You made your own custom Vilja or at least changed her hair yourself?
Vilja has some new AI packages that need to be added to your custom version. This guide will walk you through the basic process of upgrading her step by step.
Upgrading her using just the Construction Set isn't very pleasant. Read the instructions from the TES4Edit section before you make your final decision to do it this way. But if you really must use the Construction Set, it's not really hard, just very, very tedious. (I started doing my conversions this way and shortly after making the image above, decided to use and describe the TES4Edit method.)
I recommend closing mod managers like OBMM, Bash, and BOSS.
Those managers will probably not be happy with the next steps so its easier to just not let them see.
Open a window to your Oblivion\Data
folder and keep it open.
You'll be renaming files at the beginning and end of this process.
If you installed the game in the default location then the full path
is C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data
.
Copy 1em_Vilja_master.esp
from the
Vilja_Customization_Master
folder into your
Oblivion\Data
folder.
This is a special (and very small) version that will be a master while you create your custom Vilja. It's only for use in the Construction Set, so don't activate it in the game!
Swap out the real 1em_Vilja.esp
with the special
1em_Vilja_Master.esp
version.
1em_Vilja.esp
file to 1em_Vilja2.esp
.1em_Vilja_master.esp
to 1em_Vilja.esp
.You will still be able to tell the two apart because the real one is much larger although your dates may not match the ones shown.
Start the Construction Set and load your custom Vilja.
You will need to mark that ESP file as the Active File to edit it.
Warning: Do not load more than one ESP file (except for the special 1em_Vilja.esp) at a time or you will corrupt your mod.
Open the main AI packages window and Vilja's AI package listing.
Select Character - Packages... on the menu and scroll down to the group width EditorIds that start with "DoNotTouchThisAI". Leave this window open because you'll be dragging some of those packages into Vilja's AI list.
From the Object Window, choose the NPC 1emmVilja
and
then on the NPC window click the AI button.
Position the windows so that you can see both the main list of AI packages and Vilja's set.
Give Vilja the new packages.
Notice that Vilja is missing AI packages 1, 2, and 12 through 21.
Drag those packages from the AI Packages window into Vilja's list.
Arrange the packages so they are in the right order.
The new packages will appear at the very bottom of her list. Click on each one and then use the left and right arrow keys to move it into the correct position. (Yes, left moves an entry up the list and right moves it down.) You'll also need to constantly readjust the width of the EditorID column so that you can see the full AI package name.
When you're done, she'll have 55 different AI packages, all in the correct numerical order.
Choose File - Save to save your custom Vilja and then exit the Construction Set.
Swap out the special 1em_Vilja_master.esp
with the real 1em_Vilja.esp
version.
1em_Vilja.esp
file back to 1em_Vilja_master.esp
.1em_Vilja2.esp
to 1em_Vilja.esp
.Restart whatever mod managers you use and verify that your
custom version still loads after 1em_Vilja.esp
.
This is by far the easiest way to upgrade your own custom Vilja. And you don't even need the master ESP file!
Download and run TES4Edit.
You can get TES4Edit at TESNexus. I used version 2.5.3 but any recent version should be OK.
Just open the archive file and run the TES4Edit program you find inside. It doesn't need to be configured, installed, or even be in any special place.
Pick just the main and custom Vilja files (and Oblivion.esm).
When the program starts it will ask you to select your masters and plugins. Right-click anywhere in the window and choose "Select None" then mark only the Oblivion.esm, 1em_Vilja.esp, and your custom ESP before clicking OK.
Find and select the Vilja NPC in your custom Vilja version.
You should let the background loader finish before you try to select the Vilja entry. If you expand the sections too soon there won't be color highlighting. (Athough you can do the following steps without the highlighting if you're impatient.)
Scroll to the AI Packages section and update the packages in the custom ESP.
Click on and then drag the gray rectangle area just to the right of the AI Packages label (shown with the dotted border in the picture below) into the space immediately to the right. This will copy the entire set of new AI packages (starting with 1emmFollowDistant2AI) into your custom Vilja.
(If you didn't pay attention and swapped in the master ESP file, you'll see AI packages with names like "DoNotTouchThisAI01" instead, but the same strategy for copying them applies.)
You'll get a big warning box about editing the file. Just choose "Yes I'm absolutely sure". The entire AI Packages section should turn green with the "1emmDistanceFollow2AI" package at the top of both AI lists. (Other parts of the 1emmVilja entry may still be yellow, but those sections are showing the actual changes for your custom Vilja so don't try to copy them.)
Close the TES4Edit window and save your changes.
Use the standard window close button (or press Alt-F4) exit the editor and you will be prompted to save your changes. (If you somehow accidentally modified the Oblivion.esm or 1em_Vilja.esp files you should uncheck the boxes beside them so the changes won't saved.)
Charles Cooley
2010-12-10