News on the Creation Kit and Game Updates

It’s been a few weeks since our last update on Skyrim’s status, so we wanted to share details on what we’re working on.

The Creation Kit and Steam Workshop are nearly ready. We’re currently working with members of Valve and our modding community to do some final testing, and we’re on track for a public release near the end of the month. We think Skyrim modding is one of the game’s best features, and we have the best modders of any game. It’s been a lot of exciting work for us, and we can’t wait to unleash it.

Skyrim’s 1.4 update is currently undergoing testing on all three platforms. The update will include fixes and optimizations for the most common issues people have been reporting (see below). We’re hoping to finalize this next week, and submit it to the console manufacturers for certification, as well as release on PC.

Our current update plan for the PC is to first release our updates as “beta” versions through Steam. This is something you’ll be able to opt into through Steam and back-out of if needed. This is an extra safety check for everyone going forward and should expedite and improve our updating process for our PC users. We’ll have more info soon on how this will work.

Echoing what we said back in December, we’ll continue to look into issues that are being reported and subsequent updates will follow. You have all supported Skyrim in a huge way, and we’ll be supporting all of you, and continue to make the game better.

After the break, check out the current changelog for 1.4.

Current 1.4 Changelog (all platforms unless noted)

NEW FEATURES

  • Skyrim launcher support for Steam Workshop (PC)

BUG FIXES

  • General optimizations for memory and performance
  • Fixed occasional issue with armor and clothing not displaying properly when placed on mannequin’s in player’s house. (PS3)
  • Improved compiler optimization settings (PC)
  • Long term play optimizations for memory and performance (PS3)
  • Memory optimizations related to scripting
  • Fixed crashes related to pathing and AI
  • Fixed crash in Haemar’s Shame if player had already completed “A Daedra’s Best Friend”
  • Fixed rare crash with loading saved games
  • Fixed issue with accented characters not displaying properly at the end of a line
  • Master Criminal achievement/trophy unlocks properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian
  • Fixed issue where dragon priest masks would not render correctly
  • Fixed issue where quests would incorrectly progress after reloading a save
  • Fixed issues with placing and removing books from bookshelves in the player’s home
  • Fixed issue where weapon racks and plaques would not work correctly in player’s house if player immediately visits their house before purchasing any furnishing.
  • Fixed issue where the player house in Windhelm would not clean up properly
  • Fixed crash related to giant attacks and absorb spells
  • Fixed issue with ash piles not cleaning up properly
  • Fixed occasional issue where overwriting an existing save would fail
  • Fixed memory crash with container menu
  • Fixed infinite loop with bookshelves
  • Fixed issue where traps in Shalidor’s Maze would not work properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian versions
  • Fixed issue where transforming back to human from werewolf would occasionally not fail
  • Bows and daggers will display properly when placed on weapon racks

