A reference recording was made with modded files loaded

Symptoms

A recording meant as ground truth shows changed text on screen (POD's lap counter read "MOD 1/3" instead of "Tour 1/3"). Or nothing shows, but another session was testing mods in the same emulator.

Cause

The game reads files from its install folder before the CD (POD: Directory in Ubi.ini first, FUN_0047ba70). A session testing mods put changed files there and restarted the game. Our recorder joined its races. Some mods changed only text and textures; later ones changed the car's grip, which changes the physics and every lap time.

Evidence

The HUD in the recorder's screenshots; then the mods session's notes. Its grip-95 runs had the same best laps as our two recordings (2'33"38 and 2'37"39), which showed that both had the disc's physics.

What to do

Before recording a reference, check that no modded file is loaded: list the install folder's data directory (C:\POD\Data must not exist for POD) or compare the files the game opens with the disc. ./gameframe run modfolder list INSTALL_DIR says whether a mod it installed is in place. Record the state in the recording's notes. In a shared emulator, ask the other sessions first and keep a note of who is using it (emulock.py take gf-vm --who SESSION --why "reference recording"). Re-record when in doubt. POD's reference race beltane-3 was recorded after the mods were cleared.