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The subject of this article is from the ExoMech update.
The information from this article is up-to-date as of 10 June, 2020. |
The information from this article is is up-to-date as of 10 June, 2020.
Mods is a page on game modding.
Summary[ | ]
The PC version of No Man's Sky can be modded to change features and add in game assets. Mods are available on PC, Steam and GOG. As of the 3.5 Prisms Update, the Microsoft Store/Xbox Game Pass version can also be played with mods installed.
Multiplayer Important Note[ | ]
In this game, "players using mods" and "players who are not" can play online multiplayer. If you look at the former from the latter, it looks like a mystery, an incoherence, a cheat. We should avoid situations that give the impression of being barren to each other. If you're using a mod that involves elements, balance, or systems, disable multiplayer.
Outside of the game, there can be confusion between modding and unmodding (vanilla), but most players assume that there is no mod. Even if the content is not related to the element, balance, or system, if you are using some kind of mod. When sharing information (e.g., sharing screenshots on social media), add a that "this part of this information is from this mod."
Basic Precautions[ | ]
It is not available in CS. Also, even if it is a PC version, there may be cases where it is practically impossible to use depending on the specifications of the playing environment. There are many people who hate this kind of thing. It is better to refrain from communicating on the premise of using mods as much as possible. It's a difficult topic to deal with unless you're someone who understands and can forgive you (it's not something that will cause widespread flames or condemnation, but it's also not about making anyone uncomfortable).
Modders will inevitably result in a very small number of specialized players who have multiplied rare decisions with rare mods. In the first place, mods are mods for games. You will be playing a different system balance than the unmodified state. Databases and strategy information that assumes a vanilla environment are often rendered useless.
The reverse is also true. In many cases, experiences in a non-vanilla environment do not apply to a vanilla environment. In particular, in bug reports, the remarks of mod users are nothing more than noise (please understand in advance that it is difficult to refer to information sharing when using mods, such as problems that are different from vanilla or vice versa).
If there is a problem in the mod environment, find out by yourself whether the cause is "a specific mod", "is it due to the involvement of multiple mods", or "is it a problem with the vanilla itself", and report it to the author of the mod only if it is caused by the mod. However, in most cases, modding and distribution are unpaid volunteers. In most cases, no matter how serious the matter, the author is not obligated to respond. The act of using mods is also an act of stepping into a harsh world where individual solving skills and self-responsibility are questioned.
Each mod is made for "each version of the game that has been officially released and at that time". If the version is different and the time period is different, it is easy to break the game.
Basically, if there is even the slightest official update, all mods can be a cause of abnormal behavior (no one knows if it will work in a state where each modder has not confirmed the operation). No matter how famous the mod is, it is unlikely that the official side will be careful or hesitant to update it so as not to spoil its movement.
As such, each mod is very short-lived unless it is and maintained. Originally, mod development is suitable for games that have not been officially updated or whose specifications do not change significantly for a long time. From that point of view, this game has a structure that is not very suitable for making, publishing, and maintaining mods.
Since v2.2 Synthesis, the frequency of updates has increased significantly, and the intervals have been shorter than those of famous online games. Moreover, when the specifications change, the related items are renewed together. Among them, there are many changes that make mods unnecessary (which in itself is a joy for many people), making it difficult for modders to maintain them for a long time.
To put it simply, "modded play in this game" is much more intimidating than "modded play in old and well-known titles". If you are not someone who has experienced and understood mods in other works, the hassle and confusion may outweigh the fun.
Some mods change the game's variables (flags) and event handling (scripts). Such mods are generally uninstalled or disabled when the game does not return to its original state (because the modification point has already been written to the save data).
In this way, the use and addition of mods is an irreversible and irreversible action for saved data. There is also the possibility of a major slow-acting problem that forces you to rewind your save data for dozens of hours. At worst, even that may not work, and you may have no choice but to delete all data and files.
If you're going to use mods, you'll need to understand how they work, check them carefully, back up frequently, and give up once in a while.
As mentioned above, modding can deformalize the game and divide players into different parts of the game. That doesn't mean that all of them are officially frowned upon.
The game was only available for a short period of time around the first half of v1 and was compatible with the Steam Workshop.. Each player can optionally select and use the data of other players. Although the individual distribution data was created by the user, the distribution mechanism itself was officially organized. It seems that the content corresponded to some planetary base construction functions. This was later abolished.
There was a time when a base using the bug technique "Glitch Building" was adopted as a "Community Highlight!", and the representative of the developer, Sean, introduced an external tool on Twitter (a favorable retweet).
Generally speaking, when an old game is improved and evolved with mods, it means that the game can be played by a wide range of users for a long time, and it often has a win-win effect in terms of sales and playability.
