Expanded Squadmate Armory is finished and, except for the odd bug that may show up, there's only one future potential update that may happen if a major one is done for the core mod Expanded Shepard Armory.
This means, that no, I won't be taking requests. Porting each armor is a lengthy process that even if I have gotten used to do, it still takes me over a day to do it right before being able to test it thoroughly. So no, I know many of you are excited to see your favorite armor in your favorite squadmate, but I will not be doing more for the time being. This might change, but do not count on it. I hope you understand it. I always am open to constructive criticism and listening what people may want to see in the future; but right now, it is not my priority as I will be shifting back focus to continue porting the rest of my OT mods, plus the newest version of the Unofficial LE2 Patch.
Please if you have bugs to submit, ALWAYS attach with your comment a diagnostic as explained here below. Enjoy the mod and hopefully a bug free experience!
I used to play with that mod back in 2023 and it worked great. Recently I started a new playthrough, I picked up Mordin's armor at the clinic as usual. However when I went to the the squadmate selection screen the game wouldn't let me switch skins for him. I thought that maybe I hadn't actually picked the armor up. But no, Boolean 68090 is checked in the trilogy save editor. So I decided to test if Zaeed had the same issue. I went to the lab and unlocked the Phoenix Project armor. Same thing again, the squad selection screen won't give me the option to select an alternate costume for him. I even checked an old save from my previous playthrough that I know for a fact had all the costumes unlocked, everyone only had their vanilla, loyalty and dlc costumes as options.
I did install and update a few mods before starting this new playthrough. But after disabling obvious culprits like Armored NPC's and nothing changing I'm at a loss for what could be causing the issue.
I even did a full restore to remove texture mods and then reinstalled all the mods, yet the issue persists.
Here's the diagnostic I ran on a save file that has Mordin's armor picked up, and the Phoenix Project armor still in the lab ready to unlock for testing.
It looks like you reinstalled your game in a different path and that some leftovers from the old installation remain at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2\
The mod manager function that patches the squad selection screen tried to patch the file in there and failed to due to it missing. I suggest you to either delete this path, which seems to just be an empty leftover and/or restart the mod manager and reinstall the modIt looks like you reinstalled your game in a different path and that some leftovers from the old installation remain at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2\The mod manager function that patches the squad selection screen tried to patch the file in there and failed to due to it missing. I suggest you to either delete this path, which seems to just be an empty leftover and/or restart the mod manager and reinstall the mod, which should trigger the manager attempting to patch the squadmate armor selection scree should trigger the manager attempting to patch the squadmate armor selection scree
Alright, I'm really confused. Basically the old path the game was installed at was E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2. That path no longer exists. I know the mod manager still looks for it however because one of the logs shows
2024-04-27 01:32:49.001 -04:00 [WRN] [M3] Cached target directory does not exist, skipping: E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2
Now this error [ERR] [M3] Compilation failed! Exception: System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: Could not find a part of the path 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2\BioGame\CookedPCConsole'. Doesn't make sense to me. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2\ is where the game is installed right now. I even deleted the ME2 folder and verified my files integrity through steam to make sure everything was as it should. But the logs still show that error. As for the mod it still doesn't work even after reinstalling it.
I tested it with only a couple mods running -The unofficial LE2 Patch -The prologue framework -Expanded Shepard Armory -Expanded squadmate Armory Still no luck
What do I have to do? Reinstall the whole mod manager? Disable steam cloud and reinstall the game?
The log says the game where mods are being installed is at C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2 not C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2\.
The mod is not working, because the mod manager is trying to compile the added outfits into a file it cannot find in the address typed in italics. It sounds like you somehow may be having two versions of the game installed, or at least partially still. This mod and any other adding additional armor for squadmates heavily relies on the mod manager compiling several functions into the appropriate files or they won't show.
I see the manager also having cached a game directory it can no longer find on your E drive. Could you go to the mod manager and hit the Manage Target button and ensure there is only one path left for each game? They should be C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\. After you do that, restart your mod manager, check there's only 4 paths for the Legendary Edition (1 for each game and another for the launcher) and then reinstall my mod. If this does not work, then I will have to ask you to head to the ME3Tweaks Discord server for further assistance.
In the mission at Purgatory Station, the Mordin STG armor is not displayed Look: 1 and 2 Mod Manager Logs In other places everything seems ok I can’t understand what’s wrong, maybe it’s a bug
Hi, thank you for the logs and diagnostics. Unfortunately, I cannot see anything wrong nor am I able to reproduce it on my end. I see you attached a savegame, but it was after recruiting Jack. I have tried recreating the scenario shown in your pic and the STG armor displayed for me (like on the mod gallery pictures). If you still have a savegame during the quest, could you attach/send me that one? Alternatively, if this happens elsewhere for you, would you mind sending me a savegame while the issue is working at place?
