Ok... I'm a fan of SteamWorks. I like that Bethesda has created a way for us to share mods easily.

However, I also know we're going to run into some issues. My first issue: ESM files. Are we able to create/upload these? Since only ESPs are editable in the CK, and you have to click on the option in the CK to package it and upload to SteamWorks, is there a way for us to put ESMs on SteamWorks?

Anyone know of a way to do this yet?

I just tried adding esps/esms through the Archive creating part, but it doesn't accept them as valid file types.

Ok... ESPs cannot refer to each other (any references are removed when saved). So ESMs will be necessary for any mod that links to another file. According to the Wiki, the Creation Kit *will not* create ESM files. Which I guess means SteamWorks will not be able to store ESM mods.

This is a problem... There are going to be mods that require ESM files... Can anyone think of a solution (apart from directing people to the Nexus to get the master files)?

Not strictly true about ESP references. ESP files can refer to other ESP files as I've been use that technique for some time using tesvsnip. However the CK will not let you do it so you are only mostly correct as that will only be painful for 99% of modders.

It may be possible to use skyedit/tesvsnip to make the esp a master and release that way but I would guess that would be blocked during the upload as you surmise.

CS, GECKs, and the CK can create bona fide ESM plugins. Make a copy of Plugin.esp, rename the copy Plugin.ESM, open, set as active before the ESM flag is ticked by the editor, save and you've got a Plugin.ESM with its ESM flag ticked. You can upload Plugin.ESM to the Workshop and its ESM flag will still be ticked when subscribed to, but its file extension will be lost in the translation rendering a false flag Plugin.ESP. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=7504 will load early before all other .esp's letting other mods take precedence regardless of its position in one's load order as it is such a plugin.

I wholeheartedly agree that the Workshop should be capable of hosting bona fide ESMs. Unfortunately, for now at least, directing folks to the Nexus really is the only way to get your ESM out there as you intend it to be. I'm probably going to have to do the same with [BORG].ESM as it will invariably have dependent plugins for the DLCs, [borg].esp kills the acronym behind the name.

Another problem your going to find modding with master files is loading them alongside Skyrim.esm in the CK. It will abort.

I haven't had issues with that. I've been running multiple ESMs at the same time.

I was able to have an ESP referencing another ESP go through the upload/download process without it removing all references. Or importing everything from the first esp into the second. The CK will likely do that on any edits. Not an ESM true but still potentially useful.

It did want to pack files from the first esp into the second esp's bsa though I'm guessing I can probably get around that as I did not properly upload the first bsa.

Yeah, it seems that the reference stays until you reload the esp. Helpful for small mods, but for a larger mod you wouldn't want to re-add all the references every time you needed to change something.

Add...

[General]bAllowMultipleMasterLoads=1

...to SkyrimEditor.ini and it will allow multiple bona fide ESMs as masters.

Sadly I predict Workshop will be completely abandoned within the next couple of months from all mod efforts beyond basic house mods unless they add in some basic functionality, like uploading mods that do more than what a single ESP file allows, search features, load order, being able to download mods instead of subscribe, etc.

Cheers. I missed that one.

CK wont load master files. I have just tried loading up the skyrim.esm update.esm plus my own esm. the CK says it cant load too many master files. If thats the case then large worlds are completely fubar.

I loaded my MiddleEarth.esm fine, I did first make it dependant on Skyrim.esm, so maybe that's the difference? And you did enable the bAllowMultipleMasterLoads setting as described above yes?

Ah, no I didnt see the ini tweak. I will sort that now.

How did you convert to esm? and set depenence?

I have created the world in TesAnnwyn (new version for Skyrim) then converted to master using TESIVGecko. What did you do step by step?

I did the same, but afterwards I also loaded Skyrim.esm and MiddleEarth.esm into FNVEdit, and added Skyrim.esm as a Parent Master there.

