Starfield Mod Installation

[Sithishade]

6 hours ago, z929669 said:

Does this reflect what we know ATM?

To my knowledge, yes, this is accurate!

[DoubleYou]

8 hours ago, z929669 said:

This is Microsoft's mandated implementation, I assume. Thanks MS.

Thanks.

So put simply, forgetting the path variants "..\Documents\My Games" (bad) versus "..\Steam\steamapps\common\Starfield" (good), the subfolders trigger the conflicts between the two 'root' paths:

• ..\Textures\
• ..\Meshes\
• ..\Strings\
• etc.

If the bad location has one of these subfolders, the same subfolder in the good location is ignored (as are its contents), so each subfolder represents an independent conflict with respect to underlying loose assets, and both locations will override BA2 archived assets.

Priority

1. ..\Documents\My Games\Data\{folder}\* (bad, default)
2. ..\Steam\steamapps\common\Starfield\Data\{folder}\* (good, alternate)
3. ..\Steam\steamapps\common\Starfield\Data\*.ba2 (default fallback)

Does this reflect what we know ATM?

 

Side note: I just checked the BA2 archives, and divided the largest by 1024. This gives a decimal just shy of 4096, so I'm guessing max size of a BA2 archive is 4096 * 1024 = 4,194,304 Kb.

Correct.

As to ba2 size, I doubt that 4gb is max. Bethesda typically enforces 4gb because of Creation Kit limitation IIRC, but the game, at least in the case of Fallout 4, can load way bigger archives if necessary. Generally speaking they say to make it no larger than system RAM. Since minimum specs for the game are 16gb RAM, probably can easily get away with larger archives.

[z929669]

27 minutes ago, DoubleYou said:

Correct.

As to ba2 size, I doubt that 4gb is max. Bethesda typically enforces 4gb because of Creation Kit limitation IIRC, but the game, at least in the case of Fallout 4, can load way bigger archives if necessary. Generally speaking they say to make it no larger than system RAM. Since minimum specs for the game are 16gb RAM, probably can easily get away with larger archives.

Thanks. Updating the OP now

[GSDFan]

I have been following the development of MO2 on Discord, this is what I have found, shameless copy and paste from there:

MO2 2.5.0 + Starfield Support - Beta 2

Updates This build includes preliminary Starfield support. It uses the My Games directory as the primary mod Data directory. It is able to parse the contents of the game's Data directory in order to display the core plugins and archives in the directory structure.

 

We currently only support Steam installs as the Windows Store builds are incompatible with the VFS. Turn on automatic archive invalidation in the profile settings or it may revert those settings. Next build will not. This support includes:

• Parsing of save files to display save data
• Basic plugin and archive data parsing (somewhat untested)
• SFSE detection

 Beta 2:

• Fix for game location detection
• Virtualizing both Data locations to deal with things like SFSE
• Archive invalidation (automatic INI updates required for some mods)
• Pulled in other MO2 updates missing in beta 1

 

There was also a discussion about the game folders:

MO2 copies your /my games/ inis on instance creation to its own profiles folder

important when using bethini, don't edit the wrong ones

[z929669]

OP updated

[DoubleYou]

19 minutes ago, GSDFan said:

I have been following the development of MO2 on Discord, this is what I have found, shameless copy and paste from there:

MO2 2.5.0 + Starfield Support - Beta 2

Updates This build includes preliminary Starfield support. It uses the My Games directory as the primary mod Data directory. It is able to parse the contents of the game's Data directory in order to display the core plugins and archives in the directory structure.

 

We currently only support Steam installs as the Windows Store builds are incompatible with the VFS. Turn on automatic archive invalidation in the profile settings or it may revert those settings. Next build will not. This support includes:

• Parsing of save files to display save data
• Basic plugin and archive data parsing (somewhat untested)
• SFSE detection

 Beta 2:

• Fix for game location detection
• Virtualizing both Data locations to deal with things like SFSE
• Archive invalidation (automatic INI updates required for some mods)
• Pulled in other MO2 updates missing in beta 1

 

There was also a discussion about the game folders:

MO2 copies your /my games/ inis on instance creation to its own profiles folder

important when using bethini, don't edit the wrong ones

Bethini Pie is to be run through Mod Organizer. Since Mod Organizer is virtualizing the My Games location, you simply leave it at default My Games location.

