How to force FAF to have the last word?

[necxelos]

Is there any possible way for FAF patch/changes (and generally existing unit statistics) to be loaded LAST after all mods? Generally there's this idea that if few mods alter same file/unit the last one that does takes effect.

I have Total Mayhem and Wyvern Battle Pack and they work together well (they only add units, they don't change anything - except maybe some ACU upgrades) but for BlackOps the case is different - it changes A LOT. I want only new units from it to use in game, I don't want to play with all the changes to existing stuff.

So how do I do that?

[Mr-Smith]

it is hardly possible as faf is a featured mod and gets loaded with the lobby already before any other mod.
if you want to load faf after some other mod you would need to make a normal mod out of the faf file.
an than you can the order in wich the mods get loaded in the init files.

[necxelos]

Ok tinkering with normal mods sounds realistic to me (I'm doing it right now to fix some icons, wrong TECH-UNIT connections or descriptions/unit stats) but FAF itself? For now it's like a black magic to me...

Any other way around? For example some way to delete from mod itself everything that isn't a new unit/building? I assume that simple "delete everything except units/textures/sounds/effects" folders wont work?

[rockoe10]

The faf file is a type of .zip file. If you unpack it, you can take the changes and make them into a standard mod.

[Ze_PilOt]

It will not work.

[necxelos]

Ok I was making a few experiments with extraction (option B, now that option A isn't realistic anymore) and the verdict is:
a) It's doable...
b) It's hell of a work...
c) It's monkey job (folder structure is similar in all mods, and connections between unit, projectiles, effects, etc. are easily detectable) thus a little boring now that I figured it out...
d) There must be a way to automate the extraction (I'm think of writing a little batch file [linux app] to detect file dependancies and copy them to a new location with the same folder structure) but maybe such thing already exist... Does it?
e) In my experiment I extracted a unit and I found one exception to the general logic. Unit icon (normal, not strategic): in original mod it is stored in some insane locations with all the icons but for me it only work when stored in the UNITCODE folder itself (using same folder structure end up with blue placeholder). Also unlike other files icon location isn't pointed out in any other file. Should it be that way? For testing purposes I disintegrated Wyvern Battle Pack.

[Resin_Smoker]

Mods load by UID numbered order.

[necxelos]

Could You be so nice and explain how exactly is this priority counted?
I thought UID is just a messed up ultra-long code to make sure that every mod has it's own (and avoid the situation that happened with phone numbers in some countries where You had to change numbering system because there were no numbers left).
Good to know it actually means something

P.S. While experimenting with extraction I bugfixed my first bug (in this game that is)!! Hail me!!! Rockhead in WBP had wrong script used to generate toggle-shield button so it actually never appeared at all making unit a perma energy drain instead of something usefull (T1 starting with shield that SHOULD be OFF by default, yet was ON without ability to toggle it). It works now

P.S.2. What most of You guys (modders) use to script? Because some files I look into seem to be written in notepad instead of proper editor (BlueFish in my case).

[Resin_Smoker]

Sounds like your modding SC2 and not FA...

[necxelos]

Sounds like your modding SC2 and not FA...

Good observation there. WBP brings many units from SupCom2 to FA (Rockhead is one of them).

P.S. My OCD is screaming (nothing personal):
SC2 = Star Craft 2
SupCom2 - Supreme Commander 2