Category:Tutorials

Welcome to the Creation Kit Tutorials

Modding can be a complex and daunting prospect with any tool, and the Creation Kit is no exception. This tutorials section is designed to help you get started regardless of your level of experience and area of interest.

The Complete Beginner

If you're brand new to modding, or just brand new to modding for Bethesda Game Studios' titles, start here, where you'll get basic instructions for installing and navigating the Creation Kit. You may also wish to browse the general editor reference pages to get an idea for some of the terminology and concepts used throughout this wiki. Once you're comfortable with the tool and ready to get to work, try jumping into one of the tutorial projects on the right.

The Veteran Modder

If you're experienced in modding for Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas, the Creation Kit will feel very familiar to you, as the data format and tools are shared between those games and the Creation Engine. You may wish to start by browsing some of the new features the Creation Kit offers. While some of the tutorials may be covering ground you already understand, keep an eye out for this symbol, which indicates when a tutorial is using new functionality.

As a veteran modder, your expertise is especially valuable in contributing to the modding community and this wiki! Please consider writing your own tutorials, editing pages, and contributing solutions to common modding tasks and problems.

The Level Designer

Do you want to create exciting new areas for players to explore? Building new gameplay space is a great way to expand the game for players, as well as a great way to learn the Creation Kit. Check out the level design tutorial series, written by the BGS level design team, to learn how to create your own dungeon from scratch. While this tutorial series is designed as a complete project, example files are provided at each step - so you can jump around if only specific topics interest you.

The Quest Designer

Perhaps you want to create stories that unfold for the player? Quests are core to the RPG experience, and a valuable storytelling tool. The BGS quest designers have prepared a quest design tutorial series to get you started writing dialogue and using the quest tools offered by the Creation Kit. As with the level design series, these tutorials take you through a complete quest project, but example files are provided at each step.

The Scripter

Want to create content above and beyond what can be achieved with conventional tools? The Creation Kit comes packaged with an all-new scripting language known as "Papyrus". Papyrus is similar to popular scripting languages like Ruby and Python, and offers an unprecedented level of power to modders of Bethesda games.

Because Papyrus is an entirely new tool, and a complex one, this wiki features an entire scripting reference, as well as tutorials to help you get started. Familiarity with other scripting languages will offer a considerable advantage, but is not required.

The Visual Learner

Much of the work you'll do in the Creation Kit is visual in nature. Sometimes something just doesn't click until you see it being done. Thankfully, there are a number of Video Tutorials produced by Bethesda and the Creation Kit modding community to help you out.

Tutorial Index

Basics Series

1. Installing the Creation Kit
2. Creation Kit Basics
3. What's new for users of previous Bethesda Toolsets?
4. Uploading Mods to Steam Workshop

Level Design Fundamentals

1. Layout Essentials
2. Intermediate Layout
3. Clutter, Containers, Doors & Furniture
4. Navmesh
5. Basic Encounters
6. Traps, Ambushes & Prefabs
7. Rooms, Portals & Optimization
8. Lights and FX
9. Connecting to the World
10. Radiant Quest Ready

Quest Design Fundamentals

1. Planning the Quest
2. Creating an Actor
3. Dialogue
4. Creating an Item
5. Scripting
6. Objectives
7. Loose Ends

Intermediate Quest Design

1. Packages
2. Aliases
3. Advanced Dialogue
4. Scenes
5. Radiance
6. Story Manager

Scripting with Papyrus

1. Hello, World!
2. Variables and Conditionals
3. Introduction to Properties and Functions
4. Events and Properties
5. Complete Example Scripts

Miscellaneous

• Customizing Weapons & Armor
• Solutions Center
• Glossary
• Community Tutorials
• External Tutorials

Throughout these tutorials, the following symbols will be used to call out different kinds of special notes. Take note of the symbols associated with each type of callout box: you may wish to take special note of certain type in particular, depending on your expertise level.

This symbol indicates a new tool or technique that users of previous Bethesda toolsets may want to take note of.

These notes will go in depth to explain a term or the reasoning behind a specific technique. Most users can skim these notes, but advanced users may wish to come back and study them later.

These are helpful tips and shortcuts. They are often useful for speeding up workflow after learning the basics.

These are quick warnings - gotchas, common errors and stuff to watch out for.