Skyrim Special Edition
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Arvyn

Uploaded by

Arvyn10

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About this mod

Adds an option to skip the introduction.

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Permissions and credits
Translations
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Changelogs
Optionally start a new game at the cave end of Helgen Keep (skipping it), done in such a way that Helgen and the main quest proceeds as if the entirety of the game's introduction is played as intended. The vanilla introduction is still available on a new game.

Gear is provided at the cave's exit, as replacement for not being able to loot in the vanilla introduction.





APPENDIX


Editor ID Prefix
is QS_.

Modified Vanilla Script
The fragment script (Script file's name: QF_MQ101_0003372B) of the quest "Unbound" (Editor ID: MQ101) is modified. This makes the mod incompatible with ones such as Alternate Start - Live Another Life - SSE without a patch.

Identical to Master records
are cleaned with TES5Edit, and the mod is then ported to Special Edition with the Creation Kit.

How the Mod Came To Be
The "Quick Start" functionality has already been implemented in the game by the developers, for playtesting purposes. They're just not Optional, and does not ensure continuity with the proper introduction (since this Quick Start is made only for playtesting). Most of the work involved in making this mod is exposing this Quick Start to an interface and making sure world continuity is maintained. Even the story blurb in selecting either Ralof or Hadvar is not mine! I would've struggled to write something as succinct.

On Turning the Plugin into an ESL

Is it possible to turn this into and esl without problems?


I'd guess so. The mod has a new cell (QS_Cell) but I've read that new cells in ESLs become a problem if they are referenced by, say, another plugin.

There's also this comment by Tetrol88:
This mod can be flagged esl - but not simply. It contains a new cell - but as that cell is not a cell that any other mod will ever access (that is the issue with changing a cell's ID) it is not an issue to allocate it an ID within esl space. I have tried it and no issues. You will get a warning about it if using SSEEdit an "compact IDs for flagging as esl" - ignore the warning an keep going. Make sure to try a new game just to see it works (fine in my setup) - you can always just reinstall the mod.

By those, if you can ensure that the cell is not referenced by another mod then it'll be fine. (For example, I'd start checking for said reference if a mod is listed as requiring Optional Quick Start)


Notes for Further Updates
Further solidify and document the separation of how gear are given. This is done to better simulate the passage of time of the true beginning in the skipped one, and providing a means to change what gear are given without necessarily changing the code text.

The separation are done by the game's structures.
  • [Container, Form ID: QS_Chest] Chest by the cave's exit: some items that could be looted up in Helgen Keep prior if the original beginning is done, plus some to better reinforce the existence of the chest (the supposed story is that the chest is part of a supply delivery that got abandoned during the dragon attack; probably better to not justify the existence after all).
  • [FormList, Form ID: QS_PrisonersGear] Starting equipped items. To be done after character creation, before getting to the chest.
  • *[Container, Form ID: QS_PrisonersInventory] Chest in a player-inaccessible cell, for items carried by the player and to be given at the same time as QS_PrisonersGear.
  • I think there was one more, but I forgot what it is before I wrote it down.

* Not yet implemented

The contents of QS_PrisonersInventory should be given before the contents of QS_PrisonersGear are equipped. This is due to EquipItem that adds the item if it is not already in inventory (instead of failing because there is none of the item to equip), so doing QS_PrisonersInventory after QS_PrisonersGear could lead to duplicates of equipped items, depending on contents of both.

Consider adding 3 lockpicks (the same amount as those in the torture room) through QS_PrisonersInventory, and the same for the set of mage clothes, etc.

Look into packaging the loose files into BSA archive.


ADDENDUM

Thanks to
ladyonthemoon, for their pointers on quests related to Helgen.

Tools Used
Creation Kit and
TES5Edit.