"Circulated In Skyrim" Core Files (CISCore)

[DatWombat]

"Circulated In Skyrim" Core Files (CISCore)

View File

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This mod is a prerequisite to my “Circulated In Skyrim” (CIS) patches. All up-to-date CIS patches reference CISCore content.

 

*Note* CISCore is only a set of "core files". It will not "circulate" or "distribute" items by itself.

 

What is CIS?
The CIS (or “Circulated In Skyrim”) mods distribute items added by other mods that are otherwise unobtainable in-game without the use of console commands or scary scripts. Many mods that add new items to Skyrim don't make them available to NPCs or lootable objects. The CIS series not only fixes this problem, but it also rebalances and adds new variants of modded items based on vanilla content. In some cases, CIS mods also repair minor bugs present in mod content.

 

What is CISCore?
CISCore is a collection of custom leveled lists (LVLI), object effects (OBJE) and outfit templates (OTFT) that are referenced by other CIS mods (also called "CIS patches"). By having CIS patches use a set of core files, it's possible to perform updates to the CIS series without individually updating every patch. In addition, it makes adding new entries to the CIS series significantly easier, and reduces the likelihood of errors when creating and merging CIS content.

 

What does this mod do, and how so?
In a nutshell, the CIS series replaces items in Skyrim with leveled lists (LVLI), which makes it possible for different items (such as modded content) to be spawned in place of vanilla content. CIS mods override vanilla leveled lists (LVLI) and outfit templates (OTFT) using CIS-leveled lists (LVLI), which contain mod-content. When applicable, CIS mods also add new content (based on mod-content) to CIS-leveled lists, such as enchanted items.

 

Table of Contents

------------------------

Spoiler

- What are CIS Patches?

- What CIS Patches are there?

- How does CIS Work?

- Why use CIS?

- Why not to use CIS?

- Goals

- Questions, comments or concerns

- Installation

- Permissions

- Requirements

- Updates

 

What are CIS Patches?

--------------------------------

CIS patches inject CISCore's leveled lists (LVLI) and vanilla leveled lists (LVLI) with mod-content. CISCore is a framework, and CIS patches use CISCore to distribute new content in-game. Every CIS patch is specifically tailored to one or more mods. They are responsible for enchanting (when applicable) and rebalancing the items they circulate in Skyrim. 

 

It takes a lot of work to distribute and enchant modded content, so it's understandable why many authors don't bother. With mods like Lootification, one could technically argue that it's unnecessary. However, mods like Lootification are what I like to call "blanket fixes". While they do distribute modded content, they only cover-up the problem. Script-based solutions offer much flexibility, but they can be considered  “one-size-fits-all” strategies.

 

Most loot-distributing mods are designed with weapons and armor in mind. They may or may not pay attention to other types of items, and in many cases, they can’t. While they work great with basic sets of gear (such as cuirass, helmets, greaves etc.) they struggle with non-vanilla-based gear (such as "bikinis", collars, and other "non-standard" gear). They cannot dynamically enchant or rebalance these "exceptions", and will require user input to maintain in-game balance.

 

My CIS patches are created by hand, allowing for a greater degree of balancing and edits no "blanket fix" can do. These patches are carefully designed to be balanced in relation to the vanilla Skyrim experience. They rename, enchant, adjust, and distribute modded content into Skyrim. By avoiding scripts, the CIS series won’t (directly) contribute to script latency or lag. CIS patches come in all shapes and sizes, to best integrate modded content into your game.

 

How do I make my own CIS patch?

-------------------------------------------

Spoiler

I will show you how how to make a quick-and-easy, basic CIS patch using xEdit. In this example, we will will be using CISCore to inject mod-content from the Pero Pero robes collection into Skyrim. Please note that this tutorial is intended for non-enchanted items. Enchanted gear tends to be directly injected into Skyrim's vanilla Leveled Lists (LVLI), as opposed to CISCore's. This tutorial will assume that you have little to no experience with xEdit and Leveled Lists. Note - To expand any of the images, simply right-click and "Open image in new tab".

 

Let us begin!

(1) First, boot up xEdit. From the plugins menu, select 'CISCore.esp" and the mod you want to create a CIS patch for. Here's a helpful tip; by right clicking on the plugins menu, you can click "Select None" to uncheck all checked plugins. This is particularly useful when you have a large load order.

 

(2) Click the small box (with the "+") next to CISCore.esp. Then, click the same box next to "Leveled Item". A drop down menu of all item-related Leveled Lists (LVLI) will appear. I recommend sorting this menu by Editor IDs, by clicking the space between "FormID" and "CRC32" towards the top of the interface. Depending on what you have selected, you may or may not see the words "EditorID". In any case, clicking the appropriate area will have the same effect. All CIS-leveled lists are carefully named, and designed to be easily sorted.

