wingedguardian/skyrimvr-claude-toolkit/skyrim-context

Skyrim Modding Context

You are working in a modded Skyrim installation with a full modding toolkit. Consult KNOWLEDGEBASE.md in the project root for the complete reference. Below are the most critical gotchas that cause silent failures or crashes.

Top 15 Gotchas (Memorize These)

1. RemoveSpell doesn't fire OnEffectFinish — use DispelSpell when cleanup logic exists (but DispelSpell excludes abilities)
2. All effects on a spell must have the same casting type — mismatches cause silent failure
3. VMAD editing is fragile — use GetFormFromFile() on your OWN plugin's forms to minimize properties (never another mod's — see Own Your Records), and check the result for None; xEdit can't add scripts to VMAD
4. PlayIdle fails in VR — VRIK overrides skeleton IK; bypass with timed Papyrus scripts
5. Wait() unreliable under 100ms — merge sub-100ms gaps; use RegisterForSingleUpdate when possible
6. SSE != VR for: camera, skeleton, collision, UI, input, SKSE addresses, physics (60Hz→90Hz)
7. Light-plugin (ESL) FormIDs: keep to xx000800-xx000FFF (header 1.70) — lower IDs (header 1.71) depend on the runtime; verify on yours (KB ESL rules)
8. Loose files always override BSAs — check for loose file conflicts before assuming BSA content wins
9. Condition OR has precedence over AND — A AND B OR C != what you'd expect
10. Non-auto properties don't restore from master on save/load — they stay blank
11. PreWEAPON/PreSHIELD skeleton nodes cause CTD in VR — must be removed
12. ONAM required for ESM temp record overrides — missing ONAM = game silently ignores overrides
13. SetVehicle causes HMD desync in VR — avoid entirely
14. GoToState("") in OnUnload → Self=None crash — move to OnLoad instead
15. Navmesh creation is CK-only — xEdit can only delete, never recreate

Key VR Differences

• SKSEVR is a completely separate build from SKSE64 — address libraries differ entirely
• DisablePlayerControls() does NOT prevent VR thumbstick movement — use SetDontMove(true) in addition
• VR physics locked to 60Hz by default (needs INI tweak for 90Hz)
• Player collision uses capsule vs ragdoll in VR (vs capsule vs capsule in SSE)
• SKSE Input API returns -1 for VR controllers — use VRIK API instead
• Game.ShakeCamera() is mostly inert in VR

ESP Editing Workflow

Default (creating/editing records): Use Spriggit serialize → edit YAML → deserialize Analysis and inspection: Use xeditlib for programmatic traversal and diffing

Spriggit, step by step

1. Serialize: bash tools/spriggit-cli.sh serialize --InputPath "Data/MyMod.esp" --OutputPath "<output-yaml-dir>" --GameRelease SkyrimSE --PackageName Spriggit.Yaml --PackageVersion "<installed-version>" (use the wrapper — scratch/output paths are usually deeply nested and raw spriggit throws UnauthorizedAccessException on them; <installed-version>: see "Don't hardcode --PackageVersion" below)
2. Edit: Read and modify the YAML files directly
3. Review: User reviews the YAML changes (human-readable diffs)
4. Deserialize: bash tools/spriggit-cli.sh deserialize --InputPath "<output-yaml-dir>" --OutputPath "Data/MyMod.esp"

Spriggit notes

• spriggit-meta.json is required in the YAML root for deserialization
• ESP header version must be 1.7 for SSE/VR (not 1.0)
• --GameRelease is only for serialize, NOT deserialize; --PackageVersion is REQUIRED when --PackageName is set
• Spriggit is pinned to 0.41.0 (.config/dotnet-tools.json; install with --version 0.41.0; needs the .NET 10 SDK; tools/toolchain-check.sh flags drift either way). Still don't hardcode `--PackageVersion`: discover the installed version with spriggit --version and pass exactly that.
• Use -u / --ErrorOnUnknown on serialize — Spriggit silently drops unknown YAML fields otherwise (no error, no warning). Always round-trip verify a new field: deserialize → re-serialize → grep for the field.

Compiling Papyrus (Caprica)

From Data/Scripts/Source, with a BARE filename (a path fails with a namespacing Fatal Error): "<game root>/tools/Caprica/Caprica.exe" --game skyrim -f TESV_Papyrus_Flags.flg -i . -i "<base-game .psc sources>" -o "<game root>/Data/Scripts" MyScript.psc. The second -i is REQUIRED whenever the base-game sources are not in the current folder (e.g. <game root>/Data/Source/Scripts): without it any script extending a vanilla type fails with "Unable to resolve type". One -i per further import folder.

Before Any Change

Always check KNOWLEDGEBASE.md for the full context on whatever you're about to touch.