CM Companions without CM Scripting

[rynak777]

CM Companions Without CM Scripting
v0.2 alpha (2013-05-01)

 

Docs fix in v0.2: The docs stated that to adapt a 3rd party CM companion, all factions need to be removed from it. This was obsolete info and is no longer a necessary step. Fixed.

 

About:
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Like your CM companions, but don't like CM partners, because it's buggy/crashy, or you'd like to use some other companion mod, like MCS or CSR? Then this is for you.

It is two things:

First, it is almost all of the NPCs that come bundled with CM partners (around 90 NPCs) stripped of CM partners scripting (so, no more constant crashes on loads). Phrased another way, it is those NPCs, but without the CM partners system. You can now use them with any other companion mod, that lets you recruit anyone (MCS, CSR). One not really neccessary change i made additionally, was to remove some stupid ai schedules from them. They now only eat, wander around, chat and sleep. No longer will they deconstruct the walls of the tiber septim hotel for the purpose of "training". Neither will they set their own clothes on fire, in an effort to "train any spell", etc.

Creature companions are not included, and i am not planning to make them work.

Secondly, other 3rd party CM companion mods, can be adapted to work with this system as well (so without CM scripting). Instructions how to do this, follow further down.

How it works:
The companions get stripped of all CM scripting code, all unique dialogs (they will just behave like normal NPCs until you recruit them with another companion mod). So, all the CM management options are gone (obviously), as well as unique dialogue. What remains are NPCs that don't have much to say except of rumors, but retain their bodies, abilities, equipment, spells and combatstyles.

This is done, by replacing "cm partners.esm", with a heavily trimmed down variant, that only contains ai-schedules (i.e. eating and chatting while not recruited), combatstyles, spells and some compatibility. Nothing else. No script is alive anymore, and nothing references them.

The actual NPC files then need to be adapted, to remove anything that makes use of those scripts. This sounds like a lot of work, but for "simple companions" (not ones with a lot of unique code), it usually just boils down, to in CS disabling a bunch of checkboxes and entries, then in TES4Edit kill entire data-catagories. Done.


Requirements / incompatibilities:
---------------------------------
- Zero dependencies afaik. Just need latest oblivion. Doesn't even need SI or OBSE.
- incompatible with original CM partners, because it replaces its files
- incompatible with CM companion mods that haven't been adapted to work with it (see further down how to do this)
- incompatible with any mods that patch/extend the original CM partners system
- As for anything unrelated to original CMP: I've checked the files carefully - they should be clean (as opposed to original CM Partners).


Installation:
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If you don't have CM Partners yet:
1. unzip everything from /data into your oblivion/data dir. Do NOT copy the /orig_ESMified_files dir.
2. The "more NPCs" and "extra NPCs" ESPs are optional. They just add even more NPCs. They are not mutually exclusive.
2. loadorder in this case shouldn't matter, because "cm partners.esp" is just an empty dummy file.
3. enable the esm and esps
4. load and recruit some companions. When you save next time, make a NEW save, for safety reasons.

If you already have original CM partners:
1. load your save. Take all items you want to keep, from your CM companions.
2. dismiss them
3. if you're using any other mods that track those companions (i.e. tamago), you may need to do a data reset. Tough luck.
4. wait about 10secs
3. new savegame
4. close oblivion
5. copy your current cm companion esms and esps elsewhere as a backup, then DELETE those in your /data dir
6. load your savegame again. Wait a few secs, save again
7. close oblivion, continue with the steps "If you don't have CM partners yet".


How to adapt 3rd party CM companions, so that they work too:
------------------------------------------------------------

What you need:
- basic understanding how to navigate filesystems, packing/unpacking, etc
- basic understanding about TES Construction Set
- basic understanding about how to use TES4Edit
- do not attempt this, unless the above applies to you
- If your companion mod requires OBSE, you need the OBSE-patch for TESCS.

Which CM companions CAN be adapted to work?
- In theory almost all, but if they are very complex (most aren't) then...
- a) They will lose most of what made them so unique/interesting (no unique dialogs/quests)
- b ) Cleaning them might be more effort than it's worth
- c) If the plugin modifies the landscape (i.e. add a house) it may get really hairy
- So in short: Don't bother with complex CM companion mods.

