144 replies to this topic

[Alexander J. Velicky]

Hey everyone,

The devs at Bethesda were nice enough to contact Arthmoor about the dialogue bug we had all been experiencing. After some private testing on his part, and later mine, we determined that it was indeed the source of most of our issues.

The problem is that we need to generate something called a SEQ file. This file tells the game engine which quests you have start-game enabled, and possibly which ones you have altered. Generating this file should result in all of your dialogue and scenes working properly once again, just as they did pre 1.6.

How do you generate this file? There are several ways. You can do it via the windows command prompt, via Steam launch options, and once released, via TESVEdit, which will have a built in button.

I've made a video with instructions on how to do it via the Steam launch options: http://youtu.be/Ai3txtvoSbM

Here are the written instructions--


If you wish to use the Steam Launch Options:

1. Open the main Steam window, and go to the Library tab.
2. Click the dropdown, and select 'Tools'.
3. Right click on Creation Kit in the list.
4. Select 'Properties'.
5. Click 'Set Launch Options...'
6. Type in -GenerateSEQ:PluginName.esp Where PluginName is the name of your plugin.
7. Click 'Okay'.
8. Open the Creation Kit. It should show the splash screen, and load some things. This may take a few minutes. When it's done, the Creation Kit will simply close.
9. Go back to 'Set Launch Options...' and remove the line we just typed in, allowing you to resume using the CK normally.
10. Navigate to your Skyrim folder, just above the Data folder.
11. You'll have a file called PluginName.SEQ. Move it to Data/SEQ. If that folder does not already exist (It shouldn't) create it.
12. You should now have "Skyrim/Data/SEQ/PluginName.SEQ" and you're good to go.

If you'd rather use the Windows Command Prompt:

1. Open CMD.
2. Navigate your way to where Skyrim is installed. (By default: C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim)
3. Type in the following command: creationkit.exe -GenerateSEQ:pluginname.esp (Again, where pluginname.esp is the name of your mod file)
4. The CK will open just like step #8 above.
5. Repeat steps #10-12 above.

Now, there have been a few scattered reports of this not working for some people. It seems a bit iffy. And I mean generation, once you get the actual file, we've had nothing but positive reports of it working and fixing most/all dialogue related issues.

Some notes from Arthmoor:

Note that the command line process may only work once. I've never been able to get it to work again since the first try. So I had to switch to the Steam method, which Alexander suggested.

The SEQ file will need to be regenerated any time you add a new start-enabled quest to your mod, delete one from the mod, or toggle the "start game enabled" flag on a quest in your mod. So it's important to remember this.

When I tested this, the command line option only worked once and has failed to ever work again. The Steam method works without fail each time, but it's a pain.

Good news is, once the developers cleared Alexander and I to share this knowledge, I contacted Zilav (TES5Edit) and he'll be including support to generate this file through TES5Edit as well.

The file itself is nothing more than a series of form IDs for each quest in your mod that's been flagged as start-enabled. It's encoded though, so you can't just type it out by hand.

TES5Edit will be the easiest method for generating this file since it will place it in the proper folder for you, rather than the CK simply dropping it in the same place as creationkit.exe.

Remember to distribute this file with your mod along with everything else! If you do not, people will experience the 'dialogue bug', and your mod will likely not work for them at all.

Also remember to regenerate this file whenever you alter additional quests, or add more of your own.

Thank you to Joel for reaching out to us with this solution! And, to the devs for their abrupt increase in activity.

AJV

[B1gBadDaddy]

Sticky!

[Black RL]

Good job!

[Adolon]

Remember to distribute this file with your mod along with everything else! If you do not, people will experience the 'dialogue bug', and your mod will likely not work for them at all.

Think the SEQ falls under Misc in the TESArchive?

[Alexander J. Velicky]

Think the SEQ falls under Misc in the TESArchive?

Yeah I wasn't sure what you meant in the other thread either. You mean in the BSA? The one for Skyrim.esm and Update.esm is in the Update.BSA, and the one for either DLC is in the respective archive.

If you mean for packing them, yes I think it would count as Misc.

Edited by Alexander J. Velicky, 19 October 2012 - 01:27 PM.

[Black RL]

If you mean for packing them, yes I think it would count as Misc.

Do you have a packing tutorial? Because so far I only used the automatic process, and my mod as come a LONGGGGGGGGGGGGG way since then and I'm pretty sure I have to pack everything manually now.

I think it's just drag and drop in the pack window?

Thanks.

[skibo5]

CMD works for me everytime. Heres how...

1. Open up the root CMD location on your pc.
(start button, search, CMD, Right click on CMD, Open file location.)

2. Open the root location of creation kit, No shortcuts.

3. Drag and drop the creation kit icon into CMD.

4. CMD will open.

5. Type in creationkit.exe -GenerateSEQ:pluginname.esp

6. Creation kit splash screen will display, DO NOT MOVE YOUR MOUSE until the splash turns white after a bit of time.

7. The splash will go away and your SEQ will be made.

Thanks to Arthmoor and AV for sharing this.

Thanks to Beth for everything.

[PrinceShroob]

Doesn't work for .esp-parented files.

Or perhaps it's just if your file depends on Update.esm and you have the 1.8 file.

Either way:

*Sigh*

Edited by PrinceShroob, 19 October 2012 - 01:44 PM.

[skibo5]

Doesn't work for .esp-parented files.

*Sigh*

Try opening the CK... Click the open folder... Once you highlight your mod to set as active... On the right side there is a list of other Esps, etc your mod depends on. CTRL Delete everything in this right hand list but SKYRIM.ESM then set your file as active, load and save... Backup your esp before you try this.. It works for me everytime..