Just downloaded FV edit but that tells me something fatal has happened (a bit of an exaggeration) that it cant find the registry key for NV. Do I now need Fallout NewVegas? hmmm

This is the error message "Fatal: Could not open registry key: \SOFTWARE\Bethesda Softworks\FalloutNV\"

I am using vista 64 but steam and skyrim are outside the UAC control zone (all are in My Documents so the UAC cant touch them)

Yeah you need FNV installed (or at the least have the registry keys) to run it...

if its anything like tessnip, you should be able to duplicate your tesv and rename it falloutnv

Fabulous, New Vegas is ￡15. Thats game over then, I'm not buying another Bethesda game full stop after this debacle.

tried renaming it, now it wants the fallout ini.

You can also wait until TES5Edit is released, hopefully that won't take too long.

Thats likely to be the way forward. Maegfaer, have you tried loading up the master file without adding dependency? Do you get an error and find the world space wont appear?

I am trying to find where the error is coming from, if it is the dependency issue thats causing it or not.

So far:

l3dt export RAW same as I would Oblivion. Heightmap imports into Oblivion ok without errors.

Run Skyrim version of TESAnnwyn, produces esp. rename esp mesogea.esp

Convert esp to esm in Gecko

Load:

No end of errors come up and the worldspace mesogea isnt there.

Can you show the commandline you used for TesAnnwyn? Because it should work like that... Did you try loading it as non-Active esp without Skyrim.esm?

tesannwyn -i 5 -w mesogea -p 1 -b 16 -d 16384x16384 -x -256 -y -256 -0 -h -8192 mesnew4.raw

thats the commandline.

I have just taken the mesogea.esp that it produced (after re-naming) and tried to load it.

Asks if I want to make it active, no.

Same errors as on loading the master file:

Errors from ini warning

MASTERFILE: ===========================================================
FORMS: TESDataHandler trying to create TESForm for unknown type 'NONE'.
FORMS: Unknown $?_ID in ConstructObject.
MASTERFILE: unrecognized form
Look in the EditorWarnings.txt file for more info.
MASTERFILE: NavmeshInfo 00028e37 has no parent space, ignoring
MASTERFILE: Automatic door 'ShipTrapdoor01MinUseHidden' (00099315) [0 units] in cell 'Wilderness' has its teleport marker too close to the linked door.
MASTERFILE: Errors were encountered during InitItem for reference:

Base: 'ShipTrapdoor01MinUseHidden' (00061435)
Ref: '' (00099315)
Cell: 'Wilderness' (0000967A) (2, -6) in world 'Tamriel' (0000003C)

See Warnings file for more information.
MASTERFILE: Automatic door 'AutoLoadDoor01' (00015E1D) [324 units] in cell 'YngolBarrowExterior' has its teleport marker too close to the linked door.
MASTERFILE: Errors were encountered during InitItem for reference:

Base: 'AutoLoadDoor01' (00031897)
Ref: '' (00015E1D)
Cell: 'YngolBarrowExterior' (0000B452) (38, 11) in world 'Tamriel' (0000003C)

See Warnings file for more information.
MASTERFILE: Automatic door 'AutoLoadDoor01' (0001779F) [125 units] in cell 'KarthwastenExterior03' has its teleport marker too close to the linked door.
MASTERFILE: Errors were encountered during InitItem for reference:

Base: 'AutoLoadDoor01' (00031897)
Ref: '' (0001779F)
Cell: 'KarthwastenExterior03' (0000707A) (-34, 9) in world 'Tamriel' (0000003C)

See Warnings file for more information.
MASTERFILE: Automatic door 'WRShackDoorMinUse01' (0006767F) [48 units] in cell 'WhiterunExterior10' has its teleport marker too close to the linked door.
MASTERFILE: Errors were encountered during InitItem for reference:

Base: 'WRShackDoorMinUse01' (000FE471)
Ref: '' (0006767F)
Cell: 'WhiterunExterior10' (000095DA) (7, -1) in world 'Tamriel' (0000003C)

See Warnings file for more information.

I agree. The Workshop is only really usable for really basic mods at the moment. Anything with multiple versions (Like No NPC Greetings) needs a separate page for each version on the workshop, at least that's what I've understood. Which is impractical.