readme and images in plugin

[Shinnie02 17]

ok do the images and readmes that are inside the plugins folder affect the game in anyways? such as crashing, slowing or other stuff? because i want to make sure...

[cogeo 960]

They may affect (increase) the game load time a little but do not take up memory and do not cause crashes.

BSC's installers now install documentation files under the STEX_Downloads folder instead of the Plugins folders, so that they don't even affect loading time. For BATs/Lots that do not come with an installer (or for installers that install documentation under the Plugins folder) you can do this job yourself (manually).

[prince_of_sims 0]

images and readmes defnitely slow down the game load time. the game reads EVERYTHING in the plugins folder. so if you have a considerable number of images and readmes, i'd suggest moving them to another location to experience a little faster loading time.

[Bones1 96]

But note, (and I've tested this), that images and readmes DO NOT AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE of the game. The only thing they possibly affect is the time it takes the initial Maxis intro-screeen to appear. After that, they have no affect. No extra memory usage, no extra CPU usage, nothing! (And I say again, I have tested it using over 6 gigabytes of useless files in my plugin folder.)

And I think the affect they have on the initial load is pretty small if it's anything at all, so I wouldn't worry about leaving them in your plugins directory. Having them there makes organizing your plugins a lot easier.