Step by step instructions (assuming a simple companion mod):
1. If your savegame currently relies on the companion, you need to dismiss it, then make a clean save as a NEW savegame.

2. BACKUP your companion mod file! We're going to mess with it.

3. Make sure that your loadorder is right. The main companion mod file needs to be AFTER ALL ITS DEPS!

4. Copy "cm partners.esm" and "cm partners.esp" from /orig_ESMified_files to oblivion/data. Overwrite.

5. Until we're ready for it, do NOT launch oblivion! If you want to abort, read the last step in these instructions!

6. Launch TESCS. Select "cm partners.esm" and "cm partners.esp" (notice that its shown as a master). Additionally, select any files your companion mod depends on. Then make your companion mod file "active" file. Load and wait. Reply "Yes for all" when errors come up (CM partners is buggy).

7. In the tree on the left, choose NPC. Then in the list, search for the companion. All CM companions start with "cm...". Press the key D, then scroll up, to find it faster.

8. Doubleclick on it to edit it.

9. Click on the "script"-dropdown box, scroll to the top and select "NONE"

10. For the checkboxes, disable "quest item" and "no rumors". If the companion shouldn't die (only become unconscious), ensure that "essential" is checked.

11. Save your changes. Close TESCS. It will probably crash now, because of CM Partners bugs.

12. Now open TES4Edit.

13. Rightclick and choose "select none". Then check oblivion, "cm partners.esm", "cm partners.esp", all deps of your companion mod, and the mod itself (loadorder! it needs to be last!!!). click OK and wait.

14. Okay, now remember when i said "assuming a simple companion mod"? This is why. It's impossible to give you a template how to do it, unless the companion is simple. Simple here means: It just is a body with some skills, items and ai-schedules, placed at an already existing location (i.e. a tavern). This is relevant because: Ideally, we want to remove anything left in the mod, that accesses CM partner scripts. But how do we know which do? With a simple companion, that isn't an issue, because we just want it to patrol its usual location, and have no special behaviour.

15. In the most simple case, what you want to do is: Click on the + left of your mod's name, to take a look inside. The only categories that should be neccessary for a simple mod, are: Fileheader, Cell, Non-Player-Character and possibly Worldspace. Anything else, ESPECIALLY "Dialog Topics", needs to go, by rightclicking it and choosing "remove".

16. With a moderately complex companion mod - i.e. one that adds new unique armor or weapons, you need to look more carefully what to keep, and what to delete. Possibly problematic categories are: Dialog Topics, Scripts, Quests. Safe categories are: Ai packages, combat styles, factions. Categories needing a closer look are: Spells (do they have scripts attached? which ones?), clothing/armor/weapons (do they have scripts attached? which ones?), creatures (are they using minionScript or beastScript from CM?).

17. When you're done, close the window via X. TES4Edit should ask you to save your changes. Click OK. If you want to and know how, additionally try to "clean" them.

18. Okay, now the only thing left we need to do, is to copy back the trimmed down CM partner files (we only needed the originals for editing). From the archive in which this readme did come, copy "data/cm partners.esm" and "data/cm partners.esp" back into your oblivion/data dir, overwriting again. We're done. If you want to be safe, check if your loadorder is still as you want it. Launch oblivion, and if things worked correctly, your companion should now work without buggy CM partners scripting.

Help something went wrong. My savegame did explode!:
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1. Delete the ESMs and ESPs supplied in this archive, from oblivion/data
2. If you modified 3rd party CM companions to work with this, delete them from oblivion/data
3. Try to load the save now. Yes, all the companions will be gone.
4. If it still doesnt work....
5. Delete all savegames you made after you installed this
6. Restore modfiles from the backups i told you to make
7. Continue playing from the point right before you installed this
8. Grumble over the lost playhours

CM_companions_without_CM_Scripts.zip

CM_companions_without_CM_Scripts v02.zip

[Poontank]

Very good! I appreciate your thorough and comprehensive tutorial. This is what I have been thinking about for a long time but always shied away from. I do have a number of 'CM Partners'-dependent collections of my own characters as NPCs and had been planning to eventually remove the CM dependency and get rid of the CM system for good.