QUEST FIXES

  • The Unusual Gem inside the Thalmor Embassy is now accessible after finishing “Diplomatic Immunity”
  • In “Breaching Security”, the quest token is no longer required to receive a fortune reading from Olava the Feeble
  • Fixed issue where Galmar would not complete Joining the Stormcloaks properly if “Season Unending” was an active quest
  • Fixed issue where starting “Season Unending” after finishing “Joining the Stormcloaks” would prevent “The Jagged Crown” from starting properly.
  • Fixed issue progressing through “Message to Whiterun” while “Season Unending” was still open would block progression for both quests.
  • In “Arniel’s Endeavor”, fixed issue where a quest journal would trigger multiple times
  • In “Forbidden Legend”, the amulet fragment can no longer disappear after player leaves a dungeon without taking it
  • Fixed rare issue in “Forbidden Legend” where killing Mikrul Gauldurson while sneaking would make his corpse unaccessible
  • In “The White Phial”, the phial can no longer disappear if player leaves dungeon without taking it
  • “The White Phial” will now start properly if player already has a briar heart in their inventory
  • Player can no longer get stuck in Misty Grove after completing “A Night to Remember”
  • Fixed issue where leaving Riften during “A Chance Arrangement” would prevent quest from progressing
  • In “Darkness Returns”, a door in Twilight Sepulcher will properly open if the player leaves the dungeon for an extended period of time before completing the quest
  • In “Revealing the Unseen”, if the player leaves the Oculory for an extended period of time after placing the focusing crystal and returns, the quest will proceed correctly
  • “Onmund’s Request” will now start properly if player has already found Enthir’s staff before receiving this quest
  • Fixed instance where Tonilia would stop buying stolen items and also would not give Guild Leader Armor
  • “Repairing the Phial” will start properly if player already has unmelting snow or mammoth tusk in their inventory
  • Finding Pantea’s Flute before speaking with Pantea no longer prevents her quest from updating
  • In “The Coming of the Dawn”, fixed rare instance where a quest object would spawn incorrectly on the Katariah during Hail Sithis
  • Fixed rare issue in “The Mind of Madness” where player is unable to equip the Wabbajack
  • Fixed issue in “Pieces of the Past” where Mehrunes Dagon’s Razor will not trigger properly if player leaves the cell for extended period of time before activating it
  • “Blood’s Honor” will start properly if you visited and completed Driftshade and an extended period of time passes before starting the quest.
  • Fixed rare issue where “Dampened Spirits” would not start properly
  • Fixed issue where player would be unable to become Thane of Riften if they purchased a home first
  • Fixed issue where killing guards in Cidhna Mine would block progression for “No One Escapes Cidhna Mine”
  • Fixed numerous issues with “Blood on the Ice” not triggering properly
  • In “Blood on the Ice”, Calixto can now be killed if player owns a house in Windhelm
  • In “The Cure for Madness”, killing Cicero then resurrecting him no longer impedes quest progress
  • Fixed rare issue in “To Kill an Empire” where an NPC would fail to die properly
  • Clearing Knifepoint Ridge before starting “Boethiah’s Champion” no longer prevents quest from starting.

Reader Comments

  1. It seems we have new problems with the new-released Creation Kit.. And incase I surfing every wiki for that problem and cannot find anything.
    I use every TES Construction Sets since Morrowind, Oblivion and use Garden of Eden Kit for Fallout 3. But first time I encounter such a problem in Skyrim Creation Kit.

    Yes me and my friends encounter a problem here it is;
    ” I use the Creation Kit and created a “esp” file with the kit. The Kit saves the esp file into the ol’ Data folder. ;) When the started the launcher, the Game Launcher does’nt recognise the esp file. And shows blank.

    I want to test the Creation Kit which for if my esp file is corrupted or not.
    So I downloaded some others Mod’s on Skyrim Nexus. and use this Mod’s esp file.
    The game Launcher does’nt recognize this esp also.
    So the problem is not the corrupted esp files.

    When I surfing on the forums, I encounter some dialogue that the Skyrim’s main game save folder may be corrupted.
    So I checked out the folder’s properties ( example; ” C:\Programs\Bethesda Softworks\The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim ” ) and if the folder is not checked “Read-Only”…
    But the problem is there even If I checked that the folder is not Read Only, After the confirmation the folder’s properties automatically reverse again as a Read Only..
    So the Game launcher cannot recognise all esp files into a game.

    Dear Bethesda you released the Kit so much later since the game release date. And yet the Kit itself is glitched.
    What is this Bethesda ? I want to believe you.

    If you want to say us (Modding Community) that “the modding is over” or not ?
    We wait 2-Long month to editing and modding the Skyrim and yet you released new glithes and bugs for us ?
    Best Regards from Istanbul
    Can Emed

    • Thanx to my friend “iDiru” on forums; Here the solution everyone;
      “I fixed this, actually, I think… I’m still having some small problems.
      This is what I did. For some reason if you save it to the data folder, it’s like, invisible. But the only place you can save it is to the data folder apparently. So, what I had to do, was move it…
      It’s kind of tedious, though. Save your ESP file.Close the creation kit. Reopen it. Click ‘save’ again. The esp file you just saved should be there. Right click it, then click move to> then documents.

      Close creation kit if you want. It doesn’t really matter at this point.

      The ESP file should be visible now, in your documents folder. Go to your Skyrim directory. Put the file back into Data. Skyrim should read it now.

      Make sure to check it on the data files though, when you start Skyrim. In the case that your data files button is greyed out, do this…
      (Copied and pasted)
      You need to add that line in SkyrimPrefs.ini located in My document/MyGames/Skyrim or something. I don’t use win 7 so figure it yourself, pleasa ).

