The lack of a mod manager is a serious problem for any game. However, most other games are easier to mod. The IE games are so difficult to mod that the lack of a mod manager is not just a problem, it's a disaster.
It's tangential to the main discussion here, but I did want to pick up on this. Whether you need a mod manager (or more accurately, a mod manager other than WEIDU) depends very much on how - and how much - you want to mod the game.
Suppose your approach to modding is to peruse PPG and Gibberlings Three and make a fairly selective pick of mods - say, just for an example: Ascension, Quest Pack, Unfinished Business, a couple of Kulyok's quest mods, a couple of NPCs, Spell Revisions, SCS, Tweaks Anthology. I don't think you'll have very much trouble installing that lot just by clicking the download links, reading the install instructions, and running the setup-xyz programs. I've been modding that way since forever, and while obviously by now I'm very far from a novice user, I was a novice to start with and never had any trouble.
If on the other hand you want to install hundreds of mods, including lots which are only semi-supported or semi-documented, then I can see that install order issues get out of hand fast, and it becomes a major project to do the install right without help.
But who needs this warning? Absolute newbies who freshly downloaded the game from steam and just want to play it as it is will likely never even know there are mods.
I would have loved to have this warning a few months ago when I started the frustrating and time consuming process of figuring out how to make PI work. And that was after spending literally thousands of hours with these games and their mods through the years. So no, it's not a newbies problem. Look back in this thread and you'll find similarly veteran gamers who were similarly frustrated by the lack of instructions (let alone an intuitive interface). They never reported back, my guess is that they never made it.
You might want to consider the idea that the things you know and understand are not the same things that other people know and understand.
Suppose your approach to modding is to peruse PPG and Gibberlings Three and make a fairly selective pick of mods - say, just for an example: Ascension, Quest Pack, Unfinished Business, a couple of Kulyok's quest mods, a couple of NPCs, Spell Revisions, SCS, Tweaks Anthology. I don't think you'll have very much trouble installing that lot just by clicking the download links, reading the install instructions, and running the setup-xyz programs.
Actually that's the kind of installation I have, just ten or twelve hand-picked mods. When you are starting with the IE modding even a relatively simple installation like that requires you to spend hours googling and asking in forums before you manage to make it run smoothly. Which is significantly worse than the situation with modern games, but still is not so bad. The problem is that the manual method requires you to spend several hours in front of the screen waiting for the next prompt to show up and choose the next component. Still, that wouldn't be a biggie if I only had to do it once or twice. In my case the real problem is that I change my installation quite often. Using the manual method means sitting through that tedious process every time I change the installation, which in my case means dozens of times, which would take me dozens and dozens of hours. That's what I mean when I say that the lack of a proper mod manager is a disaster. The experience of others will be different depending on how many mods they use and how many reinstallations they do, but at the end of the day I think it's fair to say that the lack of a proper mod manager hurts much more with the IE games than it would with more modern games.
I would have loved to have this warning a few months ago when I started the frustrating and time consuming process of figuring out how to make PI work. And that was after spending literally thousands of hours with these games and their mods through the years. So no, it's not a newbies problem. Look back in this thread and you'll find similarly veteran gamers who were similarly frustrated by the lack of instructions (let alone an intuitive interface). They never reported back, my guess is that they never made it.
Well yeah, people see that PI doesn't take you by the hand and make your multiple-megamods-build for you, and they give up. I gave up first, too. But I really, really don't see how anyone can be unable to work with PI after spending a week tinkering with it. I mean, people will either have some success, or will stop. If you can't work with PI, you probably can't work with a tool like 7zip either. It is not in any way more complicated or less intuitive than 7zip.
Actually that's the kind of installation I have, just ten or twelve hand-picked mods. When you are starting with the IE modding even a relatively simple installation like that requires you to spend hours googling and asking in forums before you manage to make it run smoothly. Which is significantly worse than the situation with modern games, but still is not so bad. The problem is that the manual method requires you to spend several hours in front of the screen waiting for the next prompt to show up and choose the next component. Still, that wouldn't be a biggie if I only had to do it once or twice. In my case the real problem is that I change my installation quite often.
