game mods loader

[technician]

I am aware that (as of now) the warzone game doesn't have a GUI for loading mods. Currently, those who use mods in singleplayer will often have to remove mods to play multiplayer, so that they are compatible with the game. To do this, one must close warzone, and rearrange their mods/autoload folder.

What I am suggesting is that warzone could include an in game GUI for loading/unloading mods to start off with. Also, mods should be handled the same way as maps (eg if you don't have a map for an mp game, warzone will download it, and the right map for the game is automatically loaded when you join). This would keep the mods concept simple for people who just want to play warzone

[Frogmorton]

I was thinking the same thing, but what are the basic requirements?

I would imagine file system access could be replaced with a virtual file system layer, which provides only the files the user has enabled.

Also, would it be useful to implement some kind of metadata for mods so they could identify dependencies on other files to auto include, or can this already be determined?

[Jorzi]

I think the main problem is that the current menu system is too much a part of the main game executable rather than a launcher platform. This is a known problem and a natural consequence of warzone being an old game (no HTML5 interfaces back then).
The problem is being worked on, however, and people have been discussing various solutions for renewing the interface in general

[Iluvalar]

No Jorzi. The problem is NOT being worked on obviously. The day a developper will want to fix it, he will copy the map menu function, find the already planned button in the gui and will make a little space for it, will add the mod in the map transfert protocol and will make sure it is loaded in proper order.

It won't take 3 months and the entire dev pool for that. If one dev is very slow, he might take a second evening for this but we are more likely to get that the day someone will care about making that possible.


Addenda : The guy who know how to make the menu might not be the one who know how the mod load. We might get it even faster if they were talking to each other.

[stiv]

Actually, there are people working on program launchers and mod loaders.

If you have some changes you want to make to the game code, we love to get patches!

[Frogmorton]

Actually, there are people working on program launchers and mod loaders.

If you have some changes you want to make to the game code, we love to get patches!

I have considered a number of UI improvements for wz2100 over the years, but lack knowledge of how these are formed, restrictions, existing plans etc. So getting familiar with the source control and recent changes would prolly be of great value. Just curious at this stage, but I have found instructions on accessing the repository, but is there any general advice someplace on the best/preferred options for O/S, IDE, compilers etc?

I mean, I have VS2013, and I have a shiny new install of Debian jessie, and I am happy using either, but are there any handicaps with either decision? Prolly I would go with QT5 on Debian, if I were to get back into C++, but what would you recommend?