This Starfield Creation Kit example creates a trait with perk entry points and conditions, without a script. The editor labels and available entry points can vary by version; test the trait in a new game before releasing it.
Create the plugin and trait
Load Starfield.esm in the Creation Kit, then save a new plugin. When reopening it, select your plugin as the active file.
In the Object Window, filter the Perk records for traits. Open Alien DNA as a reference and inspect its Playable and Trait flags.
Duplicate the reference record by assigning a unique editor ID and accepting the prompt to create a new form. Use a prefix such as dnx so your records are easy to find.
Change its displayed name and description. Remove inherited ability and entry-point effects that your new trait will not use.
Add an armour-rating bonus
Create an entry point using Mod Armor Rating → Multiply Value → 1.5. This is a 50% increase. Add IsMoving == 0 if it should apply only while stationary. If it should also require combat, add IsInCombat == 1 with AND logic. The description must match the conditions you actually set.
Add a conditional drawback
Create a separate entry that modifies armour weight, using its matching entry point and a 1.5 multiplier. Add conditions for IsInCombat == 1 and GetHealthPercentage < 0.9. GetHealthPercentage belongs in the conditions, not in the entry-point effect selector.
Use OR when either condition should activate the drawback; use AND when both must be true. Keep separate effect entries for the rating bonus and weight penalty, since they need different conditions. Weight changes may not appear until the inventory recalculates.
Test the result
Save and load the plugin, create a test character, and check all combinations of moving/stationary, combat/out of combat, and health above/below 90%. Confirm that the trait appears once, that its description is correct, and that you have not overwritten the vanilla template. Adding new records reduces conflicts, but does not guarantee compatibility with every mod.
You can inspect Terrific Traits as another example. Credit the author if you reuse its work.
Here is the revised article with the newer-tool disclaimer at the top, the suggested technical clarifications, and the merging precautions added. I’ve retained your original wording and structure wherever possible, without adding horizontal rules or changing unrelated content.
Revised article
Disclaimer: A newer fan made modding toolkit called Riftstone is now available for Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen. It may be a better option than ARCtool for some tasks, although it is still in alpha and its in-game plugins are still being tested. This guide uses the established ARCtool workflow, which remains useful for many existing mods and tutorials. I’ve not used riftstone yet Myself.
The games files are mostly compressed into encrypted .arc files. These files can be extracted and decrypted using FluffyQuack’s ARCtool. It not only extracts them, but converts supported formats into more human-readable and editable file types. These can then be repacked into a .arc and used to mod the game files.
Prepare the tools
First we need the latest version of FluffyQuack’s ARCtool.
This is an older version, but has some optional files we will need, unless you want to write your own .bat files or command-line commands.
Copy all of the .bat files beginning with pc into our ARCtool folder from earlier.
Do not copy the .exe, as it is an older version.
Alternatively, you can try Riftstone, which includes its own toolkit for archive processing and editing game data. Follow its installation instructions rather than mixing its workflow with the ARCtool instructions below.
Extracting the game files
There are two main file types you will want to edit for modding: .xfs and .tex. There are corresponding batch files with those extensions in their names. .xfs files contain game data and can be converted to XML, while .tex files are texture resources. Other file types are also present, and not all game data can be converted into XML. Decide which you want to edit before continuing.
For this guide I will assume we are working on game_main.arc.
Copy the .arc to the same folder as ARCtool.
This is optional, but saves you having to redownload part of the game every time you want an unmodded .arc.
Drag the .arc onto the relevant .bat file.
In this example we want pc-dd-xfs-conversion.bat.
This will create a folder with a name matching the .arc, which contains extracted files and, for supported formats, converted XML duplicates.
Merging Mods
To merge mods, you need to know what files the authors edited within the .arc. If they edited different .arcs, you don’t need to merge those archives together. Some authors provide mergeable files or instructions.
If not, you may be able to estimate which files they touched using the database below, based on what their mod claims to alter. Treat these estimates as a starting point rather than confirmation, and check the actual files where possible.
Before merging, make a backup of the original archive and extract the target .arc. Preserve the internal directory structure when copying files, and use the appropriate conversion and repacking options for the file types involved.
Once the above is solved, extract the target .arc.
You can use a vanilla .arc or one of the mods’ .arcs.