 

Color Coding

You will see both Skyrim's vanilla Leveled Lists (LVLI) and CISCore's. CISCore overides select vanilla Leveled Lists, which should be highlighted yellow. This indicates that there are two copies of the same Leveled Lists (LVLI) in question, and both have different data. You may also see Leveled Lists (LVLI) which are highlighted green. This means the same thing as yellow Leveled Lists (LVLI), except that both copies are exactly the same. This is bad modding practice, and you should avoid these in your personal mods whenever possible. Non-highlighted Leveled Lists (LVLI) indicate that they are not being overridden by another mod.

 

Naming Conventions

CISCore and Skyrim's Leveled Lists (LVLI) are both carefully named. In this example, we will only be using CISCore's Leveled Lists. All of CISCore's Leveled Lists (LVLI) start with one of two prefixes, "CIS" or "CISNPC". Entries with the "CISNPC" prefix are only used by a specific CIS mod called "CISNPCs". If you don't plan on using this mod, you will not need to worry about editing "CISNPC" Leveled Lists (LVLI). However, if you plan in distributing your CIS patch, I highly recommend that you use both "CIS" and "CISNPC" Leveled Lists (LVLI). For every "CIS" Leveled List (LVLI), there is exact copy with the prefix "CISNPC".

 

For this CIS patch, will be only be using sublists. A "sublist" is simply an identifier used to indicate that a Leveled List (LVLI) is intended for use inside another Leveled List (LVLI, and does not usually use leveled items. Each CIS sublist represents an item in-game. For example, "CISSublistArmorFurBoots" stands for "Fur Boots". For every instance of Fur Boots that spawns in-game, CISCore checks for modifications to CISSublistArmorFurBoots. If another mod adds an entry to CISSublistArmorFurBoots (for example, another CIS patch), CISCore will randomly choose between that entry and the original (vanilla) entry.

 

 

(3) In this example, we will be creating a CIS patch for Thalmor clothes (from the Pero Pero Robes collection). With that in mind, scroll down CISCore's Leveled Items (LVLI) until you find the appropriate entries; I have selected CISSublistArmorThalmorBoots, CISSublistArmorThalmorGloves, and CISSublistArmorThalmorRobes. Hold down the CTRL key to select multiple entries at once. Then, right click any selected entry. Click "Copy as override into. . ." (See Naming Conventions, above)

 

(4) You will then be asked which files do you want to add these records to? Check off <new file>.esp and then click "OK" on the bottom right. Give your CIS patch a name and click "OK" again. I will name this CIS patch "PeroPeroRobesCIS". As a general naming convention, CIS patches use no spaces (or symbols), and always end in "CIS". The selected records will turn green, indicating they are (now) being overwritten by another loaded mod. (See Color Coding, above)

 

 

(5) Click the small box (now with a "-") next to CISCore.esp. This will collapse all entries from CISCore, tidying up your interface. Now click the small box (with the "+") next to the mod you want to create a CIS patch for. In this case, I am using RobesReplacerStandalone.esp.

 

(6) This step is technically optional, but useful when dealing with mods with 100s or 1000s of entries. You'll see why later, but this step will automatically add the appropriate master(s) to your CIS patch, which is a crucial step. Scroll down until you find the items you want to add to your CIS patch. In this example, I am adding Thalmor clothes. Follow the same steps you did for CISCore's sublists. Hold down the CTRL key to select multiple entries. Then right click on any selected entry, and click "Copy as override into. . ."

 

 

(7) Instead of checking-off "<new file>.esp", check-off the CIS patch you made earlier. In this example, I will be checking off "PeroPeroRobesCIS.esp".

 

(8) You will then be asked if you'd like to add one or more new masters to the CIS patch you created. Click "OK".

 

 

(9) Click the box (now with a "-") next to the mod you are creating a CIS patch for. Then click the box (with a "+") next to your CIS patch. From there, do the same for "Armor" and "Leveled Item". Before you can add items from the mod being patched to your CIS patch, you will need to collect FormIDs. I suggest keeping a word processing program open during this step. FormIDs are unique addresses assigned to everything.

 

(10) To obtain an item's FormID, click on the item on the left-hand interface. Then double-click on the "FormID" listed in the right interface. Copy and paste this code into a word processing program. If need be, take a note of which item that FormID corresponds to. Exit the pop-up window, and then rinse and repeat for all items you would like to add to your CIS patch.

 

 

(11) Now we will add items to the CISCore Leveled Items (LVLI) we copied earlier using the saved FormIDs. Click on a CIS sublist (listed under "Leveled Item") on the left-hand interface. In this example, I will begin adding a pair of Thalmor Boots to the appropriate Leveled Item (LVLI), CISSublistArmorThalmorBoots. Right-click "Leveled List Entry" on the right-hand interface, then click "Add". The Leveled List (LVLI) entry in the left-hand interface will turn yellow, indicating we now have two different copies of the same Leveled Item (LVLI). (See Color Coding, above)

 

(12) Right-click "Reference" (on the right-hand interface, and currently set to "NULL") inside of the Leveled List Entry you have just created. A prompt will pop-up.

