sparhawk on 22/3/2005 at 09:44
Quote Posted by Kingers
[sparhawk]You will only have a large download if you don't have the 20 MB Framework and chances are you will already have it through WindowsUpdate or if you don't you should get it because there are loads of great tools built on the Solid Foundation of .NET.
I sure don't plan to get it unless it is absolutely neccessary and I don't install software just because it has some great tools as the only reason.
Quote:
As for a TDM plugin I don't really see the need, DOOM 3 already supports a simple MOD manager and I think its enough for the moment however when TDM comes closer to release I can re-evaluate Shadow for TDM integration.
The mod manager is for mods. TDM is a mod, but inside this mod we will have the need to install individual FMs, as we sure don't shouldn't distribute the full mod for each individual FM. TDM is already about 90MB if compressed at full level.
Since you are writing this app from scratch it would be better to plan this interface already as we can work out the specs. If you hardcode stuff into your app and later is demand for other features it is much more effort to do it then. Unless you want to say flat out that you don't want to support TDM at all, in which case we can develop our own solution anyway. Just want to know.
Kingers on 22/3/2005 at 10:16
I can integrate it, just need to add a small function to manage pk4s as opposed to zip or 7z.
Kingers on 22/3/2005 at 10:43
Small Update: The rating system has been implemented in addition to the finished checkbox. I have also posted a more update to date screenshot:
Inline Image:
http://www.zen57823.zen.co.uk/Shadow.pngsparhawk on 22/3/2005 at 10:51
Quote Posted by Kingers
I can integrate it, just need to add a small function to manage pk4s as opposed to zip or 7z.
pk4 are normal zip files. So that is no problem. I was thinking more of the datafiles and how they have to be copied in. D3 uses an entirely different setup then TDS does. So if this can be abstracted instead on relying on a particular setup, this will help to integrate other things as well. This way it would also be easy to add support for T1/T2 as well, without any overhead.
sparhawk on 22/3/2005 at 10:53
One thing that is missing in the screenshot. Please add also the filename (including path?) in the list, and it would be nice to add an icon as well. If you abstract the installation procedure as I suggested above, there should be some way to distinguish which game this FM is for and this is easy to add at this stage. :)
And is it possible to also display a screenshot that the FM author can provide? Not really a pressing feature, but it might nice to have this. You can add a key in the description file and load and display the image if it is present.
Kingers on 22/3/2005 at 12:12
I know pk4s are zips I meant as you said, the file structure.
Darkloader does not store filenames either it displays the title of the FM in the FM list and I think its a lot better to look at the FM title than a list of files with confusing titles e.g. FMGatheringV1Alpha15/06/03.zip to "Gathering at The Bar, Alpha (15/06/2003)" however I might extend it so that you can view the complete filename using a tooltip when hovering over an FM.
The user can include a screenshot inside the RTF briefing as RTF supports images so I won't implement that. As for icons for the files, since they are all for TDS at the moment I don't see the need, at least for this stage since it just adds to the loading times which I am trying to avoid. When the future bits come along then it will be time to re-evaluate this decision.
epithumia on 22/3/2005 at 14:19
I would ask that mission info files be in HTML and not RTF. I have to convert every RTF file to HTML anyway, and since there's no Windows crap in sight on the machines that host thiefmissions.com this just becomes an annoying pain.
dracflamloc on 22/3/2005 at 14:30
I haven't heard anything about consolidating the effort from you. At least tell me if you are going to use a .INI structure (which is what i plan on), and tell me the variable names you will use. It will be useless to have two different FM formats for people to worry about.
epithumia on 22/3/2005 at 14:35
I'm only going to host missions in a single format. If it comes down to it, I'll either decline to host anything until there's agreement on a common format or I'll just pick one.
Kingers on 22/3/2005 at 15:16
Consolidation here we come... :cheeky:
two files: header.ini, brief.rtf. The format is as so for header.ini
Code:
//==========================================
// SHADOW - THIEF: DEADLY SHADOWS FM HEADER
//==========================================
[MissionTitle]
A Fan Mission
[Features]
Custom Map
Custom Textures
... many further lines
Brief.rtf does not require any discussion because an RTF is an RTF.
[epithumia] I sympathise with your problems, I hate converting to! :bored: its just that HTML creates to many issues such as:
1. Many separate files for the briefing (HTML, CSS, JPEG) etc.
2. It many not run correctly depending upon if it was built for say FireFox over IE.
3. There are security issues to consider when dealing with HTML while there are no immediate issues for RTF.
4. Only one file is required and thus the loading period for the briefing is much shorter.
I think the more security concious members will agree that this is so and would prefer a safer option. RTF is the most open and secure platform I can think of other than perhaps PDF but that would require additional coding.
Hope we can resolve this as hosts are just as important as the app itself. :erm:
