skyrim-mod-alternatives

SkyrimModAlternatives

This is a project that aims to put together the Skyrim Mod Community and creating efforts to:

1- Create a free and explorable database of existing mods
2- Create a free and community-driven alternative to download them
3- Preserve mods while avoiding takedowns or just dissapearing with the pass of time
4- Decentralized system, all this code can run in any computer and anyone can use this software, it's opensource and based on the webtorrent project. 

This tool does not endorse piracy

Modders usually work as a hobby, others do plan to earn money doing what they love. Some platforms pay them for their downloads, some don't, but at the end of the day, it's their work.

You may contribute to the database using information from mods that does not have permission to be reuploaded.

For such mods, no TorrentHash will be uploaded to the database until the Author gives their explicit permission, making them searchable through the database but not downloadable.

Explore the database (Contributors wanted to make it awesome!)

https://rucadi.github.io/ExploreModDatabase.html

Install the command line interface

• You must have node installed
• Do the following command in Windows Terminal: npm -global i mod-alternatives or visit the website: https://www.npmjs.com/package/mod-alternatives

Usage

Notice that only files that match the database will be seeded.

Helper Scripts for other platforms

The Helper Scripts are scripts that expand the download buttons from NexusMods and LoversLab in order to show the #hash that you need to use for creating a modlist, and a link to download that file from your browser (or generate a torrent/magnet file)

Install helper script for NexusMods

• Download from GitHub

Install Helper Script for LoversLab

• Download from GitHub

Contribute adding new mods (And seeding them!)

While this is a decentralized project, we still need to create the database of mods. This database, once created, is shared as a torrent like all the other mods. So while there is people using the system, the database will live on.

The database is a sqlite database generated from the SkyrimModAlternatives.json file. This file contains the following information that uniquely identifies a mod:

{
  "mods": [
    {
      "SkyrimVersion": "SE",
      "Name": "Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch",
      "ModVersion": "4.2.6a",
      "FileName": "Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch-266-4-2-6a-1636838663.7z",
      "TorrentHash": "d09b972082830f89649a3ac66c610ee6d9637b9d",
      "FileSize": "134034173", 
      "Url": "https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/266",
      "NexusId": "266",
      "LoversId": "",
      "FileId": "241103",
      "NSFW": false,
      "Author": "Unofficial Patch Project Team",
      "Permissions" : "You may upload unmodified copies of the latest version of the patch to any website of your choosing so long as the documentation is retained as-is."
    }
  ]
}

This information probes useful to:

1 - Know the origin of the mod
2 - Identify the mod
3 - Create web extensions that allow us to download from an alternative location when looking for mods on a mod website.