.are files and the Override folder

[Kexikus 995]

I've been modifying some .are files for my skybox texture pack and I've always placed them into my Override. As of yet I haven't noticed any problems with doing that.

But I also remembered that .git files are something that shouldn't be placed into the Override and since both file types edit entire modules I'm now wondering if anyone knows for certain if .are files in the Override cause problems.

 

Thanks for any help

[DarthTyren 103]

I suppose in theory, .ARE files are okay to put in the override folder, as long as you're changing certain values only.

 

The only instance where it wouldn't work so well is if it's for a module that uses an .ARE with the same name as another module.

 

Example: in TSLRCM, the Refugee Landing Pad .ARE is used in the main module as well as the added module where Atton, Bao-Dur, and another party member fight through armies of bounty hunters. In this instance, it would make sense for the whole level to look exactly the same, so anything that you would change in the .ARE file can likely be placed in the override folder without anything going wrong.

 

Another example: in BoS:SR, there is another Ebon Hawk module for the vision at the beginning of the Solomon's Revenge portion. The values for DynAreaColor, OnEnter, SunFogColor, SunFogFar, SunFogNear, and SunFogOn are different between the two. If you place that particular .ARE in the Override folder, you overwrite both of them. This is what most people like to avoid to ensure compatibility, this is the main reason to just place .ARE files inside module files rather than the Override folder.

 

I hope this helps.

[Kexikus 995]

Well, I only change the SunFogColor and SunFogFar settings in some modules and I'm fairly certain that the .are files I edited are only used by one module, so it should be okay to place them in the Override.

 

Thanks for the explanation

[DrMcCoy 40]

But I also remembered that .git files are something that shouldn't be placed into the Override and since both file types edit entire modules

Depending on the exact search order the game uses, placing GIT files into the override folder might also be very dangerous for save files. When you save your game, the game puts the local variables it assigns to objects into the GIT files inside the save archives.

 

If the resources in the override folder have a higher search priority than current save files, that will potentially reset the local variables on all objects within that area. Now, I for one don't know if that's the case, but I think it's quite likely.

 

ARE files are save in that respect, though.

[Kexikus 995]

Depending on the exact search order the game uses, placing GIT files into the override folder might also be very dangerous for save files. When you save your game, the game puts the local variables it assigns to objects into the GIT files inside the save archives.

 

If the resources in the override folder have a higher search priority than current save files, that will potentially reset the local variables on all objects within that area. Now, I for one don't know if that's the case, but I think it's quite likely.

 

ARE files are save in that respect, though.

 

Yeah, having GIT files in the Override resets the area every time you re-enter it, including the loading of save files. So doing that is a really bad idea unless you're only testing something.

 

Good to know that ARE files don't have that problem though.