[Tutorial] How to modify DLC data without any HD space overhead (your own DLC-Patch)

Cyron43

For an example let's say you want to modify the handling.meta of any DLC (I take mpsmuggler for this example).
The first idea is probably to simply copy the whole mpsmuggler folder into the mods folder (mods\update\x64\dlcpacks) but that would cost you additional 928 MB of harddrive space. Why all this overhead if you don't need it? I show you a way to reduce this to just a few KB.

1. Start OpenIV
2. Go to mods\update\update.rpf\dlc_patch. You don't have a mods folder??? Create one! NEVER EVER modify original data!!!
3. Activate EDIT mode
4. Create a folder named mpsmuggler. The next thing we need to do is to duplicate the original folder structure inside of this.
5. Double click the new folder to make it inside of it
6. Create a folder named common
7. Go inside of it and create another folder named data
8. Now copy the original handling.meta to your desktop and do your modifications.
9. Copy the modified handling.meta to mods\update\update.rpf\dlc_patch\mpsmuggler\common\data
10. Copy extratitleupdatedata.meta from mods\update\update.rpf\common\data\ to the desktop and add the following item:
<Item type="SExtraTitleUpdateMount">
   <deviceName>dlc_mpsmuggler:/</deviceName>
   <path>update:/dlc_patch/mpsmuggler/</path>
</Item>
11. Copy the modified extratitleupdatedata.meta back to it's place.

So in a nutshell, you only need to copy those data to your own dlc patch which you want to modify but of course you must copy the whole handling.meta (or whaterver file) and not just a part of it. The final step is to register your DLC-patch in the extratitleupdatedata.meta.
I recommend you make a backup of your modified data files, so you don't have to do it all over again with the next game update.