Workshop vs Civfan mods

[Vandlys]

Hi all,

Sorry if this should have been posted in the modding part of the forum, but it seemed a too general a question to be asked there.
1) Do Steam Workshop mods override those downloaded from Civfanatics?
2) Are they in different folders?
3) Can I use them, the Workshop and Civfanatics mod database, both interchangeably?

I feel the automatic updates from the workshop are worth downloading the mods there, but there are of course some which aren't available yet.

4) For example, can I use MOAR UNITS and EVEN MOAR UNITS in the Workshop, but use the third from the Civfantatics?
5) Can I use some mods from Civfanatics (like production the more units series) but then others (like Yet Not Another Map Pack) from the Workshop at the same time?
6) Do I have to delete the mods downloaded from Civfanatics before downloading anything from the Workshop?

Thanks to anyone who can answer one, more or all of my questions : )

 

[MadDjinn]

Steam drops the workshop mods into the steam/steamapps/workshop/content/<<RANDOM NUMBER GENERATION SteamID of the game>>/<<MORE RNG mod ID keys>>

previously, you drop the mods from cfc in the docs/my games/smCIVVI/mods/<<name of mod>> folder

The game will compare the modID from the various locations and not use duplicates. It probably also checks the version, so probably uses highest version number. When the 'exact same' it won't really matter if there's an override.

yes, you can use both workshop and cfc downloaded mods. If they aren't a copy of each other, then that's even better. You can also mix and match, yes. THe difference with the workshop is that if you have one from there, it will automatically update to the latest version when the mod author uploads a new version. CFC you have to go get it.

no deletions needed. Unless you are straight swapping out cfc based mods for the same ones now on the workshop (such as my tech tree mod).

 

[Vandlys]

MadDjinn, you, good Sir, are a gentleman and a scholar! Thanks so much for your clear answers.

 

[shaglio]

The thing you need to be careful with on the workshop (in regard to automatic updating) is that some updates aren't save game compatible. If the workshop automatically downloads the update, it could wreck your current game. That's why I prefer to download manually from CFC instead, so I can have more control over when I download the update (or at least when I unzip the downloaded file).

 

[Vandlys]

You make a very good point Shaglio, thank you.

 

[PendragonWRB]

The thing you need to be careful with on the workshop (in regard to automatic updating) is that some updates aren't save game compatible. If the workshop automatically downloads the update, it could wreck your current game. That's why I prefer to download manually from CFC instead, so I can have more control over when I download the update (or at least when I unzip the downloaded file).

If your only using something that changes the UI like CGUI, that should not mess up a saved game should it? I would think only 'game' changing mods would be save file dependent.

The only thing that would break something like CGUI would be a patch for the game right?

 

[MadDjinn]

some stuff will affect the saved game, but that's normally game data stuff, not visuals.

 

[LeeS]

With the new modbuddy, unless you remember to uncheck the box for "Affects Saved Games". It is by default set to "true". If left to "true" modbuddy does not even bother to spit the codeline for the parameter into the modinfo file.

Even though I have the box checked in ModBuddy for this mod I made earlier today using Modbuddy, the <Properties> output to the modinfo file does not list the boolean:

  <Properties>
    <Name>Unit_PerTurn_XPGain</Name>
    <Description>Specifed Unit Types Gain specified XP amount every X turns</Description>
    <Teaser>Specifed Unit Types Gain specified XP amount every X turns</Teaser>
    <Authors>Lee</Authors>
  </Properties>

So you must remember to actively uncheck the box in Modbuddy or you must add the line for the boolean manually to your modinfo file (with the value set to '0') before uploading to Steam.

--------------------------------------

Civ5's Modbuddy also always had the parameter checked by default but it always spit the value to the modinfo file, whether checked or unchecked.

 

[NameArleadyUsed]

Just to clarify

It probably also checks the version, so probably uses highest version number.

From Modding.log it results that game checks timestamp, not version. So the most recent mod will win in case of ID tie.

 

[Gedemon]

From report on steam, it seems that the old version of ynamp was used instead of the new version downloaded from steam.

So I advise to delete the old version just in case.

 

[LeeS]

From report on steam, it seems that the old version of ynamp was used instead of the new version downloaded from steam.

So I advise to delete the old version just in case.

Interesting. When I uploaded my mod, I tried to subscribe to it so I could find out which in the world rando folder integer number the mod would be downloaded to from steam. I couldn't get the subscribe button to work until I removed my mod from the MyGames/civ6/MODS folder. Maybe the issue is you cannot subscribe to a mod on Steam if you already have the mod enabled, but you can subscribe to a mod on steam if the mod is not enabled but resting in your MODS folder -- and perhaps the game looks 1st in the MODS folder for the contents of the mod. This would be something to find out if Saun @ Firaxis (who apparently is the guy implementing the modding system at Firaxis) can confirm.

