Myths, Misconceptions, & Misleading Mods

[JohnFromGWN]

Just some observations that might benefit new users.

1. The Gameconfig is infallible.
Many users are puzzled when their game crashes or hangs even though they’ve installed the latest version of a gameconfig.xml. While this mod, along with the limit adjusters, should be considered essential, no mod, or mod combinations, will absolutely prevent crashing. Also, there are many variations of this critical file – not just one version which is one size fits all.

2. Script Hook V Crashes Game.
This is a common complaint on the forums. Game crashes with SH5, works fine without it. The simple truth is that it’s mods that crash the game. SH5, on the contrary is the enabler that allows us to play modded. In other words, SH5 doesn't crash GTA5.

3. The ASI Loader versus dinput8.dll
Even experts recommend installing both, not realizing it’s exactly the same file. The ASI Loader is packaged with OpenIV while dinput8.dll is packaged with Script Hook V. Thankfully this file hasn’t been updated since 2015 so both offerings are identical. Dinput8.dll loads asi mods (essentially renamed dlls) so that's why it goes by the name of ASI Loader in OpenIV and in general conversations. Trivia: a file called dsound.dll was the original asi loader.

4. Mod Managers
I’m amazed at the number of "mod managers" that promise to disable all mods so you can play GTA Online or switch profiles or manage multiple copies of GTA 5, essentially by moving mods back and forth. This is an inefficient process, and honestly a really stupid idea, when the simple solution is to rename files or folders. Renaming dinput8.dll is all you need to play online without a ban. Renaming mod folders will quickly allow you to select a profile and this can be easily done with simple .bat files. Renamed folders will not load. Finally, there is absolutely no reason to have more than one version of GTA 5 installed and worst case it will cause conflicts.

5. It’s Scripts not scripts
I cringe when I see experienced creators specify in their instructions to explicitly create a Scripts folder and not a scripts folder. Fact is, it doesn’t matter. The Windows file system is case-insensitive. Use upper or lower case, it doesn’t matter. Same goes for Mods or mods folder.

6. Mod Remove Tools
These mods are incredibly misleading because they omit a very important fact. They can’t uninstall changes made by OIV installers inside encrypted rpf packages. Nothing is easier than uninstalling the mods that these mods can. You just use your delete key from OpenIV or Windows Explorer. However you can’t uninstall OIV installations that replace files - unless you backed up the files that were replaced with the exact originals for your game. No OIV can backup your files. Sadly these mods make a false claim they can install all mods. Rubbish.

7. Graphic Mods. More is More.
I’ve seen many posts, one recently, where users complain of game issues because they have multiple Graphic Mods installed. The misconception is that if one graphic mod enhances the game, then 2 or 3 or 10 will be even better. Unfortunately this is isn’t true and issues are to be expected. This also applies to scripts ands addons. Be selective when installing, if not you will definitely run the risk of conflicts and crashes. More is less. It’s about quality, not just quantity.

8. Proper Version of SH5
Many users with games crash are surprised because they have the updated and proper version of SH5 installed. Fact is SH5 does a version check so it’s impossible to play modded with the wrong version.

9. Renaming dinput8.dll isn’t enough for GTAO
One creator argued that renaming or disabling dinput8.dll isn’t enough to ensure not getting banned Online because Rockstar scans our drives for mods. Rubbish. If this were true millions of gamers who play both SP modded and GTAO would have been banned. You don’t need to move all your mods out, back and forth, to play GTAO.

10. MP Female Mods
New users download mods of MP female faces or hair under the impression that the preview pictures are what you see is what you get. They are disappointed when they actually install the mods and wonder what presets or values should be used in the Trainer to get the same results as the preview pics. What they don’t realize is that these pics are not of the MP female. They are photoshopped in order to get the new user to download them. Fact is, the MP female is ugly as are most GTA 5 NPCs, even the ones from mods prefixed with “better”.

11. Hot Coffee
This very popular, but somewhat outdated script, is not what new users think it is. It does not magically transport you and a female companion to the nearest Starbucks or Bean Machine to enjoy an expensive Vanilla Latte. Nope, not at all, but no spoilers here, try it yourself.