But PI is perfectly capable of helping you out, and if you spent as much time with it as you did posting here, there is simply no way that you don't know how to do it. I mean, de-installing individual mods is generally quirky, so I just reinstall a build without the mod instead. But aside from that inconvenience, I can't even fathom how you must be sitting for hours in front of the total of three buttons [Set-InstallationSequence] [Apply-SortingOrder] and [Start-Installation] and wish you had a documentation for them.
The bottom line is that PI has a lot of useful functionality if you know what you're doing. The creators are working on adding more functionality. But- and here's the important thing- the reason that the Big World Project basically set up your installation for you was because of incredible, tireless effort on the part of the folks who maintained it- folks who worked so hard on it that they burned out of modding altogether. Unless someone is actively volunteering to do that, and to do it over months and years, then there's just no way to fully automate that.
(The alternative is what Roxanne did- to basically take people's mods and hack and slash away at them until they work together, more or less, and whether you get the author's permission or remove functionality the author intended apparently is irrelevant)
@masteraleph I think that what killed off the Big World Project was that they were managing well but with difficulty, but then EE came along and there was no way that they were going to start over from scratch.
@masteraleph I think that what killed off the Big World Project was that they were managing well but with difficulty, but then EE came along and there was no way that they were going to start over from scratch.
PI works really simply. It's not difficult to use. What is difficult is knowing which mods can be combined with which and in which order the installation needs to go (particularly with mods where some components need to be split in different orders).
@Alonso Please don't continue this topic in this thread. You have made your points clear already and it's beginning to look bad. Also, please don't focus on other users.
The problem is that the manual method requires you to spend several hours in front of the screen waiting for the next prompt to show up and choose the next component.
I take this point.
Of course, a mod manager won't speed up the install time, but it will stop you having to manually babysit it.
I'm having some issues with IWD2, namely I want to install Weimer's Ease-of-use, Light of Selune, Tactics4IWD2 and the G3 tweak anthology pack. Out of these 4 mods only G3 tweak anthology pack installs itself, rest of the mods are ignored.
On the picture you can see the install order. The first three entries are:
#[D:\games\Project Infinity\Tools\WeiDU\247.00\weidu.exe] WeiDU version 24700
#[D:\games\Project Infinity\Tools\WeiDU\247.00\weidu.exe] WeiDU version 24700
#[D:\games\Project Infinity\Tools\WeiDU\247.00\weidu.exe] WeiDU version 24700
These are Ease of use, Light of Selune and Tactics. The program does detect these mods, but it doesn't actually install them. After them it detects the g3 tweak anthology pack after which it proceeds to install it (successfully).
Is there some problem on my end? Or does the program not support these old WEIDU mods like Weimer's ease of use?
@ALIEN
Thank you, mods are being installed correctly now. I do have another bug to report though:
After I had the mods installed a Weidu log file was generated. Afterwards I tried to import the Weidu log file, but it was not interpreted correctly.
Here's the log file:
// Log of Currently Installed WeiDU Mods
// The top of the file is the 'oldest' mod
// ~TP2_File~ #language_number #component_number // [Subcomponent Name -> ] Component Name [ : Version]
~SETUP-IWD2-EASE.TP2~ #0 #2 // Non-Combat War Chant of the Sith
~SETUP-IWD2-EASE.TP2~ #0 #6 // Deep Gnome Starting XP
~SETUP-IWD2-EASE.TP2~ #0 #19 // Additional Druid Spells
~IWD2FIXPACK\SETUP-IWD2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #0 // Fixpack: v3
~IWD2FIXPACK\SETUP-IWD2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #1 // Unfinished Business: v3
~SETUP-LOS.TP2~ #0 #2 // Light of Selune MOD
~SETUP-TACTICS4IWD2.TP2~ #0 #0 // Tactics4IWD2 Core
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #130 // Force All Dialogue to Pause Game: v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #1120 // Stores Sell Higher Stacks of Items: v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2170 // Cast Spells from Scrolls (and Other Items) at Character Level: v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2999 // Max HP at Level One: v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3000 // Higher HP on Level Up -> Maximum: v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3020 // Identify All Items: v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3031 // Easy Spell Learning -> 100% Learn Spells and No Maximum Cap: v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3040 // Make Bags of Holding Bottomless: v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3080 // Increase Ammo Stack Size -> Unlimited Ammo Stacking: v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3200 // Sellable Items (Icelus): v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3205 // Stores Purchase All Item Types: v9
~CDTWEAKS\SETUP-CDTWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3310 // Start New Games with Party AI Turned Off: v9
The program correctly imported components from IWD2 Ease-of-use, Light of Selune and Tactics4IWD2. It did NOT import Almateria's Fixpack components nor the G3 tweak anthology components.
