newbie mod question
 

I'm a bit confused about modding the game. Do you need both the TDW patcher and JSGME. JSGME applies the mods, but what exactly is the patcher doing? Do the mods require the patcher?

I have looked at the mod guide for beginners and that did help. But still lost as to where the patcher fits in.

Mods are a collection of pre-modified game files. You need JSGME for "enabling" them. You could as well overwrite stock files with modded ones directly, but then you would be forced to re-install the game for restoring vanilla files, whereas using JSGME you are allowed to simply disable the enabled mods with few mouse clicks.

The patcher is an utility needed for patching the game with TDW's patches. Those patches, included within the same package as the patcher, affect several game features hardcoded within SH5's executable, DLL and ACT files. Likewise JSGME, the patcher is designed for letting you to enable/disable stuff, but it obviously can't handle mods; it only deals with the patches designed by TDW.

You can use most mods and patches at the same time. :up:

Thanks GAP, that explains a lot. Cant wait to try them both out.

My pleasure :salute:

Definitely you need both of them for a full enjoyement of the game. Before you start using them, I suggest you having a look into the following threads:

JSGME (Jonesoft Generic Mod Enabler) thread by Mikemike47: a comprehensive collection of guides and pratical suggestions on how to make the best out of JSGME.

How to Use TDW GenericPatcher for Beginer by Sjizzle: a pictorial guide on how to use the patcher in a few steps.

How to use TDWs Patcher by Trevally: a bit older than the previous tutorial, but mostly still valid :up:

Welcome jbruns29.

The TDW patcher can be made moddable AFTER you understand and apply the suggestions from gap at the previous post. Once you have everything running smoothly at gap's post, come back and ask me or anyone else how to make a mod with TDW patcher.

Very important - Naturally, everytime TDW makes a new version of the generic patcher, then patches have to be changed. Following patch changes, I consider it nothing more than drag and dropping of a few files and new TDW patcher is created with a different version #. Then changing *.mep modlist with new TDW patcher version entry.

I hope you don't have the Steam-version of SH5, because then you can't use the Patcher, and must run your (modded) game without those fixes.

Sober has a nice step by step instruction the together with his list that goes from installing the game til you play fully modded
Trevallys and Sjizzles methods with the patching are different. I use Sjizzles method cause thats basicly the method I always used (xpt backing up the files wich I regreted sorely ;)

just curious, does the patcher actually recompile the SH5.exe file? and thanks to all for the replies and help.

what do you mean by "recompiles"? I have a strange feeling that you are missing the meaning of the word a little bit :)

To the best of my knowledge, the simplest patches change single addressed of the existing code, but there are also complex patches requiring the addition of whole new code sections. :yep: