enderalse/README.md

# Enderal SE

## Requirements
- Skyrim Special Edition 1.5.97 or 1.6.640-1.6.679
- [SKSE64](https://skse.silverlock.org/)
- [SkyUI SE](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12604) (optional)

## Recommended optionals
- [SSE Engine Fixes](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/17230)
- [SSE Display Tweaks](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/34705)
- [Yes Im Sure](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/24898)
- [Scrambled Bugs](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/43532)
- [powerofthree's Tweaks](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/51073)
- [Fix Note icon for SkyUI](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/32561)
- [Crash Logger](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/59818) (SE/AE/VR)

## How to run
- Add a new Skyrim SE instance to Mod Organizer 2.
- Creation Club mods must be moved to a separate mod and disabled.
- In MO2, create an empty mod, name it `Enderal SE - Media`, and copy `E - Sounds.bsa`, `L - Voices.bsa`, and the `Video` directory to it.
- This repository uses LFS to store binary files, run `git lfs install` before cloning it.
- Clone this repository, move it to `mods` in your MO2 instance.
- You should now have two custom mods in MO2, `Enderal SE - Media` and Enderal itself.
- Build EnderalSE.dll.
- Configure the game through Skyrim Launcher.
- Run it with skse64_loader.exe through MO2.

To play Enderal SE with loose files, it's recommended to install in on an SSD or NVMe disk, the faster the better. Alternatively, see "Releasing" below on how to pack everything into BSA archives.

## Contributing
The repository has three main branches:
- development
- merging
- master

In short, the suggested workflow looks like this:
- commit your assets and ESP patches into `development`,
- merge and remove the ESPs in `merging`,
- when it's stable, forward `merging` into `master`.

Here is the process in detail.

All ESP patches and assets must be committed to `development` and its sub-branches. Keep in mind, other patches may interfere with your changes, you may want to test your patches in a separate sub-branch and merge it into `development` later.

`merging` is synced with `development` every time the latter doesn't have any unmerged pending patches. For playtesting, choose `merging` to have saves without extra ESP plugins.

`master` must always have a stable, playable copy of the game without any additional patches.

## Releasing
To create a complete build:
- Switch to the `master` branch.
- Run `_build\build.cmd` to pack assets into BSA archives and copy necessary files to `..\Enderal SE Build`. File `loose_files.txt` contains names of files, which will be also copied as loose files.
- Manually copy `E - Sounds.bsa`, `L - Voices.bsa`, and the `Video` directory to `..\Enderal SE Build`.