Quick question - when modding, which files are taken from the CD, and which from the installed Morrowind directory?

I noticed I can start the CS without the CD (even though I get the "no disc in drive" error before it starts up), and I can load Morrowind.esm. I also noticed, in "preferences", there is an option "Use data files on CD ROM" which you can disable.

I ask this because the inside ring of my English Morrowind CD shattered a few months ago, and eventually a small crack appeared in the data part of the CD, and I can no longer start anything from the CD. I was disappointed of course, but then I found out I could start the game using my German version - intro video would be in German, but anything the game takes from the installation directory is in English (i.e. most of the game). Naturally I was overjoyed I could still keep playing in English (also because savegames between different language versions are incompatible).

Then I wondered if I could mod the same way, using my German disc, and that was when I found out it doesn't seem to need the disc at all. So I am wondering if there are any restrictions - i.e. what files in modding are taken from the disc and which only from the files stored on the computer?

Everything is taken from the harddrive. All the textures etc are stored in the .bsa files. When playing the only thing taken from the disk (as you touched on) are the videos.

Ok, thanks. I was a bit confused as I read a retexturing tutorial where files were taken from the CD. But I won't be doing any retexturing anytime soon so that factor doesn't really matter

That would have been the Construction Set cd. It has all the contents of the bsa files, but already unpacked so you don't need to download a bsa unpacker to access them.

Ah, I understand now. Thanks for the help!