Quantum:
I use Crimson Editor. You can find it
here. Completely free, very versatile and conforms to standards. Can be used for code developing for several programming languages (key word and structural color highlighting makes it easy to read code)and for basic text editing. It has very nifty search functions, search and replace, various text editing features such as case changing etc and Once I found this little program about three years ago, I have used it exclusively for basic text file editing.
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Turin:
I specifically didn't do much structural changes for the item mod because I have not had time to get very familiar with it. Your approach, grouping weapon editing along with gem cost and path editing for items does have its merits (mainly convenience in maintaining that specific mod), but it also has its drawbacks (everything being mingled together).
The current format where the gem cost and path requirement edits are in one section and the actual equipment modding in another is in my opinion superior, because it allows other modmakers who might like the equipment changes but not the cost changes to copy the whole chunks to use as basis for their own mods (if they want just one or the otehr but not both). It would also be structurally consistent with the rest of the CB series. You can rest assured that when I do start going through it, things are going to get moved around pretty drastically. Basically you can expect stuff to be grouped by category (weapons, armor, miscellaneous) and level (trinket, lesser item, greater item, artefact) and possibly sorted by primary and secondary paths as well. Equipment modding would be in one section and the forging mods in another and both sections categorized as above.
I might actually do that
before I do the Nations readme, just to get it out of the way.
If at all possible, I would like to retain editorial control of the format so that the rest of you can concentrate on content improvement. I can chime in on that as well, but not all that much.
Edi