There is a lot of directories that a user has to navigate through in order to install your mod.

You can have them bypass this problem by putting directory files in your zip archives! If you put directories in your archive, all the end user has to do is put the zip in the root folder and extract it from there. You don't have to worry about files unrelated to your mod, because as long as they are not mentioned in your archive, they will be ignored completely by the archive manager. (At least that is how 7zip operates...)

The free program 7zip can be easily used to make archive directories.

Note that the following is what I find to be the most hassle free method of doing this in 7zip.

Step 1:
Tell 7zip to add this txt file to archive!


Step 2:
Name the new archive what you want your mod to be identified as (I.E. "more sex banter.zip", "titty-fuck expansion.zip", "More BDSM furniture.zip" or whatever a good name would be.)

Step 3:
Copy the relevant portion of the folder's address bar and tell the 7zip file manager to "create folder" and paste that directory into the create folder dialog box.


Step 4:
Within the 7zip file manager, go to the end(s) of the directory that you've just created and drag and drop the relevant files into them.

(If 7zip goes you an error, simply close down 7zip completely and try again.)

Step 5:
If the resulting zip file is less than 2 megabytes, you can upload it the forum without problem. If it's larger than that, you'll have to host it remote through what ever means are available to you.

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I ask that all modders use the same common root folder for your archives to be extracted from.
I have chosen "XStoryPlayer 3\pack" as the common root folder for now, but if there is a better folder than that, now would be the time to suggest it.

If that files contain only text, maybe a diff would suit better. So more mods can be applied to one file via a merge and the filesize is also smaller. Someone can release a source patch like it is done in linux kernel dev...

Yes, I included a diff with my conversation fixes. The problem is that it's harder to install. While it's no big deal for modders to get whatever tool is needed to create their mods, requiring users to get those tools is less than optimal. That said, diff files should be included so that other modders can work together easily.

You still have to go about unpacking the .BINs though, right?

Right. The text files have to exist in order to change them, of course. And you can't have a folder with just the changed files, unless there's some way to reference files in other bins.

In that case, I'm going to see if I can't go about making a simple program in C++ to allow easy unpacking/repacking, so we don't have to explain to every non-code-savvy user about what block comments are and how to remove the right ones to make the whole thing work.

Excellent plan.

This is great. I'm no coder, this will be extremely helpful when i get the game.

I'm working on something like this right now, only I'm using VB, not C++.... ....

We'll see who gets it out first I guess ....

Sorry for perhaps stupid question - but i do not own v3 yet.
Why does filemaker need things to be commented out? Has the filemaker a config file? Does it really need that config?
You could simply pass the args to the tool via a bash script and do not use that config at all... e.g. filemaker.exe -x blabla.bin -o ../pack/blablafolder
This way a extra programm is not needed, instead use a script or an common installer. With an installer you could also read the registry and pinpoint to correct install path.

The installer stub sources could be distributed as part of the "gamemod easy creation kit" (GECK) on the forum because the process is always the same.