Do mods actually change something in the game itself?

[lhrob 213]

Not sure where to post this question, so I'll just do it here and let the mods move it if they deem it necessary.

 

When you install mods such as the NAM, terrain mods, or demand mods, etc....do they actually change something in the game's code?  Or are they simply files which override certain things in the game?

 

If you uninstall the game (for whatever reason you may feel inclined to do that), but first make a backup copy of the entire Plugins folder, do you have to run the installers again for the NAM and other mods when you reinstall the game...or can you just replace the Plugins folder with the backup copy?

[Bdub01 201]

Good question cause I have my plugins backup as well and always assumed if I ever had to reinstall the game I just put my backups in. I could be way off but I thought it was illegal to actually change the games code (something about cd cracks?) so I don't think it can change the game proper just aspects of it. The Moose Man knows I'm sure .

[lhrob 213]

Yes, I'm confident that someone knows....*coughANonnyMoosecough*

[Indiana Joe 1,750]

SC4 is set up so that anything in your Plugins folder takes priority over any of the original game files.  Mods don't change any of the game's files themselves.  Yes, you can simply copy your plugins folder and all of the mods would be completely functional.

 

Which is why some mods don't even have an installer.  All that the installers do is automatically copy files into your Plugins folder.

 

The only things that change the game's DAT files are the official Maxis patches.

[Ganaram Inukshuk 906]

It's only illegal to tamper with the EXE's code.

Everything else is either mere modifications of the content found within the Simcity DAT files (named SimCity_1.DAT to SimCity_5.DAT, among other DATs), or just new instances of stuff that the EXE can recognise. If it's a modification of an existing thing, the game will first load whatever's in the original DATs, but then when it reaches the modified version in the Plugins folder, it'll ignore the original instance and instead load the modified instance (overriding). Otherwise, the game will just load it like anything else. All of which, by the way, is OK.

Very few things can actually "modify" the EXE without ever touching the EXE, and that's DLLs. But since almost no one knows how to do that (there were only ever two DLLs), almost all mods are either new instances or overwritten instances.

The Plugins folder itself can be archived and transferred from one computer to another (or if you need to reinstall) to spare some mass re-downloading. However, with the innovations with the NAM Installer, for example, just copying the NAM's files within the Plugins folder may no longer become sufficient.

The only things that change the game's DAT files are the official Maxis patches.

CAM Workforce fix, though you need a second copy to override the original.

[Prophet42 1,501]

I have had to reinstall SC4 several times due to obtaining new computers.  Each time simply copying the plugin folder back in after the install worked.

[z1 566]

And if you use DAMN, you need to remember to copy the Plugins folder under Program Files as well.

 

Then there's the I-HT fix, which also modifies SimCity_1.dat.

 

And if you're reinstalling everything, you'll have to reinstall the Traffic Simulator Configuration Tool separately (if you have it installed), as it lives outside of Plugins.

 

I think that should do it, as long as we're restricting the question to mods.

[lhrob 213]

Yeah, that's all fine. Reinstalling the NAM isn't the big issue for me.  I have a huge folder of downloads on my desktop where I store everything I've downloaded for the game, and they're all in their original .zip format just like when I downloaded them from the STEX and LEX.  But when I download something new, I first unzip it and then toss the zipped original into that folder.  However, I've neglected to separate the mods from the plugins and everything else, so they're just all mixed in together.  I'd have to wade through that entire folder to hunt down the mods, and...well, I'm too lazy to do that.  I should be ashamed to say that, but it's the truth.  But if I have to redo the NAM, that's fine.  I can locate that one easily enough.

 

Thanks for the responses.  I appreciate it.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

And since someone asked:  For what I use, saving the plugins folder does the job. 

 

Plugins are database files, not code in most cases.  The content of the Plugins folder in the game residency (Program files ...) loads first, then the user plugins in what appears to be alphabetical order. 

 

Since it is (mostly) data, a game reload doesn't really affect the user area, but it will reset the Program files area.  If you have anything in the Program Files ... /Plugins or have modified any of the game's .dat files, save them across a reinstall then restore them.

 

People who do not understand the file system on Windows (are uncomfortable using windows explorer) should be very careful.

[z1 566]

I just want to elaborate on something that Ganaram said:

 

However, with the innovations with the NAM Installer, for example, just copying the NAM's files within the Plugins folder may no longer become sufficient.

 

Specifically, the installer is making increasing use of the Registry, in order to make updating and reconfiguring easier.  So if you uninstall the NAM, you should always do so by running its uninstaller (which can also be found in the Control Panel), and it should be reinstalled by using the NAM installer.

[lhrob 213]

I just want to elaborate on something that Ganaram said:

 

However, with the innovations with the NAM Installer, for example, just copying the NAM's files within the Plugins folder may no longer become sufficient.

 

Specifically, the installer is making increasing use of the Registry, in order to make updating and reconfiguring easier.  So if you uninstall the NAM, you should always do so by running its uninstaller (which can also be found in the Control Panel), and it should be reinstalled by using the NAM installer.

 

I see the NAM uninstaller.  I presume running it will remove all the pertinent files in my current configuration, but wouldn't that mean I'd have to remove all the NAM related files in the backup copy of my Plugins folder before transferring it after reinstalling the game?  And if so, how do I locate them all?  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Makes an interesting exercise.  Save your existing plugins after the uninstall, then load the backup and run the uninstall.  Then put your other folder back after saving your updated backup.

 

OR, after you've done the uninstall, just copy it onto the backup.

[z1 566]

I see the NAM uninstaller.  I presume running it will remove all the pertinent files in my current configuration, but wouldn't that mean I'd have to remove all the NAM related files in the backup copy of my Plugins folder before transferring it after reinstalling the game?

 

Yes.

 

And if so, how do I locate them all? 

 

They are all in the two folder hierarchies "Network Addon Mod" and "z___NAM".  Remove these two hierarchies, and all the NAM files are gone.

[lhrob 213]

Cool.  Thanks so much for all your help.