Using Mods

[Fosse]

Is there a primer out there about the ins and outs of using mods?

My questions are:

What's the difference between the Mod/Assets/etc. folders in the main Civ IV directory, and in the My Games directory. When should the end user of a mod use one vs. the other?

How can the end user of a mod set things up so that the game starts with favored mods in place? There is a setting in Civ4.ini, but that only lets you use the functions of one mod.

How would one go about making the game always start up with the effects of, say, the Great Person mod and the Autolog mod, plus the random tweakings that some of us are wont to do?

How and when does modding effect multiplayer? Can you only tweak files in /Mods and /Custom Assets directories to stay MP safe?


I get excited to see all the modding efforts out there, but I always want to maintain a pure version of Civ IV before trying them out, and I often want to have my favorite non-gameplay impacting mods start up when I begin normal games.


All help, or directions to relevant threads, will be appreciated.

[LDiCesare]

What's the difference between the Mod/Assets/etc. folders in the main Civ IV directory, and in the My Games directory. When should the end user of a mod use one vs. the other?

The My Games is just for you. For instance, I play the game in English and my son plays it in French (because I think the translation is pitiful and all the talk here being in English, it's easier to follow if I play in English). The 'My Games' assets will be used in preference to those in the main directory, so you should never change these, and put the modifications only in the 'My Game'. If a file screws the game, jsut remove it and it'll take the main dir file instead.
I haven't figured how to manage several mods yet, having just changed a single file myself for the moment.

[Fosse]

Seems easy enough. Thanks, Laurent.

Now... if I have files in a My Games\Civ 4\Custom Assets, AND i load a mod in the game that does not have those same files...

Does the mod use \Mod Folder\Assets AND default game, or does it use \Mod Folder\Assets AND My Games\Civ 4\Custom Assets?

I'm still trying to figure things out. Part of the trouble I'm having is probably just an unwillingness to change things unless I know exactly what's going to happen. I am very clearly not a modder at heart.

[snarko]

It loads the cache. If it can't find the file in cache it loads the mod. If it doesn't find the file in the mod it loads custom assets. If it doesn't find the file in custom assets it loads assets. If it can't find the file in assets... then you got a problem.

"What's the difference between the Mod/Assets/etc. folders in the main Civ IV directory, and in the My Games directory. When should the end user of a mod use one vs. the other?"
The one in my games is bugged. Do not use it for now. (Custom assets still work).

"How would one go about making the game always start up with the effects of, say, the Great Person mod and the Autolog mod, plus the random tweakings that some of us are wont to do?"
If they change the same files use a program for comparing files. If not just put them all in the same place.