Where exactly do MOD files/folders go?

[greymist]

Hi

I Have recently downloaded all of the vbros MODS as well as a variety of factions. I have always assumed that the files and folders within these MODS get installed in the same (matching) folders within the game. For example, files within the "maps" folder in vbros get installed into the "maps" folder of MG, "factions" go into the "factions" folder of MG, "techs" into the "techs" folder, etc.

However, in doing it this way I am sometimes getting errors that a certain file or folder cannot be found, leading me to believe that I've somehow put certain files/folders in the MOD into the wrong folder(s) of MG. Where exactly does everything get installed?.

Also, there are places to select all sorts of techs, factions, tilesets and maps on the main screen but how do I set it up so that everything matches and goes together so that the game is balanced and so that the right map is used with the right tileset, factions, etc?. This doesn't seem to be done automatically or maybe I'm just not doing it right.

Thanks!.

- GM

[wyvern]

It depends what you have but if you just have say v bros pack 1 you take all of its scenarios and copy it into the scenario folder in glest, you copy all of the maps into the map folder, and all of the tilesets into the tileset folder, then you go into the tech folder and just copy v-bros pack there complete with resources, factions and everything, you don't put the factions in the factions folder in the megapack because the factions nee different resources/requirements only found in V-bros pack, its really easy.
If you just want to copy a single faction, elves for example, in just take the faction and copy it into the folder, however elves need a special resource(tree I think) that is included in the download, just copy that to the resource folder in the megapack, I'm not sure what you mean about the last question though so please clarify

[softcoder]

For Mega-Glest, the "right" way would be:

edit glest.ini (and specify where you want to store your user created content):

UserData_Root=mydata/

then in that folder (in this example the mydata subfolder under glest):

create the folders:

maps,tilesets,techs,tutorials,scenarios

then place your user created content in the proper folders (the folder name should make the content obvious)

[greymist]

Very helpful, thanks .

[wyvern]

Yer welcome though I'm not sure who that was meant for

[greymist]

It was meant for both of you. I found both of your replies very useful

- GM

Yer welcome though I'm not sure who that was meant for

[wyvern]

Ok if theres anything else you need advice on just say so

[ultifd]

For Mega-Glest, the "right" way would be:

edit glest.ini (and specify where you want to store your user created content):

UserData_Root=mydata/

Oh, we need to do that? I just usually move it to new folders where my "data" is stored...
oh well.  

[softcoder]

By keeping the "released" data seperate from user created "unoffical" data you have less risk to problems when playing networked games since network games go a CRC check on every file used and someone editing a file will ruin the game.

[ultifd]

By keeping the "released" data seperate from user created "unoffical" data you have less risk to problems when playing networked games since network games go a CRC check on every file used and someone editing a file will ruin the game.

I see, well I'll start now with that "good practice"...  
Thanks for the tip.
EDIT: Although with each new "version" it gets overwritten...so why? store a backup? 

[softcoder]

When a release has "offifical" changes yes the data is over-written. The point here is to keep clients in synch with each other and not havr user edits all over the place, thus creating problems for network play. The regular mega-glest folders should be left alone to the releases while the user data area, do as you wish

[tomreyn]

Ah that's very nice. I think it could be even better to enforce which files the game will consider to be safe by making the game not load any data files found in its own data directories other than those referenced in a signature/checksum based whitelist file. I would recommend for such a signature file to be plain text and thus easily editable, though, so that whoever knows what they are doing are still able to add legitimate data files to the 'official' game data. For improved performance, a precompiled cached copy of the signature file could be used by the game when starting up as long as this precompiled copy matches the contents of the whitelist (which could be checked on startup by a separate file signature on the whitelist file, as contained in the precompiled copy).

[ElimiNator]

Well yah, like they said.