I have Skyrim on my Gaming PC, and laptop for modding. I was working on it and testing it out on my laptop, but when I tested it on my gaming computer (even though it has worked in a previous version) the new version will not allow me to start the dialogue with the NPC on my gaming computer.

I've tried:
Reinstalling Skyrim
Checking Scripts
Checking quest set to startup and start at stage 0
Checked my stage in game, it was 0
Checking sounds

I am completely out of ideas and it does not make sense that it would run on one computer and not the other. Are there common reasons why this would happen?

For what it's worth, I use the same setup, and haven't had any problems. Do you have debugging turned on, on the gaming system? Anything useful in the Papyrus logs? Have you tried adding debugging messages at useful points?

Common reasons for a mod working on one computer but not another might include that all the assets weren't packed (do not rely on the CK's built-in archiver to correctly identify all files that need to be packed); using a dirty save with still-running scripts from an older version of the mod; hard-coding form IDs based on a mod's load order; mismatched Skyrim versions on the different computers; interference from changes made by some other mod that's only on the gaming system; differences in the game situation causing an NPC to not fill an alias or to have blocking topics from another quest....

Are you starting from a Saved-Game on the gaming computer?

If you are, try starting Skyrim (game) then at the Main Menu COC to any cell you like - so you have definately started a New Game - and then see if it works

I'll try using the debugging, thanks!

I've tried using a new save game after the reinstall, and since my laptop is just used for modding, it doesn't contain any mods, so after finding out it didn't work, I tried copying the entire scripts folder, entire sounds folder, even the DialogueViews folder - I can't imagine that I can be missing anything. I tried doing a test quest with that NPC and the test worked, so it's some issue with that quest. Both computers were brought up to beta 1.6.

What is hard-coding form id's based on a mod's load order? I don't know if I have done that.

What really irritates me is how the files are all spread out in creation kit, and not very well named - I have to name them all myself (like the fragments), but if I forget for one, it's very easy to lose it. I wish there was an easier way to pack my mod - I never did the archiver. Maybe I should try that just to see if it helps at all.

I can think of no reason, other than saved games, for why a bit of dialogue would display on one machine, but not another.

I can think of lots of things that are more complicated than dialogue ... like a new model, or something ... that would mean all of the bits and pieces must be installed identically on both machines ... But not dialogue.

(Sorry I can't help ... just doesn't make a lot of sense)

The http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1345130-having-papyrus-trouble-here-are-some-things-to-try/to the top of this forum has good information about how to enable debugging and such. Without knowing specifics of your quest it's difficult to suggest what exactly to test for, but often folks try displaying debug messages when a quest starts, a message with the contents of any reference alias if you're using them, you may be able to test in Papyrus for any relevant dialogue conditions and spit out a message if they are true or false, etc.


Basically don't ever use Game.GetForm() to get content created by your own mod.


In File > Preferences > Scripts you can define a "prefix" that all your fragments will be given (well, all the ones after you define the prefix; you'll need to regenerate the existing fragments if you want them to have the prefix, too). You can then sort the scripts directory by filename to group your scripts together (assuming you use the same prefix on any scripts you create by hand).

The archiver built into the CK is a mess, it often doesn't include necessary files. There is also an http://www.creationkit.com/Archive.exe that does a better job.

Thanks for the help! I will be trying this out tonight And thank you, thank you for the tip about prefixing the scripts - that will help so much. And thanks for the link with the better BSA archiver

Will update on progress, and resolution (hopefully!).

Tried archiving with no luck - I am going to do the prefixes and rebuild the quests from scratch so that I don't miss any and they aren't corrupted or anything. And iteratively save.