Latest patch, mods & current game

[Daynarr]

Well, at the moment the God Emperors mod conflicts with the Xi'Chung research files. Also, in the near future I will be working on 5 more default races and that will cause even more conflicts.

[Dubious]

What's really needed is a "difference engine": a tool which would take a modder's files (which would only have their mods and nothing else; i.e. only their "differences") and MERGE them with the existing files in the ModPack directory or if there is no existing file by copying the original and then merging.

A more sophisticated Version would compare the ModPack directory files with the original files first, and if the merging mods would replace something which was not in the original, prompt for which to use: the old mod or the new one.

It might be necessary to establish a format for modder difference files to be able to "designate" a component which is to be replaced or removed or simply added, but that should be fairly simple with keywords such as "REPLACE title" or "ADD title AFTER title" or "DELETE title". (I haven't gotten into modding as yet, so I don't know all the ramifications.) But with the work going on to make the modding process easier, this should be fairly easy to implement.

-Dubious-

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"All sources are dubious until their reliabilty has been repeatedly proven. Even then their information should be independently verified." - The unwritten "spooks handbook"

[This message has been edited by Dubious (edited 08 March 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Dubious (edited 08 March 2001).]

[God Emperor]

Daynarr, I will delete my XiChung files to ensure compatibility, if you believe that your XiChung_Research file has fixed the Tech follow-on problems....Any thoughts on the four tech item queue problem?

Javaslinger,
I agree with your idea and ask whether the mod-pack crew would be happy to take on the role you were suggesting...

Alternatively, maybe Malfador could do this, particularly for the "tweaking" mods.


[This message has been edited by God Emperor (edited 08 March 2001).]

[raynor]

I'm pretty new to modding. But aren't many mods incompatible with each other since they change different settings to customize the game according to the preferences of a particular person? Isn't that why you have to pick a mod that is the closest match to what you want out of the game?

I have looked at a few of the data files and have a couple of questions. Would it be fair to say that any mod that modifies files in these directories would be generally incompatible with the TDM Mod? Indeed, wouldn't two mods that modify anything in these directories be incompatible with each other probably?

1. se4\data
2. se4\ai
3. se4\pictures\races directories specific to each mod

Thanks!

[This message has been edited by raynor (edited 08 March 2001).]

[Daynarr]

Any mod that changes Se4\Data (although I strongly recommend changing that data in a different manner, like SE4\Mymod\Data, so that original data remains intact) should be compatible with ModPack.
The modes dealing with SE4\Pictures\races will, most likely, be incompatible.
Se4\AI has some changes in it (like Default_AI_Planet_Types.txt) but should be pretty safe to mod otherwise (at least for now).
The complete list of files moded can be found in the readme files that come with the pack (they are in the Se4\ModPack folder).

[This message has been edited by Daynarr (edited 08 March 2001).]

[Mephisto]

I already volunteered to check other MODs for compatibility but that is not as easy as it sounds. First of all, what is compatible? Just not overwriting the ModPack files? Or should the ModPack races use these altered files? What about people who don't want to install the sound patch?

Nevertheless, Modders, sent me your files and I will make a "compatibility list".

[raynor]

quote:

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Originally posted by Daynarr:
Any mod that changes Se4\Data (although I strongly recommend changing that data in a different manner, like SE4\Mymod\Data, so that original data remains intact) should be compatible with ModPack.

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I'm confused. The TDM ModPack creates se4\ModPack and directs se4\path.txt to point at this file. The entire TDM ModPack goes into se4\ModPack, right? Now, another mod could be installed in se4\MyMod. But for it to work, you would point se4\path.txt to se4\MyMod, wouldn't you? So, wouldn't these two mods be running completely separately?

Thanks for your help!