -> SetArmorer, 100
player -> SetHeavyArmor, 100
player -> SetMediumArmor, 100
player -> SetAxe, 100
player -> SetSpear, 100
player -> SetShortBlade, 100
player -> SetBluntWeapon, 100
player -> SetUnarmored, 100
player -> SetHandToHand, 100
player -> SetMarksman, 100
player -> SetAthletics, 100
player -> SetAcrobatics, 100
player -> SetSpeechcraft, 100
player -> SetMercantile, 100
player -> SetIllusion, 100
player -> SetDestruction, 100
player -> SetSneak, 100
player -> SetConjuration, 100
player -> SetMysticism, 100
player -> SetAlteration, 100
player -> SetEnchant, 100
player -> SetAlchemy, 100
player -> SetSecurity, 100
player -> SetRestoration, 100
player -> SetBlock, 100

player -> AddItem, "glass_helm", 1
player -> AddItem, "glass_cuirass", 1
player -> AddItem, "glass_pauldron_left", 1
player -> AddItem, "glass_pauldron_right", 1
player -> AddItem, "glass_bracer_left", 1
player -> AddItem, "glass_bracer_right", 1
player -> AddItem, "glass_greaves", 1
player -> AddItem, "glass_boots", 1

player -> AddItem, "daedric dai-katana", 1
player -> AddItem, "daedric long bow", 1
player -> AddItem, "daedric arrow", 100

player -> AddItem, "amulet of mark", 1
player -> AddItem, "amulet of recall", 1
player -> AddItem, "amulet of divine intervention", 1
player -> AddItem, "amulet of almsivi intervention", 1

player -> AddItem, "Gold_001", 10000

player -> AddItem, "skeleton_key", 20
player -> AddItem, "probe_secretmaster", 20

player -> AddItem, "repair_secretmaster_01", 20

;Use the above 'AddItem' lines as examples for giving your test
; character other equipment you might find handy.

StopScript, DT_SuperChar

End DT_SuperChar

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In the script I use, I also add several unique items I created in the Construction Set. I ommitted those lines from the above version.

The unique items I created for my test mod have enchantments like Constant Effect Restore Health, Restore Fatigue, Levitation, Water Breathing and Swift Swim, etc., and Cast When Used Cure Poison, Cure Disease, Restore Strength, Open, etc. All of which come in handy for my test character.

You could create your own unique items, or just give your test character items that already exist in the Construction Set.

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For large, complex mods, starting each in-game test from scratch with a clean save every time you make changes to the mod often isn't practical. But I would recommend at least doing your final test runs, after the mod is completed, from a clean save to make sure you don't have any dirty save problems that can compromise your testing.

We had a discussion about the problems involved in testing large mods without dirty save problems in a forum thread last year, and I may try to summarize that discussion for a later post in this thread. But that will have to wait until I find a round tuit.

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How to avoid the most common problem encountered by new modders: Dirty Saves: Causes and Cures

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