I might be wrong, but I think it's because there's a discrepancy between the mods' names in the Project Infinity window and the mods' IDs. Both Almateria and G3 tweak have version numbers in their names ("iwd2fixpack v3" for Almateria, "cdtweaks v9" for G3) but they lack these version numbers in their IDs ("iwd2fixpack" for Almateria, "cdtweaks" for G3).
Other than that, I find the program very useful. I can just create a pack with mods and a weidu.log, hit install and have it done. Good job.
Some more feedback:
1. I think there's a slight redundancy in how the sorting file is entered in the program - it's entered at 2 places. There's the "Sorting order file" field where the path to it can be entered and there's the window prompt that opens up after you hit Apply-SortingOrder (if the field is empty). I found this confusing at first, I wasn't sure if these are supposed to be separate sorting order files or if these are the same. I think the text field at the top is not necessary, just have the window prompt open up after you hit Apply-SortingOrder.
2. I don't know how difficult this would be to implement, but it would be really nice if the program could detect components, which are compatible with the game currently being modded and the incompatible components would be greyed out. (So let's say non-IWD2 components from the tweak anthology would be greyed out)
Thanks for reporting, that's another regression, it should be fixed in 0.8.9.
1. The extra field is for the ability to quickly change the sorting order file.
2. It's actually very hard and requires significant coding experience, knowledge of OCaml, math behind GLR parsers logic and finally, a lot of work. Sorry.
I'm trying to use this tool to install EET onto my Steam copies of BG1 and BG2, and I'm a bit confused about the process. Thanks in advance for any help!
The FAQ for PI says "Q: How to install EET in one go?
A: Select BG2:EE game, add EET mod and follow the usual mod installation. When the program asks for BG:SoD path, provide it. There is one additional rule to remember: all mods before EET mod will be installed into the selected BG:SoD game directory"
1. How do I 'add the EET mod'? It doesn't appear in the mod browser in PI - do I need to do this manually?
2. When it says 'follow the usual mod installation' does that mean the process outlined on the EET website, i.e. Mods installed on BG:SoD
Initialise EET (setup-EET) installed on BG2:EE
Mods with native EET support installed on top of EET
Finalise EET (setup-EET_end) ends the whole EET installation
Or does this mean that I just need to have PI recognise my manual download of EET?
3. Do I need to use DLC Merge? The EET instructions say I only need to do this for a manual install - does using PI count as manual or not? If so, at what stage should I do this?
I think that what I need to do is:
Use DLC Merge
Use PI to install the mods that EET advises installing before itself
Download EET manually
Initialise EET
Use PI to install the mods that EET advises install after itself
Finalise EET
Is this correct? Or do I instead download everything first, run DLC Merge, and then set up the correct mod install order within PI?
Thanks again for any help. I've tried searching through this thread, the wiki and on the linked discord, but couldn't find a simple summary. My apologies if I've missed something!
First of all, copy the unmodified version of the games from the default steam installation directory into another directory and use those copies for modding.
Second, if you just started with manual IE modding, please get yourself familiar with the whole process before you will start using PI. Then, make yourself familiar with the process of installing mods via PI for one game only, without EET. Later you can do an 'EET' installation.
1. You are adding the EET mod the same way as any other mod which is not at the 'mod browser' - downloading and extracting it into 'Mods-Extracted' folder of your choice. Refer to PI usage instruction.
2. The 'follow the usual mod installation' refers to 'PI usual installation procedure' with the addition of the 'mods before EET' rule.