 

 

(13) Copy/paste the appropriate FormID into the prompt. Because I am editing CISSublistArmorThalmorBoots, I will make sure I am copy and pasting the FormID of the Thalmor Boots from the Pero Pero mod I'm patching. Then click "OK".

 

(14) Right-click (or double-click) "Level" and "Count" and set them to "1". "Level" tells Skyrim what level the player has to be before the item in question spawns, and "Count" tells Skyrim how many of those items spawn at a time. 

 

 

 

(15) Rinse and repeat steps "11" through "14" for however many items you are adding to CISCore's Leveled Lists (LVLI). In this example, I will repeat steps "11" through "14" for Thalmor Gloves and Thalmor Robes.

 

(16) Afterwards, hold down the CTRL and "S" key to bring up the "Save changed files" prompt. Make sure your CIS patch is checked off, and click "OK". Alternatively, you can exit the apppliation and this menu should automatically appear. But it is good practice to save often, and I prefer the (much safer) method of the "CTRL+S" keys. After exiting the application, your CIS patch should now be ready for use! Make sure you merge this new patch into a merged .esp, or use Wyre Bash to create a Bashed Patch.

 

 

What CIS Patches are there?

-------------------------------------

Spoiler

- Girl's Heavy Armor CIS

- Luxury Collection CIS

- Sexy Vanilla Armor CIS

- The Book of UUNP CIS

 

How does CIS work?

-----------------------------

As mentioned before, the CIS series replaces items in Skyrim with leveled lists (LVLI), which makes it possible for different items (such as modded content) to be spawned in place of vanilla content. But before I can describe how CIS mods work in detail, you’ll need to be well-acquainted with leveled lists (LVLI) and outfit templates (OTFT).

 

Leveled lists (LVLI) are (literally) lists of one or more items that Skyrim spawns randomly and/or based on the player-character’s level. They are used for anything between filling lootable objects (such as barrels or chests) and equipping NPCs with gear. Outfit Templates (OTFT) determine what weapons and armor an NPC spawns (and is equipped) with. They contain one or more items or leveled lists (LVLI).

 

All CIS patches rely on a set of core files, CISCore. CISCore replaces items in Skyrim’s leveled lists (LVLI) and outfit templates (OTFT) with new leveled lists containing that item. These leveled lists (LVLI) all referred to as "CIS leveled lists". Mod-content is inserted into CISCore’s leveled lists via “CIS patches”, separate mods which work with CISCore. After creating a Bashed Patch (using Wyre Bash) or a merged patch (using say, xEdit), Skyrim will randomly spawn mod-content in place of vanilla content. . . thereby circulating it in Skyrim. CIS patches also inject new enchanted variants of mod-content into CIS and Skyrim leveled lists (LVLI).

 

Some CIS patches may distribute items in your game a little differently, but it's all based on the same method. CIS mods use no scripts whatsoever.

 

Why have "core files"?

Technically speaking, there's no need to have "core files" (or "CISCore") for this method of loot-distribution to work. However, CISCore provides both you (the user) and me (the modder) distinct advantages. CISCore manages outfits (OTFT) and leveled lists (LVLI) which are used by other CIS mods. It also contains custom object effects (OBJE), which are used for custom enchantments. By having these items managed by a set of core files, it makes it possible to update them (and by extension, the whole CIS series) with a single .esp (rather than updating all CIS .esps). On your end (the user), it makes updates a snap! CISCore also reduces file sizes and makes merging the CIS series easier, by reducing the amount of data needed in each CIS Patch.

 

Why use CIS?

-------------------

When distributing new content to Skyrim, there are many ways to do so. I'm going to try to convince you to use my way.

 

Console Commands don’t randomly distribute items to characters or lootable objects, and they are impractical to use with regularity. Every console command requires user input, breaking immersion for many players. You could use batch commands, but it doesn't solve any of the problems listed above.

 

Add Item Menu (or AIM) is a user-friendly way to add items to player’s inventory, but it suffers the same disadvantages as console commands.

 

Automatic Spells and Increased Spawns (or ASIS) only distributes spells and perks. It will not rebalance them without user input. As a script-based solution, it has a significantly higher chance of causing undesired effects, such as unbalanced encounters or script-related issues.

 

Lootification does distribute new content into Skyrim, and with great proficiency. However, it does not rebalance individual items by itself, and has limited renaming capabilities. It will struggle with any "non-vanilla" based loot, and is intended for equipable gear. Like all script-based solutions, Lootification is “one-size-fits-all” and suffers similar disadvantages to ASIS.

 

Wyre Bash doesn’t distribute new content to Skyrim by itself. It merges pre-existing leveled lists together, which exist in vanilla Skyrim and are created by mod authors. Most mods which add items to Skyrim don’t include leveled lists, and thus cannot be distributed in-game by Wyre Bash alone.

