Max number of BA2 files per .esp and compression questions.

[Dubbyk]

OK so I'm playing around trying to pack up mods that come as loose files to improve load times and to keep a cleaner data folder. So far I've seen from experience that most mods that use sound files keep the compression off their - Main.BA2 this also seems to help somewhat with scripts, as I had a merged mod that contained some scripts and when I repacked the - Main.BA2 of the merge and turned compression off some new quests popped up that hadn't before, only change? Compression from Default to None.

 

So my questions: I've seen some mods that have a - Sound.BA2, or - Voice.BA2. Can any old mod that had loose sound files have a - Sound.BA2 tacked onto it in addition to a Main and a Texture? This would be useful for mods that have many sound files that you need to keep un compressed but tons of meshes / materials that would stand to gain from being compressed.

 

And if the answer is yes, a Sound and / or Voice BA2 can be added in addition to Main / Texture would it help or hurt to separate out sound and voice files from the Main BA2 aside from compression? IE: are more smaller BA2s better or worse fewer larger ones?

 

Side questions: Do .LOD and .UVD files and .BK2 get packed into a Main.BA2? I've only seen them so far in loose file mods, not sure if this a coincidence or by design.

 

And can anyone confirm if having compression off the Main BA2 helps with scripting or not?

 

Thanks once again to the great nexus forums for all of your help, and remember the more of my dumb questions you answer here the less likely you are to see them cluttering up your mod pages :-)

[Dubbyk]

Also can you install mods using a "hybrid" of BA2 and loose files? Example, I'm packing a mod that has many meshes, and I want to use compression on the Main.BA2, but the mod also includes sound files that shouldn't be compressed, can I keep the sound files outside of the Main.BA2 and inside a standard Data/Sound folder? Same question I guess goes for scripts

 

I am guessing the biggest boon of the using a Main.BA2 over loose files is being able to compress Meshes/Materials, and since most mods include sounds / scripts that shouldn't be compressed if I can loose file the scripts and sounds I can compress once again my Mesh/Materials folders without having to worry about breaking scripts and sounds.