OneDoesNotSImply WALK Into BigTittySkyrimModdingCommunity

[Q Q Q]

So I've been pretty addicted to breaking my game of ye ol' skyrim and fixing it up for a while like the next ol chum.

But I was curious since I just recently started to post on this forum..

 

Where does a modder for skyrim start? What forum posts does one read, or what tools does one use? What would categorize a modder from an animator to a map designer?

And if you can answer questions like this, what got you started with actually modding Skyrim and where did you start?

 

Long story? have a cigar 

Spoiler

 

 

[MadMansGun]

different modders use different programs depending on what kind of work they are doing:

scripters/coders use "notepad plus plus" and the "Skyrim CreationKit".

texture makers use "gimp" or "Photoshop".

mesh/model makers use "Blender" or "3DS Max" and "NifSkope".

Animators use "Blender" or "3DS Max" and "hkxcmd".

sound & voice creators use "Audacity" and the "Skyrim CreationKit".

follower, quest and map creators/editors mostly just use the "Skyrim CreationKit" (but they sometimes need to do some scripting)

and everyone uses "TES5Edit".

[KoolHndLuke]

The best way to start- that I have found- is to look at/pull apart existing mods. Also, authors may go into some depth to try and explain how the mod works on the mod page or something. As far as the programs listed by MadMansGun, some are kind of essential to a heavily modded Skyrim (TESVEdit) and the rest you can find tutorials and vids on how to do specific things. Personally, I feel that a person should first successfully mod the shit out of Sky for awhile before they start thinking of making anything for it since a better understanding of how mods work in the game will help immensely. Really it just boils down to doing shit and seeing if it works, lol (and not completely fubar your current install of the game). 

[seanthiar]

I recently began modding. I think MadMansGun and KoolHndLuke are one step to far - the first step I think is to decide what you want to do, what catches your fancy and what are your strengths. All examples given by MadMansGun are parts of modding, but not everyone likes to make the same things. The "storytellers" like making quests, the "technicans" like to make fixes for errors found, etc, etc, etc. There are even guys running with their HigEnd camera through their country and make photos, in the quest to find a new texture to make a better looking game. Some things are more, some are less time and work consuming. And some need a high skill set and some a not so high skill set. But even when someone is a rooky in the part he wants to make, you can  learn while doing it. Pulling apart existing mods is not every time the way to do it, because if you want to understand what somebody did in that mod you have to have a base of knowledge. But analyzing textures or meshes helps you to make some yourself. You need to know where the nose goes in a texture if you don't want it at your chars chin.

I would say, just look what you like to make and then start to learn the tools for that. In the net there are many tutorials to read and to see. Main sources are creationkit.com , nexus and youtube.  I made a development environment with the MO2 and it works find even when I tried the scripts in the CK papyrus tutorial. And it helps me to have a clean install for gaming and at the same time one with much less mods for development. The best would be to start with the beginner tutorial for the CK. Doesn't matter which way you choose, but at one point you will need the CK to work.