How exactly does mod overwriting/compatibility work

[Doomjoon]

Let's say that you have two mods that edit the same file, but change different fields inside the file. If one overwrites the other through load order, does that mean the file of the lower load order will take complete priority and the top one will be completely ignored, or are only the specific changes of the fields inside the file itself looked at, so the two mods would be effectively "merged"?

Edited December 23, 2017 by Doomjoon

[johanatnexus]

The way I understand it is this. Let´s say you have twp plugins, Beefstew 1 and Beefstew 2.

Beefstew number one changes Beefstew so it´s compatible with let´s say RnD.

Beefstew number two makes it so you get magical benefits from beefstew, but is not compatible with RnD.

 

Loadorder;

Skyrim

RnD

Beefstew nr 2

Beefstew nr 1

 

Beefstew is now compatible with RnD but you don´t get benefits from Beefstew nr 2.

The reason is that Beefstew nr 1 doesn´t carry changes from beefstew nr 2 forward (they get set back to default).

If you change there position you get the benefits from nr 2 but not compatibility from nr 1.

 

What you need is a (merged) patch for these mods so the changes from nr 2 is carried forward by number 1.

 

Loadorder;

Skyrim

RnD

Beefstew nr 2

Beefstew nr 1

Beefstew nr 2&1 patch

 

So to your question, any unchanged fields should be ok, it´s only a problem if they change the same records or change a vanilla asset.

Hope you this was helpful.

[Doomjoon]

Thank you, although the description of this mod seems to imply that it's ok as long as the same fields aren't changed:

 

https://www.nexusmods.com/masseffectandromeda/mods/477

 

"This mod does not affect any other stats other than bullet travel distance, bullet hit register distance, and bullet drop. You can use this mod with any weapon mod."

 

Arrays are still a bit tricky though, since for example you can have two mods in which no same fields within an array are changed, but both of those also add extra array elements, which would result in there being multiple fields with the same ID inside the array. I assume that the lower-load-order's fields would completely overwrite the fields of the top one, unless if the top one adds more fields than the bottom one (so no duplicate ID's on the extras), in which case they'd probably be "merged".

 

Whew.

Edited December 23, 2017 by Doomjoon

[Sirana2503]

If two mods edit the same file the one lower in the load order will overwrite the changes made by the other, regardless of what they edit in the file.

To create a merged patch for the mods you'd need access to the project files of both mods or recreate the changes made yourself.