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My MOD LIST SYSTEM

Started by Abandoned, July 05, 2019, 06:05:50 AM

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Abandoned

 I have been asked several time to share my mod list and load order but have hesitated not only because of the time involved and the fact that I have a 5.3 GB Windata folder with 295 files in it, but because I wondered how many player would benefit from it.  My system is not for everyone, I am a pick and choose player.  I believe the most mods I ever had enable at one time was 51.  If you are a player that has every mod you can get your hand on enabled and then have problems and must juggle them around, my system is not for you.  Look here:  http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=1790.0

  My system is not meant to prevent conflicts but to avoid them, and to make mod selection easier.  My system works for me, I have had very few problems.  I have never messed with the registry and do not use Debug.  I have CC and The North in separate installments of the game, I do not use Mega Mod, or Mod Manager.  I have my own mod order.  I have only a few mods that tell me where I have to put them.  I do not move mods around, I simply enable or disable them.  I, of course, move new mods into place and do so immediately, okay and Exit.  This is important - when adding a new mod, it appears at the top of the list.  Move it to the position you want it in and hit okay and then EXIT  (do not quit)  Exit.   Occasionally I move a mod from one group to another - for example, a supporting mod is updated and becomes what I consider a major mod, or it is one I will use often and must have. An example of my mod groups and enabled mods can be see in the Intro of any of my blog stories after story #15.  I began this system at that time when I updated my game from 106 to 107.

  I will try to explain my system step by step and how best to set it up, hopefully in a way that is not totally overwhelming.  My handiest and most useful tool is a spiral notebook that badly needs rewriting, again.  It is divided into 5 sections.  There is one section for each of my 4 mod groups which lists the mods themselves along with notes on version numbers, what the mod contains, what mods to use with it, what not to, building colors, different thing like that. The mods in each section are in alphabetical order, with some exceptions. These sections are important to refresh my memory when choosing mods for a map and to avoid problems.  The last section lists just the names of the mods from those sections in that order, that is my load order.  Note - the mod names are the names as they appear in the game's mod list - not the name of the pkm file.  Be sure when you add a new mod to the game that you add mod name and notes to one of the 4 sections in the notebook and its name in the last section.  If you move a mod to a different place, also update the notebook.

That last section of my notebook is very important, if you don't want to do the first four sections of the notebook, that is up to you.  But at least do the last section, if the mod list gets out of order for any reason, this section makes it easier to restore the order, easier but time consuming and tedious. If only a few mods are out of order I move them back where they should be.  If more than a few are out of order,  I start at the bottom of my notebook list, find that bottom mod in the game's mod list, and move it to the top.  I do this from the bottom up for every mod, and when done the list in the game is back in order, okay and EXIT.  To avoid mod list disorder, I do not play more than one map at a time. I do not change the order while playing. If I test something else while a map is being played, I enable test mod and test it on a new map using the same mods that are already enabled. I do not save that test map, just EXIT when I am done. 
 
  To start a new map hold down the Ctrl key while starting Banished - continue holding Ctrl key down until small start box appears on your screen - choose Options - then check the box to Disable All Mods - hit okay.  Then either EXIT or PLAY.  The mod list is now in order and  you are ready to select mods for a new map.  But first the mod list.

Any questions so far?


MarkAnthony

QuoteI believe the most mods I ever had enable at one time was 51.
51 must be a special number. I also have 51 at the moment (847 MB load, takes 42 seconds to reach game menu); and this morning and on another day I was reading various comments and saw two where they each mentioned having 51 installed.

I'm 52 years old at the moment, 53 in December; I think I will have to find me one or two more mods to use to keep my Banished universe in sync!  :P I think I might go for @kid1293 Christmas 2019 version when he makes it (if he does) since my birthday is 12/22, so I always considered Christmas my time of year! That's one, now to think of something else to add!

Thanks @Abandoned
Sometimes it's the very people who no one imagines anything of
        who do the things no one can imagine.

kid1293

One point to note, which I vouch for, is to keep the modlist intact!

Once you have all the mods that you need for the next few years - Save it and, as Abandoned said,
only enable a selection of the mods. I do it. It works for me. :)

Don't update mid-game. Modder's best intention and all - There might be errors, I know.

Nilla

Do you mean you have all the mods you have ever used and all the mods you might use in the future in the WinData file? Isn´t it terribly slow to load Banished, load a game, make a save or use autosave?

