Why in the world....

[Aldwen]

Do mods that change minor"ish" things seem to have to replace EVERY file in your Native folder? Though I'm not sure the exact extent of things that must be changed in order for some mods to work but to me it seems a bit ridiculous that a mods that adds in new sounds or add in formations has to replace EVERY SINGLE FILE in your Native directory.

For something so minor I would think only a few files need replacing. Instead you're forced to replace everything in your Native folder so any changes you've made get erased

Why are the mods packaged with all this extra gunk?? Is it REALLY necessary that a mod adding in new sounds needs to replace you map, quests, scripts, and every other file in your Native directory?!!? Why are these mods not packaged with JUST the modified versions of the files they need to operate? Do people not know what files they're working with or something when they make mods like these?


I could be totally out of line here, I don't know. Maybe a sound pack does need to replace everything but it just doesn't make any sense to me, so I'm asking. As of right now I've had to pass up many of these small awesome mods that add in extra Native goodness simply because I've already started tweaking my Native files and using them will erase my work 

So is there a way around this? Or am I forever stuck without all this awesome content because I've already made my own tweaks?

 

[bobsters34]

Backup your native folder into a different location and work from there.

 

[Keedo420]

Have you tried to unpack the new mod into it's own module folder and then porting the changes you made to the new module, or vice versa? It shouldn't be any more complicated than cutting and pasting, depending on what kind of changes you made.

 

[Ruthven]

I'm guessing some of these small mods you downloaded were standalones, not tweaks.

 

[Aldwen]

Ah ok, so basically most of the files included in these mods are not require for it's operation? >.> So the question remains, why did the makes of these mods include EVERYTHING in their mod, even though it isn't needed?

I've mainly been tweaking my M&B with MageLords tweaks and I'm using cremos Native Improved Mod so I know what files (for the most part) I've messed with. I guess I just have to take a shot in the dark, make a new module folder, and hope it all works out... 


@Ruthven
Well specifically the mods I'm referring to are the Official Vocals pack packaged with Cries of War or Dablade's Battlesounds (haven't had a chance to test which one is better) and the Formations mods by pentagathus.

From what these sound like they are just simple add-ons, but with everything they come packaged with they are perfectly capable of running as it's own module... I want it to be integrated into Native though...

 

[fisheye]

I do it specifically to annoy YOU.





The real reason is that to make an add-on X addable into another mod Y, you need the source code of both X and Y, and the knowhow or instructions of how to put X into Y without adverse interactions; you typically cannot directly combine TXT files. It's a bit of extra work and doesn't benefit players, it benefits other modders. See my Autoloot add-on for example. So the easiest thing that people tend to do is either release the mod as a playable, or release the code as an add-on for other modders. You can't just release the TXT files that your add-on modifies. It doesn't just cut-and-paste like that, there will be interactions.

 

[Keedo420]

Hmm, when I mentioned cutting and pasting, I was thinking of the .py files of the module system, not the .txt files of the compiled mod.

Also, Aldwen, if all you wanted was the vocals, just unpack the sounds from the vocals pack into your mod's Sounds folder, then open up your mod's module.ini file and look for the following line:

scan_module_sounds = 0

Change the 0 to a 1 and you should be good to go with the new sounds.

 

[Aldwen]

You sir, are my new best friend!! That was one of the main mods I had been hoping to get working.


And fisheye, thanks for the detailed response. That clears things up a lot. I suppose that explains why people post code all over the place Looks like I have to figure out how to work that editor...