 

But here's the beauty of my CIS mods. No matter what method of loot distribution you use, CIS should be compatible with all of the above options (and more!) Because CIS uses no scripts, it is (in theory) compatible with just about anything you install.

 

Why not use CIS?

-------------------------

No mod is perfect, plain and simple. I hate to rag on my blood sweat n' tears, but something's got to be said.

 

- CIS may conflict with other loot-distribution mods. I know what I just said, but hear me out. While the effects of such conflicts shouldn’t break your game, you may have NPCs spawning with extra copies of items, or not spawning with the full range of items you have installed. Although, you should be able to solve most of these conflicts with a mod merge or patch.

 

- CIS has no in-game or easy-access settings. To edit any CIS file, you'd need to open them via Creation Kit or xEdit and edit them manually. Unfortunately, CIS patches require an immense amount of labor to edit. CIS patches have taken me anywhere from hours to literal days to create. In one case, I spent over one-hundred hours making a CIS patch.

 

- CIS uses a great deal of leveled lists (LVLI), and every CIS patch you install may increase that number and/or the number of entries in those leveled lists (LVLI). Every leveled-list (LVLI) and leveled-list (LVLI) entry taxes system resources, and they may affect frame-rate if called upon in large numbers (such as spawning many NPCs at once).

 

- CIS uses a new .esp for every patch. This problematic for the avid modder, where .esps are a valued commodity. If you are in need of free space in your load order, I highly recommend merging all CIS patches. Do not merge CISCore with your CIS patches. . . I'm not sure what would happen. It might be okay though.

 

Goals

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Custom Enchantments - For the time being, I will be sticking to vanilla enchantments. However, I would like to introduce custom enchantments to the CIS patches, thereby increasing the variety of loot they bring to Skyrim. I intend on making them similar to vanilla enchantments, to insure they remain balanced. Perhaps on a later date, I'll try less erm, balanced ideas.

 

Screenshots - I’ve never been a fan of mods without screenshots, but I’ve yet to settle on an aesthetic for my Skyrim installation. When I am ready to show-off my Skyrim, I will upload screenshots showcasing the effects of the CIS patches in-game.
 

Stability - I want the CIS series to be as stable as possible. To help insure stability, I will try to minimize null references and try to use only the assets provided by vanilla Skyrim (and DLC) and the mods being “patched”. I plan on keeping the CIS series strictly script-free, to maximize compatibility between Skyrim installations.

 

Questions, comments or concerns

-------------------------------------------------

Feedback is deeply appreciated, and necessary to the improvement of my work. Are my mods working as intended? If not, please notify me straight-away. I want to insure that my mods are as universally-functional as possible. If you have any ideas or suggestions, let me know and I will consider them for future releases of my mods.

 

Will you make a “Circulated in Skyrim” patch for [insert mod]?
Are you paying me? If not, probably not. The keyword is probably, not definitely. 

 

What if I'm paying you?

I wasn't expecting that. . . uh, I'll work for as long as I have Mountain Dew in my mug.

 

Installation
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Unzip the contents of the “CISCore” file within your “Data” folder inside of your Skyrim install folder. This mod must be placed ABOVE any CIS patches you have installed.

 

Permissions
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Feel free to modify my work to your heart's content. You may share my (modified) work with other, but please provide a link to the original (download page) and do not host my mods on other sites without my prior permission. In the event that I cannot be contacted (within' a month's time), then you may distribute and host my work (to your heart's content). However, I may revoke this privilege at any time.

 

Requirements
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Skyrim.esm

 

Updates
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Version 2.3.? (Est. Release: July, 2019)

Minimum Requirements: All Skyrim DLC

Added standalone leveled lists for (vanilla) armors.

Added standalone leveled lists for CISNPC

Added standalone leveled lists for (vanilla DLC) armors.

Added replacers for (vanilla) Outfit Templates

Updated (vanilla DLC) Leveled Lists with CIS Leveled Lists

Updated (vanilla) Outfit Templates with CIS Leveled Lists

Updated (vanilla DLC) Outfit Templates with CIS Leveled Lists

 

Version 1.3.0 (June 29, 2019)

Minimum Requirements: None.

Added standalone leveled lists for (vanilla) armors.

Added standalone leveled lists for CISNPC

Updated (vanilla) Outfits with CIS Leveled Lists

 

Version 1.2.0 (June 25, 2019)

Minimum Requirements: None.

Added standalone leveled lists for (vanilla) armors.

Added standalone Object Effects (or enchantments)

Added standalone leveled lists for CISNPC

Updated (vanilla) Leveled Lists with CIS Leveled Lists

 

Version 1.1.0 (May 25, 2019)

Minimum Requirements: None.

Added standalone leveled lists for several new (vanilla) armors.

Added replacers for (vanilla) Outfit Templates

Fixed "Hunter Outfit" with proper boots.

Updated (vanilla) Outfit Templates with CIS Leveled Lists

 

Version 1.0.0 (Aug 29, 2018)

Minimum Requirements: None.

