help understanding main file and update file with different versions

[zahost]

I've seen it often when I hit the file tab for a mod I am interested in that it will contain an update file, after the main file, which has a previous version number. So my question is should I still download that update file or should I assume that the newer main file version already contains this update? for example with this mod

 

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/8588?tab=files

 

do I download the update in addition to the main file?

[WastelandAssassin]

you didn't read the description , did you?

because there it states that if you also use https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/20454/? , you'll need to download the patch (which is the file under the update section)

so if you do use that mod , get that file . otherwise don't download it

 

but on a general note , it really depends

usually when mod authors update their mod to the point that files under the update section aren't required , they'll remove them

however , it's not always the case , and these files might contain patches (although these are often found under the optional section instead , so it depends on the mod)

so there is no single answer for all mods , and you'll need to check this on a case by case basis

though if you read the description , the description of the files in question and the posts section , you should be able to find an answer . if not , you can always leave a comment and ask , hopefully someone will notice and answer

[zahost]

thankyou

Edited August 5, 2018 by zahost

[zahost]

Can I install mod patches to support other mods even when I don't have said mod available. What I mean is when your installing a mod and you see it has a patch enabling support for other mods, can you simply download those as well even if you don't have the mod that it supports? will this cause issues when loading the game? I ask because for example the better mod description mod

 

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/4760/

 

has support for many files that I currently don't have but I may in the future decide to add these.

[WastelandAssassin]

technically yes , but it's not necessarily an obvious yes

 

I haven't worked with NMM in a long while , so I'm not sure how the virtual installation of it works

the basics is that it really depends on how NMM installs mods for you , and what the optional patches actually include

if the patch only includes a plugin , the answer is yes with no caveats

if however the patch also contains assets that need to overwrite the mod it patches , you need to make sure they indeed overwrite these assets . in such a case it depends on how NMM installs mods , and how you can determine conflict results with virtual mod installation

 

personally I use MO2 , and with that I know for sure how to determine conflict results , so with MO2 I can install patches before installing the mods they patch , and after installing everything just move mods around to solve such conflicts . if NMM works in a similar way , you should be able to do the same with it , but as I don't use NMM and haven't done so in a long time , I can't confirm or deny this

 

a small note , some mods have installers that need to detect specific mods being installed before allowing you to choose their patches in the installation wizard

so for such mods , you will have to install and activate the mods you wish to patch before doing so . there are only a few mods that do this , but you should keep this in mind in case you try to install such a mod

[zahost]

So would you recommend using MO2 or is it for a person that is adept at modding?

[WastelandAssassin]

I would say that MO2 is a bit more complicated to use than NMM , but it is because it also has more options for the user

so you would need to learn a bit more , but you could also achieve more in the end

 

if you consider yourself someone who is willing to learn , I think you'll enjoy MO2 once you understand how to use it

if on the other hand you want the simplest tool , and have no intention of learning how to use a more advanced one , I think you should stay with NMM

for me , once I started using MO1 back in the day , I never really looked back (though NMM has advanced much since that and has some of the same mechanisms integrated , but I think most users will agree that MO1\2 are better for those willing to spend a bit of time learning to use them)

and you should note that MO2 isn't set up for all games . you are talking about FO4 , and MO2 works with it . but for games like Skyrim LE , I think you'll need MO1 (though both are downloadable through the same page)

[zahost]

one more question then I believe I will bother you no more with my novice queries (hopefully). when i am asked to overwrite a file because another mod also has that file what happens if I say no, does it still install a file but names it something else like windows would if you copied a file and pasted it directly into the same directory? or would it not install that file, and if by not installing that file would that then break the mod I was trying to install? or conversely, if I say yes does that break the mod that previously edited that file? Or does this problem get solved by how I have my load order? Or... should i stop guessing and just let you answer this question. lol. sorry.

[WastelandAssassin]

as far as I know , saying no will just not install the new file , so you'll keep the file already in your folder . saying yes will just replace the existing file with the new one

regarding it breaking mods , that really depends on the file in question , though it shouldn't actually break anything . some patches are created as replacer plugins , so if you do not allow such a plugin to replace the original (or if you install them in the wrong order and allow for overwrite) , it could break the patch in the sense that the patch just won't be installed . but this is not how things are usually done

so in general there should be no issues if you overwrite files , in the sense that it shouldn't break anything . it might give you a different result (for example if you have two mods that retexture something , the texture that you'll end up with is the one that you actually have installed . so if you overwrite one with the other , that is the one you'll have)

 

do note that if you do decide to use MO2 , you won't have to even bother with this , as it allows you to install mods in a way that completely circumvents file overwrites . this is actually one of the biggest strengths of MO2