05.10.2008, 17:44
UPDATE - Message slightly edited (I was frustrated and tipsy last night! I should never post on a forum in that condition :oops: )
My career finally started to track progress. Couldn't tell you why. ?
hock:
Using 4.08m MOD base resources
Darwin Map (which does NOT require 4.09mb1 ??)
A campaign for the MOD and Darwin map.
My pilot career will not "update".
There are 4 files.sfs variations; no more, no less. I know I've read on the forum that people are confused by all the different MOD 4.09 versions...
4.08m
4.08m MOD
4.09m B1 (1C)
4.09m B1 (MOD)
The Darwin custom map does not "depend" upon 4.09m B1 (MOD) files, regardless of what the author says (not sure why its stated that 4.09bm1 MOD is stated as being required). Even it if did, mg_snd* files would not be necessary; and I've already tested this under "strict" 4.09m B1 il2_core*.* files.
In either case, I can't get my "pilot" user to update the missions flown in the Darwin campaign:
740_US-Darwin-1942.zip
In all cases there is only one wrapper.dll and only one MOD il2fb.exe.
I usually can create a MOD installation that is 75% smaller in file size than is available on this site. I'm curious why the MOD community is making this harder than it truly needs to be.
1.: The /MODS/ folder structure is a good thing.
2.: The /Files/ folder structure should be abandoned; even if it means breaking deprecated older MODs. There's an easy way to move forward with old support (ZZ*.* folder structure in the ./MODS/ location).
In all cases this is true (as far as I have been able to tell after analysing what the MODs do):
Sound Mod is mutually exclusive to any other "MOD" of IL2. A Mod is a way to unlock (decrypt) game resources. Why people assume that a sound mod is required is beyond me. (e.g. IL2 War)
MOD Activator is redundant and unnecessary. An installer can be created to provide a user a baseline choice of where they'd like to go:
4.08m MOD
4.08m Official
4.09m B1 "Official"
4.09m B1 "MOD"
etc.
The documenation of MOD files is far more confusing than nessary.
All Aircraft, Decryption files are the baseline of any of the current Modifications.
button*.*, il2fb.exe, files.sfs (version specific), (+ officially released 4.08m or 4.09mB1 resources), wrapper.dll, and ./MODS/*.* files are all that are necessary to make any version of a MOD work. Why a smaller, friendlier "unified" installer has NOT been created is strange. There is far too much duplication in the architecture of MODIFIED files.
I've created a 100MB installation with uninstaller of the 2.7+ baseline of any IL2 mod.
In addition, I've proven that most Map addons never need to require 4.09* core files.
Appending the all.ini structure is a necessary evil. However, we've dealt with this ala Flight Simulator scenery.cfg files and aircraft.cfg files.
Appending other files for statics, chiefs, etc., with mods for ships/objects is also necessary; if resources can be aliased into a central array, the need for end-user modificaiton could be mitigated (however, more MOD folks would need to work together for a standardized "taxonomy").
I'm equally impressed, appreciative, and concerned about the future of the MOD community. I dunno. Sorry for the "holier" than thou tone of this post; it's not meant to be that way... I just wish there was a cleaner way to deploy the MOD without using "dumbfire" SFX RAR files (there is, but I wish AAA would use it!
)
My career finally started to track progress. Couldn't tell you why. ?
hock: Using 4.08m MOD base resources
Darwin Map (which does NOT require 4.09mb1 ??)
A campaign for the MOD and Darwin map.
My pilot career will not "update".
There are 4 files.sfs variations; no more, no less. I know I've read on the forum that people are confused by all the different MOD 4.09 versions...
4.08m
4.08m MOD
4.09m B1 (1C)
4.09m B1 (MOD)
The Darwin custom map does not "depend" upon 4.09m B1 (MOD) files, regardless of what the author says (not sure why its stated that 4.09bm1 MOD is stated as being required). Even it if did, mg_snd* files would not be necessary; and I've already tested this under "strict" 4.09m B1 il2_core*.* files.
In either case, I can't get my "pilot" user to update the missions flown in the Darwin campaign:
740_US-Darwin-1942.zip
In all cases there is only one wrapper.dll and only one MOD il2fb.exe.
I usually can create a MOD installation that is 75% smaller in file size than is available on this site. I'm curious why the MOD community is making this harder than it truly needs to be.
1.: The /MODS/ folder structure is a good thing.
2.: The /Files/ folder structure should be abandoned; even if it means breaking deprecated older MODs. There's an easy way to move forward with old support (ZZ*.* folder structure in the ./MODS/ location).
In all cases this is true (as far as I have been able to tell after analysing what the MODs do):
Sound Mod is mutually exclusive to any other "MOD" of IL2. A Mod is a way to unlock (decrypt) game resources. Why people assume that a sound mod is required is beyond me. (e.g. IL2 War)
MOD Activator is redundant and unnecessary. An installer can be created to provide a user a baseline choice of where they'd like to go:
4.08m MOD
4.08m Official
4.09m B1 "Official"
4.09m B1 "MOD"
etc.
The documenation of MOD files is far more confusing than nessary.
All Aircraft, Decryption files are the baseline of any of the current Modifications.
button*.*, il2fb.exe, files.sfs (version specific), (+ officially released 4.08m or 4.09mB1 resources), wrapper.dll, and ./MODS/*.* files are all that are necessary to make any version of a MOD work. Why a smaller, friendlier "unified" installer has NOT been created is strange. There is far too much duplication in the architecture of MODIFIED files.
I've created a 100MB installation with uninstaller of the 2.7+ baseline of any IL2 mod.
In addition, I've proven that most Map addons never need to require 4.09* core files.
Appending the all.ini structure is a necessary evil. However, we've dealt with this ala Flight Simulator scenery.cfg files and aircraft.cfg files.
Appending other files for statics, chiefs, etc., with mods for ships/objects is also necessary; if resources can be aliased into a central array, the need for end-user modificaiton could be mitigated (however, more MOD folks would need to work together for a standardized "taxonomy").
I'm equally impressed, appreciative, and concerned about the future of the MOD community. I dunno. Sorry for the "holier" than thou tone of this post; it's not meant to be that way... I just wish there was a cleaner way to deploy the MOD without using "dumbfire" SFX RAR files (there is, but I wish AAA would use it!
)