[z929669]

31 minutes ago, DoubleYou said:

Bethini Pie is to be run through Mod Organizer. Since Mod Organizer is virtualizing the My Games location, you simply leave it at default My Games location.

Obviously, update that portion of the OP as you see fit when you are clear on how it should work based on MO development.

[rootsrat]

On 9/4/2023 at 7:55 AM, TechAngel85 said:

 

Since the Message of the Day and Photo Mode assets are automatically generated and stored under the Xbox/Game Pass path, the traditional location below is currently not viable for assets under the ..\Textures\ subfolder. For Steam PC users, any mod having a ..\Textures\ subfolder must have its textures installed into the Xbox/Game Pass ..\Textures\ subfolder. This will hopefully be corrected by Bethesda, Microsoft, or more likely the modding community soon.

 

Hi, loooooong time no see!

This is also applicable to Meshes, not only textures. 

[TechAngel85]

49 minutes ago, rootsrat said:

Hi, loooooong time no see!

This is also applicable to Meshes, not only textures. 

I think what is known now is that we can disable MOTD via INI and avoid Photo Mode to fully use the game's root Data folder. @z929669 and @DoubleYou can possibly confirm and we can get that updated.

[rootsrat]

10 minutes ago, TechAngel85 said:

I think what is known now is that we can disable MOTD via INI and avoid Photo Mode to fully use the game's root Data folder. @z929669 and @DoubleYou can possibly confirm and we can get that updated.

(pls delete, misunderstood the above post)

[z929669]

2 hours ago, rootsrat said:

Hi, loooooong time no see!

This is also applicable to Meshes, not only textures. 

Hey Roots! Good to see you again

Do you know for a fact that ..\meshes\ invokes the same behavior? What about other folders? If it's basically any duplication of top-level folders in BA2 archives of vanilla, then I think it's important we get it right at least as far as we know.

1 hour ago, TechAngel85 said:

I think what is known now is that we can disable MOTD via INI and avoid Photo Mode to fully use the game's root Data folder. @z929669 and @DoubleYou can possibly confirm and we can get that updated.

I cannot confirm as testing this stuff is beyond my ability at this time. I defer to DY, who seems to be actively investigating this and related.

[rootsrat]

On 9/7/2023 at 6:34 PM, z929669 said:

Hey Roots! Good to see you again

Do you know for a fact that ..\meshes\ invokes the same behavior? What about other folders? If it's basically any duplication of top-level folders in BA2 archives of vanilla, then I think it's important we get it right at least as far as we know.

I cannot confirm as testing this stuff is beyond my ability at this time. I defer to DY, who seems to be actively investigating this and related.

Yes, I have tested it with couple of mods that change animations (like this one https://www.nexusmods.com/starfield/mods/1237?tab=description ) and it didn't work when installed normally, but then I moved the meshes folder into ...\Documents\My Games\Starfield\Data\ folder it worked fine. 

[rootsrat]

This just came out!

https://www.nexusmods.com/starfield/mods/1599

Quote

SFSE plugin that moves the Message Of The Day image and Photo Mode paths out of the Documents\My Games folder, so that texture mods can be loaded from the game folder.

Not tested it yet, but hopefully this is the end of this weird issue!

[GSDFan]

On 9/9/2023 at 5:23 PM, rootsrat said:

This just came out!

https://www.nexusmods.com/starfield/mods/1599

Not tested it yet, but hopefully this is the end of this weird issue!

I am testing MO2 beta 5 that will have support for starfield, Mod Organizer v2.5.0 beta -5

Quote from Baka Disable My games folder mod page:

"If you have a Documents\My Games\Starfield\Data folder, be sure to move the files into the game's root Data folder after installing this mod, so that any mods you have installed to the Documents\My Games\Starfield\Data folder continue to work as expected."

 

You will get the following message upon launch of the game if the My Games\Starfield\Data folder exists:

 

 

Unfortunately Mod Organizer uses xxx\My Games\Starfield\Data folder. It will recreate the folder upon launch of the game, an executable and even when Mod organizer restarts.

[DoubleYou]

MO2 users don't need that mod.