Oblivion Mod:Save File Format

The format used for save files (.ess files) in Oblivion is a binary format, different from that used for mod files. The overall structure of the save file format is largely understood, but in many cases the specifics of the data contents have not yet been decoded.

You can make a text dump overview of a save game's contents by using the SaveGame (save) or LoadGame (load) console commands. Simply append a non-zero value to the command arguments, eg: save test 1 or load test 1. It will generate a text file named with the same filename as your save game, but with .txt appended, eg: save test 1 will generate a "test.ess.txt" file. The dump file contains a list of all the save file's Change Records (sorted by type and length).

Within a save file, most object references use iref values, instead of FormIDs. An iref can be translated into a FormID using the FormIDs Array. However, iref values greater than 0xFF000000 are actual FormIDs, and refer to objects created within the save file. These created objects are detailed either in the Change Records section of the save file (for individual object references, i.e. ACHR, ACRE and REFR record types) or in the createdData array (for other record types).

See File Format Conventions for conventions used to document variables and datatypes.

File Header

If the first four characters of a save game file are "CON ", then the file is from an Xbox 360, and the Xbox 360 File Container has not been removed. The real game data starts after 53248 bytes. However, simply skipping the first 53248 bytes of the file is not sufficient. The File Container format also inserts other chunks of information into the Oblivion save file, independent of the Oblivion save file format. These are 4-16 KB pieces that typically appear somewhere after the first 600KB or so of "real" game data. Therefore any file starting with a "CON " record needs to have the container information removed (for example, using WxPirs) before it can be parsed according to the format on the rest of this page (and before it can be read by the PC version of Oblivion). See Xbox 360 for more information on accessing Xbox 360 save files.

Name	Type/Size	Info
fileId	char[12]	Constant: "TES4SAVEGAME"
majorVersion	ubyte	Current Oblivion major version is 0.
minorVersion	ubyte	The minor version for the Oblivion save file format has been 125 since the game's release. A version 126 has been reported, but the conditions under which version 126 appears are unknown. Even with installation of the latest patch and installation of Shivering Isles, the minor version is still 125. UESP's documentation describes the format of version 125 save files.
exeTime	systemtime	Time when game executable was last modified (see gameTime below for time when save file was created). Obtained with GetLocalTime() API. This field is not present in save files less than version 0.82

Save Game Header

Name	Type/Size	Info
headerVersion	ulong	Header's version number; value is 125. See minorVersion for details.
saveHeaderSize	ulong	Size in bytes of Save Game Header (not including this size variable).
saveNum	ulong	Save number, used for default name of save file. Presumably this is a counter keeping track of the total number of saves you have made to date.
pcName	bzstring	PC's (player character's) name.
pcLevel	ushort	PC's level.
pcLocation	bzstring	PC's current cell.
gameDays	float	Days that have passed in game. Starts at 1.042 (Day 1, 1am).
gameTicks	ulong	Uses the GetTickCount() API to obtain the total number of ticks that have elapsed during gameplay. Equivalent to milliseconds spent playing the game, and is used to obtain statistics on "Playing Time."
gameTime	systemtime	Real time that save file was created. Obtained with GetLocalTime() API.
screenshot	struct	Screenshot at time of save.
size	ulong	Size of remaining snapshot data. Value = (width * height * 3) + 8.
width	ulong	Pixel width.
height	ulong	Pixel height.
data	ubyte[3*width*height]	RGB bytes with no compression. Remember that bitmap's scan line typically have different length.

Plugins

Name	Type/Size	Info
pluginsNum	ubyte	Number of plugins including masters.
plugins	list[pluginsNum]	List of plugin names.
name	bstring	Plugin file name (including extension).

Global

Name	Type/Size	Info
formIdsOffset	ulong	Absolute address of formIdsNum.
recordsNum	ulong	Number of change records.
nextObjectid	formid	Number of next savegame specific object id, i.e. FFxxxxxx. When this value overflows it causes the Reference Bug.
worldId	formid
worldX	ulong	Most likely part of Worldspace ID data.
worldY	ulong	Most likely part of Worldspace ID data.
pcLocation	struct	Current PC location (cell and position within cell).
cell	ulong	FormID of cell. (Not iref).
x	float	X coordinate.
y	float	Y coordinate.
z	float	Z coordinate.
globalsNum	ushort
globals	struct[globalsNum]	Array of global variables.
iref	ulong	Iref of global.
value	float	Value of global. Note that all globals are represented as floats regardless of their CS4 type (float, long, short).
tesClassSize	ushort	Size of DeathCount data and GameModeSeconds (numDeathCounts * 6 + 8)
numDeathCounts	ulong	Number DeathCounts in list
deathCounts	struct[numDeathCounts]	Array of death counts
actor	iref	Actor base form
deathCount	ushort	Number of times an instance of this actor has died
gameModeSeconds	float	Seconds elapsed in game mode (menus closed) for this character
processesSize	ushort
processesData	ubyte[processesSize]	Processes data.
specEventSize	ushort
specEventData	ubyte[specEventSize]	Spectator Event data.
weatherSize	ushort
weatherData	ubyte[weatherSize]	Sky/Weather data.
playerCombatCount	ulong	Number of Actors in combat with the player
createdNum	ulong
createdData	list[createdNum]	Items (potions, enchanted items, spells) created in-game. The format is the same as for mod file records. The size of individual records vary, but the size is always provided as the second value in the record, making it possible to scan past the createdData without fully processing each record.
quickKeysSize	ushort	This is the size (in bytes) of the entire quickKeysData array -- not the number of individual quickKeys entries.
quickKeysData	struct[quickKeysSize]	Quick Keys settings. The size of individual data records can be 1 or 5 bytes, depending upon the value of "flag" in each record.
flag	ubyte	Indicates that the quick key is set (1) or not (0).
iref	ulong	Quick Key setting if flag = 1. If flag = 0 then the next byte is the flag for the next quick key
reticuleSize	ushort
reticuleData	ubyte[reticuleSize]	HUD Reticule.
interfaceSize	ushort
interfaceData	ubyte[interfaceSize]	Interface stuff.
regionsSize	ushort	Size of regionsNum + regions array.
regionsNum	ushort
regions	struct[regionsNum]	Array of information about regions.
iref	ulong	Iref of region.
unknown6	ulong	Region data. ?Flags?