3. I would say that PI is 'semi-manual'. EET readme awaits clarification regarding DLC Merger installation. You need to install 'DLC Merge' as any other mod since PI does not have any 'build-in installation' of any mod.
For EET installation you would need to:
download and extract all mods which you want
select BG2:EE game and stick with it
locate EET mod (Initialise EET), select it
if your mod list contains mods that require to be installed inside BG:SoD (for eg Aerie for BG:EE) prior to installing EET on BG2:EE, move all those mods before EET
move all mods which have native EET compatibility after EET
set correct install order for mods added after and before EET, refer to mods readme or community install order lists
select EET_End and move it at the end of the installation
set install sequence
start installation
when the program asks for BG:SoD path, provide it
but as I said, start from lite things, one step at a time.
Please start a new thread if you want to discuss:
- proper install order for specific mods
- conflicts between various mods
- mod recommendations for your playthrough
I've been using the tool for some time and ran couple of installtion using it. Thank you @ALIEN for writing it very much. It helped me a lot a saved me a lot of time as well.
First of all, copy the unmodified version of the games from the default steam installation directory into another directory and use those copies for modding.
Second, if you just started with manual IE modding, please get yourself familiar with the whole process before you will start using PI. Then, make yourself familiar with the process of installing mods via PI for one game only, without EET. Later you can do an 'EET' installation.
1. You are adding the EET mod the same way as any other mod which is not at the 'mod browser' - downloading and extracting it into 'Mods-Extracted' folder of your choice. Refer to PI usage instruction.
2. The 'follow the usual mod installation' refers to 'PI usual installation procedure' with the addition of the 'mods before EET' rule.
3. I would say that PI is 'semi-manual'. EET readme awaits clarification regarding DLC Merger installation. You need to install 'DLC Merge' as any other mod since PI does not have any 'build-in installation' of any mod.
For EET installation you would need to:
download and extract all mods which you want
select BG2:EE game and stick with it
locate EET mod (Initialise EET), select it
if your mod list contains mods that require to be installed inside BG:SoD (for eg Aerie for BG:EE) prior to installing EET on BG2:EE, move all those mods before EET
move all mods which have native EET compatibility after EET
set correct install order for mods added after and before EET, refer to mods readme or community install order lists
select EET_End and move it at the end of the installation
set install sequence
start installation
when the program asks for BG:SoD path, provide it
but as I said, start from lite things, one step at a time.
I don't understand two lines of instruction here, it seems to defy all logic.
[*] locate EET mod (Initialise EET), select it - What does even this mean? Do i start it and leave it open manually? Seems to contradict using PI to install it.
[*] when the program asks for BG:SoD path, provide it - How? It does not work with any path i try in any way, shape or form. - Nevermind, i am an idiot. I was missing DLC merger, thought i didn't need it and had not read properly. First point still stands though.
[*] locate EET mod (Initialise EET), select it - What does even this mean? Do i start it and leave it open manually? Seems to contradict using PI to install it.
select BG2:EE game and stick with it
download and extract all mods (including EET) that you want to install into the 'Extracted mods' directory
set the path to this folder at the main PI window, wait until PI finishes scanning the mods
the mod list should now contain mods, locate EET mod (Initialise EET), select it,
select all other mods that you wish to install
Better?
[*] when the program asks for BG:SoD path, provide it - How? It does not work with any path i try in any way, shape or form. - Nevermind, i am an idiot. I was missing DLC merger, thought i didn't need it and had not read properly. First point still stands though.
DLC merger has nothing to do with this. Game path is the path where 'chitin.key' file is.
- do not complain when the metadata Download link contains an extra forward slash
## 0.8.12
- you can now accept the 'Extracted mods:' path by using the 'Enter' key
- added auto-complete function for 'Extracted mods:' TextBox when manually typing the path
- you can now Drag&Drop directory from Explorer into 'Extracted mods:' TextBox
- added auto-complete function for "Providing SoD path:" dialog when manually typing the path
- you can now Drag&Drop correct SoD directory, chitin.key file from Explorer into "Providing SoD path:" dialog TextBox
- fixed "Providing SoD path:" dialog validation events logic
## 0.8.11
- attempt to fix providing SoD path during the initial launch of the application
Comments
It's tangential to the main discussion here, but I did want to pick up on this. Whether you need a mod manager (or more accurately, a mod manager other than WEIDU) depends very much on how - and how much - you want to mod the game.
