ghastley mods, hosting my own. Options

[ghastley]

Since I've pulled all my mods off the Nexus, as I don't agree with their new TOS, I'm hosting them on my own site, just like I've always done for beta tests. This thread is for discussion of the site, which I won't post a link to here, but will provide one via PM. That will hopefully stop it being made public via google before I'm ready. It's under "Other" as there are mods for everything in the Elder Scrolls series but Arena.

I could keep all the discussion in PM's, but then you won't see each others' comments, and I'll have to act as mailman all the time.

Once it's all there, then the URL will be made public and this thread can keep running.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Nov 27 2021, 12:15 AM

[Acadian]

This sounds like a brilliant approach to transitioning your mods from Nexus to your own site. I won't be able to really help, as ESO is the only game on my puter - just wanted to wish you well.

[ghastley]

Making my first change as a result of feedback. The front page had links to each game for its list of mods, plus an extra for "other stuff". It was suggested that I make that two links for FF and tutorials. But if I find another category of "other" they'll start catching up with the games for numbers.

I'll see what I can do in downplaying the extras a bit.

[Lena Wolf]

I think you wont be able to make a design good for all eventualities. So when you find something else you want to add to the site, you'll need to make changes... Yeah, I know. Maintenance is a killer.

[ghastley]

It turns out that the change to split "Other Stuff" also resolves a layout issue with Safari on the iPad. So that's made, now.

Next up is finding a suitable gallery layout for the mod screenshots. There won't be a lot, because: no user-contributed images; and most images are already in the Wiki. I can do a simple table of thumbnails, which open a new tab/window for the full-sized image, or try to make a filmstrip/projector style using the same CSS radio button technique that does the tabs. Since images are on a tab, there may be nesting issues with the latter method.

Somewhere on there I want to explain why my mods are on their own obscure site, and not the Nexus (or similar). That may have to wait until I decide where the discussion forum/fora are, as it will provoke discussion itself.

[ghastley]

Just a quick clarification:

The mod documentation in mock UESP format that I ship with my mods has been visible for a long time, and was linked to by the old Nexus descriptions. Those have been indexed by google for a long time. They also don't include any download links, or ones back up to hidden pages.

What is under construction is the part that Nexus was doing for me, with the mod overview blurb, pictures, and download links. Each of the mods needs re-packaging, as every readme text says that they're exclusively on Nexus and contact me there. Until I finish all that, I'd just get complaints about what's broken, so I'm laying low for a while.

I'm also not worried about the links scattered around to beta versions. It's clear what they were, and nobody's going to care if anyone downloads obsolete stuff using those.

[macole]

ghastley, There are people, well at least one person on AFK Mods that are looking for your Gweden Brothel. I didn't just want to give your site out so I thought I'd let you know.

[ghastley]

I sent that one a link to use so he knows it's the mod as last seen at Nexus, via PM. There will be others, I'm sure. I don't think I'm getting new users, just people who get into a panic if they don't have access to it as a backup.

On a different topic: I have few things, that I created for other people, from assets provided by third parties, for mods that I can't find any more. This goes beyond items like the defaced poster I made as an add-on to the Wobbly Goblet. One specific example is an Anubis Statue that took a static mesh by Mighty Joe Young, rigged it to the Minotaur skeleton, that became part of the Shezrie's Towns mod for Oblivion. I've lost track of whether that/those mods are available anywhere, so should I make that piece available as a resource? MJY gave permission for the mesh re-use a long time ago,

I don't recall if I used the poster in Gweden, or just left the defaced static in that. But that's all mine, so there's no debate needed.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Dec 1 2021, 08:35 PM

[ghastley]

After looking into creating my own forum using PhpBB, I decided that the setup work, especially everything you need to do to repel spam-bots, was just not worth it.

As i have accounts at AFK Mods, and Lovers Lab, so I can be PM'ed at either, and threads can be created if anyone wants to discuss the mods, I think it's time to show a public link to my mods site. Everything there is read-only, so it should be safe.

The LL-specific mods are still in-progress (and minimal) so they are not linked there. I may publish a separate link to those later. There are a number of mods in the WIP section that may get their own pages soon. I'm looking at packaging what I've done with those, so that others can take them further.

It will be interesting to see how quickly Google spreads the news.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Aug 20 2022, 11:09 PM

[Acadian]

Impressive and prudent. Congrats!

[Lena Wolf]

Looks good, Ghastley! So I assume it is ok for me to point to your Falkreath mod page from my TWMP Skyrim Alive mod up on Nexus? I have it among the recommended add-ons, but without a link so far.

[ghastley]

Looks good, Ghastley! So I assume it is ok for me to point to your Falkreath mod page from my TWMP Skyrim Alive mod up on Nexus? I have it among the recommended add-ons, but without a link so far.

Link to the mod page, rather than copying the link from the download page, please. And I need to figure out an up link to return to the top-level page, if there will be links to specific mods. Hmmm…

This post has been edited by ghastley: Aug 21 2022, 09:56 PM

[Lena Wolf]

Looks good, Ghastley! So I assume it is ok for me to point to your Falkreath mod page from my TWMP Skyrim Alive mod up on Nexus? I have it among the recommended add-ons, but without a link so far.

Link to the mod page, rather than copying the link from the download page, please. And I need to figure out an up link to return to the top-level page, if there will be links to specific mods. Hmmm…

Yes, I was going to link to this page. I can wait until you've done the uplinks if you prefer.

[ghastley]

Do for it now. I'll take forever to do all those links.

[Renee]

Thanks so much for putting this up! There, the site is bookmarked.

Wow, the Markarth Arena. I'm downloading that when I start up Skyrim again. Where are your Skyrim clothings though?

[ghastley]

Thanks so much for putting this up! There, the site is bookmarked.

Wow, the Markarth Arena. I'm downloading that when I start up Skyrim again. Where are your Skyrim clothings though?

Markarth Arena is a long way from done. All it does is sit there and look good, while the gladiatrices sit around eating in the ready room.

Clothing is part of whatever mod needed it. I haven't done many clothing-only mods, although that reminds me that I nearly forgot one. I have a bunch of mage robes for warmer weather that nearly became a mod. Maybe they should?

This post has been edited by ghastley: Aug 22 2022, 01:14 AM

[Renee]

Yes of course they should.

Helgen Reborn did an underground fight club sort of deal, all of it voiced. I imagine the scripting must be insane.

[ghastley]

I added more pages for the Skyrim WIPs. Next up is packaging beta versions where I have enough working for others to try things. Then re-make my SE installation, so I can port things up.

Orc Hearthfires may be the first to get a beta. It won’t be released without a voice for Yarob the Wise Woman, but nobody else needs custom lines. It can at least get tested with her silent, and the voice work left to last. There is a voice synth tool that may let me borrow a voice from other games, so she can be unique.

If the Summer Mage outfit mod works with just the basic ones sold by Nelacar, that could be next, with the extra Psijic texture left unobtainable.

[ghastley]

So now I’m trying to get SE at AE level working, so I can test as I port up. Having real fun getting SkyUI to play nice on a 32:9 monitor. It appears that I have re-install it half way through patching for ultrawide to get the multiple copies of swf files overwriting in the right order. And if there is any mistake it hangs up, requiring a hard reboot to get out of it. Not fun.

Body mods may be the same. Fully adjustable/jiggly doesn’t come with textures, and those are bundled in the bsa with the base body that I’m trying to replace. I may have to unpack to loose files for that issue.

I expect to have load order versus install order problems with other things, and my own mods may be included. It could be a while before mod-making resumes.