I seem to do the opposite of what everyone else does; I change the content in the Windata all the time. Not much during a game(but I sometimes do that, too) but from one game to another; always. (unless I´m using the same mods.) I rarely have problems either but that might be because I seldom use as many mods as 51 at the time, maybe 20 at the most. And I have noticed, if there are (especially large mods) I don´t use in Windata, everything is slower.

Abandoned

@MarkAnthony , they say reoccurring numbers have a special meaning but who knows what that meaning might be.  :-\  I am sure you will find many more mods to add.  I think you might like my system and your knowledge of spreadsheet use would help to set up the modlist.  More on that later.  I will post a discussion for each section and then an overview of how to set up.

@kid1293 I do not have all the mods I need  ;D I have more ideas  ;D

@Nilla, First I have no slow load times at all, not loading the game, not when saving, or with autosave unless I use CC, The North, RKEC or a few other very large mods.  At present I have CC and The North in separate installments of the game, they are not in this WinData file.  Almost all of the 106 mods have been removed from this currant WinData, along with many others I have tried and didn't like or didn't plan to use again- they are in special saved folders in case I should ever want to use them again.  I add new mods and update mods after I have completed a map and disabled all mods. Exception is currant mod being tested, I will update during currant map if safe to do so. When ready to start a new map I go through the game's mod list and enable the ones I want to use.  All the others are still there, it may be many maps later before I use some of them again, but they are there when I need them.  I do at intervals remove seldom used or outdated mods from the Windata folder.  I try to stay at 300 or less mods in the WinData folder.

Abandoned

#5
Okay, a note here.  Your own systems should start a thread of your own discussion or readers and especially new players will be confused and I am wasting my time.  I do not want this thread to be a general discussion of who does what when and how. 

If there is a question or something about my system fine, that is what this thread is about.  It is not a General Discussion Thread.

Abandoned


MarkAnthony

Sometimes it's the very people who no one imagines anything of
        who do the things no one can imagine.

Nilla

Personally, I would find it more interesting to know, compare and discuss how everyone is "administrating" their mods than only read and discuss one way of doing this. I believe that would also be much more useful for new players. But, this is your thread @Abandoned, so you´re in charge.

Abandoned

Wow, really @Nilla more interesting than what I have to say? Why are you reading this thread?  If you would rather hear about one crash or conflict after another - I suggest you read those thread, there are plenty of them.  Did you say that on brad3's thread I mention at the beginning of this thread?  Obvious his system doesn't work, especially for new players. 

So. I will say no more

Abandoned

Now, Where was I?  Oh, yes, my mod list.


Group One of Mod List and First part of Load Order


  When I begin a new map and story, I know what the main focus or featured mod will be.  It is usually one of the main mods and may have its own terrains or start conditions.  I will not enable any other mods that have terrains or start conditions.   At the start I know where I want the map to be (valley or Mountains) and I know what I want the map to look like, whether I want lakes, or more snow, or different trees and roads than vanilla.   Know your mods and what they already include - don't enable double trees, terrains, or start conditions.  The mod descriptions in the game's mod list helps but your own notes are better.  I strongly recommend that new players read mod threads and download information and begin using small groups of smaller mod. Play a small test map to learn for yourself what the mods contain and what you might want to make a note of.  If there is a problem you will find it sooner by adding a few mods at a time.

  This section determines the overall look of the map and includes some deco mods.  I have 40 mods in this group.  I will not list them all, just enough to give you a good idea of the type of mods that should go in this section.  The first 2 mods I always enable first and okay before continuing to select mods.

Map Changing & Starting Mods - Load Order:

Banished UI Mod
Call of Nature Soundtrack
Banished UI Maps
Banished UI Town Names
Labor Window
RK Minimized Status
RK Vanilla TP

CC Terrains
CC Light Rain
Climate - More Snow
Climate - No Snow
DS Terrains and climates
EB Grizzly Valley
Landscape Nordic
Lush and Green
More Terrains - Cygnus54
New Maps
Plains  - Jose Rios

CC Transport - roads & bridges
DS Roads
New Roads Add-on

Jinxie Natural Decorations
Kid Tree Replacer
Kid Tree Replace Deco
Maritimes Riffle
Maritimes Decorations
Maritimes Trees
Natural Diversity Light
New Flora Edit - best not with other mods that spawn or have flax
New Trees Deco - has lilacs
Palm Tree Start - tree replacement not start condition
Reeds Standalone - not with mods that have reeds
Season FX

Adam and Eve
Kid Vegetable Garden Start
Multiple Starts - 21 starts by Tikaszar
Tree of Life - adds fruit trees
Wildlife Starts


Your mods of course will vary but you should have a good idea of the type of mods that go in the first section of the load order.  Note that the mods in each subsection are in alphabetical order.  I did consider adding major mods that have their own start condition here at the end however, those major mods need to be in the load order after the next group of mods -the Tweaks.