Added standalone leveled lists for vanilla armors

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• Submitter
  Nretsmah
• Submitted
  08/29/2018
• Category
  Other
• Requires
• Special Edition Compatible

 

[RADEON360]

How will this work with other mods that also add stuff to levelled lists?

[AerowynX]

7 hours ago, RADEON360 said:

How will this work with other mods that also add stuff to levelled lists?

you need to use mator smash or wyre bash to combine leveled list.. the only real issue is when other mods affect outfits.. in that case whatever mod is last will win the conflict on the outfit.

[notfriendsftw]

sse compatible?

[DatWombat]

9 minutes ago, notfriendsftw said:

sse compatible?

I'm not sure if the CIS series can be "drag n' dropped" in SSE and be expected to run proper. . . but I know that it is possible (and it has been done) to convert the CIS series into SSE-compatible mods. I know @AerowynX has converted the CIS series into a format for their SSE installation. I know they sent me some of the converted files, but the problem is that I'm going to be updating the series soon. Any currently-existing SSE CIS files I have (if I have them) will be out-of-date.

 

I don't think it's too hard to convert my CIS mods to SSE, but I won't (try to) make SSE compatible versions until I at least push my latest, updated version of CISCore.

 

As I type this response, I am looking at the whole series (from TES5Edit) and considering a slight rework (which should improve efficiency of the system).

[Nevershouldhavecomehere]

Sooooo, what does it need? How do these patches work? How to create them (if they're even needed)? Can you just drop in mods with leveled lists into your load order and this mod will sort the thing out or?

 

This is relevent to my interests. I've wanted a mod that would add all this cool mod stuff into the game randomly.

[DatWombat]

9 hours ago, Nevershouldhavecomehere said:

Sooooo, what does it need? How do these patches work? How to create them (if they're even needed)? Can you just drop in mods with leveled lists into your load order and this mod will sort the thing out or?

 

This is relevent to my interests. I've wanted a mod that would add all this cool mod stuff into the game randomly.

The CIS patches work using vanilla code and mechanics. They make use of Leveled Lists (LVLI) and Outfit Templates (OTFT). Allow me to quote my (new and improved) mod description.

 

"In a nutshell, the CIS series replaces items in Skyrim with “leveled lists”, which makes it possible for different items (such as modded content) to spawn in place of vanilla content. Before I can describe how CIS works in detail, you’ll need to be better-acquainted with leveled lists (LVLI) and outfit templates (OTFT).

 

Leveled lists are lists of one or more items that Skyrim spawns randomly and/or based on the player-character’s level. They are used for anything between filling lootable objects (such as barrels or chests) and equipping NPCs with gear. Outfit Templates are filled with either single items or leveled lists, and they determine what things an NPC spawns with (by default). 
 

All CIS patches rely on a set of core files, CISCore. CISCore replaces vanilla items in Skyrim’s leveled lists (LVLI) and outfit templates (OTFT) with new leveled lists containing that item. Any mod that adds a variant for a vanilla item is inserted into CISCore’s leveled lists using “CIS patches”, thereby circulating it in Skyrim. CIS patches also contain enchanted variants of modded content. Non-vanilla-based items are inserted into CISCore and Skyrim’s leveled lists where they would best fit, in regards to the type and quality of item."
 

CIS patches are made by hand. I make them using TES5Edit, and every entry (enchanted gear, modified/new Leveled Lists and Outfit Templates) is done individually. It takes a long time to make a CIS patch, so I don't recommend anyone make them unless they feel like taking a second job haha. No, the CIS series will not sort anything out. CIS uses no scripts or extra code, so it cannot do anything by itself. All CIS does is add and modify Leveled Lists and Outfit Templates. It randomly distributes items to NPCs and lootable objects exactly how Skyrim does with vanilla items.

 

The CIS patches will add cool mod stuff to your game randomly. It will equip NPCs and stick gear in lootable objects. In addition, it also contain enchanted variants of gear. In addition, the CIS patches will also rebalance modded content. . . 

 

But there's a problem. Because of the way CIS patches work, they only work for the mods they are designed for. In other words, Sexy Vanilla Armor CIS will only add cool sexy vanilla armor stuff and Girl's Heavy Armor CIS will only add cool girl's heavy armor stuff to your game. If you wanted a CIS mod for say, The Book of UUNP, someone (probably me) would have to sit down behind a screen and put a few weeks (of nights) of screen-time in.

 

If you're interested in having cool mod stuff randomly put in your game, I'd suggest a script-based mod such as Lootification or um. . . I wanna say it's called ASUS? A script-based solution will be able add a great deal of your mods to your games randomly. The CIS series is intended for those who can't afford more scripts (or Papyrus stress), or don't like the script-based solutions available. There's no reason why you can't use both, but script-based solutions will probably be the best bet for the common user.

 

There's a small list of reasons why I personally avoid script-based mods, and those reasons are why I made the CIS mods. Also, sorry for the rant. I'm bad at being concise.

