I decided to take a break from modding and mapping for a day, and am making a Mod Installer.

What will it do?

It will allow you to create a single installer file, containing you mod/map.

It will auto detect local mod folders and the cod game folder, although these can be overridden if needed.

It will allow you to install files into the local mods folder as well as the main game folder.

It will install shortcuts for the mod and readme (if included).

What does it look like?

Here's the installer...



Here's the installer maker...



The GUI is fully customizable, from the banner right down to the button captions.

I need to do a bit more testing and add some more error checking, but I will be looking for volunteers to help test it.

Thoughts, suggestions and questions are welcome.

Looks Great and a nice idea. I was thinking of writing something in vb to install the mod tools for people. Maybe you could incorporate it into this?

Finally I can stop answering questions which always result in someone not putting the map in the correct folder!

Will this be auto updating a main mod.arena file so that all installed mod levels will show up in game in the same mod? ( that what people seem to be after right now)

(basically check the folder names of installed mods and generate a mod.arena file with all the folder names is all folders replacing the mod.arena in all folders)

so:
mod.arena

{
map "mak"
longname "MENU_LEVEL_MAK"
gametype "cmp arc"
}
{
map "pel1"
longname "MENU_LEVEL_PEL1"
gametype "cmp arc"
}

You install a new mod.. and in that mods/foldername it generates and overwrites the current mod.arena to become:

{
map "mak"
longname "MENU_LEVEL_MAK"
gametype "cmp arc"
}
{
map "pel1"
longname "MENU_LEVEL_PEL1"
gametype "cmp arc"
}
{
map "foldername_ofinstalledmod"
longname "foldername_ofinstalledmod"
gametype "zom" (dunno how you would check the gts maybe just include all)
}

Just an idea



edited on Jan. 4, 2009 02:00 pm by techno2sl

techno2sl writes...

The problem is that people are releasing maps as mods, just so that the string references show up properly. There was mention of a better way of doing it, but I am not sure how. Currently it involves compiling the mapstable.csv file into you mod.ff file. Anyway I think it would be possible to update the arena file, providing you could get the map name and long map name.

I think (and hope) that in the next patch Treyarch will make it easier for us to add custom maps. I am pretty sure they have more zombie maps in the works (there are several files in the mod tools that suggest they were working on other zombie maps)

It's another reason why I am holding off releasing my map ( a zombie version of payload), although it's pretty much ready to go.

Just thought of something extra. At the moment I have to tell people to place loading videos (video that plays when you load a SP map) in a separate directory. Could you incorporate it into this program so that it does it for you?

yourmapname_load.bik

or

nazi_zombie_yourmapname_load.bik

Are files that need to be distributed to other folders. And the desired location is: codwaw/main/video

(Have not found a way of distributing them/having them work in the documents and settings dir.)

They are often just placed in the levels folder name for distribution, reading: levelname/main/video. Although sometimes in the .iwd.

Pointy writes...

Dont ever think that the existence of files in a game ever suggests that a studio is still working on things. All they suggest is that they started to develop something, and then abandoned it. COD4 had loads of such files in its raw dump that never made the release and also never made a patch.

As for patches and Treyarch, my sources (pretty reliable) tell me the total budget Activision has allocated to patch COD5 post release is less than one quarter that COD4 had allocated to it. COD4 got 7 patches, so divide that by 4 and you get 1.75 - so that's 2 patches. We've had 1.1. That leaves 1.2 and then that's it!

With COD6 MW2 by IW slated to hit the shelves in November 2009, I can see the logic in that. However, if something isnt fixed in 1.2, it will never get fixed. And with the state the mods/mapping directory setup is in, I dont hold out much hope of even half the problems being addressed.

They say its not over till the Fat Lady sings. I dont know about you, but I hear her warming up right now.

Tally writes...
Didn't your pretty reliable sources say IW-402 was stepping down and resigning, and even posted it in the community as breaking news heard first by you, AFAIK he still works there and plans on doing so.

I guess the source isn't that reliable, so people should wait to see what happens with patch support themselves.

edited on Jan. 5, 2009 12:49 pm by SparkyMcSparks

techno2sl writes...

I had this in mind, hence note 3 in my first post...

It will allow you to install files into the local mods folder as well as the main game folder.



I guess I am ever hopefull having being spoilt by Terarch/Grey Matter in the past. They did map packs for RTCW and UO.

SparkyMcSparks writes...

Actually, Sherlock, what I said was I had heard he would be leaving in Easter 2009. As far as my reckoning takes me, we are not at Easter yet. So, the fact that he is still there is nothing in and of itself.

IW have recruited a PR Manager. I dont know if the job is still advertised on the IW site, but it was. Seems to me, that if they are advertising a PR's job, that corroberates what I had heard.

Tally writes...
So Tally, if what you're saying is to be believed, I guess I'm making my map for COD 6.