To Be Continued

Abandoned

#11
Group Two of Mod List and Second part of Load Order

  This group of mods make changes to the game or items in the game. I call them Tweaks, some might call them cheats.  I do not have many of these mods and again select only a few to use on a map. A few of these I use often and a few I only use with certain other mods that I have noted.

  I do not recommend that new players use Tweak mods until they at least know what the original game does.  How do you change or adjust something if you do not know how it works to begin with?


Tweaks:

Better Fields
Better Stockpiles
Better Stockpiles Storage
Bigger Wheelbarrows
Blacksmith Tools - use with My Precious
Busy Laborers - not with New Flora Edit or mods with gathering tools
Busy Pastures - adds feather & bonemeal, use Kid GrownHuntFish to compost
Cold Realism
Fishing Dock +25%
Gridlines Beta - use for NMT Canal placement
Hunting - TS, use with campfire
Hunting Season
Improved Mine
Increased CC
Leap of Faith
Longer Living Orchards
One Year is One Year Alternative
Rocks Respawn
Rural Citizens - clothing override -use only 1
Simple Tombstones
Stop burning Coal
Tiny Smoke
Tool Value Up
Wildlife
Winter Citizens - clothing override - use only 1
Woodcutter +3
Year not Season


Here are examples of something I would suggest to modders - if 2 or more mods are similar type mods, or they should be used together - name then so they appear together alphabetically:
Better Stockpiles and Better Stockpiles Storage are good to use together and they appear here together (the Storage is not a tweak but is here with its mate.)

Rural Citizens and Winter Citizens are the same type mod, they change the bannies clothes- only one of these should be used on a map - that fact would be easier to remember when selecting mods if they appeared together : Citizens-Rural, Citizens-Winter, Citizens- ....  (hoping for more) 

  Again, choose carefully and selectively.  An example can be seen at the beginning of my blog stories.  All these mod are still in my WindData folder, they just are not all enabled at the same time.


To Be Continued.

Abandoned

Group Three of Mod List and Third part of Load Order


  This group contains mods that I consider to be main mods which have all or most of the main buildings needed to complete a town: a town hall, houses, school, storage, tailor, blacksmith, etc.  Included in this section are addons because they belong together, I would probably not use the addon without what it is being added to. Some of these mods contain their own start condition - I do not enable a separate start condition mod or any other mod that also has it's own start condition, only 1 start is enabled.

  Also in this group are small mods that I call "must have", they are favorites I use often and most of them are alphabetized at the beginning of this group, a few are mixed in with the remaining mods in the group which is also in alphabetical order. 

I will not list all of them or the notes, only enough to give a good idea of what this group contains.  There are over 70 mods in this group and, again, I only use a fraction of these mods on any given map. 

Major or Must Have Mods:

An Empty Square
Fenceless Pasture
Nomad Sign Complete
Storage Crates v1

CC Dock Set
CC Frontier Set
CC Stacked Shops & Houses
DS Town Houses
Jinxie Bitty Chicken Coop
Jinxie Bitty Rabbit Hutch
Jinxie Bitty Village
Kid Abandoned Places - has deco animals
Kid Colonial Houses
Kid Colonial Resources
Kid Fairy Tale - has start condition
Kid Forest Deep - mushroom houses
Kid Forest Outpost
Kid Ghost Town - has start condition
Kid GrowHuntFish
Kid Old Town
Kid Tiny
Kid Tiny Builder
Mini Buildings
Maritimes Dock Set
Maritimes PEI shores - needs Dock Set
Pine Set - has trees and spawners - not with New Flora or others
Medieval Town v2.04
Medieval Pond
NMT Canal Set
NMT3 Clay Chain
NMT3 Multi Story Housing- needs clay chain & glass -use Kid Tiny Builder
RK Editors Choice Light - has starts and terrains


