To Mod or not to Mod...? Created 18 years ago2006-01-21 21:28:04 UTC by darkphoenix_68

I am almost ready to release my latest HLDM map, and I'm wondering what the consensus is: is it better to release it as a standalone BSP file + the graphics for the environment map, or as a Custom game minimod?

Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages.

If I take the minimod approach, I can separate the graphics out into its own WAD file (this level uses a LOT of custom graphics) and I can set it up so my sand sounds like sand. And I can keep the extra files required all neatly bundled together. It would be a further saving if I ever do another map in this "series", since I can then make use of the same WAD file...

But on the downside, if somebody has their own set of player models (and possibly other customisations), they lose them when playing a custom game -- unless they copy them across to the custom game directory.

What do you guys think?

What're you daft? Releasing a multiplayer map as a minimod? No.

Just set up a .res file telling the server what people need. Gosh.

Im geussing he dosnt knows how.

tut link anyone?

screw that! use -wadinclude !

http://collective.valve-erc.com/index.php?doc=1015283010-58181000

VERC for tut goodness

hehehehe

I'm guessing that's a "no" to the minimod then? :

FWIW, I do "know how" (whatever that actually refers to.) I know how to set up a minimod (more or less; I've been nutting that one out over the last couple of weeks.) I think I know how to set up a .RES file, based on the few that I have on my machine already - although, admittedly, I've only recently learned what they were for because in the past my maps've never needed one. I know how to wadinclude; it's the reason my BSP file is 11Mb (and only zips down to 5Mb). ;)

Thanks anyway...

What I don't know is how to make my* custom sand texture sound different, when walked upon, from my custom wood texture, or my custom stone texture - without setting up a minimod or asking people to screw with their valvesoundmaterials.txt file. Obviously polluting the valve directory with my* environment map is not a big issue - but making changes to files which most people will still have locked inside their PAK file? That's not a good thing. Is there some way I can get a .RES file to do this instead?

I guess, though, the answer is that the cons outweigh the pros when releasing a DM map for general use -- but there's nothing to stop me from setting up my own for in-house use.

• And when I say "my", I didn't create the textures I'm using. Maps I can build; textures I can't...

I think not, sadly. Custom footsteps are just not available for multiplayer maps.

Custom footsteps are just not available for multiplayer maps.

... and that's what killing me (for extremely low values of "kill", obviously ;-)). Because they are available if you set up a minimod.

Anyway, thanks for your input. I think my best bet is to release the map standalone (with .RES file, obviously, to ensure the correct environment map is used ;-)) and set up a minimod customised for all my maps for my own use...

Cheers,
Pete.

Unless you want to start a whole new type of gameplay, creating a deathmatch map as a minimod isn't worth the extra accurateness in footstep sounds and such.
As for 11 MB of textures? Why did you need that much?

Someone did this, though, but that's more because his level idea featured some interesting trap designs that wouldn't be possible without some changes to the game-code. You may want to check it out: Apotheosis.

It's only - what's the limit? 4Mb? - of textures (slightly less; I'm at about 92% at the moment, although I have run into the MAX_MIP_TEX compile error a time or two.)

I started playing with a set of Egyptian textures (by "Sock") that I got from WadFather. In many ways the texture set helped influence the design. I've potentially only used a quarter of the textures (I hopefully haven't fallen into crappy texturing habits) but I still approached the limit...

Of course, if 4Mb is textures, that means it's still 7Mb of architexture...

You can up the texture limit depending on your audience. I think pretty much everyone has at least 16MiB o' graphics card memory now.

Don't be so sure!
My computer can hardly run GTA3 and since I got this new screen I can't play Hl1 in OpenGL.

Use this parameter to increase textute memory:

-texdata 8192

Apply on all tools!

I want to play those 7 mb of architecture! Estimated time of release?

@Elon: I find it hard to beleive that a screen would determine the ability to use opengl. A screen can actually limit the output resolution of the gfx card, but I didnt know it could affect the way things are rendered...

It can't.

Elon, if you can run GTA3, you have more than 16MiB o' video RAM.

ETA? Soonish. Probably another couple of weeks, at least. I need to have a playtest or two with my testers, and I need to put a little thought into resolving the issue I'm discussing here. And I've currently got it set up so half the level is locked off until at least five people enter the level -- but I think I need to add some sort of back door switch for people wanting to explore the full thing. And then I need to get the documentation up to scratch...

... and not much of that will be happening THIS weekend.



So, "soonish"!

Edit:

Thankyou all for your input into my question. I have a pretty good idea now of how I'm going to handle the issue -- by having my cake and eating it too. (A phrase which never made much sense to me, but hey, you use whatever's available... ;-))

For those of you wondering when this level will be released, I've probably just added a week or two to my estimate of "soonish" -- but my new journal entry explains it all.

Cheers,
Pete.