Working in a big modteam

[Xal]

Hail fellow oblivion modders! I come bearing many questions, hoping the expertise found here within will be able to assist.

I am wondering how the work on Silgrad Tower is organized considering the size of the team, with so many making changes towards the same mod. How is it all compiled into one file without critical overlaps?

Say that i have a group of 8-10 modders. I create a decently sized island in a new worldspace and hand this file to the group of modders that dive in and start working with a general area for each one to work within. How does one efficiently make the content by each modder work together with the rest, what problems could one expect to arise? What I guess I am trying to ask is essentially, how do you guys co-ordinate this huge project? How does it end up in one file? (Masterfile?)

Also, as a follow up. Say that two modders wish to use the same NPC for two different quests, is that possible to solve by somehow merging the two, or must one of the modders send the info of what he wishes the NPC to do related to his quest?

Hoping to discuss this element of modding further with you guys.
Keep up the awesome work.

/Xal

[Wolvman]

I have also been wondering this. It seems like a huge job.

[InsanitySorrow]

The file given out is an esm, when a change is made it is saved as an esp. When the new additions are finished they are handed in to silgrad are then cleaned and merged with the main file. I guess there are many people in charge of the organisation and I know that the claims help organise becuase one person has one job while someone else has another and a moderator keeps track of claimed work and open work.

Hope it helps a little.

[Xal]

Awesome, that's exactly what I was looking for, thanks InsanitySorrow.

How are the esm and esp files merged together though?

I saw that the current downloadable version of the Construction Set does not allow users to create new master files or merge an .esp to an .esm file. However I take it the old TES CS 1.0 still offers this feature correct?

[Seniosh]

I believe Sandor uses a program called TES4Gecko, which is a user-created utility. it lets you convert mods from ESP to ESM, merge files, probably clean files, ect ect.

I'm pretty sure that's what he uses, though you'd have to ask him where to get it, and how to use it.

The CS v1 had almost no tools for messing around with the mod files themselves (converting from ESM to ESP, merging, ect) i believe v1.2 has the capability to merge mods, but i'm not sure, and outside programs do a much better job

[sandor]

Originally posted by Seniosh
I believe Sandor uses a program called TES4Gecko, which is a user-created utility. it lets you convert mods from ESP to ESM, merge files, probably clean files, ect ect.

I'm pretty sure that's what he uses, though you'd have to ask him where to get it, and how to use it.

At the moment I use Tes4 Gecko which has been adapted to our needs.

If the esm gets too big I'll revert to Version Control (the system that Beth used).

The main issue with the esm is to avoid contaminations.
Everyone can merge files, but checking if they're clean is not always as simple as it seems.