To be continued

Abandoned

Group Four of Mod List and Last part of Load Order


  This is a large group, around 150 mods.  They are mainly small mods that can be used with just about any other mod, but also some larger ones.  I will list an assortment to give you a good idea what this last group of mods contains.  I had a hard time deciding what to call this group.  I did not want to call them minor mods - they are each special and important in their own right and our modders put a lot of time and effort into making them for us.  Extra mods did not sound good to me either so I called them Supporting Mods - an important function I think.  Like the others, they are in alphabetical order:



Supporting Mods:

A8Moroccan Tea
Birch Bark Canoe
Brussels Sprouts
Campfire TS roast venison - use with TS hunting tweak
Carrots
ChooChoo v2
Christmas Mod
Colorful Little Houses
Creepy Cemetery
Deco Sunflowers
DS Celtic Houses and Village
DS Fences and Decorations
DS Tunnels
EB Apothecary
EB Chapel
EB Ice Cream Cart -need cows or milk
EB Natural Irrigation System
EB Sunflower Crop
EB Beach Resort
Greenhouse - RK  seedling
I See Fire
Jinxie Festival Park
Kid Bakery Garden Alt
Kid Bed and Breakfast
Kid Fish & Ships
Kid Houseboats
Kid Tree House
Kid Washing Mod
My Precious
Nordic Grannery
Nordic Hunting Cabin
Nordic Log Cabin
Orchard Forester
RK Carts
RK Duck (etc) as Livestock
Specialized Stockpiles
Tunnel Mine
Water and Other Decorations
Wood Cottage (by Maldrick)


  Here again, I enable only a handful of mods from this group for each map.  From all four groups combined I would say the average mods enabled for a map are between 20 and 30 mod.  Also remember that in these 4 sections of my notebook, I have a lot of notes written down.


To Be Continued

Abandoned

Part Five of Notebook + Summery


  The fifth section of my notebook is a list of the names of each mod, with a few brief notes, starting from the first section through the fourth.   I have the list divided by section titles - Map Changing & Starting Mods, Tweaks, Major or Must Have Mods, and Supporting Mods, and the mods are listed in that order.  That is my load order.  The mods are all in my WinData folder and are disabled or enabled as described earlier.  I have had very few problems with this system, problem mods are not worth the trouble and are not added to begin with or are removed.  I do not want to move mods back and forth in order to use it.  I do not want to spend more time with files and problems than playing the game. 

  As far as setting up my system - I would not recommend the way I did it.  There were a lot less mods at that time and I did have the mod names and notes already written down, but the mods in my game were in the order they were installed.  It was a long and tedious job moving mods into the correct section and alphabetizing.   If I were to do it now from scratch with this number of mods,  I would begin by making a list of all the mods in the game's mod list,  I would then start a spreadsheet divided into the four sections and go through that hand written list and type the name of each mod into the correct section.  When all names are listed in the spreadsheet, I would sort each section into alphabetical order, and print.  That is the load order like part five of my notebook.  That printed spreadsheet can then be used to arrange the  game's mod list by starting at the very last mod of the spreadsheet, finding it in the game's mod list and moving it to the top.  Doing that with every mod from the bottom of the spreadsheet one mod at a time will put the mods in order.   That printed spreadsheet could also be used to set up a notebook adding notes to each mod. 

  There are two mods that may be of help in this set-up process.  I have not used either one so I advise reading up on them before trying.  They would put all the mods in alphabetical order but you would still have to arrange the mods into load order sections.


Sorted list by Gordon Dry   http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=790.0

Mod Manager by JM   http://worldofbanished.com/index.php?topic=2602.0


IMPORTANT:  No matter which method you choose to arrange the game's mod list be sure to okay and EXIT (do not quit or you will have to start all over) EXIT will save that order.

When you are ready to start a map, simply go down the game's mod list and enable the mods you want to use, refer to your notes to help decide.  Do Not move the mods, just enable, okay, and EXIT.   Return to game to generate a map, if you don't like that map, then you can quit and try again, your mod order and enabled mods will stay the same, and you can try to generate a better map. 

If you decide to try my system, I hope it works as well for you as it has for me.  Thank you for reading my thread.   Enjoy the game and the great mods made for it.