|
Notice: This is an ancillary guide to the official STEP Guide created to reduce the length of that guide. Most of the following is general modding information or information for those not interested in using Mod organizer (MO) as STEP recommends. |
<Steam>SteamAppscommon
.<computer name>Users
) in the top panel.<Steam>SteamAppscommonskyrim
%USERPROFILE%My DocumentsMy GamesSkyrim
%LOCALAPPDATA%Skyrim
USERS | If using Mod Organizer (MO) according to the recommendations in the STEP Guide, there is nothing gained by following this procedure, as MO inherently preserves a pristine vanilla Skyrim game directory, since it uses a virtualization technique. |
USERS | Mod Organizer uses profiles, which store the user configuration under <Mod Organizer>profiles . This 'protects' the config files by isolating them under each unique profile and serves to back up profile-specific INI and other configuration files. These are the INI files that are actually edited from within MO > Tools, and the default configuration files still exist in their original locations for reference when Skyrim is launched from outside MO |
%USERPROFILE%DocumentsMy GamesSkyrim
. Modifying these files can greatly improve the Skyrim experience and represents an important section of the STEP guide. %USERPROFILE%DocumentsMy GamesSkyrimSaves
holds all of Skyrim's savegame files. A more advanced tutorial on INI settings for both AMD and Nvidia users can be found in the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Tweak Guide. %LOCALAPPDATA%Skyrim
and include 'DLCList.txt', 'plugins.txt', and 'SteamModList.txt' as well as 'loadorder.txt' if using a mod manager. These files keep track of all mod plugins (i.e. ESPs), whether they are active or not and the order they are to be loaded in when Skyrim is launched.D:GamesSteamSteamAppscommonskyrimData
. All .bsa and plugin files (.esp and .esm) reside here. Directories corresponding to each .bsa name can be created and files inside them will override files inside of the .bsa, so any texture files in <skyrim>Datatextures
will overwrite textures of the same name in textures.bsa for example. Always save your game before installing a mod, you will need to revert to it if you want to uninstall the mod at a later date. Quote from Skyrim Best Practices on BethBlog%USERPROFILE%My DocumentsMy GamesSkyrim
.%USERPROFILE%My DocumentsMy GamesSkyrim
.File Extension | File Type | Skyrim Directory | Description |
---|---|---|---|
bsa | Bethesda Softworks Archive | data | This holds all of the main files used in the game and DLC, also be used by mods on Steam Workshop |
esm | Elder Scrolls Master | data | This contains the master gamesettings, used when creating completely new objects or areas |
esp | Elder Scrolls Plugin | data | This contains modified gamesettings, based on a master usually just Skyrim.esm |
ess | Elder Scrolls Savegame | mygames-saves | The savegame file contains all gameworld and character data |
txt | text | meshes-animationdata,interface,mygames-skyrim | Contains technical data that controls animations, interface, and graphics support |
ini | text | mygames-skyrim,skyrim | contains configuration settings for the game engine |
dds | texture | textures | Texture maps (graphics) for 3D models in the game |
nif | 3D model | meshes | The wire mesh model for all objects in the game |
hkx | Havock Animation | meshes-animations | all movement in the game is controlled by these files |
png | graphics | textures-books | used exclusively for graphics inside books |
swf | flash | interface | the Graphic User Interface is created using these files |
pex | compiled papyrus | scripts | These control all object and character behavior in the game |
psc | source papyrus | scripts | Uncompiled source scripts unused by the game until they are compiled into .pex files |
wav | audio | sound | All ambient sounds and sound effects |
fuz | audio | sound-voices | All voice dialogue |
xwm | audio | music | All songs and music |
lod | texture | lodsettings | Graphics used for very distant objects |
strings | unknown | strings | localization of text |
dlstrings | unknown | strings | localization of text |
ilstrings | unknown | strings | localization of text |
bto | unknown | meshes | unknown |
btr | unknown | meshes | unknown |
btt | unknown | meshes | unknown |
lst | unknown | meshes | unknown |
tri | unknown | meshes | unknown |
fxp | unknown | shadersfx | controls all graphics shaders |
gfx | unknown | interface | unknown |
gid | unknown | grass | used to dynamically generate grass |
seq | sequence | seq | used for quests |
<skyrim>Data
. These directories may not be created by default; however, when they are, they function in a special way. These include: Grass, Interface, Lodsettings, Meshes, Music, Scripts, Shadersfx, Sound, Strings, and Textures. Correctly named and formatted files placed in these directories (termed 'Loose files') will override files inside the default Skyrim BSA's as well as DLC's and other mods distributed with bsa's.