Loader Plugins
Essentially loader plugins are used to make the game search for BA2s prefixed with the plugin's name. These are different in the sense that they contain no meaningful data and are considered empty. They usually range from 66 bytes to 500 bytes.
Loader Plugin Types
Include?
Case 1: This is the most obvious case where you are merging mods that are essentially replacers and do not have any logic in their ESPs. Thus, you intend to remove these dummy ESPs and/or convert the loose files into archives.
In this case you will be opting for an ESL loader for most use cases. Only if these assets override some other mod will you be choosing differently.
Case 2: You want to merge their assets into archives and are proficient enough to manage the load order in such a way that all of them with their ESPs will work as intended by their authors.
In this case you will opting for ESP or ESL flagged ESP as the loader of choice.
Exclude?
Case 1: You just want to convert loose files to archives for a single mod that adds new functionality or changes it, and thus, its plugin is not a dummy. Then you will name it the same as the plugin of the mod.
This way the archives will get associated to the mod's plugin and load when its loaded.
Case 2: You want to simplify the Case 2 in inclusion section as you have manually ordered the mods and thus know the first one to be always loaded. Then you name the mod same as the first mod's plugin.
This way the archives will be loaded with the first mods' plugin.
Merge Script - Loader plugins and when to include or exlcude
-
Total views219