Mod-compatibility

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I'm a newbie to BG1&2 mods, so I'm wondering: what makes mods incompatible? Is it just if they modify the same thing (example: 2 mods that modify the TOB-ending), or is it more complicated? If it's more complicated, I'm wondering: are these mods compatible: Virtue, Ascebsion, BG2 quest pack, dungeon be-gone, Imoen's romance and NPC-banter packs. most are from PPG, does that make any difference?

[ January 22, 2006, 00:06: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

First of all: All non-weidu mods are incompatible.
Why? Because those do not write within your dialogue.tlk file (which weidu mods does) but OVERWRITES it. So if you overwrite an already overwritten dialog.tlk, you will no longer have the dialogue that the first mod you installed held.

Your example is a good example of what an incompability issue could be. Mods that both adds to the exact same thing would have huge compability issues (unless they've been taken under consideration by the author).

As for your list, I don't see any problems (just make sure that Ascensions is the weidu version). Here's a small list of an "install order":

-The game
-Patch
-WeiDU mods
* Ascensions goes as one of the last
** Thigs that add to the Bioware NPC ToB endings goes BEFORE ascensions.
*** Banter that affects NPC's added from mods goes after the appropriate NPC(s) have been added.
**** Basically any mod/upgrade that affects other mods should be installed AFTER the mod they affect have been installed.

 

Imoen's romance is a non-WeiDU mod, isn't it? I've heard about people having compatibility issues with it.

To the extent that I understand WeiDU, the big advantage of it is that it adds the necessary entries to the dialog.tlk file instead of writing over it entirely. The disadvantage is that it handles modding of other game files no different from a conventional mod, in that it just copies the files to override - two WeiDU mods which contain two different versions of the same game file will still create incompatibility issues.

 

For old/sloppy mods, yes. Good modders will patch files as needed, rather than overwriting them entirely for small changes.

 

You're right, but I installed Trilogy before load of incompatiile mods and it didn't crashed (althought neither worked).
I suggest starting from BIG mods, then adding some improvements which affect gameplay (eg. Tactics, Ease), and at last stores / spell packs.

It might not work until you start a new game :/.

 

No Imoen-romance is Weidu, or at the very least is available in it's latest version in Weidu. Check the official site for detail. Each read-me for each mods *should* give compatibilities issues.

 

Wait, so WeiDU can just patch game files (ITMs, SPLs and such) rather than replacing them entirely? Or did you just mean good mods are more careful with what they overwrite?

If it's the former then that'd be brilliant, I've always been a bit paranoid about inadvertently overwriting things with mods.

 

Good mods are more careful about how they patch, so incompatabilities are less likely to arise. It is up to the modder whether, for example, to add an item to a creature they just drop a different version of the creature file into the override directory (which could cause troubles with other mods) or if they patch based on files in the user's existing installation setup (which, if coded properly, means there will not be compatability issues).

 

So, if I get this right, all WeiDu-mods are compatible? thats great, because all the mods I'm gonna use is WeiDu.

 

The former. Weimer added a lot of powerful patching features to WeiDU that allow you to manipulate files at extremely granular levels.

That being said, WeiDU = automatically compatible remains a myth, though it's generally highly likely that WeiDU mods will work together nicely. Most conflicts these days are due to mods with different aims (i.e. a mod to make Cernd a Totemic Druid vs another to make him an Avenger) or something similar. Most mods are generally pretty upfront about incompatibilities--we have a standard compatibility section in every G3 readme for example.

 

Wow, I didn't realise it was that sophisticated. Much respect for Weimer.