12. My download is just a rar
I've seen this complaint recently and more than once on the forums. User expects the mod "as is" or in a zip compressed (archive) format, not aware there are other formats such as rar and 7z. Trivia: OIVs are archives that can be extracted. So are MS Excel files with .xlsb extensions. RPFs are encrypted archives. More Trivia: well not really trivia, more of a misconception. Not all files compress. Text files compress really well, multimedia files like mp3s, pdf, etc. don't compress - they are all already compressed.

[JohnFromGWN]

@JohnFromGWN said in Myths, Misconceptions, & Misleading Mods:

4. Mod Managers

For playing online you only need to rename dinput8.dll to dinput8.bak. You don't need to move all your mods, you don't need to worry about Rockstar scanning your drives for mods because they don't.

None of the methods below stupidly move files around. They all use a simple and instantaneous renaming of files. If you don't want to rename the file manually, then you can use one of many methods, for example:

Method 1 - the highly customizable method. Create a text file with code below, call it whatever you want, but have a .bat extension. For example PlayOnline.bat. Each time you double click this file it toggles the name back and forth. More advanced users can also figure out how to do this with powershell.

set ADDON_PATH="P:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Grand Theft Auto V\"
set ADDON_NAME="dinput8.dll"
set DISABLE_NAME="dinput8.bak"
cd /d %ADDON_PATH%
Ren %ADDON_NAME% %DISABLE_NAME% 2> nul || ren %DISABLE_NAME% %ADDON_NAME% 2> nul

Method 2 - simple asF, not flexible. Create text file with code below. Rename and place PlayOnline.Bat in your game folder. Works for Steam, Epic, Rockstar, or physical media.

Ren dinput8.dll dinput8.bak 2> nul || ren dinput8.bak dinput8.dll 2> nul 

Method 3 - Pro Version. This is how to do it with a VB.Net simple app created with Visual Studio forms, see video.

Private Sub PlayVanilla(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button11.Click

        If My.Computer.FileSystem.FileExists("P:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Grand Theft Auto V\dinput8.dll") Then
            Button11.Text = "Play Modded Game"
            Button11.ForeColor = Color.Red
            My.Computer.FileSystem.RenameFile("P:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Grand Theft Auto V\dinput8.dll", "dinput8.bak")
            Label6.Text = "Game is Vanilla"
            Label6.ForeColor = Color.Red

        Else
            Button11.Text = "Select Vanilla Mode"
            Button11.ForeColor = Color.Green
            My.Computer.FileSystem.RenameFile("P:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Grand Theft Auto V\dinput8.bak", "dinput8.dll")
            Label6.Text = "Game is Modded"
            Label6.ForeColor = Color.Green
        End If

    End Sub

[Pizzahut]

@JohnFromGWN Hmm, I never knew about #10. Do you have any examples?

Also with #3, are you basically saying that dinput8 is absolutely necessary, and ASI Loader isn't, because it's essentially identical?

[JohnFromGWN]

@Pizzahut said in Myths, Misconceptions, & Misleading Mods:

@JohnFromGWN Hmm, I never knew about #10. Do you have any examples?

Also with #3, are you basically saying that dinput8 is absolutely necessary, and ASI Loader isn't, because it's essentially identical?

For # 3, if you installed Script Hook V first, with dinput8.dll, and then installed the ASI Loader from OpenIV, all you did is replace one file with an identical file. Don't worry about this, it's just a clarification: the ASI Loader is just another name for dinput8.dll. Same file, 2 different names, 2 mods that install it. No action required.

For number 10 examples of photo shopped or altered images? It would be much harder if you asked me to post non-photoshopped pics.

[MissySnowie]

@JohnFromGWN @Pizzahut

Was going to put the first one too

@Pizzahut Basically every plastic looking face or silky smooth skin is either photoshop, faceapp or lightning config. There is a youtuber creating characters inside the bank and because of the lightning they all look baby face. When you walk out all you see is an abomination.