 

It will be a lot of work since my MCS book is full (with one free slot left to recruit one temporary NPC if the need arises), so I won't be tackling such a project anytime soon. But once I am ready for it, your step-by-step instruction will certainly be of help making the esps still function afterwards.

 

My experience with 'TES4Edit' is limited to cleaning esps from dirty edits up to now, I wouldn't have known to use the utility in the ways you described without your tutorial.

[rynak777]

Thanks, i just noticed one more quite helpful thing for adapting 3rd party CM companions.... i today wont have time to update the docs, but here is the short version:

 

Instead of first copying the "orig ESMified" files, keep the trimmed down files, and then load the plugin (with its deps) into TES4Edit. Now, rclick on the plugin, and select "search for errors". When you now browse into the file, the entries that do have invalid/missing references, should be color-highlighted. I'm not sure if it is safe to edit/cleanup while in this config, but it might after some initial cleanup be useful, to check if anything still links to CM script stuff.

 

One probable catch: i doubt theat TES4Edit actually parses the scripts themselves, to see if those scripts in their code call into CM. So, i wouldn't trust this method for checking scripts themselves - but it should be reliable for everything else (including items/whatever referencing CM-scripts. So: Something->missingscript = will be detected. script->missingscript = probably not detected).

[gregathit]

Good job Rynak777!

[littleman]

I had never really saw a problem with CM in my game.  What companion mod would you suggest in its stead? I like being able to tell my companions to wait or to stand guard.  But I would like a mod that lets me set up a Home base for them to return to..

 

Mayhaps my game will run smoother without the CM.

[gregathit]

MCS is the recommended one.  It works very well with lovers with pk and seems to get along very well with all other non adult plugins as well.  If there are any conflicts, I have never heard of them.

 

MCS (mad companionship spells): http://www.loverslab.com/topic/1569-mad-companionship-spells-mcs-extension-humantouchnpc/

[rynak777]

I had never really saw a problem with CM in my game.  What companion mod would you suggest in its stead? I like being able to tell my companions to wait or to stand guard.  But I would like a mod that lets me set up a Home base for them to return to..

 

Mayhaps my game will run smoother without the CM.

 

I mainly got "motivated" to do this, because i was CTDing every 5 loads in a city. I after weeks of filtering,  and noticing that those CTDs were with me early on, and CMP was one of the few mods i still had from that time... i suspected it. Now with this "CM Companions without CMP scripts", i can confirm this - i no longer CTD regularily on loads. I still about every 20mins (which is like an eternity from what i'm used to) crash randomly in the middle of cells... but i suspect that is something else.

 

Are you by any chance running COBL, OOO, or some other big popular mods? I'm asking because CM partners references things, which aren't mentioned at all in it's dependecies. I suspect it is a mod, that references some popular mods, without stating them as a requirement... thus, it crashing constantly for some people, but rarely for other people (in the case of COBL, i have this black on white. Just try loading CMP into TESCS with just its stated reqs, and you will get errors about missing references to COBL, even though the readme states no dependency on COBL. Worse, it actually overwrites core COBL scripts, regardless of COBL version you have installed).

[littleman]

I do run COBL,  castle seaview, chorrol plateau, and for awhile the farm but i removed it as it was never used and to far out of the way.    Dont run OOO as i suspected it would conflict with lovers too much (when lovers was new and ....we had fifty thousand versions. )

 

Getting ready to test this now actually, see how it goes

 

Welp, everything loaded correctly!  My old partners are in their original spots, all essential and plain as they should be.

Im gunna go with MCS and try it out.

 

Hmm, everything works well, thank you.   On similar note, now i seem to be less laggy with more then one companion as well.

[rynak777]

Planned disillusionment from my side: Prepare for MCS to not be as userfriendly and "polished" as CM Partners, even if you do add MCS extension. It from a usability POV really is more like a hackfix. On the other hand.... it is a little bit like linux in the early 2000's.... if you spend the effort , you can make it work exactly as you want, without severe bugs. Sure, that's a bit sad.... some people considered that sad for linux back then as well (and now look what a fucking mess of a dinosaur it has become, to rival the mess that is MS. It's almost as if the OSS comm is now competing with the "big vendors" in terms of "who can make stuff as fucked up, buggy, and bloated as possible"). Oh i'm drifting off.... umm, where was i?