[Maddac]

Hi, is there a CIS patch for Remodelled armor UUNP?

[Durante]

I'd like to make a patch for bikini armors, since one mod that I know of doesn't include all variations. However it would be good to have a tutorial based on pictures step by step how to make your own patch with the core files. For clarity purposes.

[DatWombat]

7 hours ago, Maddac said:

Hi, is there a CIS patch for Remodelled armor UUNP?

No, there is not. All pre-existing CIS patches are currently on Lover's Lab. A;though, that does sound familiar. I think I use these armors as my replacer, since it gets just about everything in my game. I do know that I'd like a CIS patch for the standalone-version though. Would you mind providing to a link, so I know we're on the same page?

3 hours ago, Durante said:

I'd like to make a patch for bikini armors, since one mod that I know of doesn't include all variations. However it would be good to have a tutorial based on pictures step by step how to make your own patch with the core files. For clarity purposes.

Are you talking about the uh, Amazing World of Bikini Armor bikini armors? I forgot I even had that installed, it most certainly is on my to-do list. I know that I've been working on sort of "modding advice" for modders in my "Read Me" file, but I haven't considered a full-blown tutorial. I suppose I'll have to look into it, I reckon it wouldn't be hard for the average user to make a CIS patch, provided they know a thing or two about Leveled Lists and/or follow instructions.

 

In a nutshell, all you have to do is copy CISCore's sublists (any leveled list with a "CISSublist" prefix) as an override into your new .esp. They are all labeled, so it should be straight forward. Then, you copy/paste the items in question into the appropiate CIS leveled lists. For example, if you wanted to distribute some sort of Orcish Bikinis, you may want to put the Orcish Bikini armors inside of the CIS sublists for say, Orcish Cuirass. For every instance of Orcish Cuirass that spawns in your game, Skyrim will choose between a vanilla version and your bikini version.

 

But I'll, I gotta leave for work soon. I'll look into a real tutorial.

 

But if we are talking about the same armor, I have to warn you. You may suffer the same problems I did with Luxury Collection CIS, where to equip male-NPCs with the armor in question, you will have to make alternate versions of every armor with appropriate Armor Addons, to prevent inviso-bodies. It's. . . easier said than done, and the only ways I can think of to avoid this is -

A) Editing NPCs directly

B) Using gender specific leveled lists (which is the plan for CISNPCs)

C) Restricting the armors in question to loot

D) Editing Armor Addons (making parts of armor unequipable together, see (Luxury Collection CIS Questions and Answers")

 

It's a big, big pain in the rear. But now that you mention, I'l have to give it a looksy. But for the sake of an earlier release, I might skimp on enchantments for initial release. However, my recent rework of CISCore does include enchantments for items such as Bikinis. But for now, I'll prioritize a tutorial and the likes for users like you to make your own patches.

 

What a wonderful idea!

[Vylade]

Does this require a new save?

[DatWombat]

1 hour ago, Vylade said:

Does this require a new save?

To my knowledge, it should be okay to install and uninstall the CIS series to a preexisting save game. These mods introduce no scripts whatsoever.

 

But uh, don't quote me on that. 

 

The effects of installing and uninstalling mid-playthrough should be similar to those of a standard armor or weapon mod. 

[DatWombat]

On 6/26/2019 at 5:05 AM, Durante said:

I'd like to make a patch for bikini armors, since one mod that I know of doesn't include all variations. However it would be good to have a tutorial based on pictures step by step how to make your own patch with the core files. For clarity purposes.

I've made a basic tutorial on creating CIS patches. Again, you may see some difficulties if you are planning on say, The Amazing World of Bikini armor (for reasons I mentioned prior), uh. . . I guess I'll quote me.

On 6/26/2019 at 8:45 AM, Nretsmah said:

if we are talking about the same armor, I have to warn you. You may suffer the same problems I did with Luxury Collection CIS, where to equip male-NPCs with the armor in question, you will have to make alternate versions of every armor with appropriate Armor Addons, to prevent inviso-bodies. It's. . . easier said than done, and the only ways I can think of to avoid this is -

A) Editing NPCs directly

B) Using gender specific leveled lists (which is the plan for CISNPCs)

C) Restricting the armors in question to loot

D) Editing Armor Addons (making parts of armor unequipable together, see (Luxury Collection CIS Questions and Answers")

My tutorial does not cover any of these solutions. But it does cover the basics, and if you're working with basic armor (or running a female-only) Skyrim, then my tutorial should be more than sufficient. I have it posted under a "Spoiler" on CISCore's download page.

[AerowynX]

with this new xedit script this mod really isn't needed anymore

 

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/25395/

[DatWombat]

47 minutes ago, AerowynX said:

with this new xedit script this mod really isn't needed anymore

 

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/25395/

Hot darn! What a robust script! I'll have to look into that 'un for sure. But I seriously doubt a script can replace handwork. By the looks of it, it will certainly replace CISCore for many users, but my CIS series still has all the advantages of a handmade patches. I'll have to leave a link to this mod on my pages though.

