HELP: Another Dark Face Mod issue discussion

[Avalanche]

I know what you're thinking: Another beginner modder that should just google his issues. And trus me, i have. At this point i have spent more time on modding the game than i probably will playing it.

I have particular mods that are causing the well known, dark face issue. I use a console command mod to get more info, SSEEdit to look at the mods affecting the NPC and Creation Kit to try and fix the issue.

Now from what i've gathered the Dark face / Black face / Grey face issue is usually caused by 2 conflicting mods that both wish to alter an NPC. Creation Kit fixes this by loading up both mods, set 1 as active and use that to create a file thats a mashed together version that will overwrite the whole thing. Obviously i'm no expert so i might be wrong, but atleast i know that 2 conflicting mods causing the issue can be fixed with Creation kit.
Link [www.creationkit.com] to the method. Ive used it before to fix issues with a Hair replacer mod [www.nexusmods.com] and a Bandit editing mod [www.nexusmods.com] for example.

But the issue at hand:
Ive tried reinstalling everything, starting with only a fresh install of Skyrim SE and only 1 mod (exl. the necessary Unofficial Skyrim patch). For this example i'll be using this hair replacer mod [www.nexusmods.com] for argonians and khajiit. I already contacted the mod creator on the mod page posts section, who is trying his best to help me figure this out as well but no luck yet. The problem is that the creation kit method here will not work. I can select this mod in CK, set it as active, filter the conflicting files and CTRL + F4 to Export face gen data. But there is no conflicting other mod so even if i do all that, the overwrite stays empty. Using both SSEEdit and a console command mod [www.nexusmods.com] to see if there are any other conflicting mods. There are none.

I'm really starting to run out of ideas here and i have yet to find any video or other explanation that seems to be useful. Any and all help on the matter would be very very much appreciated!

[DrNewcenstein]

Custom face mods might be using their own custom directory, and the CK exports to the vanilla directory. If the dominant mod loaded in the CK is referencing the custom directory, and the game is looking in the vanilla directory, you will have the conflict.

Do a manual file search of your Data directory for FaceGenData.

Anything not in \steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\Data\Textures\Actors\Character\FaceGenData should be copied there, overwriting whatever it finds. Only those NPCs who were edited will be affected.

[Avalanche]

Im using Mod Organizer 2 so all FacegenData is in a different location. Which doesnt seem to be an issue for any other mod i use. And copying the Textures map into the main skyrim directory doesnt seem to make a difference

Edit:
You did give me an idea for checking the log of what happens when i try to fix one of these NPCs in creation kit btw. Message says:

TEXTURES: eyeskhajiit.nif : EyesKhajiit is missing an environment mask map
MODELS: Could not find model actors\character\character assets\hair\hairMale08fullerLong.nif
FACEGEN: Non-skinned facegen part 'actors\character\character assets\hair\hairMale08fullerLong.nif'.
TEXTURES: MaleHeadKhajiit.nif : _Neutral is missing a facegen tint map
TEXTURES: MaleHeadKhajiit.nif : _Neutral is missing a facegen detail map
Exported FaceGen for 1 NPCs. Reloading loose file paths...

Its showing a bunch of errors but it doesnt help me find a fix myself

[Vlad 254]

This came out late last year and I heard it worked great but had never tried it. Then last month had a dark face bug problem with RS Children / RRS Children so I installed this and it fixed it.
Face Discoloration Fix
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/42441

[Avalanche]

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

This came out late last year and I heard it worked great but had never tried it. Then last month had a dark face bug problem with RS Children / RRS Children so I installed this and it fixed it.
Face Discoloration Fix
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/42441

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ i wasnt expecting that to actually work after everything! Thank you so so much my dude, I was wasting so many hours that i couldve spent playing!

Quick shout out to the creator of this sweet looking Beast overhaul mod [www.nexusmods.com] for sticking with my basic unknowing ass and trying to help me get to a solution.

[Vlad 254]

Yeah I had my doubts even after hearing good things about it. I'm a believer.
Glad it worked out for you.

[Avalanche]

quick update:
I was using Mod Organizer 2 for my mods. Apparently either MO2 messed up the pathing to the mods or i did something wrong but thats what caused the dark face issue for me. No idea on the details of it all and at this point i dont care anymore. I started with Vortex, switched to MO2 and now im switching to NMM Community Edition since im not getting the same issue on there. Many hours lost, many more to lose. hopefully one day ill get to play skyrim

[Bandy]

MO2 will not "mess up pathing" unless an update to the game drastically changes the actual folder structure (yeah, that's not going to happen...) but even then, it would have to be a mod author messing up, not MO2 because the mod 'install' itself simply follows the mod folder structure, right? Just saying, not MO2...

Had a 'light face' issue in FO3 a while back, so just tried new game restart, bug solved. Not always going to happen, but new games often introduce such a bug and only a complete restart solves.

[Avalanche]

Originally posted by Bandy:

MO2 will not "mess up pathing" unless an update to the game drastically changes the actual folder structure (yeah, that's not going to happen...) but even then, it would have to be a mod author messing up, not MO2 because the mod 'install' itself simply follows the mod folder structure, right? Just saying, not MO2...

Had a 'light face' issue in FO3 a while back, so just tried new game restart, bug solved. Not always going to happen, but new games often introduce such a bug and only a complete restart solves.

i checked some other mods and they still seem to have the issue. So i guess it wasnt just MO2 messing up. So any idea howcome MO2 didnt load this mod properly while NMM does? And any ideas on how to properly fix the other issues i have with different mods? I would like to fix this with MO2 so i can keep using it and not have to mod everything all over again in a new unfamiliar mod manager


For now im opening this up again. As much as i appreciate Vlads help for a quick fix, id rather do it properly. The face discoloration mod seems to fill in the gaps with data from older files/mods. Which works and if others are fine with that then thats great but id rather get the full version of the mod i downloaded.