 

[isau]

Speaking as a mod author, the major downside to Steam is the auto-updating. It can catch a player mid-game and destroy their save. I'm still figuring out a best practice for dealing with the various options... including, for now, mainly posting updates to Civ Fanatics, with only an update to Steam every week or so (at max).

 

[Sun Ce of Wu]

Speaking as a mod author, the major downside to Steam is the auto-updating. It can catch a player mid-game and destroy their save. I'm still figuring out a best practice for dealing with the various options... including, for now, mainly posting updates to Civ Fanatics, with only an update to Steam every week or so (at max).

Are you sure about this? I was pretty sure that each save "remembers" the state of the mod prior to the update, and plays with that version instead of the new one (this did not happen in ciV, where saves were actually destroyed). I'd like to have a confirmation about who is right between the two of us, because i'm pretty slow in my plays and i don't want autoupdates to screw my plays.

 

[LeeS]

Put Steam into Offline Mode and it should not be able to download anything.

The game does not care about mod version # as civ5 did. Civ6 merely looks for the ModID#. If you change contents to a mod mid-stream of a playthrough it will load the new contents as they are currently structured regardless of whether this leads to an irretrievably corrupted game. I just verified the civ6 behavior. It did not care that I changed versoin # or contents of a mod: it loaded the new version of the mod.

Civ5 would load whatever was in the mod so long as the ModId# and Version# matched to the save, regardless of contents.

 

[skodkim]

Steam drops the workshop mods into the steam/steamapps/workshop/content/<<RANDOM NUMBER GENERATION SteamID of the game>>/<<MORE RNG mod ID keys>>

previously, you drop the mods from cfc in the docs/my games/smCIVVI/mods/<<name of mod>> folder

The game will compare the modID from the various locations and not use duplicates. It probably also checks the version, so probably uses highest version number. When the 'exact same' it won't really matter if there's an override.

yes, you can use both workshop and cfc downloaded mods. If they aren't a copy of each other, then that's even better. You can also mix and match, yes. THe difference with the workshop is that if you have one from there, it will automatically update to the latest version when the mod author uploads a new version. CFC you have to go get it.

no deletions needed. Unless you are straight swapping out cfc based mods for the same ones now on the workshop (such as my tech tree mod).

Its funny because I keep reading that but even though I have a steam mod active (Tomatekh's Historical Relgions) I have nothing in the folder d:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\workshop\content\.. The mod also doesn't appear in the mod list when I load a game but it's there (and enabled) when I enter "additional Content" and the new religions are in the game - very confused!!!

Can anyone help here? Is there an alternative location (besides the manual one).

\Skodkim

 

[LeeS]

For civ6 the folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\workshop\content\289070. The root drive letter might be different, but are you sure you aren't missing the need to open the "289070" folder within the ~\content\ folder in order to find the downloaded mods ?

For example, Sukritact's "Historicity ++" mod is downloaded by steam to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\workshop\content\289070\870885310

 

[skodkim]

Thanks for the repply!

No, the content folder is just empty (see below). I have no idea why... Do you usually see a sun folder for each mod and does this contain unpacked files, e.g. modinfo, sql, xml,..? If so I guess I could try doing a search on my PX.

Maybe I should note that Civ6 and the workshop are installed on different drives, not that I can see it matters (I looked in the other location too).

\Skodkim

 

[LeeS]

Yes, there are unpacked files in the folders: Modinfo, etc.

The only different between a functioning mod that I place manually in my MODS folder, and the mods that steam downloads (aside from location folders) is that Steam Workshop assigns a mystery folder ID# to every mod uploaded to the workshop, and I get that mystery folder ID# instead of folder names like "Hisctoricity ++" when I susbscribe to a mod on Steam Workshop.

I would do a search on your pc for xxxx.modinfo on drive C, D, etc.. This should at least lead you to where Steam Workshop is sticking the mods you subscribe to from it. Note that on the drive where Civ6/Civ5 is installed you'll get hits for DLC Firaxis game-content and any mods you manually placed in the game's MODS folder.

If you are running on Mac, then it beats me how all this is handled.

 

[shaglio]

Lately, When I subscribe to a mod on Stem Workshop, I've been moving the file to my Mods folder and renaming it to the mod's name. Hopefully that won't scew anything up since they still appear in my game. The only thing I'll need to concern myself with is manually updating the mods.

 

[skodkim]

Found it! Apparently Civ6 makes a copy of the workshop directory on the c-drive even though I installed it on the d-drive. I had already made a search for *.modinfo before I posted last time, but I missed the mod as there were so many (including many old civ5 mods).

Thanks for the help!

\Skodkim