Suppose your approach to modding is to peruse PPG and Gibberlings Three and make a fairly selective pick of mods - say, just for an example: Ascension, Quest Pack, Unfinished Business, a couple of Kulyok's quest mods, a couple of NPCs, Spell Revisions, SCS, Tweaks Anthology. I don't think you'll have very much trouble installing that lot just by clicking the download links, reading the install instructions, and running the setup-xyz programs. I've been modding that way since forever, and while obviously by now I'm very far from a novice user, I was a novice to start with and never had any trouble.
If on the other hand you want to install hundreds of mods, including lots which are only semi-supported or semi-documented, then I can see that install order issues get out of hand fast, and it becomes a major project to do the install right without help.
You might want to consider the idea that the things you know and understand are not the same things that other people know and understand.
Well yeah, people see that PI doesn't take you by the hand and make your multiple-megamods-build for you, and they give up. I gave up first, too. But I really, really don't see how anyone can be unable to work with PI after spending a week tinkering with it. I mean, people will either have some success, or will stop. If you can't work with PI, you probably can't work with a tool like 7zip either. It is not in any way more complicated or less intuitive than 7zip.
But PI is perfectly capable of helping you out, and if you spent as much time with it as you did posting here, there is simply no way that you don't know how to do it. I mean, de-installing individual mods is generally quirky, so I just reinstall a build without the mod instead. But aside from that inconvenience, I can't even fathom how you must be sitting for hours in front of the total of three buttons [Set-InstallationSequence] [Apply-SortingOrder] and [Start-Installation] and wish you had a documentation for them.
(The alternative is what Roxanne did- to basically take people's mods and hack and slash away at them until they work together, more or less, and whether you get the author's permission or remove functionality the author intended apparently is irrelevant)
BWS was maintained in some fashion until 2019.
I take this point.
Of course, a mod manager won't speed up the install time, but it will stop you having to manually babysit it.
On the picture you can see the install order. The first three entries are:
#[D:\games\Project Infinity\Tools\WeiDU\247.00\weidu.exe] WeiDU version 24700
#[D:\games\Project Infinity\Tools\WeiDU\247.00\weidu.exe] WeiDU version 24700
#[D:\games\Project Infinity\Tools\WeiDU\247.00\weidu.exe] WeiDU version 24700
These are Ease of use, Light of Selune and Tactics. The program does detect these mods, but it doesn't actually install them. After them it detects the g3 tweak anthology pack after which it proceeds to install it (successfully).
Is there some problem on my end? Or does the program not support these old WEIDU mods like Weimer's ease of use?
- fixed installation of tp2-at-top-level mods (regression)
## 0.8.7
- added Sampsca GitHub account
@emxd
Thanks for the report, this should be hopefully fixed as of 0.8.8.
This was a regression since 0.8.5 and only affected tp2-at-top-level mods with data directory.
Thank you, mods are being installed correctly now. I do have another bug to report though:
Here's the log file:
I might be wrong, but I think it's because there's a discrepancy between the mods' names in the Project Infinity window and the mods' IDs. Both Almateria and G3 tweak have version numbers in their names ("iwd2fixpack v3" for Almateria, "cdtweaks v9" for G3) but they lack these version numbers in their IDs ("iwd2fixpack" for Almateria, "cdtweaks" for G3).
Other than that, I find the program very useful. I can just create a pack with mods and a weidu.log, hit install and have it done. Good job.
Some more feedback:
1. I think there's a slight redundancy in how the sorting file is entered in the program - it's entered at 2 places. There's the "Sorting order file" field where the path to it can be entered and there's the window prompt that opens up after you hit Apply-SortingOrder (if the field is empty). I found this confusing at first, I wasn't sure if these are supposed to be separate sorting order files or if these are the same. I think the text field at the top is not necessary, just have the window prompt open up after you hit Apply-SortingOrder.