[Vlad 254]

yes you absolutely should learn how to fix it properly by doing some research. IIRC there is a Nexus mod that gives and xEdit guide on this very subject.


Then there's this:
DarkBrown Face Fix -FaceGen-
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/21909
which also talks about other fixes

[Bored Peon]

It is usually caused by a resolution conflict for faces. Like if you are using a 4k head/face and they forgot a face then when that face appears in game you get the black face.

My current load I have this on only one NPC which is Hert at the Falkwreath lumbermill. I am assuming it has something to so with wrong face due to Hert's affliction. Since it is only that particular NPC I just ignore the issue.

[Vlad 254]

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

It is usually caused by a resolution conflict for faces. Like if you are using a 4k head/face and they forgot a face then when that face appears in game you get the black face.

My current load I have this on only one NPC which is Hert at the Falkwreath lumbermill. I am assuming it has something to so with wrong face due to Hert's affliction. Since it is only that particular NPC I just ignore the issue.

Pretty sure OP is aware of the cause. Seems to be looking for the proper fix. There are various ways. He'll Learn which one to use that he's most comfortable with.

[Avalanche]

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

yes you absolutely should learn how to fix it properly by doing some research. IIRC there is a Nexus mod that gives and xEdit guide on this very subject.


Then there's this:
DarkBrown Face Fix -FaceGen-
https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/21909
which also talks about other fixes

this also doesnt leave a file in the overwrite folder.

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

It is usually caused by a resolution conflict for faces. Like if you are using a 4k head/face and they forgot a face then when that face appears in game you get the black face.

My current load I have this on only one NPC which is Hert at the Falkwreath lumbermill. I am assuming it has something to so with wrong face due to Hert's affliction. Since it is only that particular NPC I just ignore the issue.

i wish it was just one NPC lol the BeastHHBB mod that i want to use is an overhaul for all 64 NPCs (argonians and Khajiit) and ive encountered several other dark face NPCs in whatever little time ive been able to play.

[Bored Peon]

Originally posted by Avalanche:

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

It is usually caused by a resolution conflict for faces. Like if you are using a 4k head/face and they forgot a face then when that face appears in game you get the black face.

My current load I have this on only one NPC which is Hert at the Falkwreath lumbermill. I am assuming it has something to so with wrong face due to Hert's affliction. Since it is only that particular NPC I just ignore the issue.

i wish it was just one NPC lol the BeastHHBB mod that i want to use is an overhaul for all 64 NPCs (argonians and Khajiit) and ive encountered several other dark face NPCs in whatever little time ive been able to play.

Well if you are seeing it on that many faces then you got a severe conflict in your face sculpting mods. Either they aint compatible at all or you have them in the wrong load order.

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

Pretty sure OP is aware of the cause. Seems to be looking for the proper fix. There are various ways. He'll Learn which one to use that he's most comfortable with.

Well without using the same exact mods and load order we can not exactly say what will fix it. Having to figure the solution is something that comes with the territory of modding bodies and faces. The best thing we can do is simply point the right direction to look.

[Avalanche]

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

Originally posted by Avalanche:

i wish it was just one NPC lol the BeastHHBB mod that i want to use is an overhaul for all 64 NPCs (argonians and Khajiit) and ive encountered several other dark face NPCs in whatever little time ive been able to play.

Well if you are seeing it on that many faces then you got a severe conflict in your face sculpting mods. Either they aint compatible at all or you have them in the wrong load order.

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

Pretty sure OP is aware of the cause. Seems to be looking for the proper fix. There are various ways. He'll Learn which one to use that he's most comfortable with.

Well without using the same exact mods and load order we can not exactly say what will fix it. Having to figure the solution is something that comes with the territory of modding bodies and faces. The best thing we can do is simply point the right direction to look.

Oddly enough i tried the same thing for both MO2 and now NMM with different results. A fresh install of skyrim SE with only:
- Unofficial Skyrim SE patch
- SkyUI_SE
- RaceMenu
- Alternate Start
- BeastHHBB

It gave the dark face issue on MO2 and not with NMM. Another example is MorrowLoot Ultimate. The Old Orc (ID: 0062128) gets an overhaul in this. In MO2 it gets a completely dark face, in NMM his face is brown. Neither are right obviously but i did read somewhere that a face being dark/grey/brown means different things.

Also, when i first encountered the issue with the BeastHHBB mod in MO2, all Khajiit had the dark face but the argonians did not (although i dont remember what the argonian looked like and if it was working in all its glory). No idea how or what that means, but its all quite strange and rather frustrating.

[Vlad 254]

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

Originally posted by Avalanche:

i wish it was just one NPC lol the BeastHHBB mod that i want to use is an overhaul for all 64 NPCs (argonians and Khajiit) and ive encountered several other dark face NPCs in whatever little time ive been able to play.

Well if you are seeing it on that many faces then you got a severe conflict in your face sculpting mods. Either they aint compatible at all or you have them in the wrong load order.

Originally posted by Vlad 254:

Pretty sure OP is aware of the cause. Seems to be looking for the proper fix. There are various ways. He'll Learn which one to use that he's most comfortable with.

Well without using the same exact mods and load order we can not exactly say what will fix it. Having to figure the solution is something that comes with the territory of modding bodies and faces. The best thing we can do is simply point the right direction to look.

Very true. Hence OP needs to do some research on what's best for them. Yes it can be frustrating, until it's not.