Hello, I did a few tests and this is what I got: First test, mods installed: 1)Unofficial LE2 Patch 2)Sheploo Appearance Consistency Project 3)Miranda Butt Shot Restoration LE2 4)LE2 Prologue Framework 5)LE2 Improved Functionality 6)Expanded Shepard Armory (ESA) LE2 7)Expanded Squadmate Armory (ESA Addon) LE2
No texture mods installed. In the end, everything is fine, Mordin STG armor is displayed correctly in Purgatory Station
Second test: Mod Manager Logs No texture mods installed. As a result, Mordin STG armor is not displayed again I think there is some kind of bug due to a conflict between mods
I think I found the problem. Mordin STG armor is not displayed on a Purgatory Station, if used mod Off Duty (LE2) When the mod is turned off, the Mordin STG armor is displayed correctly! Should I write to the mod author about this?
Interesting. I see that mod ships a file that could potentially be used to determine if characters should wear armor or not during the Purgatory mission; but I cannot tell for sure if that's a bug or intended behavior of the mod. The page does not seem to mention anything, so it may be worth asking the author if that should/should not happen.
Hello Marcus, I'm going into LE2 and having found lots of mods that I skipped previously, it also reminded how much this one was needed. Having some squadmates in simple outfits (or half naked in the case of Jack) in hostile environment and in space was really annoying and immersive breaking since 2010
One small suggestion if I may, is it possible in the future to have alternative colors for the armors ? Thane & Kasumi for example, a black version suits them more imo, as they are supposed to be the stealthy characters in the team. Also for Zaeed, I think an armor similar to what you did for Garrus & Samara would be perfect for him
Thank you for the kind comment and please pardon me for the late reply.
I have long term plans for new armors for all of most of them anyways; however, the system behind adding more companion customizations is limited to an actual small number, so for my first release I did not want to take many of those spots and went with just one customization for each. I'll add your ideas to the drawing board and will look into future releases perhaps having a way to opt-in which armors to install, that way allowing players to combine with other mods offering other customizations. Your ideas for Zaeed are actually quite good. 😎
Hi Marcus. First a big THANKYOU for your mod. I need to know if Jenya's Kasumi complexion (MELE2) is mandatory to be installed, or I can do without it. I say this because it is a MEM mod, so once I have installed it, it will not be possible to install other mods but textures, if I have understood correctly the dynamics of ME2 modding.
Sorry for the late reply. The Kasumi complexion is not necessary for the mod itself to work. However, bear in mind that is the only way to actually remove Kasumi's shadow from her face, as it is painted on her own texture to accentuate the effect. I purposely chose an outfit with a helmet that sort of emulates a covered face still, but the shadow would not be matching as it is not the exact same shape.
So to answer your question, it is not entirely necessary, but it helps make her look better and as shown in the pictures above.
I love this mod so much. This mod fixes one of my biggest pet peeves about ME2. I hate seeing Jack/Miranda/Mordin & co wearing those flimsy breathers in hostile environments.. Like what do you mean?? why are your eyes exposed in vacuum Miranda??? Thanks to you I can protect them properly. And I like your choice for each squad mate. Thanks a lot!!
Once again, you're welcome for your feedback. I feel this mod fixed this pet peeve for lots of people, or at least I hope it will in the future. Besides, more variety for different situations is always more fun, in my humble opinion.
I know that Jacob is supposed to be a Cerberus soldier, but shouldn't he really have a power boosting armour set? Also, any chance of an LE3 version for ME2 Squadmates in 3?
I don't suppose there's any way to use this mod without installing ESA, is there? I did read the description but thought I'd inquire all the same. ESA looks like a well-made labour of love, but it's just not for me - this mod on the other hand interests me greatly.
No, they are intrinsically tied together through plot and asset sharing. Out of curiosity, what parts of ESA aren't for you? 99% of it is optional content?
There's a couple of things in ESA which break immersion for me. The first is the "None" armour pieces, which I realize are necessary because of how you implement full-body armour so that different head pieces can be used. The second is the description of some of the items you've added to shops such as the Facemask in Omega Market and the Shades at Rodam Expeditions (from what I've seen in the photos and video on the mod page).
Ok... Well, as I said earlier; most of the mod is optional, including those things you mentioned. Besides, no one is stopping you from wearing 2 pairs of arms, legs and shoulders if the None option bothers you that much. It exists to avoid clipping because we cannot edit how the locker works. Some functions are native and thus can't be edited by any modding tools.