As of v4.23, 2023, the presence of the mod for this game is thin, but it has not been denied by the public or official. It seems that it is being accepted in small ways as a possibility and bustle only for the PC version.
Terminology[ | ]
- MOD
- It is pronounced "mod" because it is an abbreviation for Modification, but if it is a plural mod, it becomes "mod". Data that expands and modifies a game for PC. The content is wide-ranging.
- Patch
- An official update that fixes bugs and expands features. In general, they are distinguished from mods, but some mods also fix bugs. If it is a long-lived popular work, there are even mods that fix the problems of the mods.
- Vanilla
- It refers to a game that is in a clean state without modification. Vanilla is ice cream and has an orthodox taste, but it also means "no toppings" or "mediocre and boring".
- Competition
- Also with conflicts. Mainly, it refers to a phenomenon in which multiple mods modify the same part of the game, inhibiting each other, resulting in abnormal behavior and unexpected results.
- In such a case, the countermeasures that can be taken by each user are roughly divided into the following.
- Give up something - remove the conflicting mod.
- Change the order of application - Change the order of squashing mods to the order in which they do not cause abnormalities, rather than the order in which abnormalities occur. However, the game does not have a system that specifies the order in which mods are applied, so this is a matter of trial and error with external tools and file names.
- Modify the contents and structure - Modify the mod so that there are no conflicts. Or install in a way that doesn't cause conflicts. In order to do this, you may need to have a level of knowledge and tools that allow you to make your own mods.
- Compatibility
- It is written as "compatible" in the sense that "there should be no competition with such another mod".
- Since the modder has a good understanding of the structure and risks of the thing he has created, he can make such predictions about the simultaneous use of other mods. However, the game itself and other mods change from moment to moment, so the information written is only the information at that time. If you can read it with such things in mind, the compatibility information will be appreciated and helpful.
- The topic of compatibility is often discussed in the section "between mods". There are few cases where compatibility is talked about for the main premise such as "game version" and "languages other than English".
- Required mods
- Also with the premise mod. A separate mod when another mod is required to work with a mod. Mods that specify this are often listed on the distribution page under a heading such as "Requirements".
- In the No Man's Sky mod, you rarely see it.
Installing Mods[ | ]
Follow these steps to install mods.
- Browse to No Man's Sky\GAMEDATA.
- Create a folder named MODS.
- Place the mod folder containing the loose files into the MODS folder (they have to be in the MODS folder itself and not in any subfolder, and no loose files should inside the MODS folder).
- Start the game and wait for the splash screen to disappear.
- If done correctly the game will display a warning just before displaying the selection of saved games.
- The warning will be the same as the one in the screen shot shown above.
Load Order[ | ]
Mod loading occurs in two stages. In the first stage, MBIN replacement mods are loaded in order, based on the ModPriority
value in GCMODSETTINGS.MXML
. If there is a conflict, the last loaded (lowest ModPriority
value) wins and is loaded. In the second stage, EXML patches are loaded in order, based on the ModPriority
value in GCMODSETTINGS.MXML
. The modified values are applied to the last loaded replacement, if one exists, or to the vanilla MBIN, if no replacement exists. If there is a conflict on specific value changes or replacements, the last loaded (lowest ModPriority
value) wins and its version of the conflicting value is used.
Mod folders with names that started with these characters will be sorted with this order by default,[1] where character nearer the top will have a low ModPriority
value, and vice versa.
-
=
1
...
9
A
a
...
Z
z
_
__
So, for example, a mod named:
==UserInterfaceOverhaul
will load after--UIimprovements
baseBuildingImprovements
will load afterBaseBuildingSubtleChange
zzzzWeatherOverhaul
will load afterWeatherVariations
__spacecombatoverhaul
will load after all these.
The GCMODSETTINGS.MXML
file, located in No Man's Sky\Binaries\SETTINGS, is a configurable file where each mod's ModPriority
value can be modified, or disabled outright by setting its Enabled
value to false
.
Crash to Desktop (CTD) and Mod Disablement[ | ]
When the game tries to load a file with data the game cannot process, the game may freeze, and crash to desktop with a warning message pop-up. This indicates the game has shutdown in the presence of, but not necessarily caused by, mods.
If the file which caused the game to crash could be identified by the game, the mod will be disabled in GCMODSETTINGS.MXML
by having it Enabled
value set to false
. If no mod has been determined by the game to be the cause, the game may instead disable all mods by setting the DisableAllMods
value to true
, which means the player will have to set this value to false
or delete GCMODSETTINGS.MXML
to enable mods again.

A screenshot of the No Man's Sky Error crash pop up message.