Title says it all. Without the world editor, how is this possible? If you know how, please inform me.

Thanks.

http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/images/110-1-1321173689.png, but it only works to a limited extent as it's not ready for Skyrim's new record types/definitions.

Or TESsnip from http://www.newvegasnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=36901

It works on a lower level than FNVEdit and is better suited to edit unknown stuff.

We are not afraid.

Thanks guys. What content is TESsnip suitable for? Until we know ... time for experiments.

Everything, it just presents the file structure and known flags, you can edit new groups and entries, move entries from one group to another (e.g. STAT=>ACTI) and all kinds of other stuff. It shows flags that are known and leaves unknown stuff alone. It's one level above a hex editor and one level below FNVEdit.

Looking at the update.esm in TESsnip ... it seems full of magic effects, racial abilities, etc.

Still mystified as to why it does not show up on the launcher as something to be activated.

The text "update.esm" is hardcoded in TESV.EXE next to "*.esm" and "*.esp". Seems like the launcher uses the routines from the main exe.

So instead of doing a binary patch of Skyrim.esm or sending us a new one, they're simply updating a hardcoded plugin.

I am using TESsnip, but running into a problem. I,
1) open the main .esm
2) make some changes
3) save as an esp
but it's 337mb.

Cleaning records etc... has no effect. Ideas?

You need to create a new ESP and copy the stuff from one to the other, or delete everything you didn't change.

1. Use File / New to create a "new plugin"
2. Copy / paste the records you changed to the new plugin (Select the record in the ESM, press Ctrl+C, select "New plugin", press Ctrl+V)
3. Use Spells / Sanitze to create proper groups
4. Save the new plugin.

If you change new Skyrim specific entries that TESsnip doesn't know yet, you need to create the groups manually:

1. Select an Empty group in the ESM, (e.g. HAIR)
2. Copy paste that group to the "new plugin" using Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V
3. Double click on the Group and change the "Parent record type" to the type where you did changes (e.g. GMST)
4. Click on Save and then Cancel, (the group's displayed name won't change at once, but it was remained and will be fine when you save and reload the plugin.)
5. Now you can copy / paste your records again, but this time directly into the new group


Actually you don't need the groups, and once the CK is out the ESP will be "sanitized" automatically (At least they were since Morrowind), but even though the system is very tolerant, deliberately using semi-broken plugins is asking for problems.