And about those descriptions, well, what can I say? The toolset is right there for anyone to grab and you could edit those descriptions for your game if that's what's stopping you from being able to enjoy a mod you want to use. Not like you have to even ever click on those items during gameplay, though... 🤷🏻♂️
Well, it is unclear to me one thing. As far as I understand ccorrectly this mod requires the Jenya's Kasumi mod. But Jenya's is one of those texture mods that must be installed with another mod-manager program, which is MassEffectModder. Jenya's cannot be installed with ME3Tweaks Mod Manager. As far as I understand this kind of mods must be installed at the end of the modding process, because after a texture mod has been installed it is not possible to install any other non-texture mod. Is this correct? So may I suggest that the other mod manager program (MassEffectModder) must be added to the requirements of Expanded Squadmate Armory mod? Also a note about how a correct sequence of installations should proceed would be lovely. It could spare to us errors that may require re-installing the game. Thank you for your support and compliments for your work.
The requirement, as stated on the page is recommended, not a hard requirement.
Mass Effect Modder (MEM) can be launched from the Mod Manager itself (under Tools menu), which is why I am not linking it as a requirement. The Mod Manager will always download the latest, most up to date version of MEM for you.
I thought either or both the texture mod and the manager and MEM warned about installation order. If it doesn't, I will make sure to add an extra note here. But the golden rule is content mods first and textures last. The texture being a requirement does not mean it has to be installed first, just that I recommend both being installed to avoid the painted shadow in Kasumi. But her texture should always be installed last, along with whatever other textures you want to add to your game.
Can't find Mordin's armor, it isn't in the clinic anywhere after you report back to him at the end of the recruitment mission! Anyone else have this issue? Is it located somewhere else?
Never mind! Had to re-run the last battle, did a quick save at the clinic and there it was! Woot, woot!! Finally got it!!!
122 comments
This means, that no, I won't be taking requests. Porting each armor is a lengthy process that even if I have gotten used to do, it still takes me over a day to do it right before being able to test it thoroughly. So no, I know many of you are excited to see your favorite armor in your favorite squadmate, but I will not be doing more for the time being. This might change, but do not count on it. I hope you understand it. I always am open to constructive criticism and listening what people may want to see in the future; but right now, it is not my priority as I will be shifting back focus to continue porting the rest of my OT mods, plus the newest version of the Unofficial LE2 Patch.
Please if you have bugs to submit, ALWAYS attach with your comment a diagnostic as explained here below. Enjoy the mod and hopefully a bug free experience!
I did install and update a few mods before starting this new playthrough. But after disabling obvious culprits like Armored NPC's and nothing changing I'm at a loss for what could be causing the issue.
I even did a full restore to remove texture mods and then reinstalled all the mods, yet the issue persists.
Here's the diagnostic I ran on a save file that has Mordin's armor picked up, and the Phoenix Project armor still in the lab ready to unlock for testing.
https://me3tweaks.com/modmanager/logservice/logviewer?logid=f0a87980f3fd7909c80be750e1bc46bc
The mod manager function that patches the squad selection screen tried to patch the file in there and failed to due to it missing. I suggest you to either delete this path, which seems to just be an empty leftover and/or restart the mod manager and reinstall the modIt looks like you reinstalled your game in a different path and that some leftovers from the old installation remain at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2\The mod manager function that patches the squad selection screen tried to patch the file in there and failed to due to it missing. I suggest you to either delete this path, which seems to just be an empty leftover and/or restart the mod manager and reinstall the mod, which should trigger the manager attempting to patch the squadmate armor selection scree should trigger the manager attempting to patch the squadmate armor selection scree
2024-04-27 01:32:49.001 -04:00 [WRN] [M3] Cached target directory does not exist, skipping: E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2
Now this error
[ERR] [M3] Compilation failed! Exception: System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: Could not find a part of the path 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2\BioGame\CookedPCConsole'.
Doesn't make sense to me. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\Game\ME2\ is where the game is installed right now. I even deleted the ME2 folder and verified my files integrity through steam to make sure everything was as it should. But the logs still show that error. As for the mod it still doesn't work even after reinstalling it.
I tested it with only a couple mods running
-The unofficial LE2 Patch
-The prologue framework
-Expanded Shepard Armory
-Expanded squadmate Armory
Still no luck
What do I have to do? Reinstall the whole mod manager? Disable steam cloud and reinstall the game?
https://me3tweaks.com/modmanager/logservice/logviewer?logid=59fae37dfc754ebd69a68e158989c657
The mod is not working, because the mod manager is trying to compile the added outfits into a file it cannot find in the address typed in italics. It sounds like you somehow may be having two versions of the game installed, or at least partially still. This mod and any other adding additional armor for squadmates heavily relies on the mod manager compiling several functions into the appropriate files or they won't show.
