Question about handling mods

[rocketman71]

Just got the game on sale after having it on my wishlist for quite some time. Bought it on Steam. I noticed there is a Mods folder for the game, but from what I can tell here you are supposed to backup files and replace them with modded ones. What is the function of the Mods folder and why does some mods only work for Steam/non-Steam version of the game?

[Philippeatbay]

The path to any given internal folder in a non-Steam version is slightly different from the path in the Steam version. For some games this can be something as little and easily overlooked as the use of an ampersand in a folder title instead of the word 'and'. Very small difference, but it will prevent things from working. That's why I always release Steam and non-Steam versions of my mods (which don't use the mod folder, but that's because most of them are graphics mods).

[Crossroads]

ORIGINAL: Philippe at bay

The path to any given internal folder in a non-Steam version is slightly different from the path in the Steam version. For some games this can be something as little and easily overlooked as the use of an ampersand in a folder title instead of the word 'and'. Very small difference, but it will prevent things from working. That's why I always release Steam and non-Steam versions of my mods (which don't use the mod folder, but that's because most of them are graphics mods).

This seemed like a good thread to post this question.

Philippe: which DC:B version would you recommed for ease of using mods, Steam, or non-Steam?

I am used to have JSGME to swap files with non-Steam games often mixing some files from various mods for my personal preferece. With Steam version games I've mostly used existing Steam packages and never ventured on how to mix and match them.

But at the end of the day, otherwise, Steam or non-Steam matters not a great deal to me as such.

[Philippeatbay]

Another difference between Steam and non-Steam versions of games is that the non-Steam versions tend to get updated first. For some games (and that applies to some Matrix/Slitherine games as well) the updating gap can be significant in terms of times (i.e. months and sometimes years). Steam is a very convenient vehicule for storing and downloading games, but the non-Steam versions tend to be more likely to be up to date, and much easier to control as to whether you even update them or not. For many games I have both Steam and non-Steam versions installed, with different mods on each. I have a few mods that only exist on my Steam games, but I'm always worried that Steam will verify the integrity of my game cache before it does some kind of system update and wipe the mods by overwriting them. The flip side of that is that if you have a very large game (10 GB plus) and want to see how lots of different mods will look compared to plain vanilla, all you have to do is verify the integrity of your game cache and you're back to plain vanilla without doing a massive reinstall.

I dislike programs like JSGME intensely because they generally prevent people from reading the attached readme files (which they don't tend to do anyway, but JSGME makes it worse by making it easier to be lazy). Modders often give credit to other modders for parts of mods that they use, and it's pretty annoying that the chain of obligation can get wiped out so cavalierly. In addition, there are often explanatory notes that tell you exactly what is going on in the mod and why the things that changed have been changed, as well as a mod version history (what has changed in each version of the mod). If I'm going to dump some mod into my 12 gigabyte installation of a game, I want to know in advance exactly what it's going to do, rather than find out after twenty hours of play that the modder has made some awful change to a texture and ran it through a sharpening filter, just because he thought it 'looked cool'. And it's not enough to just read the readme file, you need to actually inspect the graphic files of the mod, because no readme file (even mine) has ever listed all of the changes that got made along the way.

[Philippeatbay]

And just to be clear about the answer to your question, go with the non-Steam version.

[Crossroads]

Cheers Philippe, [:)]

ORIGINAL: Philippe at bay

Another difference between Steam and non-Steam versions of games is that the non-Steam versions tend to get updated first. For some games (and that applies to some Matrix/Slitherine games as well) the updating gap can be significant in terms of times (i.e. months and sometimes years). Steam is a very convenient vehicule for storing and downloading games, but the non-Steam versions tend to be more likely to be up to date, and much easier to control as to whether you even update them or not. For many games I have both Steam and non-Steam versions installed, with different mods on each. I have a few mods that only exist on my Steam games, but I'm always worried that Steam will verify the integrity of my game cache before it does some kind of system update and wipe the mods by overwriting them. The flip side of that is that if you have a very large game (10 GB plus) and want to see how lots of different mods will look compared to plain vanilla, all you have to do is verify the integrity of your game cache and you're back to plain vanilla without doing a massive reinstall.

That sort of resembles what I had in my mind as well. I've mostly stuck to non-Steam games in the past, especially for games I have great(er) interest off, while Steam and Steam sales have allowed for some ease of shopping I've likely would have otherwise passed if not for ease of Steam.

ORIGINAL: Philippe at bay

I dislike programs like JSGME intensely because they generally prevent people from reading the attached readme files (which they don't tend to do anyway, but JSGME makes it worse by making it easier to be lazy). Modders often give credit to other modders for parts of mods that they use, and it's pretty annoying that the chain of obligation can get wiped out so cavalierly. In addition, there are often explanatory notes that tell you exactly what is going on in the mod and why the things that changed have been changed, as well as a mod version history (what has changed in each version of the mod). If I'm going to dump some mod into my 12 gigabyte installation of a game, I want to know in advance exactly what it's going to do, rather than find out after twenty hours of play that the modder has made some awful change to a texture and ran it through a sharpening filter, just because he thought it 'looked cool'. And it's not enough to just read the readme file, you need to actually inspect the graphic files of the mod, because no readme file (even mine) has ever listed all of the changes that got made along the way.

I have to say I really prefer to JSGME everything where possible. With JSGME there's no, or significantly less at least, risk to mess up your install. As you point out, it's very efficient and easy to use as well, which is a bonus.

Have you checked out the JSGME tool tip feature? It allows for fairly lengthy text content, so at minimum you can print out to read the bloody readme.txt and credit the ones you want to credit, right there in the tool tip.

ORIGINAL: Philippe at bay

And just to be clear about the answer to your question, go with the non-Steam version.

Gotcha. I have a Anniversary Voucher here somewhere, off to Matrix Store next!