Hi, I'm new to modding on TES4. My ultimate goal, is to tweak all the mods I have installed so they integrate better and suit my personal balance tastes, as well as fix any broken mods I have.

I know about the "my first dungeon" tutorial, tried that a while ago, but I'm more interested in things like loot tables, creature tables, and scripting, rather then level design - I have lots of experience modding on WarCraft III, so scripting should be probably the easiest thing for me. (although I wonder if a random roguelike dungeon generator has been done before...)

Just my quick question: What and where should I start modding? I've got no idea what I should create (either then a level, but that really doesn't help me learn about tables and scripting).


EDIT: also is there like a live irc chat or something for TES (that isnt at nexus)

Bookmark the http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Main_Page, this is your new God.
http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Category:Getting_Started

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Category:Items

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Basic_NPC_Creation_Tutorial

Think of something simple you would like to achieve and then try doing it :twirl:

Also, try downloading similar mods to what you want to do and look at their scripts etc and get ideas from what they have done.

You may also consider coming to TES Alliance where the Construction Set Basics class will walk you step by step from installing the CS to releasing your first mod. http://www.invision.tesalliance.org/forums/index.php?/topic/1971-construction-set-basics-an-introduction-to-the-cs/ :nod:

From there, you can join other classes on site to learn scripting, modeling, and more. :goodjob:

Hey, thanks for all the replies. Really useful information. That graphical tutorial on TES Alliance is pretty good at explaining what all the buttons do. I'll probably play around with a dungeon test level and tie scripts to random things in there, and then try and make something practical, like maybe a way to tweak the repair system to require certain items to repair weapons and armor.

i`d recomended you to start with simple companion mod NPC ,make your own partner it`s easy ,you have tutorial on TESWiki

I'd recommend trying to think up the most massive, complicated mod project you can think of, diving right into it full speed, using the wiki when you get stuck, but never asking questions or for help on the project. If you can't figure out how to do one part, try doing a different part. Keep doing this on your own for about a month or two non-stop, moving from one part to the next beating your head against the screen every step of the way. By the end of that month or two, if successful, you'll have learned everything you need to know about being a modder, and might have some potential of being rather good at it. If not successful, you'd probably have given up somewhere along the way or lost interest in modding entirely. The resulting mod doesn't matter, it's where producing that mod takes you that is the important part. Tutorials are nice, so is getting ideas from others, but the real heart of modding comes from the ability to challenge oneself, and to stick with it working through those challenges. Tutorials can't really teach you that part.

Good point, start with something you can throw away, because it's not that important to you. It's like your first Oblivion character. You mess up their initial stats, choose the wrong class and birth-sign, and level the wrongs skills. Your second character has a much better choice of sign, and a custom class, and you've either installed a leveling mod or learned to control which skills you use to get all +5 increments. Your second mod will be the one you actually wanted to learn for.

So try a bit of everything in your first attempt and see what you like doing. It's quite possible you'll team up with others and specialize.

When you've finished a part of something and you are pretty sure it's ok save it to another location besides the oblivion data file folder. Sometimes you don't know you've messed up till its to late and that save will be a god send for you. Also fix it so you can open up 2 editors. Do you checking things out in the other editor rather than the one your mod is loaded in. Finally practice, practice and more practice.

Have fun
Elora Q