MO2 problem with mods overwriting game files??

[Darklustre]

It seems that my mods are making permanent changes to game files, even after they've been uninstalled and removed from MO2 itself and after starting a new game. I recently installed a simple mod that takes the essential tag off everything. I decided that wasn't for me so I unchecked it and started a new game. Everything still dies. I uninstalled the mod and started a new game. Everything still dies. I can't seem to undo the effect and that isn't supposed to happen, is it? I also had a perfectly-working expansion called Snow City and messed around with trying other expansions too. It messed up the interiors on Snow City and even after removing the conflicting mod and starting a new game, I've never been able to get the interiors to work again. 

I'm told MO2 doesn't let mod files overwrite game files, so what is actually happening?

[Mousetick]

You forgot to tell what game you're modding with MO2.

[Darklustre]

Oh sorry, I didn't think that mattered. I'm modding Skyrim.

[Mousetick]

What do you mean by 'everything still dies'? Who or what is dying in your game that should not die?

Mudcrabs are expected to die. Bandits are expected to die. Even Nazeem can die. In short, anybody can die. There are very few NPCs in Skyrim that are essential.

But to answer you question: mods can't overwrite game files.

[Darklustre]

I'm talking about characters that are set essential, not mudcrabs. The characters from Interesting NPCS are all set essential. You can set characters essential with console and that keeps them from dying (only now they keep dying regardless). Maiq The Liar, or whatever his name is, is always Essential, children too. They all die in seconds. This is not supposed to happen but it happened with the mod I installed, and it's still happening with the mod completely uninstalled. So if the mod isn't overwriting game files, maybe you can tell me how it's still making essential characters while it's completely removed from MO2?

Edited December 13, 2022 by Darklustre

[Mousetick]

9 minutes ago, Darklustre said:

So if the mod isn't overwriting game files, maybe you can tell me how it's still making essential characters while it's completely removed from MO2?

Obviously it's not supposed to happen so it's something very specific to your setup. It would be easier to help you if you were a little more specific in your descriptions.

What is this mod you installed exactly and then uninstalled? The one that removes the essential flag. Please provide a name and a link to the mod page.

Make a new, empty MO2 profile. Add 3DNPCs only, nothing else. Start new game. Verify its NPCs are flagged essential or protected in the console (use More Informative Console if needed). See if they die.

[Darklustre]

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/25137

 

Before I installed this, all Interesting NPC characters were essential. All children were essential. All carriage guards and drivers were essential, etc. When I installed this, none of them were, which is what the mod promised. I uninstalled it because I was finding Interesting NPC characters dead before I could get to them and they are all still dying after I completely uninstalled the mod. I can't even set them essential with the setessential NPC 1 console command. I've tried that on other NPCs that would be set essential before and they won't set essential now, just like when the mod was running and couldn't be overwritten with the console command.

 

Also, I've also successfully used https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/63731

 

This mod worked just fine until I tried added further expansions to the Windhelm area. When they removed the interiors and greyed them out, I uninstalled the other ones and just used this, starting a new game. It was still greyed out. I then installed it to a new, empty MO2 profile and it was still doing that. I uninstalled it, deleted it from downloads and freshly reinstalled it and I still can't get it to work again. I never had problems with it before and can't get it to work now in a new instance. 

 

[DoubleYou]

I think there is an ini setting that can cause this. 

[Darklustre]

6 minutes ago, DoubleYou said:

I think there is an ini setting that can cause this. 

I'm looking forward to getting more info about this!

[DoubleYou]

Think this is it. Check in game the value via the console:

getini "bEssentialTakeNoDamage:Gameplay" 

Should return 1.

[Darklustre]

Ok I'll check that but this, but are you saying that mods in MO2 can overwrite the .ini files permanently? Mousetick seemed to say they could not.

[z929669]

21 minutes ago, Darklustre said:

Ok I'll check that but this, but are you saying that mods in MO2 can overwrite the .ini files permanently? Mousetick seemed to say they could not.

Mods with INI files can override specific game INI settings if they are defined. Not permanently though. You can simply comment such lines in a mod INI file using a semicolon preceding the offending setting.

To see mods loading INI files, you can look at the plugins tab in right pane (plugins can load INI files):

Right click the plugin > Open origin in Explorer, and edit the INI there.

[DoubleYou]

I am saying that you may not have removed the right mod. You may have another mod that is providing this, or you may have this set in your INI file.

[Darklustre]

I typed that into the console command and got the result of NOT FOUND. 

 

I don't see how another .ini file could be at fault if that didn't happen before I installed this mod, but I looked for those paperclips and the only ones I have are on the Unofficial Skyrim Patch and Skyrim Unbound, both of which I've had for years without this happening. It seems that installing the mod made a permanent change because it didn't happen before I used this mod and now it seems there for good. 

Do you have any other suggestions? A changed .ini also doesn't seem to explain the breaking of Snow City that wasn't fixed by completely removing and then redownloading the mod that worked fine before another mod conflicted.

[DoubleYou]

You must have mistyped it. Mods don't persist when uninstalled properly and a new game is started.

[Darklustre]

Ok, you were right. I tried not putting a space between : Gameplay and it worked. It says, '0'.

Edited December 14, 2022 by Darklustre