Designers and players: how to package and install scenarios

[Tamas]

File Installation

Note that you MUST work within 'Documents/My Games/The Operational Art of War IV'. If you attempt to work within 'Program Files/...', installation will not function properly.

Place the scenario file [the file with the .sce extension] and any document type file [if one is included] in the Scenario Folder of your choice.

If the zipped file contains a folder with the scenario name, go to 'The Operational Art of War IV' directory and place it in the 'Graphics Override' folder.

If the zipped file contains files in addition to the scenario and text files, go to 'The Operational Art of War IV' directory and open the 'Graphics Override' folder. Create a new folder called 'Name of Scenario' [must read EXACTLY as the Scenario Name]. Place the additional files into the folder you just created.

If the zipped file contains a 'Graphics' folder, go to 'The Operational Art of War IV' directory and open the 'Graphics Override' folder. Create a new folder called 'Name of Scenario' [must read EXACTLY as the Scenario Name]. Place the contents of the 'Graphics' folder into the folder you just created.

Please remember, you MUST work within 'Documents/My Games/The Operational Art of War IV', NOT within 'Program Files/...' in order for these additions/changes to function properly.

[Tamas]

I have updated the information in the first post with sPzAbt653's much better version of it.

[Shadrach]

Could we please request that designers create their packages with already made folders, allowing the user to just unzip the file into the "My Games\The Operational Art of War IV" folder?

Requiring the user to create folders in different locations and making sure they have the exact name and putting the right file in the right place etc etc. Some people handle it fine, others don't.

It's not really hard to create a proper folder structure in the zip file, and it will save others time and confusion. I think the 7z GUI allows you to create folders and move files within an archive. Or you can create it on disk first and just zip the whole folder. Does anyone even use the Winzip GUI any more? I think the same applies there.

Example:

Code: Select all

 Remagen.zip\Install.txt                                 
 Remagen.zip\Scenarios                                   
 Remagen.zip\Scenarios\WW II - West Front                
 Remagen.zip\Scenarios\WW II - West Front\Remagen.bmp    
 Remagen.zip\Scenarios\WW II - West Front\Remagen.sce    
 Remagen.zip\Graphics Override                           
 Remagen.zip\Graphics Override\Remagen                   
 Remagen.zip\Graphics Override\Remagen\Remagen.eqp       
 

I think will make the whole process more streamlined - hell if done properly one can even automate it and offer scenarios on Steam Workshop when that times comes [:)]

[sPzAbt653]

I agree with your complaint, but not so much with your solution. The reason is that new folks don't know what to do with anything, regardless if its in a folder or not. The instructions in Post #1 cover all possibilities that I have seen from several different designers. Doing it once and for the first time is not going to be easy for anyone.

Here is the simple physical procedure:
1. Download the file.
2. Unzip it to Desktop.
3. Cut the .sce file and any documentation from the Desktop to the Scenario Folder of your choice.
4. While there Copy the Scenario Name.
5. Go to 'Documents/My Games/The Operational Art of War IV/'Graphics Override' and create a new folder.
6. Name the new folder by Pasting in the Scenario Name that you copied in step 4.
Now Cut any Graphics Files and Paste them into the folder you created in step 5.

This takes very little time to do [way less than it took to type it out].

[Shadrach]

Sure, new folks will always make errors, but thing is, I don't think any amount of guides will ever stop that. I mean I work in IT and read the guide but was still able to screw up the process... [8|]

I think it's better to keep the process as simple as it can possibly be. My main point is that it's better to leave the complexities of this to the designer, so the responsibility of creating a working scenario package rests with them, not the individual user.

"Take packed file X and unzip in directory Y" is about as simple as it can be done. If it then doesn't work, either the user chose the wrong directory, and will know better next time, or it was packed wrongly by the designer.

It also gives the designer the power to choose what time-period to place the scenario in (the user will not always know this), or even create their own "time periods" if this is possible, and have all their scenarios in one place.

If the user is faced with a long list of files not knowing what to do with them, they will get confused and mess it up no matter how detailed the instructions are.

[sPzAbt653]

If the user is faced with a long list of files not knowing what to do with them,

Well, that is why the instructions are there. Also, designers are a herd of cats, and getting them all to do the same thing for anything is difficult to impossible. Remember, we are all volunteers with our own OCD Brains. If you are telling me to go back and repack my scenarios ...

I don't see where we have experienced many problems with this in these first few days. More folks seem to not be able to change directories on the second screen [X(]

[sPzAbt653]

Here is an example of the contents of a zipped scenario folder. I think this is the best it can get, what do you think?

We can ask everybody to do it like this, if they already don't. Everybody can use the same install instructions, as I think they cover everything.

[Shadrach]

Well, I just think it would be good to have some basic "best practices" for how scenarios or mods are packed. At least this is the way I'm used to with other games where mods have files spread over different folders, instead of users having to manually copying files and inevitably getting it wrong.

Of course no-one can force designers to do anything any different than what they want - as long as they at the least include an install.txt file with instructions.

The picture above is good too of course, at least the user won't have to manually create the folders, just copy the folders into Graphics Override and the sce/bmp or rest of files into Scenarios. Can scenarios be copied directly into the root of the folder or do they have to be in one of the time-period folders?