 

...thinks....

 

....thinks some more.....

 

Oh right, CMP vs MCS.... welll..... CMP is pretty much "end of the line".... it's designed like a product for clients, who expect the vendor to fix things. Granted, aesthetically and in terms of usability, i despite of how fucking bugged it is, i think it has the best UI of any companion mod around.... despite of it getting no update in years.

 

MCS won't give you that. On the other hand: Development of CMP is dead.

 

So, all MCS may offer you, is a way to get out of the bugs, from which CMP (and CSR) suffer... by modifying things yourself..... be that via advanced config options, or direct plugin editing.

 

..... o (What are the distribution terms of MCS again? By now, i'm seriously considering to release my own current form, because its interface and behaviour is more close to CSR/CM. The most critical scripting category it lacks, is selecting combat tactics... i currently dont have time to implement this.... will probably do if no one else does, but i'd only have time to research that deep, in a few months)

[gregathit]

OOO runs perfectly fine with lovers with pk rev91 or rev96.  There are no conflicts whatsoever.  Lovers also works peachy with Better Cities too.  Some plugins may not work the the Open Cities versions however.

 

 

Rynak777, there are no distribution terms for MCS that I am aware of.  If you can work up a better or fixed version I would gladly update the MCS thread with it.  If on the other hand you would rather upload a modified version then I see nothing wrong with making a new thread.  Just be sure to credit the original folks from MCS and go for it. 

 

If you do decide to make\release a new version of MCS then upload it to the downloads section (the quick link to it is "here") and when you upload it there it will automatically make a support thread for you.

[Poontank]

It's an excellent idea to make a new and polished version of MCS! Please proceed with this project.

MCS with an enhanced interface will be very much appreciated by many people I imagine. But how will a new version affect already recruited companions? Would be quite a pain to dismiss and then recollect/re-recruit all my 95 companions...

[Verruga]

what the... this mod is wonderful. I really really thanks to you! Cm partner's npcs allways make me made cause of thier bug.

 

Thank you. Thank you!

[Guest snipe]

what cm partners are included? And by 3rd party cm do you mean any one from the nexus or other site?

[Guest]

3rd Party = Custom CM Partners made using the CMP template.  The 'base' CMP offers its own vanilla NPCs as well as additional esps for even more...I have never installed more than the base requirement of CMP to run 3rd party (custom) partners as that is where a lot of bugs get added too.

 

Any CM Partners that you have from Nexus or anywhere else should get the treatment of this Mod's instructions....until one day when we can simply run MCS and click on an NPC to "MCS-ify" them automatically away from CM / CSR scripts, etc. 

[rynak777]

1st party: The companions that come already with the CM partners mod itself. Those are included in the above download, and already adapted. They're plain vanilla NPCs (no custom races/hair/equipment). It's around 90 NPCs in total. They mostly hang around in towns and Inns. One way to be quite sure that an NPC is one of those, is that all their names consist of a single word, while the oblivion NPCs usually have forenames and surnames, or names like "foo the bar".

 

If you just want those, all you need to do is download, unpack and activate.

 

3rd party: Any other CM companions, that are not included in the CM partners mod itself. Like all the various CM companions you can download from nexus. Those will NOT work (and usually CTD 5secs after they come into view), unless they're adapted as explained in the instructions.

[GECK.O]

Amazing mod! Works like a charm!

 

It also makes MCS work smoothly.

[KOrdan]

Very nice idea! Been fiddling myself with CMPartners, mostly the scripts, some of which are a real a bottleneck for the entire system. Will be follow this "liberation" with great interest, keep up the good work!!

[Whacked]

Beautiful, just started tinkering with companions, and already didn't like CM Partners. Only reason I installed it was for the extra NPCs, now I can have my cake and eat it too! 

Thanks!

[JSmith20142]

This is very nice, thank you for the effort. There are a number of CM companions out there I'd like in my game, but I don't want CM and it's problems.

 

One more complex mod is Heart of the Dead, which I often install because of Wintermoon. I intend to take a look at it with your guidance in mind - are you familiar with it? any comments?