Copy the mergeable files from the mods to the correct file paths in the newly extracted folder.
If two mods edit the same file, compare their changes and merge them within that file if you understand its format. Otherwise, you will need to choose which version to keep.
Drag the extracted folder onto the relevant .bat file.
Copy the newly created .arc into the correct file path in the game files.
Test the game to make sure the changes work as expected.
Note that mods that alter the same files within an .arc cannot necessarily be merged by simply copying the files together. One version will overwrite the other unless the changes are combined manually. Mods that alter different files within the same archive can often be merged.
If you use Mod Organizer 2 with the ARCtool plugin, it can help extract conflicting archives and merge enabled mods according to their priority. This is an optional alternative to manually merging files.
Repacking to .arc
Once you have finished editing an extracted .arc folder, you can repackage the folder into a .arc by dragging it onto the relevant .bat file.
Make sure you use the appropriate conversion and compression options for the files you have edited. Keep a backup of the original archive until you have tested the repacked version in-game.
Modding the files
Each .xml is a little different and difficult to decipher. Not only is a lot of it written by non-native English speakers, but it is also written in entirely undocumented formats that use numbers to name variables. Luckily for you, the community has deciphered some key files. This research I have turned into a guide and database here.
Used in Signette‘s spell pack. Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Example 4. wan.arc may correspond to sorcerer skills, magic or skills as a whole. These associations should be treated as tentative until verified.
Your USI VET transcript shows nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET) reported since 2015. It is an Australian Government service that can help you prove your qualifications to employers or education providers.
Note: It does not replace certificates or statements of attainment issued by your training provider entirley. Some orgnizations with stricter requirments may want to verify with the actual certificates instead.
Open View VET Transcript, read the disclaimer and select Next.
Select the training records to include. Choose all records for a full transcript or specific records for an extract.
Select Download Transcript.
When asked whether to create a viewable online VET transcript, select Yes if you want to share an authenticated online version. Choose an access period between one week and six months, then follow the prompts to confirm.
Download and save the PDF. If you created the online version, use the link or QR code in the document to let the intended recipient access the authenticated transcript.
Important notes:
If you choose not to create a viewable online transcript, the PDF will not include the authenticated link or QR code.
Online access expires after the period you select, and you can cancel access earlier.
The transcript may not include every qualification, particularly if training has not yet been reported or was completed before 2015. Check the record carefully and contact your training provider about missing information.
Your transcript contains personal information, so share it only with the intended recipient.
Ctrl+F opens Find in many browsers and document apps. Use it to look for a word or phrase in the page or document you already have open, without scrolling through everything.
It is handy for finding a download section, a setting in a long guide, or the comments below an article. On a Mac, the usual shortcut is Command+F.
Find the comments section: an example
Open the page you want to search. Hold Ctrl, tap F, then release both keys.
A Find box appears. Its position depends on the browser or app.
Type comment. Matching text is highlighted.
Use the arrows beside the Find box to move through the matches until you reach the comments section. In many desktop browsers, Enter goes to the next match and Shift+Enter goes back.
Close the Find box when you are finished. Desktop browsers usually let you press Esc. You can also simply click on an empty part of the page to unfocus and deselect the Find Box.
Tips when you cannot find something
Try a shorter search. comm can find comment or comments. Check for spelling mistakes and extra spaces.
Some apps have search options such as Match case or Whole words. Check whether these are excluding the result you want.
Comments, collapsed sections, or more results may need to be opened before their text can be found.
Text in a screenshot or scanned PDF needs text recognition, often called OCR, before ordinary Find can search it. A PDF that already has a recognised text layer can be searched.
On a phone, look in the browser menu for Find in page or Find on page.
Ctrl+F searches the current page or document. To find an article elsewhere on a website, use that website’s search instead.
You can get a plain-text list of files in a Windows folder using Command Prompt or PowerShell. Use it to check your installed mods, keep a file inventory, or send a list to someone helping you troubleshoot.
Replace C:\path\to\your\folder in the examples with your folder’s actual path. Keep the quotation marks, especially if the path contains spaces. These commands list files; they do not open or change them.