[Alexander J. Velicky]

Yes, since it loads the masters, if you have update.esm as a master and the beta, it wont work. But you shouldn't have the beta if you're modding. The beta should only be used to test the patch, or potentially make sure your mod will work with the new version. In this case, we need a CK update before we can mod with the new patch, so I'd just opt out of the beta for this, it's quick and easy.

[Adolon]

Do you have a packing tutorial? Because so far I only used the automatic process, and my mod as come a LONGGGGGGGGGGGGG way since then and I'm pretty sure I have to pack everything manually now.

I think it's just drag and drop in the pack window?

Thanks.

http://www.creationkit.com/Archive.exe

[B1gBadDaddy]

http://www.creationkit.com/Archive.exe

Nah, BSA Opt ftw. Allows you to add an entire directory. I have made my own Data folder on my pc, which I add my new meshes/scripts etc as I make them and add them to Skyrim's Data folder. Then just make a BSA from my folder. Saves having to trawl through the skyrim data folder to find your assets.

Edited by B1gBadDaddy, 19 October 2012 - 04:32 PM.

[Alexander J. Velicky]

Nah, BSA Opt ftw. Allows you to add an entire directory. I have made my own Data folder on my pc, which I add my new meshes/scripts etc as I make them and add them to Skyrim's Data folder. Then just make a BSA from my folder. Saves having to trawl through the skyrim data folder to find your assets.

Archive.exe does the same. I have a fake Data file elsewhere on my computer, I just drag a few files into the archive window and I'm good to go.

Actually, you have to had the bottom-most folder, so yeah I have to click at 15 extra times.

Edited by Alexander J. Velicky, 19 October 2012 - 04:36 PM.

[B1gBadDaddy]

Archive.exe does the same. I have a fake Data file elsewhere on my computer, I just drag a few files into the archive window and I'm good to go.

Actually, you have to had the bottom-most folder, so yeah I have to click at 15 extra times.

An extra 15 times??? Ain't nobody got....

[Alexander J. Velicky]

Maybe 15 extra clicks just doesn't seem too bad to me right now, as I've spent the last 4 hours renaming every single script in my mod.

Edited by Alexander J. Velicky, 19 October 2012 - 04:49 PM.

[B1gBadDaddy]

Maybe 15 extra clicks just doesn't seem to bad to me right now, as I've spent the last 4 hours renaming every single script in my mod.

For lords sake... my Guild has enough, I can only imagine how many you have lol

[Alexander J. Velicky]

For lords sake... my Guild has enough, I can only imagine how many you have lol

Well, I'm so happy that SmkViper brought this up and lead to me doing it now. I'm currently at 212, which I guess isn't actually really THAT many... By the projects end I'll probably be at like 300, so luckily I caught it now. But hey, now every single one of my mods scripts has a nice prefix so I can easily pull out them and the source files when I release the mod.

[B1gBadDaddy]

Well, I'm so happy that SmkViper brought this up and lead to me doing it now. I'm currently at 212, which I guess isn't actually really THAT many... By the projects end I'll probably be at like 300, so luckily I caught it now. But hey, now every single one of my mods scripts has a nice prefix so I can easily pull out them and the source files when I release the mod.

I've actually got 173... I've started making scripts that can be used a lot more than once... maybe it's about time lol.

[Alexander J. Velicky]

I've actually got 173... I've started making scripts that can be used a lot more than once... maybe it's about time lol.

Yeah I was quick to realise the power of the new script attachment system. I have many a script with simple plug-in variables that serve me well.

[B1gBadDaddy]

Yeah I was quick to realise the power of the new script attachment system. I have many a script with simple plug-in variables that serve me well.

Yea same mate. My first few radiant fetch quests each had their own scripts. I've since learned/realised I can use 1 script, and just set the properties for it differently in each quest. Much easier to manage and set up

Edited by B1gBadDaddy, 19 October 2012 - 05:24 PM.

[Talyn82]

Stupid question. I am new at making quests and dialogue for Skyrim. What exactly is the dialogue bug?

[Jara of the Black Wind]

YESSSSSSSSSSS

[Ingenue]

Well, I'm so happy that SmkViper brought this up and lead to me doing it now.

Sorry - brought what up? Is there something I've missed? I wish this forum had a 'recent dev posts' filter ...

[B1gBadDaddy]

Sorry - brought what up? Is there something I've missed? I wish this forum had a 'recent dev posts' filter ...

He was talking about the CK prefix which goes at the beginning of all your scripts. Alex didn't know about it at first

[Alexander J. Velicky]

Sorry - brought what up? Is there something I've missed? I wish this forum had a 'recent dev posts' filter ...

Oh, he sent me a PM regarding scripting and during our discussion, prefixes and conflicts came up.

[Adolon]

Stupid question. I am new at making quests and dialogue for Skyrim. What exactly is the dialogue bug?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2_T9NlIwIo

[Royal_Flush]

Two questions:
1. Is it normal that it still doesn't work when "coc"-ing into my cell from the main menu?
2. Does this also fix the bug with travel packages not working at all?

[B1gBadDaddy]

Using coc had no effect on my dialogue. Once I had my SEQ file it works every time.

Edited by B1gBadDaddy, 20 October 2012 - 02:16 PM.

[Talyn82]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=m2_T9NlIwIo

Thanks. Love your avatar. Poor Fargoth, lol.

[skibo5]

Two questions:
1. Is it normal that it still doesn't work when "coc"-ing into my cell from the main menu?
2. Does this also fix the bug with travel packages not working at all?

Travel packages will not work if your nav mesh has bugs. Try fixing those and be sure you finalize. I had the same problem, Finalized the other side of my nav mesh and they started working fine.