Mod installs, use: What are Host and player needs?
 

Everyone,

MY PROBLEM:
Ive had trouble figuring out which mod installs players need - Host needs all mods installed, but players...?
ANd I dont know how/what SE4 uses its mod data nd its main data.

While I enjoy figuring things out on my own, I just dont have the time to slog through the forum on this anymore and would appreciate ALL help. I apologize if this info IS somewhere (please let me know!) - I just couldnt find it or was up too damn late to notice it...


WHAT IVE DONE SO FAR:
Ive setup FolderX for our scenario
Ive default installed these mods to SE4 root dir/folders:
DevNul
FQM Del
PvK Balance
ImageMod
NeoExp graphics
NoAI
Using TDM+FQM install instr I copied DevNul into FolderX and everything else atop it. No problems AFAIK.


QUESTIONS:
1) Besides the default mod installs, and copying everything into the FolderX, What do I need to copy into the SE4 root/main game folders, if anything?

2) I had them install PvK Balance on their end to build their races, but what do my players need as far as other mods installed on their end? (I gave them a zip of my completed FolderX - good/bad?)

3) A big part of my problem is I dont know how SE4 uses its mod data....is everything in FolderX used until somethings not there THEN SE4 goes to its root/main folders?

4) Where do the players empire files get stored now - the FolderX or main folder?


Thank you!

Re: Mod installs, use: What are Host and player ne
 

The players need the exact same data files that the host used to create the savegame. There are some files that are not strictly needed, but it is safest and easiest to just make sure all files are the same. Shipset files will be needed by the players as well, to view custom shipsets in-game. So will other custom graphics files (such as Image Mod).

Absolutely nothing! All mods need to go in a subfolder of the SE4 folder. Well, shipsets are safe to put in the default Pictures\Races folder... but data mods should never be put in the default SE4\Data folder...

You can only use one mod at a time. Having mods installed in mod folders does not mean they will all be used when playing the game. Only the mod refrenced by Path.txt in the root SE4 folder will be loaded. Although, I suggest using the SE4 Mod Launcher instead, as it will automatically handle writing to Path.txt for you.

You can, of course, manually combine the data files of 2 or more mods to get a combination mod. SE4 will not do this for you, however, as most mods can not be easily combined.

Essentially. It will look in the folder specified in Path.txt (which is in the root SE4 folder). It will load any files it finds there, then load files from stock folders that it can not find. Some of the files in the Data folder _must_ be there for a mod to load, though I forget which ones specifically these days. Safest to just have the whole Data folder...

That depends on the mod. If the mod has an Empires folder in it, they are saved in there. If it does not, they are saved in the stock Empires folder. Any mod that modifies the cost of racial characteristics or traits, or adds new traits, should have it's own Empires folder, to prevent loading invalid empire files in a different mod or stock SE4 later.

Re: Mod installs, use: What are Host and player ne
 

Why, exactly, did you make this thread a Calendar event? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif Could you please edit that out? Thanks.