I see the manager also having cached a game directory it can no longer find on your E drive. Could you go to the mod manager and hit the Manage Target button and ensure there is only one path left for each game? They should be C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Mass Effect Legendary Edition\. After you do that, restart your mod manager, check there's only 4 paths for the Legendary Edition (1 for each game and another for the launcher) and then reinstall my mod. If this does not work, then I will have to ask you to head to the ME3Tweaks Discord server for further assistance.
Look: 1 and 2
Mod Manager Logs
In other places everything seems ok
I can’t understand what’s wrong, maybe it’s a bug
Thank you in advance.
First test, mods installed:
1)Unofficial LE2 Patch
2)Sheploo Appearance Consistency Project
3)Miranda Butt Shot Restoration LE2
4)LE2 Prologue Framework
5)LE2 Improved Functionality
6)Expanded Shepard Armory (ESA) LE2
7)Expanded Squadmate Armory (ESA Addon) LE2
No texture mods installed.
In the end, everything is fine, Mordin STG armor is displayed correctly in Purgatory Station
Second test:
Mod Manager Logs
No texture mods installed.
As a result, Mordin STG armor is not displayed again
I think there is some kind of bug due to a conflict between mods
When the mod is turned off, the Mordin STG armor is displayed correctly!
Should I write to the mod author about this?
His answer:
Thank you for the mod and for your responsiveness :)
I'm going into LE2 and having found lots of mods that I skipped previously, it also reminded how much this one was needed. Having some squadmates in simple outfits (or half naked in the case of Jack) in hostile environment and in space was really annoying and immersive breaking since 2010
One small suggestion if I may, is it possible in the future to have alternative colors for the armors ? Thane & Kasumi for example, a black version suits them more imo, as they are supposed to be the stealthy characters in the team.
Also for Zaeed, I think an armor similar to what you did for Garrus & Samara would be perfect for him
Cheers and keep up the good work !
I have long term plans for new armors for all of most of them anyways; however, the system behind adding more companion customizations is limited to an actual small number, so for my first release I did not want to take many of those spots and went with just one customization for each. I'll add your ideas to the drawing board and will look into future releases perhaps having a way to opt-in which armors to install, that way allowing players to combine with other mods offering other customizations. Your ideas for Zaeed are actually quite good. 😎
First a big THANKYOU for your mod.
I need to know if Jenya's Kasumi complexion (MELE2) is mandatory to be installed, or I can do without it.
I say this because it is a MEM mod, so once I have installed it, it will not be possible to install other mods but textures, if I have understood correctly the dynamics of ME2 modding.
Thanks for your reply
So to answer your question, it is not entirely necessary, but it helps make her look better and as shown in the pictures above.
Not planning to change it for now. But if you missed it, you could grant it via the Trilogy Save Editor by checking Boolean 68090.
There's a couple of things in ESA which break immersion for me. The first is the "None" armour pieces, which I realize are necessary because of how you implement full-body armour so that different head pieces can be used. The second is the description of some of the items you've added to shops such as the Facemask in Omega Market and the Shades at Rodam Expeditions (from what I've seen in the photos and video on the mod page).
And about those descriptions, well, what can I say? The toolset is right there for anyone to grab and you could edit those descriptions for your game if that's what's stopping you from being able to enjoy a mod you want to use. Not like you have to even ever click on those items during gameplay, though... 🤷🏻♂️
As far as I understand ccorrectly this mod requires the Jenya's Kasumi mod.
But Jenya's is one of those texture mods that must be installed with another mod-manager program, which is MassEffectModder.
Jenya's cannot be installed with ME3Tweaks Mod Manager.
As far as I understand this kind of mods must be installed at the end of the modding process, because after a texture mod has been installed it is not possible to install any other non-texture mod.
Is this correct?
So may I suggest that the other mod manager program (MassEffectModder) must be added to the requirements of Expanded Squadmate Armory mod?
Also a note about how a correct sequence of installations should proceed would be lovely.
It could spare to us errors that may require re-installing the game.
Thank you for your support and compliments for your work.
Mass Effect Modder (MEM) can be launched from the Mod Manager itself (under Tools menu), which is why I am not linking it as a requirement. The Mod Manager will always download the latest, most up to date version of MEM for you.
I thought either or both the texture mod and the manager and MEM warned about installation order. If it doesn't, I will make sure to add an extra note here. But the golden rule is content mods first and textures last. The texture being a requirement does not mean it has to be installed first, just that I recommend both being installed to avoid the painted shadow in Kasumi. But her texture should always be installed last, along with whatever other textures you want to add to your game.
Stay well.
Never mind! Had to re-run the last battle, did a quick save at the clinic and there it was! Woot, woot!! Finally got it!!!