BSA vs Non-BSA

[supermaan]

Just a quick inquiry as to the advantage/disadvantage of a BSA vs Non-BSA file. I want to download a mod that offers both & I'm not sure of what to select. Can anyone enlighten me?

[KingsGambit]

The bsa archive contains all the custom content in one place. The game parses this as though the files inside it were loose. Loose files always override those in a bsa archive. The main advantage is that it's easier and neater to install and uninstall, there's no chance of inadvertantly moving/deleting/overwriting a single file, etc. If you really wanted to delete every loose file from a mod you deactivated it won't be easy :-)

 

There is only one real problem with loose files. If a player edits a vanilla script, mesh or texture, installed loose it goes in the same place the original did. If you install a second mod that also modifies the same file, it will overwrite the original. With a BSA archive, it will instead override the other depending on load order, but not deleting it. This is particularly noticible if you play around with body mods and re-mesh/re-textures for too long, or play about with mods that tweak the same things, such as vampire/werewolf overhauls.

 

A polite suggestion you may take or leave, try the BSA first. If you have trouble with the mod, use the loose files instead.

[supermaan]

Thanks for explaining that, I definitely understand now & will try the bsa file :)

[KingsGambit]

No worries, glad to have helped. To summarise the way the game loads files which modify vanilla files, it goes: Vanilla version -> Mod bsa archive -> Mod bsa archive (lower in load order) -> Loose file.