Hello,

We're starting up a group created mod at my school. We have multiple designers and programmers so I'm wonder what the best work flow might be with multiple people working on the same mod.

Should we use something like subversion for version control (does that even work with the creation kit?) or do we pretty much need to copy the file to whoever is going to work on it?

I'm trying to figure out if there are ways for people to create objects, cells, quests, etc and be able to import those into the same mod files.

Does anyone have experience working in groups that can lend some insight to this?

Thank you so much!

Hello!

Then you'll be needing to look at this: http://www.creationkit.com/Version_control

... and then you'll be wishing you hadn't had to ... but you'll get it sorted

(so just a central contact does the merging/distributing, you don't need to have a "live" network ...)



Have fun (after that bit ^^^^^^^^^^^)

h4vent's given you the important link. Some other tips I'd add:

When you merge, it isn't just the esm that gets changed. The esps you're merging do, and so do the associated scripts. So before you start a merge make backups of your esps, esm, scripts folder and Merging folder (the one the Version Control instructions above tell you to make). That way if anything goes wrong you can back out.

For the same reason, make sure people send you their extra files, particularly scripts, as well as their esps when you merge. Dialogue and quest scripts in particular need to be present on merging because they have their filenames changed.

Make sure people realize that they /must/ use the latest master, and hand in their esps when needed, or they will lose their work - they can't hope to fix things afterwards.

Remember that when you've done the last merge, you still haven't finished, until the esm in the Merging folder has been copied to your Data folder (the CK will offer to do this for you when you load the file again).

To make sure I'm getting the general concept before I dive into testing the details, the work flow would basically be one person holds the master file. In this case there would be "check point" type dates where that person would get all of the ESP and associated files (dialogue, scripts, etc) from the people who are working on them. Those people would stop working on their files until the one person merged the esps into one ESM.

Then the ESM gets handed out to everyone and they work from the esps in that esm file?

Also, if a esp file is done being worked on, the final version of that wouldnt need to be remerged, correct? I mean it would stay in the esm file once its been merged, or does the merging get redone everytime you do it? Meaning you would need every esp, everytime you merged?

Thank you for the quick responses

Also keep your eyes on the http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1386694-wipz-tesvgecko/ tool, it is still in beta but they are beginning to test some mod-merging functionality.

Yes, one person would get the merged files. And after sending in their esps, no one should work on anything else until they've received the new master. (So it's good to arrange a time for the merge when other people couldn't be working on the mod - time zone differences can be handy.)

And yes, the merged esm absorbs the esps. When a merge is complete all the esps can be deleted. (Though I like to keep a backup folder of esps,scripts, and their matching esm version, so that I could revert.) Everyone should start with a new esp with each new version of the esm.

Hmm.. So they load up the esm data, and set a new active plugin once they have the updated esm.

And if there are changes to be made in the content of the old esps, after the esps have been merged, you simply start up the esm without loading any of the plugins, since they would be there, and create a new esp that would later be merged again?

If you pass the esm off to someone, do they need the supporting files or are those merged in as well? (scripts, dialogue views, custom models)

Sorry for asking lots of questions, but since its going to be a pretty important part of the process and you all are willing to help I figure its better to understand it as much as possible.

I really appreciate the help!

Yes to the first question.

On supporting files: they will only need them if they're going to use them, but for scripts that includes understanding them. For example if they want to make something in their own quests conditional on some stage of another quest, they won't be able to see what the other quest's stages are doing unless they have the source to those. So I think sharing everything is best (it means you have more backups, as well).

Rule 1 is don't f ... up

Submit by 18:00 UTC, every Wednesday or before (or whenever). Don't anyone work on the ESP after submission (they can delete those having archived and backed up ). Merge at 18:01. Distribute. Everyone starts CK and loads the Master(s) and starts a NEW ESP file.

Rinse and repeat ...



And. No, everything should be in the ESM (script source, but that's eaiser to share - for help - via email!). Custom textures or models would need a bit of project management. reading replies above, go with everything then ... those people done more team stuff than me

We managed to get merging working in general but with a few quirks.

Right now it appears that the world terrain that we modifed won't merge properly. The terrain is unaltered in the new ESM after merging the ESP where it was altered. I did the action where you edit the hex code of the Skyrim.esm to "enable" it according to a guide.

Does anyone know how to fix this problem? We'd like to be able to get our terrain into the ESM file.

Did you do it to any other masters, like Update.esm, as well?