Option 1: Command Prompt
Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Enter. Then run:
dir /b /a:-d "C:\path\to\your\folder"
This prints file names without the usual dates and sizes. It excludes folders and includes hidden and system files. It only lists the folder you specified. To include its subfolders and show full paths, add /s:
dir /b /s /a:-d "C:\path\to\your\folder"
If you prefer to change folders first, use cd /d "C:\path\to\your\folder", then run dir /b /a:-d. The /d lets Command Prompt change drives as well as folders.
Option 2: PowerShell
Press Windows + R, type powershell, and press Enter. For file names only, run:
Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath "C:\path\to\your\folder" -File | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Name
-LiteralPath treats characters such as square brackets as part of the path. -File excludes folders. PowerShell leaves out hidden and system files by default; add -Force if you want them included.
To include subfolders and show each file’s full path, use:
-NoClobber prevents overwriting an existing filelist.txt. If that name is already taken, change it to something like filelist-2.txt. Open the saved file in Notepad to copy or share the list.
File names and full paths can contain personal information, including your Windows username. Read through the list before sharing it.
Use a screenshot to save an error message, show a setting, or capture part of a page. On Windows, Snipping Tool can capture a rectangle, window, full screen, or freehand region.
Capture a region
Press Windows + Shift + S together. You can also find Snipping Tool from the Start menu and choose New.
Choose the capture mode. For a rectangle, click and drag around the area you want.
Release the mouse button to capture it.
Open the notification or return to Snipping Tool to review, crop, annotate, or save the image.
The capture is available on the clipboard for pasting. Recent versions can save screenshots automatically; check Snipping Tool’s Settings for the auto-save option and destination. You can always save a copy yourself.
This is very common in Logitech models like the Logitech G733. But it occurs in other brands and models soemtimes too. You’ve tried everything you can think of; driver updates, resetting the software, changing the mixers in steelseries sonar, turning them off and on etc.. But the solution is fairly well hidden despite being so simple. It certainly took me an embarrisingly long time to figure out.
Right click the Windows taskbar volume icon and open Sound settings.
In sound settings you will see an “Advanced” section towards the bottom (you may need to scroll down). Click the “More sound settings” button inside that section. If you don’t care about surround sound, you can also try toggling on the “Mono audio” setting, which combines the left and right chanels into one and plays it to both ears.
In the new window that pops up, be sure your on the “playback” tab. Then search for your headset, right click on it and select “properties” from the context menu. Yet another window will pop up.
In this new window click on the “Levels” tab. It will display a screen with a volume bar. At the end of the bar should be a button called “Balance”. Click it for yet another window pop up (nobody ever accused Windows 11 of having a good UX).
In this final window we finally have a left and right audio chanel balance settings. First try setting them both to the same value and hopefully everything sounds good. If not or if they were already set to the same values, then as a work around you will need to fiddle with the balance until you get it sounding right. Unfortunately it’s just trial and error.
Hold Windows key and Shift, then press R to open the snipping tool in video mode. You can also open the Snipping Tool from the windows menu or a shortcut to the executable and then click the video button
With the tool open and in video mode you can click “New” or use the displayed keyboard shortcut to begin the screen selection mode.
Now you can select the area of the screen to record by clicking and holding the left mouse button at the first corner and dragging the mouse with the button still held, to where you want the 2nd corner. This estabilishes the rectangular area to be recorded.
This toolbar will appear, ussually at the top of your screen.
Clicking the start button will begin a short few second count down, after which the recording will begin. so be sure your ready before clicking it.
To the right of that button is the duration in hours:minutes:seconds. This tells you how long you have been recording (once youve started).
The microphone button (to the right of the duration numbers) lets you select which microphone to record. By default it’s ussually set to “mute” which will prevent it recording any microphone.
The next button to the right, toggles the recording of audio from your computer. That is any sound your computer nromally plays through the speakers or headphones, like game noises or video audio etc…
Once the recording has begun, you can click the red stop button to stop and save the recording. At which point you will be presented with a new page:
Here you can play the video back. Use the trim button to cut bits out. Save it. Convert it to a .Gif or open it in clipchamp for more advanced editing.
Tips:
Before going to screen selection mode, you can click the window select mode button in the follong image to select an entire window, instead of sleecting an arbitrary rectangle.
Before you publish any video, be sure it does not contain any private information!
