Help with a possible mod idea...

[creepycream]

Hi, I so just had the idea of making jail time as a possible outcome for Simple Slavery Plus Plus. Something simple like sending the player to jail after auction.

 

The major problem is I know nothing about scripting, like at all. I kinda get how scripts work, sort of, but alas have no a clue on where or how to begin. If someone has the time and is willing to steer me in the right direction, I would very much appreciate it. Thanks.

Edited March 30 by creepycream

[jib_buttkiss]

For getting started, I'd recommend the Creation Kit Wiki tutorials (that's where I got started). That'll get you started with setting up Creation Kit, then up to speed on how scripts work, and how they connect to Skyrim's game data. Start by getting a handle on scripting in general, then more complex stuff like events.

Before you try connecting to Simple Slavery, start small- maybe a conversation with a guard that leads him to arrest you. That will help you get your eye in, and you can reuse that functionality in you Simple Slavery addon.

 

From there, you'd have to dig through Simple Slavery's documentation (or scripts and .esp, I don't know what resources that mod has available) and find how to hook your added functionality to its events.

Edited March 30 by jib_buttkiss

[Mari Rin]

At one time, I was part of a mod development team as a writer, plus ideas, quests, dialogues. As a person for whom the ability to immerse in the atmosphere is important, I would suggest creating a foundation. Namely, what interaction tools you need, what will be the character evaluation system, what will be the core of the mod that will track variables and, taking them into account, for example, issue comments.
As soon as you understand and choose the right tool for the final product, it makes sense to work on filling and building up the plot. For an interesting game, you need several options for how events can develop.
Regarding how to start working in the editor, there are many tutorial videos divided by stages and work topics. Additionally, AI can help with writing scripts in Python.

 

Edited March 30 by Mari Rin

[a_random_user]

I second @jib_buttkiss with the Creation Kit wiki tutorials. Try making a few testing projects before you start with the full mod, that way you'll get a handle of good practices and general layout. It's also easier to experiment and start clean on a small project.

I also recommend opening other mods in CK and looking at their source files to learn how they set things up. For example, I learned how to set up Sexlab from checking jib's mod.

 

A few tips that aren't in the tutorials:

*the location of source files is inconsistent, Bethesda screwed up when making Special Edition. As such, some mods place the source files in data/script/source (LE style, most used) and other place it in data/source/script (SE style). If you want to compile script, all mods that serve as master for your file must use the same structure and your CK must be set up for that location. Here's a guide for MO2: https://github.com/ModOrganizer2/modorganizer/wiki/Skyrim-Creation-Kit-SE-and-MO2

Personally, I use the LE style of script/source. If some mods place their source files in source/script, I copy the source files to the right folder. PO3 is a notable example.

 

*Every editorID in the CK should start with a prefix of your choosing. This makes searching easier.

 

*Every script fragment you make must be renamed. The CK will auto generate a name when making them (e.g. TIF__03123456), if you don't rename them they might conflict with other mods that didn't rename their scripts either.

 

*By the sound of things, your mod idea won't require a lot of references in your esp, that means it can be esl flagged. It is best to use xEdit to compact the ID for esl flagging. Do this often during development. Don't fall in the trap of making a full mod, and only thinking about the light flag at the end.

 

My workflow here is: make a bunch of stuff in the CK (dialogue, quest, NPC,...), save and close CK, open xEdit, compact ID. Then I write the script attached to those objects. Only when the mod is done do I actually flag it as esl. The CK has some issues with working with esl flagged esp (at least my version does), so I generally avoid it. It's easy to add and remove the esl flag when you want.