Change Records

This section consists of a collection of records documenting changes to data objects supplied by the master mods, and new objects added during game play. The number of records is provided by recordsNum. The total size of a record is provided in dataSize, so records can be skipped past relatively easily.

However, processing any record details requires a fairly comprehensive understanding of the record format, dictated by the record type, the flags for that record, and then further influenced by the contents of the subrecords. The record type controls which subrecords may appear and their order and the flags (roughly) list which subrecords appear. Unlike subrecords in mod files, the individual subrecords are not clearly demarcated, nor are their sizes provided. Therefore, each subrecord needs to be processed, in order, before subsequent records can be read. Separate subarticles describe the format of each record type; those articles are linked under the list of types.

Newly-created types of objects (custom spells, enchantments, etc.) are listed in the createdData section. For example, if the player creates a custom-enchanted ring, the ENCH record detailing the enchantment and the CLOT record detailing the ring are both listed under createdData. Any individual instances of that ring are listed in Change Records -- whether as REFR objects, or as inventory entries for the player's ACHR object, or inventory entries for a container's REFR object.

Name	Type/Size	Info
records	list[global.recordsNum]
formId	ulong	FormId of the data object being changed or created. FormIds for objects created in-game have value between 0xFF000000 - 0xFFFFFFFF.
type	ubyte	Type of change record. Type Name Info 6 FACT Factions 19 APPA Alchemical Apparatus 20 ARMO Armor 21 BOOK Books 22 CLOT Clothing 25 INGR Ingredients 26 LIGH Lights 27 MISC Misc. Items 33 WEAP Weapons 34 AMMO Arrows 35 NPC_ Player and NPC data: attributes, spells, factions, etc. These changes affect all instances of objects. The change record for FormId 0x00000007 contains player character data (see also ACHR). 36 CREA Creature information (rats, horses, hostile creatures.) These changes affect all instances of objects. 38 SLGM Soul gems 39 KEYM Keys 40 ALCH Alchemy (potions) 48 CELL Cells 49 REFR Placed instances of inanimate objects (containers, dropped items, chairs, doors, etc.) 50 ACHR Placed instances of PC (player character) and NPCs (non-player characters). The change record for FormId 0x00000014 (20) contains player character data (see also NPC_). 51 ACRE Placed instances of creatures. 58 INFO Dialog entries. 59 QUST Quest information 61 PACK AI Packages.
flags	ulong	Flags indicating what has been changed. The meaning of each flag depends upon the type of record; all known values are documented on the individual record subpages (see above table). Most flags have a corresponding subrecord in the record data. For example, an NPC_ record might have 0x1000027c as the flags, indicating that the following changes have been made to the record 2: Form Flags 3: Base Health 4: Base Attributes 5: Spell List 6: Factions 9: Skills 28: Base Modifiers Note that these flags values do not indicate the order used to list the corresponding change subrecords. The subrecord Overview provides the order of the subrecords, showing, for example that Base Health (3) is detailed after the Spell List (5).
version	ubyte	Version of change record; value is 125. See minorVersion for details
dataSize	ushort	Total size of the data section (of all the change subrecords).
data	ubyte[dataSize]	Collection of change subrecords. The format of the change subrecords depends upon the type of record; see the individual record type subpages for details.

Temporary Effects

The temporary effects listed in this section are effect shaders (EFSH objects). Temporary magic effects, such as the effects listed in the player Journal's Active Effects sections, are listed within the appropriate ACHR change record.

Name	Type/Size	Info
tempEffectsSize	ulong
data	ubyte[tempEffectsSize]	Contains irefs to EFSH objects.

FormIds Array

The FormIds array is located at formIdsOffset. It allows iref values to be dereferenced into FormIds. Although the formIds array starts at index 0, iref 0 is always empty (0x00000000); 1 is the smallest valid value for an iref, and the corresponding formid is the second entry in the formIds array. Iref=0 is used in cases where the value is unchanged relative to the original.

FormIds for objects created in-game are not included in the FormIds array. "irefs" are only dereferenced using the FormId array if they are less than 0xFF000000; otherwise, the iref is actually a FormID.

Name	Type/Size	Info
formIdsNum	ulong	Number of formIds in array.
formIds	ulong[formIdsNum]	Array of formIds.

World Spaces Array

Probably an array that maps internal references to world space formIds. But if that's so, doesn't it duplicate functionality of FormId array?

Name	Type/Size	Info
worldSpacesNum	ulong	Number of world spaces in array.
worldSpaces	ulong[worldSpacesNum]	Array of world space formIds.