      Look for the line:
      [Launcher]
      bShowAllResolutions=0
      uLastAspectRatio=2

      And add it like this:
      [Launcher]
      bShowAllResolutions=0
      uLastAspectRatio=2
      bEnableFileSelection=1
      It really works everyone, the esp data’s will be viewable after this process. :)
      Cheers!

  2. “Skyrim Nexus has a zero tolerance policy on mods which import art assets from other games.”

    yet there was a FF13 rip for 3 weeks on nexus. i know what a rips is. that mod is the exact same mesh with a brighter texture. it wasnt made from scratch. its a rip aka ported.

    but thanks for linking the photos it shows that its clearly ported

  4. Import both models into 3ds max. Compare them in wireframe. I know you have not done this because if you had you would see they are structurally very different despite having similar silhouettes.

  5. you relies the mods you see in Morrowind and Oblivion today is thanks to there Creation kit or whatever it might have been called. a month after this patch when people have gotten the grasp onto the creation kit. you will be seeing some good mods out there.

  7. Unfortunately there are bugs in past editors that have so far not been fixed which may make the creation kit pointless if they are still in the creation today. AI movement is vital for a vast majority of mods that will be made for skyrim and thats the bug, thats whats wrong.

    So the editor may not be very useful at all.

  8. Plz gtfo beth, the only comment you post is on the subject thats being fixed. Moderaters delete comments about glitches/bugs that the communety want to get fixed. Fuck off. Im returning the game.

  10. @Hate lag: go somewhere else. We are not interested on your incoherent ramblings.

    And for the developers: thanks for making this awesome game better!

  14. nice language in this post…i posted earlier on today my post got deleted and all i done was state that they shouldn’t make promises they can’t keep with regards to the creation kit being released with no language and my post gets deleted where as people that swear etc keep there posts on here nice moderation of the site admins basically its obvious that people on here with an oppinion get deleted also i own this game and as far as the mapping its badly coded as trees are flying about an inch from the floor

  15. The entire time between semesters that I wanted to spend with the Construction Kit is gone now. Steam got hacked and people had their private information stolen, thanks Bethesda for making me join Steam to play your buggiest game ever.

    Either release buggy software and be honest about it or stop your executives from setting time tables the programmers can’t meet. Your designers are awesome (seriously, I think your team is top notch), though every interview with Todd Howard I ever read convinces me that he is probably one of the weaker links.

    Just be honest and make steam optional. Every other problem with your game will be fixed for you once the CK is out since your mod community is used to cleaning up your games for you. Bethesda, we know every bit of code you make is buggy, so just give us what we paid for and we’ll fix your bugs for you.

    I was told Skyrim would have a CK, I understand it’ll take a bit, but I bought the game to mod. I paid money to mod, as is I have felt nothing but disappointment since day 2. After the “ooh pretty shiny” sensation caused by marvelous graphics went away and I was playing the game on it’s own merits. I could write an essay on things the game needs fixed.

  17. @doncdXX – Wait, it’s their buggiest game ever, but their designers are awesome (top notch)? What does honesty have to do with steam being optional?

    Maybe I’m just not as hard-core about this after logging only 300+ hours into Skyrim but so far it’s FAR from the buggiest thing they’ve ever released and while I understand and empathize with the sentiment of disappointment that the CK hasn’t released yet Bethesda’s time tables are not to my or your stipulations. Yes, it would be nice to have it for Christmas break, yes it would be nice to have had it for the 3 weeks I was recovering from surgery, but it’s hardly their fault for not adhering to OUR schedules and life circumstances. I can GUARANTEE, that shotty steam implementation or personal CK bugs the Devs were willing to put up with would have elicited the same type of response, so best stick with the devil you know and release it when it’s ready.

  19. It can’t be. I wish we could have mods, but first of all this generation of consoles can barely handle the base game on low alone, and on top of that mods conflict, so just minimizing and deleting or changing mods would solve the problem on pc, but because we don’t have that on console conflicting mods would probably freeze it.

  20. It’s a grand collection of an insane number of variable, if the execs had asked how’s it going more often and did a little less rushing them for a pre-Christmas release, they would have had the time to clean it up. Blizzard may anger people with their false release dates, but when it releases it works correctly. Bethesda could utilize that strategy as well, used by craftsmen for generations. Don’t sell a product until you are finished making it.

    The problem with the bugs isn’t programmers, it’s accountants and impatient rich men eager to get richer sooner. Making a complicated piece of software takes as long as it takes and not a line of code sooner.