[Modding Question] How does the game handle file collision

[MatuX]

I wanted to increase the directly controlled planet limit, so I created the mod and the file with this verbatim content:

https://gist.github.com/matias-pequeno/8a05d049c0a8ae1369d199c4d740865b

Game would exit as soon as I hit Play.

Then I started checking other mods and noticed they usually include the ENTIRE file they're editing with the changes they want.

As a programmer myself that certainly looks very strange because it'd make it really complicated to avoid file collisions, ie. two mods editing separate values on the same file.

So, how does it work?

 

[Swizzlewizzle]

I would like to know too... i've seen some people post about how the game basically just appends everything from all mods and then, from the order they are added (??), overwrites and adds the new code...

 

[Elrood]

Overwrites files, you can't extract only part of 00_defines.lua, you need whole file copied Had the same problem.

 

[MatuX]

Is that the same with other Paradox games? Sounds like a ticking bomb for people who like to use mods. Does the game at least tell you if there're going to be conflicts between mods? (ie. two mods that change the same file)

 

[Elrood]

Is that the same with other Paradox games?
Yes

Does the game at least tell you if there're going to be conflicts between mods?
Don't think so, but i didn't check it yet.

Rule of thumb would say that if 2 mods will try to modify same thing (like ftl speeds and ranges) they will conflict .
Second Rule of Thumb says that mod packs will become available if modding will seriously take in (which merge several mods in attemp to sort out conflicts).

 

[MatuX]

Sure, it's just that I've noticed that there're plenty of files with ~1k locs with no sep of concerns (code touches multiple different non-related systems), I trust the devs had their own reasons for doing it this way of course, but it definitely increases the chances of mod conflicts.

Anyways, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Thanks!

 

[Dibujor]

From what I've gathered through the forums the best thing to do is to left the original files alone and do what @MatuX is doing: including just the lines of code you want to edit on the mod files. If you want to overwrite something, name the file in the mod the same as the original file. If you want to add something rename the file to something else (mumod_l_english.yml for example).

I think even if you overwrite things, including just the lines of code you modified is best to see what you've changed and if it conflicts with other mods. If you include the entire file it's crazy search through all the code.

 

[Warial]

Overwrites files, you can't extract only part of 00_defines.lua, you need whole file copied Had the same problem.

That's not truewith other PDX games. As a rule of thumb if a file in common has its own directory, then it can be modified in an other file. However defines have special rules:
http://www.eu4wiki.com/Defines

I didn't check whether it works exactly the same way, but it should.

 

[Swizzlewizzle]

Modified in another file how?

For example common/sector_types -> How would you remove parts or add parts to sector_types.txt by making a new file?

 

[Elrood]

That's not truewith other PDX games. As a rule of thumb if a file in common has its own directory, then it can be modified in an other file. However defines have special rules:
http://www.eu4wiki.com/Defines

I didn't check whether it works exactly the same way, but it should.

Thank you for that! Now this will make stuff so much simpler.

 

[Warial]

Modified in another file how?

For example common/sector_types -> How would you remove parts or add parts to sector_types.txt by making a new file?

Ah. I mislead you. I was thinking about defines and forgot that other folders don't work the same way. Some folders (like defines and localization) will overwrite other values, but the rest will have to be modified in the original file.

As it is adding a military type in an another file will create a new type and keep the original one. It's something to pester PDX about at least.

 

[MatuX]

That's not truewith other PDX games. As a rule of thumb if a file in common has its own directory, then it can be modified in an other file. However defines have special rules:
http://www.eu4wiki.com/Defines

I didn't check whether it works exactly the same way, but it should.

This makes a lot of sense and is perfect for my specific case. I guess that you don't need to "import" your new .lua file anywhere, the system will just pick any luas thrown there and read them?

Too bad it doesn't work with non-defines ones. Although I haven't tried myself.

Thanks a lot for this!

 

[Doctor Arheo]

Generally speaking, stay away from defines (which is often a major pain), as any other mod which alters defines, will render the game unplayable. This is something that causes a lot of irritation, because many of the juicy and game-altering values are in there. I'd love to be able to mod integration speed etc, but without editing defines, this is, as far as I'm aware, impossible.

 

[Warial]

Generally speaking, stay away from defines (which is often a major pain), as any other mod which alters defines, will render the game unplayable. This is something that causes a lot of irritation, because many of the juicy and game-altering values are in there. I'd love to be able to mod integration speed etc, but without editing defines, this is, as far as I'm aware, impossible.

Unplayable? How so?

 

[Doctor Arheo]

As far as I can tell, defines can only be over-ridden in it's entirety, so if two mods contain a different copy of defines, only one will be used, rendering any changes from the other to be irrelevant. EU IV used to crash if defines was over-ridden twice, although I think that was changed. I can't speak for stellaris, since I've avoided trying it

 

[Warial]

As far as I can tell, defines can only be over-ridden in it's entirety, so if two mods contain a different copy of defines, only one will be used, rendering any changes from the other to be irrelevant. EU IV used to crash if defines was over-ridden twice, although I think that was changed. I can't speak for stellaris, since I've avoided trying it

Changes will be over-ridden only if two mods modify the same define. If those mods would contain their changes in a separate files and keep the proper syntax, then there will be no conflicts. That's true for both EU4 and Stellaris.

Another advantage of always using a separate file is the patch compatibility. If you replace 00_defines.txt with your own version, you will have to manually add defines introduced in the patches, otherwise you'll be facing CTDs on the game start.

 

[krazysigmarite]

Does anyone know what rules apply to .asset files? To add new sound effects to my mod, I need to edit both sound.asset and soundeffect.asset, but I'm not sure if they can be modnamed (ie modname_sound.asset) or is this another case of forced overwrite?

I'm also having the same problem with the prescripted_species_systems.txt file (found in Stellaris/common/solar_system_initializers) and the only way I've been able to add new predefined solar systems is modifying the original file.

 

[Warial]

Does anyone know what rules apply to .asset files? To add new sound effects to my mod, I need to edit both sound.asset and soundeffect.asset, but I'm not sure if they can be modnamed (ie modname_sound.asset) or is this another case of forced overwrite?

I'm also having the same problem with the prescripted_species_systems.txt file (found in Stellaris/common/solar_system_initializers) and the only way I've been able to add new predefined solar systems is modifying the original file.

The game might be hardcoded to use only those files.

 

[Axelius]

Does anyone know what rules apply to .asset files? To add new sound effects to my mod, I need to edit both sound.asset and soundeffect.asset, but I'm not sure if they can be modnamed (ie modname_sound.asset) or is this another case of forced overwrite?

I'm also having the same problem with the prescripted_species_systems.txt file (found in Stellaris/common/solar_system_initializers) and the only way I've been able to add new predefined solar systems is modifying the original file.

The game might be hardcoded to use only those files.

That seems really weird... A workaround might be to to have an event fire on_game_start that finds the system of the prescripted empire and spawns the prescripted system from initialiser, but I'm not sure if that would work and you might have to repopulate the planet and set it as capital as well.

 

[P_aul]

If that helps I have 3 different music mods (eve, mass effect and star wars) and they work together. Each .asset file has modname_whatever.asset name and game seems to load them correctly.