[sPzAbt653]

The picture above is good

Ok thanks, we can ask that it is done this way.

The scenarios must be placed in a folder. You can make your own folder to place them in. It is actually a good idea to make your own folder, so that you know if something is from an official Matrix release or not. Makes it better when complaining [;)]

[Shadrach]

Yes - but once you've created those folders, why not also just create another folder for the sce files and tell the user to plop that into the Scenarios folder [:D]

See, we're already halfway there [8D]

[piotre]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

I agree with your complaint, but not so much with your solution. The reason is that new folks don't know what to do with anything, regardless if its in a folder or not. The instructions in Post #1 cover all possibilities that I have seen from several different designers. Doing it once and for the first time is not going to be easy for anyone.

Here is the simple physical procedure:
1. Download the file.
2. Unzip it to Desktop.
3. Cut the .sce file and any documentation from the Desktop to the Scenario Folder of your choice.
4. While there Copy the Scenario Name.
5. Go to 'Documents/My Games/The Operational Art of War IV/'Graphics Override' and create a new folder.
6. Name the new folder by Pasting in the Scenario Name that you copied in step 4.
Now Cut any Graphics Files and Paste them into the folder you created in step 5.

This takes very little time to do [way less than it took to type it out].

Thank you for the clarification.
But where does the .eqp file go (if there is one)?
And where does the .bmp file with the same name of the scenario go? Even though it's a graphics file, shouldn't it go in the same directory as the .sce file?
Ah, so many questions... [;)]

[sPzAbt653]

ORIGINAL: Shadrach
Yes - but once you've created those folders, why not also just create another folder for the sce files and tell the user to plop that into the Scenarios folder [:D]
See, we're already halfway there [8D]

The Scenario and Documentation files will not be read if they are in a folder.

[sPzAbt653]

Hi piotre - All the answers are in the first post. Those instructions handle everything. The steps you see in Post #4 are the routine that you will follow when following the instructions, I was just showing how easy it is to do [easy for me to say, I know!]. But if you follow those instructions it is easy. Don't be like me and skip steps, read thru it quickly, assume you know better, etc.

[piotre]

Roger Wilco [:D]

It's just that putting the .eqp file in a "Graphics Override" folder seemed wrong, and the .bmp file with the same name as the scenario is found in the same folder as the .sce file in the scenarios that come with the game.

So yeah, this seemed counterintuitive, at leat based on my TOAW III experience.

But doing as you suggest everything works fine, so I'll just adapt, I guess [;)]

[sPzAbt653]

Don't be like me and skip steps, read thru it quickly, assume you know better, etc.

I have learned it the hard way, and now it is my mission on Earth to save all others from being tortured by themselves ! [;)]

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Shadrach
If the user is faced with a long list of files not knowing what to do with them, they will get confused and mess it up no matter how detailed the instructions are.

Wouldn't it be better to use "installer" type programs to do these updates, etc.

[Shadrach]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson
Wouldn't it be better to use "installer" type programs to do these updates, etc.

Absolutely - there are probably free software to make installers out there, but it requires a bit of tech knowledge to script where the files are to be placed.

However, if the designer packages the scenario in such a way that it could be just unzipped in the "My Games\The Operational Art of War IV" directory, they can use for instance 7zip to create a self-extracting exe archive. Just tell the user to point the installer to the correct directory.

I think if designers did this it would be a lot less instructions than them having to manually copy files into various directories. But again, this is just my 2€.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Shadrach

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson
Wouldn't it be better to use "installer" type programs to do these updates, etc.

Absolutely - there are probably free software to make installers out there, but it requires a bit of tech knowledge to script where the files are to be placed.

However, if the designer packages the scenario in such a way that it could be just unzipped in the "My Games\The Operational Art of War IV" directory, they can use for instance 7zip to create a self-extracting exe archive. Just tell the user to point the installer to the correct directory.

I think if designers did this it would be a lot less instructions than them having to manually copy files into various directories. But again, this is just my 2€.

I agree with all that. Just point the extraction to the right folder and turn it on. That's the computer literate way.

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

I agree with your complaint, but not so much with your solution. The reason is that new folks don't know what to do with anything, regardless if its in a folder or not. The instructions in Post #1 cover all possibilities that I have seen from several different designers. Doing it once and for the first time is not going to be easy for anyone.

Here is the simple physical procedure:
1. Download the file.
2. Unzip it to Desktop.
3. Cut the .sce file and any documentation from the Desktop to the Scenario Folder of your choice.
4. While there Copy the Scenario Name.
5. Go to 'Documents/My Games/The Operational Art of War IV/'Graphics Override' and create a new folder.
6. Name the new folder by Pasting in the Scenario Name that you copied in step 4.
Now Cut any Graphics Files and Paste them into the folder you created in step 5.

This takes very little time to do [way less than it took to type it out].

I am a part time modder and I've owned this series for many years but I still can't get the latest version of Directive 21 to run.

I own the Steam version and there is a Custom Graphics folder but no Graphics Override folder. Do I create a new folder or use the custome one?
Also, the mod Zip includes a .DS_Store file which nobody seems to have mentioned here. Where does that go?

Of course a standard folder structure is required. Without that, this is a joke page that only a tiny number of hardcore players will use.

[sPzAbt653]

I own the Steam version

[:-]