 

It's to my understanding that the CIS series is a very niche set of mods. For 90+ percent of users, script-based solutions will do the job. But there is population of modders who need hand-made, hard-copies of loot-distribution. In-fact, there shouldn't be any reason why you can't run CIS mods with any script-based solution.

[AerowynX]

2 hours ago, Nretsmah said:

Hot darn! What a robust script! I'll have to look into that 'un for sure. But I seriously doubt a script can replace handwork. By the looks of it, it will certainly replace CISCore for many users, but my CIS series still has all the advantages of a handmade patches. I'll have to leave a link to this mod on my pages though.

 

It's to my understanding that the CIS series is a very niche set of mods. For 90+ percent of users, script-based solutions will do the job. But there is population of modders who need hand-made, hard-copies of loot-distribution. In-fact, there shouldn't be any reason why you can't run CIS mods with any script-based solution.

the mod linked doesn't run any sort of ingame script it just makes a new leveled list plugin in xedit using the vanilla lists.. best part is you can add any enchantments to it and it will create enchanted versions of everything AND if it sees a female only armor doesn't have a vanilla male mesh linked to it, it will automatically add it based on whatever armor value the armor has

 

this biggest drawback is going to be outfit records.. since not all outfit records link leveled lists you sometimes don't get the variety you may want on some NPCs since they have completely set outfits already.

[DatWombat]

3 minutes ago, AerowynX said:

the mod linked doesn't run any sort of ingame script it just makes a new leveled list plugin in xedit using the vanilla lists.. best part is you can add any enchantments to it and it will create enchanted versions of everything AND if it sees a female only armor doesn't have a vanilla male mesh linked to it, it will automatically add it based on whatever armor value the armor has

 

this biggest drawback is going to be outfit records.. since not all outfit records link leveled lists you sometimes don't get the variety you may want on some NPCs since they have completely set outfits already.

I did notice it said xEdit, which is dope. No in-game scripts is a biggie. But in my experiance, you can't just add a mesh to a [gender]-only armor. If the Armor Addons don't match up, and if waight sliders are not enabled, you will have visual bugs. That was the thing with Luxury Collection CIS. Because it was all multi-piece, gender-specific armor, I needed to make special versions of everything to prevent visual bugs.

 

I also have the advantage of making sure only certain pairs of items spawn together, like black panties and black tops (for example), which I imagine this solution can't do. Based on how it does add meshes, while doing so by value seems like a great idea, without a pair of hands you'll end up with some very unpersonalized loot distribution.

 

I think this solution is awesome, don't get me wrong. But it certainly does not make the CIS series obsolete. The CIS series cannot be fully replaced through automation. But, for the vast majority of users, satisfactory results can be obtain from automation.

[AerowynX]

9 minutes ago, Nretsmah said:

I did notice it said xEdit, which is dope. No in-game scripts is a biggie. But in my experiance, you can't just add a mesh to a [gender]-only armor. If the Armor Addons don't match up, and if waight sliders are not enabled, you will have visual bugs. That was the thing with Luxury Collection CIS. Because it was all multi-piece, gender-specific armor, I needed to make special versions of everything to prevent visual bugs.

 

I also have the advantage of making sure only certain pairs of items spawn together, like black panties and black tops (for example), which I imagine this solution can't do. Based on how it does add meshes, while doing so by value seems like a great idea, without a pair of hands you'll end up with some very unpersonalized loot distribution.

 

I think this solution is awesome, don't get me wrong. But it certainly does not make the CIS series obsolete. The CIS series cannot be fully replaced through automation. But, for the vast majority of users, satisfactory results can be obtain from automation.

ideally anyone using it should be using armor that is already physics ready with weighted flag enabled already.. i personally took 50 standalones and merged them to one ESP then just ran the script..  works fine but the downside again being the outfits..  there isn't really a good way to automate outfits. You can link each piece in an outfit to a level list of course but then there is no way to ensure when it grabs for the couple leveled lists the outfit record links to it will be matching pieces.

 

Ideally you'd have to setup a single outfit leveled list then sublists for full outfits only(kinda like you did for the core in this mod) but the game doesn't really like fully matched sets in one list it likes it broken down to chest, gloves, boots.. if i could have one sublist per outfit record then be able to link that single record to a sublist of complete outfits that would be the most ideal way to do it then youd always end up with complete matching sets for all outfits

[DatWombat]

29 minutes ago, AerowynX said:

ideally anyone using it should be using armor that is already physics ready with weighted flag enabled already.. i personally took 50 standalones and merged them to one ESP then just ran the script..  works fine but the downside again being the outfits..  there isn't really a good way to automate outfits. You can link each piece in an outfit to a level list of course but then there is no way to ensure when it grabs for the couple leveled lists the outfit record links to it will be matching pieces.

