Roughnecks-

Hey it is your thread and if you want to ask that I guess I've no issue because it does relate to Wrye Flash as well.

Once you install Wrye Bash look in the data folder and the mods tab of Bash/Flash look for Bashed Patch, 0.esp. If not there then copy an extra one from the Mopy/extras folder into the data folder.

In bash mods tab again right click on the bashed patch and scroll down to where it says rebuild patch. Most things in Wrye Bash/Flash/Mash can be accessed via context menus (right click) you will get different options when you right click on a file (esp or whatever) than if you right click off of a tab).

Once you do this then you get a splash screen menu with many options on it. Might be overwhelming at first. The first thing it may ask you is if you want to deactivate mods it sees as able to be merged into bash - for now click yes (there are a few in F3 that should not deactivated even though bash says they can).

Explore the options. Merge options means that any mod listed there can be fully merged into bash and then left deactivated thereby reducing the total number of mods active.

The next important one is leveled lists. This is really the prime purpose of bash. Ask if you would like to learn more.

Importing records. Can be done through tags - these tags are most often applied to esp via running BOSS - so get that going. Once a plugin is tagged with the appropriate tags then when you rebuild the bashed patch the option to import records is available. So if a mod has a tag for factions then there will be a check mark under the factions options, if tagged for stats (weapon damage, etc) then again an option is available under the import stats area. Basically check the boxes next to them then when satisfied click build patch (can take up 10 minutes with large load orders).

Start small importing little then as time goes and with each bashing add a bit more. Take your time to get the feel for it.

I wrote some more http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1117083-merged-patch-or-bashed-patch-or-both/page__view__findpost__p__16416804 - if you want to review. And ask questions - very active Wrye bash thread on the Oblivion forums. My expertise is really in the use of http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1084204-bain-mod-installation-projects/, but I've learned a few things - If I can help I will.

Wow - I can feel you got an axe to grind. well my name is not Wrye.

But I tell you what - if you want help installing and running bash - just ask and I'll do my best to answer.

Come to the clouds - we have cookies.

Same goes for you Richard.

The http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=35230 goes a long way to helping those struggling with Wrye Bash (or Wrye Flash, no doubt). Well, it should, anyway. Doesn't even take much reading (hence, *pictorial* guide). Recommended, if you are having difficulties finding your way around the app/thread/readme.

In addition, though it is (clearly) Oblivion-centric, http://tesivpositive.animolious.com/ is full of info and helpful advice, much of which will translate directly, or at least pretty well, to Fallout 3. Same engine, similar tools, and so on.

And, ironically I suppose , I would count Psymon (and Psymon's guides) as being in the very helpful bracket, as well. Particularly for all things BAIN (er, and... "FAIN"? ).

A little reading, a little logic, and a little patience, will all go a long way to making your mod-using experiences that much happier. But, with or without much of any of those, the above should prove useful, regardless.

While this whole thread is quickly becoming somewhat more suited for the Oblivion mods subforum, I feel the need to say this:

Wrye Bash is the single greatest mod management tool I have ever used. From the alternatives in Oblivion, to highly automated tools like the X Plugin Manager (I still say we should settle on a standard so we can entirely automate installing mods - something like .f?omod but there from the very start so it can be accepted as a standard (And, of course, the underlying compression made very clear so mods can be installed manually if that's that person's jam) to the tools used for modding Infinity Engine games, to the installers of the freespace2 open project, to modding for source, or cryengine, or anything else.

Wrye Bash trumps them all. With Wrye Bash, there are only a very few reasons to ever open your data folder, because almost everything is managable from it. It has a steeper learning curve than OBMM, but it's well worth it. (Not to say OBMM isn't great, just they have two fundamentally different ways of solving the problem of mod management)

Breton Paladin-

You are too kind ... I suppose. :wink_smile:

PhYoshi-

The problem with uniformity is that what to so with innovation. Until bash was ported by Valda all we had was FOMM.

Another sad thing though about the fallout games - as you know the bashed patch is a powerful tool able to integrate much information. Very few mods in F3 make use of this and most of the tags on the masterlist were placed by Valda IIRC. There are exceptions ... Xepha, and of course Martigen.

I think a reason for this is that many of the overhaul makers for F3 didn't come up through modding Oblivion. Some of the old timer modders from Oblivion have been around since morrowind and even earlier. While I guess it is bash on Wrye day - he was great at working with modders to implement changes and move the modding/tool use collaboration toward a new standard. Many of the modders who created overhauls for F3 missed that and since there was no bash for F3 - it never took off. Valda poured hours into and it went largely ignored. Same with NV from what I understand.

So there is the next level up that never really got reached by most of the mod users and mod makers of Fallout3.

And with Oblivion it is still strongly supported - a team of developers no less. New versions coming. ... oh wait I've fallen into sycophantic praise ... ahhhh :bowdown: :shocking:

Seriously though - I suspect that people are put off having to ask questions and the readme for bash is pretty bad. Still - I help when I can. People aren't going to get help for questions they don't ask.

Not at all, Psymon. You have helped me, and countless others, with such things at BAIN.* Freely, using what spare time you might have had available. Kudos, where deserved. :thumbsup:

And I only meant "ironically", due to the ways that some people have chosen to characterise you, skew your posts, and so on. Just in case that was unclear...


* Speaking of which... do you have any advice, in a post somewhere for example, as to what tags to add to various FO3 mods? I'm like, totally down with the Oblivion modding experience, yo. But Fallout 3, as you've more or less said, has been left rather poorly, in comparison. I'd like to use Wrye Flash - I already do for installation, because BAIN (FAIN?) is superb, even here - with the whole Bashed Patch approach and stuff, but BOSS and Flash both, leave a lot of it up to... well, me in this case. And I'm still not all that confident with adding tags left and right. I've done a bit here and there, for Oblivion anyway, but I'm also more familiar by far with many of those mods. If there's any advice you could give, or places to look at / read, that would be fantastic.

Cheers.

Concerning the overhauls and many mods BOSS already handles a lot. I've no real recommendations beyond what BOSS already has. Just make sure to get the latest masterlist.

We, so far, call it BAIN here too.

I've not kept up with Arwen since it is the only overhaul still in development after the mass exodus to NV by most modders - it may need more or less tags, but I don't know. Sorry.

closed for review.

Oh hell, I deleted 8 posts, would have to delete more, since this turned into a thread about one of the excellent Oblivion mod tools. Hey... here's an idea - have a problem with an Oblivion mod or modding too? Use the Oblivion forums. :stare:

Have an axe to grind about a mod? And you wish to avoid a warning from a very cranky cat moderator? Don't post it on these forums.

I am leaving the thread closed. OP, it seems like you got some assistance with your issue. If you have further issues, you can start a new thread.