How reliable is TES4Edit's "Check for Errors" functi

Post » Thu Oct 24, 2013 2:53 pm

I've run this function (in TES4Edit 3.0.31) against my modlist and it's highlighted a number of mods with errors. Looking at these error reports a number are just Greek to me, some I can understand.

For instance, checking "Waalx Animals and Creatures.esm" highlighted that the item levelled list "4wLLCuirassANDshirts" had an entry in it, "WLWolf", which is in fact a creature levelled list. OK, I can remove that using CSE. Done.

It also reports a large number of creatures with missing Sounds, like so:
[00:01]               CSDI - Sound -> Found a NULL reference, expected: SOUN[00:01]             Above errors were found in :Sound[00:01]           Above errors were found in :Sounds[00:01]         Above errors were found in :Sound Type[00:01]               CSDI - Sound -> Found a NULL reference, expected: SOUN[00:01]             Above errors were found in :Sound[00:01]           Above errors were found in :Sounds[00:01]         Above errors were found in :Sound Type[00:01]               CSDI - Sound -> Found a NULL reference, expected: SOUN[00:01]             Above errors were found in :Sound[00:01]           Above errors were found in :Sounds[00:01]         Above errors were found in :Sound Type[00:01]               CSDI - Sound -> Found a NULL reference, expected: SOUN[00:01]             Above errors were found in :Sound[00:01]           Above errors were found in :Sounds[00:01]         Above errors were found in :Sound Type[00:01]               CSDI - Sound -> Found a NULL reference, expected: SOUN[00:01]             Above errors were found in :Sound[00:01]           Above errors were found in :Sounds[00:01]         Above errors were found in :Sound Type[00:01]       Above errors were found in :Sound Types[00:01]     Above errors were found in :CreatureWACDjinn "Magus Djinn" [CREA:01018D20]
OK, based on the critter's name and looking at its record in more detail it looks like these are footstep sounds which are missing. OK, a djinn's not going to have big stompy boots on so I'm going to ignore those.

Similarly ignored by me are:
[00:00]     4wLL00EMPTY [LVLI:01010171] -> Missing required members: Leveled List Entries[00:00]     LLRSArgonianBow [LVLI:01003567] -> Missing required members: Leveled List Entries[00:00]     LLRSAyleidAmmo [LVLI:01002790] -> Missing required members: Leveled List Entries[00:00]     LLRSDunmerAmmo [LVLI:0100278B] -> Missing required members: Leveled List Entries
Empty item levelled lists. OK, not much I can do about that as I'm not sure what's supposed to be in them (and the first looks like it should be empty). I assume that if they're ever called when I open a container or meet an NPC or what have you then there just won't be an appropriate item. Bad luck for the NPC if they're an Argonian and should be getting a bow from that levelled list, but not game breaking.

Then we get onto ones where I really don't know what's going on, AI stuff:
[00:00]           Parameter #2 -> [00:00]         Above errors were found in :CTDA - Condition[00:00]       Above errors were found in :Conditions[00:00]     Above errors were found in :RSNordEinarServices8x12LockAtEnd512 [PACK:01005ED0][00:00]         Target -> Found a LVLC reference, expected: ACTI,ALCH,AMMO,APPA,ARMO,BOOK,CLOT,CONT,CREA,DOOR,FLOR,FURN,INGR,KEYM,LIGH,MISC,NPC_,SGST,SLGM,SPEL,STAT,WEAP[00:00]       Above errors were found in :PTDT - Target[00:00]     Above errors were found in :WACMooseYfollowMF [PACK:01001D67][00:00]         Target -> Found a LVLC reference, expected: ACTI,ALCH,AMMO,APPA,ARMO,BOOK,CLOT,CONT,CREA,DOOR,FLOR,FURN,INGR,KEYM,LIGH,MISC,NPC_,SGST,SLGM,SPEL,STAT,WEAP[00:00]       Above errors were found in :PTDT - Target[00:00]     Above errors were found in :WACMooseFfollowM [PACK:01001D66][00:00]         Target -> Found a LVLC reference, expected: ACTI,ALCH,AMMO,APPA,ARMO,BOOK,CLOT,CONT,CREA,DOOR,FLOR,FURN,INGR,KEYM,LIGH,MISC,NPC_,SGST,SLGM,SPEL,STAT,WEAP[00:00]       Above errors were found in :PTDT - Target[00:00]     Above errors were found in :WACBongoFfollowM [PACK:01001D62][00:00]   Above errors were found in :GRUP Top "PACK"
So, is this bad? Would these be game-breaking if I met "Einar the Smith" or the delightful packbeast Bongo?

Now, there's probably not much that can be done with WAC as Waalx has retired and is (AFAIK) still wandering the world. That's fine.

But as well as WAC the TES4Edit reports have highlighted some errors in other mods. Some have active threads on this forum (e.g. Unofficial Oblivion Patch.esp, Knights - Unofficial Patch.esp, ElsweyrAnequina Vwalk.esp, xulTheEasternPeaks.esp) and some not, but are still popular (e.g. ElsweyrAnequina.esp, bartholm.esp, Auto Update Leveled Items And Spells.esp, SupremeMagicka.esp)

Miax’s Tome of FO3Edit (which is my TES4Edit bible) says that errors identified should be reported to the mod authors. But it's not something I've seen done around these parts before.

So, I guess I have a number of questions:
Should I worry about these errors?
Should I post in the active threads on this Forum with what TES4Edit reports about their mods?
For those where there isn't an active thread does anyone have any guidance on how to deal with these reports?
Should I just post them here or is there any information I can read elsewhere (I haven't found any specific to TES4Edit error reports)?

Thanks in advance
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Katharine Newton
 
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