2. I don't know how difficult this would be to implement, but it would be really nice if the program could detect components, which are compatible with the game currently being modded and the incompatible components would be greyed out. (So let's say non-IWD2 components from the tweak anthology would be greyed out)
- fixed importing WeiDU.log with a different path separator (regression)
@emxd
Thanks for reporting, that's another regression, it should be fixed in 0.8.9.
1. The extra field is for the ability to quickly change the sorting order file.
2. It's actually very hard and requires significant coding experience, knowledge of OCaml, math behind GLR parsers logic and finally, a lot of work. Sorry.
The FAQ for PI says "Q: How to install EET in one go?
A: Select BG2:EE game, add EET mod and follow the usual mod installation. When the program asks for BG:SoD path, provide it. There is one additional rule to remember: all mods before EET mod will be installed into the selected BG:SoD game directory"
1. How do I 'add the EET mod'? It doesn't appear in the mod browser in PI - do I need to do this manually?
2. When it says 'follow the usual mod installation' does that mean the process outlined on the EET website, i.e. Mods installed on BG:SoD
Initialise EET (setup-EET) installed on BG2:EE
Mods with native EET support installed on top of EET
Finalise EET (setup-EET_end) ends the whole EET installation
Or does this mean that I just need to have PI recognise my manual download of EET?
3. Do I need to use DLC Merge? The EET instructions say I only need to do this for a manual install - does using PI count as manual or not? If so, at what stage should I do this?
I think that what I need to do is:
- Use DLC Merge
- Use PI to install the mods that EET advises installing before itself
- Download EET manually
- Initialise EET
- Use PI to install the mods that EET advises install after itself
- Finalise EET
Is this correct? Or do I instead download everything first, run DLC Merge, and then set up the correct mod install order within PI?Thanks again for any help. I've tried searching through this thread, the wiki and on the linked discord, but couldn't find a simple summary. My apologies if I've missed something!
First of all, copy the unmodified version of the games from the default steam installation directory into another directory and use those copies for modding.
Second, if you just started with manual IE modding, please get yourself familiar with the whole process before you will start using PI. Then, make yourself familiar with the process of installing mods via PI for one game only, without EET. Later you can do an 'EET' installation.
1. You are adding the EET mod the same way as any other mod which is not at the 'mod browser' - downloading and extracting it into 'Mods-Extracted' folder of your choice. Refer to PI usage instruction.
2. The 'follow the usual mod installation' refers to 'PI usual installation procedure' with the addition of the 'mods before EET' rule.
3. I would say that PI is 'semi-manual'. EET readme awaits clarification regarding DLC Merger installation. You need to install 'DLC Merge' as any other mod since PI does not have any 'build-in installation' of any mod.
For EET installation you would need to:
but as I said, start from lite things, one step at a time.
This should be put in the first page's troubleshooting section!
I noticed minor thing, 2 mods: test your mettle and Trials of the Luremaster for BG2EE are not picked up correctly.
Cheers
Ah, alright. Thanks for the reply. Btw is this proper thread to post/ask about mod order?
I don't understand two lines of instruction here, it seems to defy all logic.
[*] locate EET mod (Initialise EET), select it - What does even this mean? Do i start it and leave it open manually? Seems to contradict using PI to install it.
[*] when the program asks for BG:SoD path, provide it - How? It does not work with any path i try in any way, shape or form. - Nevermind, i am an idiot. I was missing DLC merger, thought i didn't need it and had not read properly. First point still stands though.
Better?
DLC merger has nothing to do with this. Game path is the path where 'chitin.key' file is.
- do not complain when the metadata Download link contains an extra forward slash
## 0.8.12
- you can now accept the 'Extracted mods:' path by using the 'Enter' key
- added auto-complete function for 'Extracted mods:' TextBox when manually typing the path
- you can now Drag&Drop directory from Explorer into 'Extracted mods:' TextBox
- added auto-complete function for "Providing SoD path:" dialog when manually typing the path
- you can now Drag&Drop correct SoD directory, chitin.key file from Explorer into "Providing SoD path:" dialog TextBox
- fixed "Providing SoD path:" dialog validation events logic
## 0.8.11
- attempt to fix providing SoD path during the initial launch of the application