Also yeah, dinput8.dll you can find from openiv, scripthook or some graphic mods are identical. Just be careful about the ones you can find in mods.

[MissySnowie]

@JohnFromGWN Also the mod manager is the biggest bullshit in here, I don't understand how they are allowed as they are advertised like nexus mod manager that can properly install, activate, deactivate, uninstall mods by keeping a dedicated space to store all previously overwritten files (which of course takes a huge amount of space since basically every mod you install you install it twice...)

[JohnFromGWN]

@MissySnowie You know what's strange? The pics all look almost identical. As if someone was doing it for all the creators or it was one person with 50 accounts.

[MissySnowie]

@JohnFromGWN True. But perhaps they all using the same program called faceapp. First saw it when I was into photosharing in social club. Someone was uploading extremely good and beautiful character pics and everyone was asking where is the hair from, where are the eyes from, where is the makeup from.

I just knew though it was just too good to be true which saw someone's comment it's all FaceApp.

[JohnFromGWN]

@MissySnowie
What's crazy also is this.
Imagine if i made a model of some cheap car. A really bad model with 10 polygons that looked like total crap. But instead of posting an in-game picture, I took a picture like this for my mod preview:

When the new users would download it they could post: "Sorry can you give me the Custom settings to get my car to look like yours, cuz right now it looks like a steaming pile of turd. Sorry, I'm new. Thanks!"

[JohnFromGWN]

@MissySnowie I think that's exactly it.

[MissySnowie]

@JohnFromGWN Yeah most cars here and in matreon are also nothing but brochure cars been sold from 50 to 400$. Someone was gave me a car because of the brand and model I was really wanting it, I said why are you sending me useless less than gokart quality car. Cuz it's dashboard had no illumination, the headlight angles were all off the place, primary paint is painting the wheels...

Then he told me "are you kidding I paid 150 bucks for it" Damn with all that money I could just go buy a month worth of ice cream and every bit of it would gave me a million more satisfaction

( I was wanting a car with that brand and model, not the car itself. He was just said he found one. )

[JohnFromGWN]

@MissySnowie He should have kept the $150 and paid the difference for new glasses. So sad. Anyone can sell crap these day. Thankfully there are plenty of quality cars right here and at least the pics are in-game so you know what to expect.

[MissySnowie]

@JohnFromGWN It would be great if he could just donate that money to animal rescue organization. I donated nearly all the money I earned from my modding to rabbit rescues anyway.

And true there are already many good quality cars in here. YCA's are great, SCRAT's as well , also Cyberdyne System's too

[JohnFromGWN]

@MissySnowie good for you.

I was really upset the other day. A beautiful wild canary flew into a window in the house and broke his/her neck. Going to see if I can put something on the window to prevent that. Very sad.

here is the MP Female without photoshop, in game.

[MissySnowie]

@JohnFromGWN Oh, that's so sad I'm so sorry You can try putting a soft anti mosquito net. I believe it can prevent injuries since it's made of soft and thin material, also quite useful if you are having mosquito issues too (fuck bill gates).

[MissySnowie]

@JohnFromGWN https://www.gta5-mods.com/tools/gta-v-self-radio-manager

When I was replying to WalterWhite in other topic, I searched for a screenshot of Self Radio setting and found this mod.

I guess copy, paste and delete buttons was way too easy for this guy and he decided to create a more troublesome copy/paste/delete manager exe

But I won't criticize it much since it's so old and perhaps he thought it might be a good tool for newbies (not sure how but oh well ) His dlc list generator is good though.

[JohnFromGWN]

Added two more to the original post.

[JohnFromGWN]

@MissySnowie said in Myths, Misconceptions, & Misleading Mods:

But perhaps they all using the same program called faceapp.

You can also use AI. This is what I would use if I made a mod called Blonde Hair for MP Female. And then I would put a description that I forgot the Menyoo preset values but that's exactly what the MP Female would look like in game and not to bother me if you can't get it right.

I made this with a midjourney clone, using a GTA 5 style in the prompt.