Guide to overrides

First I wanted to call the post "overrides hell", but that one will also do.

This is for VANILLA! For Temple Plus, which is quite differnet in next post.

General info
ToEE has very generic folder structure, which becomes visible when you install any co8 packs.
/data/art
/data/dlg
/data/mes
/data/movies
/data/oemes
/data/rules
/data/scr
/data/slide
/data/sound

Typically these folders are packed into .dat files. It's kind of zip file but without compressing.

There is also modules folder structure:
modules/
modules/ToEE

modules/ToEE.dat
modules/ToEE folder is actually unpacked toee.dat file by co8 installer.

ToEE virtual file system
From inside, toee has virtual drive (or flash drive) like feature. Toee internally will create the same folder structure I described above in virtual flash drive and the copy into in such order:

1. Unpack ToEE/*.dat files into virtual flash root folder.
2. Copy and override ToEE/data folder above;
3. Unpack ToEE/modules/<module>.dat files into virtual modules/<module> folder.
4. Copy and override ToEE/modules/<module> folder into virtual modules/<module> folder;

 

Temple Plus made quite a few changes, described in this wiki: Files.

Temple Plus virtual file system
For version 1.0.84

1. Unpack ToEE/*.dat files into virtual flash root folder.
2. Copy and override ToEE/data folder above;
3. Unpack tpdata/tpgamefiles.dat
4. Unpack tpdata/clearances.dat
5. Unpack tpdata/kotbfixes.dat if TFE-X.ini contains "Keep on the Borderlands"
6. Unpack tpdata/co8infra.dat for other than kotb Co8 mods
   
7. Unpack tpdata/co8fixes.dat for other than kotb and IWD Co8 mods
   
8. Unpack ToEE/modules/<current module>_core.dat files into virtual root /data folder (!!!)
9. Unpack ToEE/modules/<current module>.dat files into virtual /modules/<current module> folder.
   
10. Copy and override ToEE/modules/<current module> folder into virtual /modules/<current module> folder;
11. Copy and override ToEE/overrides folder into virtual /modules/dat folder;

In next upcoming version @Sitra Achara changed meachanics for overrides folder (number 11 above), see wiki:

1. Copy ToEE/overrides/<folder 1> to virtual /data folder if it contains mod_specs.json (empty is fine) file;
   
2. Copy ToEE/overrides/<folder 2> to virtual /data folder if it contains mod_specs.json (empty is fine) file;
   
3. ...

Making changes (v > .84)
Vanilla style simply go to dat folder and change or create file will not work (most likely) anymore!!!

You should create folder in ToEE/overrides/my or whatever and create empty file mod_specs.json, and then the contents of that subfolder will be overriden as last into ToEE/data folder.

For example you want to change ToEE/data/dlg/00406Game_Portal.dlg file to start game in different map. Then you will need to have such file path:

• ToEE/overrides
• ToEE/overrides/my
  
• ToEE/overrides/my/mod_specs.json, empty file will do.
  
• ToEE/overrides/my/dlg
  
• ToEE/overrides/my/dlg/00406Game_Portal.dlg

 

Modifying strategy.tab

• Vanilla and Co8: ToEE/data/rules/strategy.tab
• Temple Plus <= 1.0.84: ToEE/overrides/rules/strategy.tab
• Temple Plus > 1.0.84: ToEE/overrides/my/rules/strategy.tab (ensure mod_specs.json is in "my" folder)