Yet another editor/mod question

[Conte]

Hi to everyone.

I have some question regerding my first modding attempt:

 

1) I was trying to do a simple thing: give Reggie a Mike/Fritz-style uniform without helmet, and give Eagle the terrorist officer's trenchcoat (the one without hood). So i followed Darth Valium's (really precious) walkthrough: changed the skeleton type of the 2 characters and then used ingame save. But when i started the new game with my new mod, only Eagle was changed: Reggie had his standard grenadier outfit.

I re-opened the mod, and saw that both had the skeleton as i previously selected... so why just Eagle got changed? Any suggestion?

 

2) I read that if you select mods with the ingame interface, just the last selected will be activated. So my question is: the ADDMOD tool just adds mod to unmodded savegames or is also able to stack multiple mods in one save?

 

3) If i open a previously created MOD and change something, will my modded savegame keep the new modifications as well or do i need to restart a new game anyway?

 

4) The editor created in my new mod folder the following files: A5GAME_DATA.mdf (79.8 Mb) A5GAME_LOG.ldf (2Mb) GAME_ORIGINAL.db (32 Mb) Description.txt and GAME.db

I know that a mod to work just needs game.db and description.txt so what about the other big files? Do i need to keep them or can i erase them?

 

Thank you.

[Biggles]

1) What may have happened is that you just deleted some values. The mod 'build' process compares differences between your 'database' and the original game database. It doesn't seem to recognise deleting as making a change, hence they don't show up in the game. BUT ... if you enter a 0 in the fields it DOES recognise that a change has been made.

 

 

2) This is not true. You CAN stack mods! BUT, if any affect the same values in a table then the last one applied is the one that will affect that value. Hence the 3 official mods don't stack, they change the same fields.

 

3) No idea... iI suppose it will keep th eold modifications unless you use addmod to remove the mod. Remember a savegame stores the mod info!

 

4) You dont need to keep them if you've finished.

[Conte]

Thank You Biggles: now that you suggested it, i remember that the first time that i changed Reggie's model i accidentally pressed "reset values" or something like that instead of "Ok"... then i tried to reselect the correct skeleton but apparently i missed something.

 

My new question is: If i start from scratch, deleting my new mod folder and all the files, and i select a new database when lauching the editor i should have all the parameters i messed up resetted to original values shouldn't I? (can't try now 'cause i'm at work...).

 

So i can easily play my mod (when it will work) with the "headshot should kill" one without problems... sweet.

 

Thank you again.

[Biggles]

Yes, it 'should' work fine with the headshot mod.

 

If everytime you create a mod you create a NEW databse then you'll be fine. Each one will have the default game values.

 

If you screw up and edit the original database, just do a 'repair' from the install CD.

[LoTekK]

2) This is not true. You CAN stack mods! BUT, if any affect the same values in a table then the last one applied is the one that will affect that value. Hence the 3 official mods don't stack, they change the same fields.

 

4) You dont need to keep them if you've finished.

2) Slight correction: If I'm not mistaken, it isn't the fields (eg. MinDamage) that you need to keep track of, but the entire table (eg. dbo_RPGWeapons). Why do I say this? Notice that while the three official mods will not stack, they each modify different fields in the same table (dbo_RPGCriticals). So if two mods change different fields in the same table, they will not stack.

 

4) It isn't necessary, but it might be a good idea to keep the large file around just in case you want to make some minor (or major) changes.

[Conte]

Ok, we got it: i deleted and started a new mod and everithing worked properly: now my 2 squaddies have the uniform i like and i finally can start playing (yes, i admit it... i started messing with the editor just after the first game mission because i wasn't happy of some of my teammembers's clothes... i'm a sick person... :? ).

According to your e2 xplanations i guess that is possible to select "AP for Inventory" + "Headshot should kill" + my mod because, at a first look, they seems to refer to different tables.

Has anyone ever played with more than two mod? Is it safe?

Thankyou again for your help.

[Biggles]

2 mods at once is the most I have used.