Does an entry .esm override .esp modifications?

[ETSubmariner]

Hello mod authors,

 

I too am making a tiny mod. I copied as a new record into my mod a Message found in the fallout.esm ("You are incapacitated . . . "), changing its FormID to exactly match the vanilla one so mine would trigger instead of vanilla. The only thing I altered was the text message that appeared to the player.

 

Yet, when my mod does its thing in game, the .esm version displays instead of my custom message. My mod is obviously loaded after. I've poked through other mods that copy a FormID entirely to alter one thing, and their's work. Mine. Not so much.

 

What do you think my trouble is other than utter inexperience?

 

Thanks,

 

ETSubmariner

[ETSubmariner]

Turns out there's not just one message, but two listed in the same vanilla message entry! Uh, Bethesda?

 

I deleted the one line item calling for the vanilla message, and kept my line entry. Works like a charm now. So my question would should have been, why would Bethesda put in two line items that override each other in the same entry?