What are .ESM files? what is their purpose?

[jcv5000]

hi. on login page, in fallout data files (under option). I have just one .ESM files that is checkmarked(falloutnv.esm), all the other are blank(carvanpack.esm... and all other pack files) ? Should I checkmarked them all? What is their purpose of having them checkmarked when playing the game?

[FlickGodNA]

Leave the .ESM Files checked. They are the games data files.

[bobczes]

https://fileinfo.com/extension/esm

[jcv5000]

This my question? They are all unchecked. Except 1 file that is checked ? Should I checked all the unchecked files.(aroud 8 or 9 otf them?). ? :)

[jcv5000]

All same as you, but they are all unchecked, except one of them(falloutnv.esm). But, I just install the game today, and never played it. Should I check them all? And what would happen, if I checked them all? what is the purpose of those file.

[talgaby]

ESM is Elder Scrolls Master file format, since the engine is a refurbished TES IV: Oblivion engine (which in turn was just a slightly patchworked Morrowind engine).
As Master files, they contain the more important data, the game files themselves. There are also ESP files, where P is for Plug-in. They are the supplemental files.

This game works in a way that you do not have to check those files in the Data Files section, because all DLCs are supplied with a .NAM file in the game's data folder. These .NAM files force the engine to load the .ESM files no matter what, even if they are unticked.
Essentially, no matter what you do on those ESMs in the Data Files menu, all official DLC files will be loaded regardless, without any user input.
It is done this way because Fallout 3 required manual activation from the players' parts, and an alarming number of people never realised it. You'd be surprised how many people bough the FO3 GOTY edition and never played the DLCs because they never knew how to activate them.

[jcv5000]

thanks, but my question did not get answered. Is ESM Mods. Or if I click them checkmark, the are to install Mods, if I decide to installl Mods. Should I have all the esm files checkmark, as they all seem to have the same name as all the DLC I bought with the game, and that got installed with the game? What is the purpose of clicking them to put a checkmark or not? :)

[talgaby]

Yes and no.
The entire engine is designed to be highly modular. It requires a core .EXE file to be able to start and a core .ESM file to store the game data. However, this modularity also means that it was easy to release official expansions for, since you only have to supply additional ESM and optional ESP files.

However, this also means it is easy to mod, since modders have to do the same. The engine has options to decide which of these ESMs and ESPs to load, meaning it is highly flexible.

So, you can consider ESMs and ESPs mods, where DLCs are just mods made by the original developer.
Or you can consider ESMs and ESPs the expansion pack system of the game, which is also exploited by modders to create mods.

[jcv5000]

Is it mean. If I bought all the DLC's that goes with the game. And, all the DLC's of the game were all installed at the same time I install the game. I have to all checkmark the ESM files in Data files Pannel, before I start to play the game? For the DLC's to work ingame, when I will start to play the game? :) And, if all the ESM files have to be checkmark for the DLC to work ingame. Why, just 1 of the ESM files checkmark automatically by itself, and not all the ESM files checkmark themselves automatically? Why they made something so complicate to play? As nobody seem to know , if all the ESM files have to be checkmark or not, for the all the DLC's to work ingame. :)

[jcv5000]

My questions is simple. Is the purpose of the ESM files, just to modified the game later with MODS, if I want to? Or Is all the ESM files have to be all checkmark, for all the DLC's that I bought with the game, and that have been installed, to work when I will play the game? :)

[jcv5000]

hi, someone have some answer to my question? thanks. :)

[FlickGodNA]

The .ESM Files you see in the Launchers "Data Files" menu should be activated automatically when you launch the game. Meaning when you press Play the DLC should load on its own.

If you want to mod I recommend you use a Mod Manager which will handle a lot of the workload for you. Just refrain from downloading too many mods, and always read the mod page descriptions.

[𝔰𝔦𝔤𝔦𝔫𝔞 ✝]

virus

[jcv5000]

I have played skyrim(old version) with is 30 000 free mods. And I had never felt the need to mods skyrim. And the High quoted ones, are probably really safe, because they have been use and quotes by peoples. And I even think, they download automatically without anything to do (but, as I never used one, cannot say it for sure). I'm not a modder. When I play a game. I play the official game and officials DLC's that I buy, and nothing else. And that is normally enough for me. The question with me is more. Will I play 10% , 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%, before I say I had played enough of that game, and go play another game. :)

[gloops]

Short answer: Yes, the '.esm' files (e.g. DeadMoney.esm) can all have a check mark.

They contain the data for the DLC (scripts, quests, weapon stats, world layout etc.). FalloutNV.esm has the data for the main game. The .bsa files contain the assets (meshes, textures, sounds etc.). The game should use the .esm files automatically if the '.nam' files are present, but ticking them manually won't hurt anything. To make life easier, get Fallout Mod Manager and organize files from there. It's much clearer than the in-game launcher.