 

Ideally you'd have to setup a single outfit leveled list then sublists for full outfits only(kinda like you did for the core in this mod) but the game doesn't really like fully matched sets in one list it likes it broken down to chest, gloves, boots.. if i could have one sublist per outfit record then be able to link that single record to a sublist of complete outfits that would be the most ideal way to do it then youd always end up with complete matching sets for all outfits

Well it's not just weight flags, it's armor addons. If they don't match the target mesh, you get visual bugs. 

 

And I imagine you could sort of fix the outfit thing by making a patch that only uses vanilla leveled lists. . . But I don't know if this script uses those. 

 

And that would be really cool! But I imagine the script isn't able to do that on its own? 

 

From what I've read and heard, it sounds like CIS mods will simply be an alternative, or supplementary means to circulate loot to Skyrim. Certainly not obsolete, and still an option for users with particular setups or problems (like myself).

[AerowynX]

2 minutes ago, Nretsmah said:

Well it's not just weight flags, it's armor addons. If they don't match the target mesh, you get visual bugs. 

 

And I imagine you could sort of fix the outfit thing by making a patch that only uses vanilla leveled lists. . . But I don't know if this script uses those. 

 

And that would be really cool! But I imagine the script isn't able to do that on its own? 

 

From what I've read and heard, it sounds like CIS mods will simply be an alternative, or supplementary means to circulate loot to Skyrim. Certainly not obsolete, and still an option for users with particular setups or problems (like myself).

in the past I have tried to make something like I mentioned above but what i found is it would only pull the first item from the outfits sublist.. so like if I had a sublist with full set it would only pull whatever was listed first. So ingame all the people with that outfit record would have boots on and nothing else for example. I don't know anyway to create an outfit list that the game with pull a complete outfit set from a single record.. but if you can then you could definitely automate the process via an xedit script.

 

The program lootification had some sort of matching outfit system but I never could get that to process in SSE so not sure what it does specifically

[DatWombat]

6 hours ago, AerowynX said:

in the past I have tried to make something like I mentioned above but what i found is it would only pull the first item from the outfits sublist.. so like if I had a sublist with full set it would only pull whatever was listed first. So ingame all the people with that outfit record would have boots on and nothing else for example. I don't know anyway to create an outfit list that the game with pull a complete outfit set from a single record.. but if you can then you could definitely automate the process via an xedit script.

 

The program lootification had some sort of matching outfit system but I never could get that to process in SSE so not sure what it does specifically

That's. . . strange. And you did try the "Use All" flag in said sublists?

 

I did testing with Luxury Collection CIS and CISNPCs. Because CISNPCs uses gender-specific Leveled Lists, I am able to get away with things I can't normally do with vanilla Leveled Lists. I made a sublist with the "Use All" flag containing multiple pieces of Luxury items. This allowed me to equip NPCs with multiple pieces of Torso armor with a single entry, but they may have simply filled unused Armor Slots with the second item.

 

I'm not terribly familiar with Lootification, but I know it has its disadvantages. I imagine you'd have to do some hand sorting, as a script may struggle to automatically sort armors into full-sets of armor when multiple sets are involved in a single mod, or multiple variants of full sets.

[AerowynX]

15 hours ago, Nretsmah said:

That's. . . strange. And you did try the "Use All" flag in said sublists?

 

I did testing with Luxury Collection CIS and CISNPCs. Because CISNPCs uses gender-specific Leveled Lists, I am able to get away with things I can't normally do with vanilla Leveled Lists. I made a sublist with the "Use All" flag containing multiple pieces of Luxury items. This allowed me to equip NPCs with multiple pieces of Torso armor with a single entry, but they may have simply filled unused Armor Slots with the second item.

 

I'm not terribly familiar with Lootification, but I know it has its disadvantages. I imagine you'd have to do some hand sorting, as a script may struggle to automatically sort armors into full-sets of armor when multiple sets are involved in a single mod, or multiple variants of full sets.

i do recall using that yes but this was many months ago so can't even go back and look as all that has been cleared out anyway

[DatWombat]

On 7/1/2019 at 2:36 PM, AerowynX said:

i do recall using that yes but this was many months ago so can't even go back and look as all that has been cleared out anyway

Well shucks. I don't suppose it would take terribly long to test though, just a few quick edits with an override or two.

[AerowynX]

tried out that leveled list script a bunch it's nice for weapons not so much for armors.. without manipulating the outfit record and just dumping 100s of armors onto standard leveled list you just get so much crazy mix matched stuff 

[DatWombat]

3 hours ago, AerowynX said:

tried out that leveled list script a bunch it's nice for weapons not so much for armors.. without manipulating the outfit record and just dumping 100s of armors onto standard leveled list you just get so much crazy mix matched stuff 

Ack! Mismatched apparel really bothers me. If only there was a solid, simple way to add stuff to Skyrim eh?

Then again, it would seem hard to add 100s of armors and not have mismatching things. It's too bad it would take a stupid amount of work to manually create new outfits and the like.