Or maybe just a conversion tool? Intel/havok merge locked up the tools we would usually have access to. I'm sure with enough duct tape modders will figure out a way, but I wonder how many epic sword mods we would have seen in Skyrim if every modder had to run 2 or 3 different programs through dos prompts to edit a file.

As many as we got

Seriously, Bethesda never released any tools for exporting meshes or skeletons from a modelling package to .nif format, and they never released any tools for converting animations or incorporating them in the game. Everything that was produced was by using the modder-created NifTools software, the Havok publicly available software, some other modder-created tools... and, as you say a lot of duct tape, wonderglue, mutfuit, corn and tatos .

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It would be wonderful if modders got more from Bethesda this time around, but firstly there is a lot of licensed middleware in their tools that they can't release, and their in-house tools are likely to be fairly gimcrack and unfriendly.

Based only on past history, I'm glumly expecting it will be up to the community to develop any tools, which depends on there being people with the time, expertise and interest to devote their spare hours to reverse-engineering and coding.

I guess that's fair. you're right. it's the same.

I didn't even think about the licensing portion of it.

Considering they want mods on consoles now, they must provide something modeling wise this time. At least Nif checker to verify that meshes and other files are ok. Anything else like Nif plugins for modeling software would be a dream, or even just some importer directly in CK.

Fingers crossed

That would involve some licensing deal with Autodesk. We haven't seen an official Max exporter since Morrowind.

The more likely scenario is that they simply don't allow custom assets in console mods, limiting them to what you can build with the CK.

But the real question for me is why would they even do that? There'll be an unofficial importer/exporter for Max/Blender etc. Modeling will be the way it's always been. I don't see how mods on consoles will affect that.