I'd like to play "a naive modder comes by" role here.
Let's take my situation: I'm coding an NPC mod, I don't use a MODDER flag in the final version of the product, and I place all journal entries into Setup-MyMod.tra(starting with @10000), so all entries from MyNPC25J, MyNPCQuest and MyNPCBanter go there.
1) Will the player get any warnings?
2) When I debug this mod with the latest Weidu and MODDER flag, will I get any warnings? (Assuming I just use MODDER, and no other extensions).
1) Not unless either they add manually MODDER to their local tp2, or they're reinstalling Xan via stack uninstall from another mod which was shipped with MODDER. Situation A is impossible for any player who might get scared by the warnings, and situation B is the fault of a third party (like the ubiquitous DEITM049.ITM).
2) Using MODDER and no other extensions, you get warnings. Note that in 202 would completely fail your mod's installation using MODDER in the given scenario. Basically, using just MODDER will give you all warnings, but none of them is installation-stopping.
For case 2, here is my usual self-excusation diagram to explain why modder-only changes aren't as bad as cryptic warnings to a player.
a) A really Naive Modder doesn't discover modding, much less can find MODDER.
b) Our Naive Modder hits a PARSE error (or equivalent everyday mini-bug) or can't find out how to compile his D file and says "fuck this, let's mod the Sims instead". This modder is lost before MODDER comes into play.
c) ONM doesn't ever find out about MODDER.
d) ONM hits a PARSE error and reads the WeiDU readme. He then reads a tutorial for creating a tp2. He reads a "CMorgan praises Bigg" post and picks up MODDER. Once he sees a "reference from setup.tra" warning, he reads the MODDER explaination and finds out he called a file MyNPCBB.TRA rather than MyNPCB.TRA. Bugs are avoided.
e) ONM hits a PARSE error and asks on a forum for help. He then asks a question whose answer is "create a tp2". He asks "why is my .tra file ignored?" and is introduced to MODDER. Somebody explains him where the file name typo. Bugs are avoided, <modding celebrity> receives ten points of Karma.
f) ONM is a genius and wrote a PARSE-free mod on the first try. He then decides to stick MODDER there (without actually reading on the README that such a thing exists, or how it works), sees a "reference from setup.tra" warning and says "ARE YOU TREATING ME LIKE AN IDIOT?
!?!?!?!??!?!11 LETS MOD HALO!!!!!11111!!!!!!!!111111".
Clearly, save case f, no modders are inconvenienced in a way they weren't before. I'm pretty sure there aren't many f-type modders around here, and even then we're better off without another "allirPM".reverse() clone.
Ok, then how about:
Note that, when using WARN, even a false positive may trigger the INSTALLED WITH WARNINGS message.
Incorrect, since false positives do not trigger INSTALLED WITH WARNINGS. Perhaps I should simply remove that block of text.