A Guide to making a proper Bashed Patch

[judge007]

A guide to make a bashed patch that works.

Why? Because most guides to making a bashed patch neglect to mention that not all mods have bash tags.

Or how to add them.

 

Benefits:

Proper Bash Tags in your important mods, will be utilized by Wrye Bash to create a bashed patch that will resolve more conflicts.

LOOT will utilize these Bash Tags, to assist in sorting your load order.

Annoyances in-game can be avoided or minimized.

i.e. having to have an NPC in your cross-hairs, enter MCM for Schlongs of Skyrim to set the "Revealing" Keyword repeatedly

Makes making a "Merged patch" in SSEEdit obsolete.

Makes the game stable

 

Resources required:

 

Wrye Bash:  https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/6837

SSEEdit:       https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/164

Generate Bash Tags script from https://github.com/fireundubh/WryeBashTagGenerator

           ****Install to "Edit Scripts" folder of SSEEdit****

Skyrim SE 

Mod Organizer 2:    https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/6194

LOOT:          https://loot.github.io/

Patience

 

General installation guidelines:

 

Make sure the mods you install ARE SE compatible - several guides located here:  https://www.loverslab.com/topic/94228-se-compatibility-tracking-jul-19-6272/

Even mods that are downloaded from Skyrim Special Edition Nexus can have missed textures, animations and meshes!

 

It is highly recommended to install Steam, Skyrim SE, Mod Organizer 2 & your other tools outside of Windows UAC control.

This means not in "Program Files" or "Program Files (x86)"

 

For Mod Organizer 2, I recommend the installer version {ends in .exe}, this will add entries in the system registry.

On first run of Mod Organizer 2, select the "portable instance" option, this will keep your files out of the %LocalAppData% folders.

Again, that is to keep clear of Windows UAC issues.

 

A guide to installing Mod Organizer 2  -  https://www.loverslab.com/topic/136543-v112-mod-organizer-2-other-tools-from-zero-to-hey-sexlab-is-working/

 

 

The folder structure I use:

Spoiler

F:/Games   for Steam and games installed

F:/Modding/MO2 for portable instances for each game

          F:/Modding/MO2/SSE - Skyrim SE

          F:/Modding/MO2/FO4 - Fallout 4

          F:/Modding/MO2/FO3 - Fallout 3

          F:/Modding/MO2/FNV - Fallout New Vegas

          F:/Modding/MO2/TTW - Tale of Two WasteLands

          F:/Modding/MO2/OB - Oblivion

          F:/Modding/MO2/END - EnderalSE

F:/Modding/Tools for all required tools

 

Setting up Windows Explorer to prevent confusion:

Spoiler

In Windows Explorer, click the "View Tab"

The check mark in "File Name Extensions" is the important part

 

 

Wrye Bash Configuration in MO2:

Spoiler

Note: The folder listed in "Create files in mod" was created by:

Spoiler

Right-clicking the "overwrite" folder

Entering the folder name

The following folders were all created that way

Now those folder name will appear in drop-down list

 

Setting SSEEdit up in MO2:

Spoiler

 

Running the Bash Tags script:

Spoiler

Start SSEEdit in MO2.

Select only the mod you wish to add bash tags to {for this I'm going to use LegacyoftheDragonborn.esm}

 

 

SNAM - File Description is where the bash tag data is stored, after the mod authors notes

 

Right-click the plugin name and select "Apply Script . . ."

 

Select the script here:

 

And select "OK" then,  put a checkmark in "Write suggested tags to header"

And click "Run"

The script will remove any bad tags, and write the missing tags to the header.

Exit SSEEdit, making sure to save the plugin.

 

Making the Bashed Patch:

Spoiler

Run FNIS & LOOT before starting Wrye Bash.

 

Right-click "Bashed Patch, 0.esp" and select "Rebuild Patch . . ."

 

These are the selections I use:

 

Click "Build Patch" and click "OK" when finished.

Then close Wrye Bash.

 

 

 

 

Well that was complicated, but worth it.

 

I'd like to thank user @Mertz for advice given and the users at the forum AFKMods https://www.afkmods.com/index.php?/topic/4966-wrye-bash-all-games/

@tasairis for the hard work keeping the SE Compatibility thread going https://www.loverslab.com/topic/94228-se-compatibility-tracking-jul-19-6272/

All the users here who have offered free advice over the years, you know who you are

 

Excellent reading for those who want to know more:

 

Tome of xEdit:  https://tes5edit.github.io/docs/  REALLY in-depth look at modding & conflict resolution

Wrye Bash :   https://wrye-bash.github.io/docs/Wrye Bash General Readme.html#intro

 

 

[judge007]

Reserved

[judge007]

Reserved

[Mertz]

This is good stuff @judge007

 

It might also be prudent to include that Wrye Bash can get Bash Tag information from LOOT as well.  These tags are carefully curated in the same metadata repository as the sorting information which gets pulled down every time you launch or sort with LOOT.

Edited August 14, 2021 by Mertz

[bulletbutler]

I've never actually used any variant of MO to install mods, only Wrye Bash for Oblivion and vanilla Skyrim in the past with no major issues; the only reason I'm remotely considering MO2 now for Skryim SE because some mods are packaged as fomod structure which I can't "reverse engineer" as BAIN.

 

If I understand your guide correctly, you're using MO2 to install all mods, then using Wrye Bash to rebuild the bashed patch with tags added through either your method or LOOT (as @Mertz described)? What are the custom output folders you mentioned used for?

[donttouchmethere]

On 8/4/2021 at 10:37 AM, judge007 said:

Resources required:

 

On 8/4/2021 at 10:37 AM, judge007 said:

Patience

???

[ReverendFelix]

Fuck MO2... (just my opinion) ?

[Legowaffles]

Would there be any harm in tagging all the mods I'm using?

[loootoooma]

I keep running into an error when trying to apply the script in xEdit...

 

""Unit" expected but "<" found."

 

Any ideas?

[hexenhaus]

Nice guide!

However, too which mods should I add bashed tags? All that do not have them provided by Loot? Too all masters of my previous bashed patch?

 

and I get the same error:

 

On 10/16/2021 at 11:10 PM, loootoooma said:

I keep running into an error when trying to apply the script in xEdit...

 

""Unit" expected but "<" found."

 

Any ideas?

Edited November 11, 2021 by hexenhaus

[Farsh-nuke]

On 11/11/2021 at 5:54 PM, hexenhaus said:

Nice guide!

However, too which mods should I add bashed tags? All that do not have them provided by Loot? Too all masters of my previous bashed patch?

 

and I get the same error:

 

 

Same

[ReverendFelix]

Are you running the script on one mod at a time? Because you have to... And it doesn't hurt to try running it on every mod. It even removes bad bash tags too.

 

Edit;

It should be mentioned, that while the Bashed Patch is amazing, it isn't perfect. So I suggest opening up SSEEdit (or your xEdit equivalent) and make manual adjustments to the records carried over. Now this is pro territory, and you really need  to have some serious knowledge regarding what your mods are meant to do. But if not, many aspects can get replaced by other things. So make a back up of your bashed patch, be brave, and  get to adjusting! Later if you change anything, use your current bashed patch as a log for what needs to be re-edited when making a new bashed patch. I do this by renaming the current bashed patch to "bashed patch old" or some such. Then you can load up both of them in SSEEdit to compare them side by side using the conflicts filter.

 

Sheesh I hope that rant made sense. Anyway, this is a common practice for me and has helped me have a better SSE experience. Also though it sounds complicated, it isn't difficult once you've done it a couple of times.

Edited November 15, 2021 by ReverendFelix
Addendum

[Varithina]

9 hours ago, ReverendFelix said:

Are you running the script on one mod at a time? Because you have to... And it doesn't hurt to try running it on every mod. It even removes bad bash tags too.

 

Edit;

It should be mentioned, that while the Bashed Patch is amazing, it isn't perfect. So I suggest opening up SSEEdit (or your xEdit equivalent) and make manual adjustments to the records carried over. Now this is pro territory, and you really need  to have some serious knowledge regarding what your mods are meant to do. But if not, many aspects can get replaced by other things. So make a back up of your bashed patch, be brave, and  get to adjusting! Later if you change anything, use your current bashed patch as a log for what needs to be re-edited when making a new bashed patch. I do this by renaming the current bashed patch to "bashed patch old" or some such. Then you can load up both of them in SSEEdit to compare them side by side using the conflicts filter.

 

Sheesh I hope that rant made sense. Anyway, this is a common practice for me and has helped me have a better SSE experience. Also though it sounds complicated, it isn't difficult once you've done it a couple of times.

 

Any automated conflict resolutions generator needs the same thing doing after it has been run, bash/smash or anything else, they can all do some odd odd things in the way they build them, manual edit is the only way to be certain that they are doing what you want them to do rather than what they think you want them to do, it is also one of the most tedious things to do as well.

[DJWolf]

I'm trying to configure SEEdit to send it's output to "Wyre Bash Output" but MO2 will not allow it because the option does not exist in the pull down menu.   "WyreBashTagGenerator - main.zip" is a zip file.  I can extract it which I did in "...\SSEEdit 4.04\Edit Scripts.  When that didn't work I copied the .pas file from the folder and placed that among the scripts in the scripts folder.  I closed and rebooted MO2 but that didn't work either.  How do you "install" this zip file?

 

Okay, I worked it out by reading down further.

Edited January 14, 2022 by DJWolf
Worked it out by reading down

[DJWolf]

After I apply scripts to the selected mod and check "Write suggested tags to the header" I get the immediate response "[INFO] No tags are suggested for this plugin.   I then tried it with the other mod I wanted to affect and got the same outcome.  Am I doing something wrong? 

[ReverendFelix]

If the script doesn't add tags it's normal. Some mods don't get tags added. If you run into trouble in game, see my post above for further conflict resolution.

[ezrken]

How do i tell which mods need bash tags?

I get a lot of warnings when i start wyre bash all of the mods in question are sexlab stuff, it said something old header and stuff, and what does those color mean you know the green, pink font colour used for showing mods. 

[Just Don't]

23 minutes ago, ezrken said:

How do i tell which mods need bash tags?

The honest answer here is if you know that much you already know enough about conflict resolution to not need a bashed patch.

 

And I'd only let wrye handle conflict resolution for items (merchant inventories and leveled lists) anything else is asking for troubles. I don't need a tool to decide that carrying forward magic effect records from 5 different mods might be a good idea, if I'm using a dedicated magic overhaul I want that one to win the conflicts. If there are anything to resolve after that it's done via patches, not an automated tool.