Creating a Mod

[ClaytoniousRex]

Instead of hacking files right in your installation's \data directory, it's better to create an actual "mod" and do your modifications in the mod. This has huge benefits:

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• You don't muck up your original data files.</font>
• You can switch between your mod(s) and the base game just by using the GUI instead of copying a mess of hacked files all over your hard drive</font>
• Players who see your server in the lobby can see that you're running a mod, and can see what the mod is called, etc.</font>

To create a mod, first create a new directory under the "Mods" subdirectory of your DropTeam installation. Name this directory with the name of your mod (e.g. "Lethal"). Create another subdirectory beneath your mod directory called "data". Put a file called Description.txt in there with a description of your mod. Now this mod will appear in the list of mods on the "Mod" tab in the DropTeam lobby when you run the game. You can select your mod for standalone games or you can run your server with this mod using the mod command line argument.

When the mod is selected, any data files in this new data directory will override those in the base data directory. For example, if you want to make a more lethal 120mm AP round, then you could copy 120mmAP.physicalobjectgroup from the base \data directory into your mod's \data directory then modify values within the file. Now when your server runs under the "Lethal" mod, this new 120mm AP round will be used instead of the base one. The same goes for Inventory.xml or any other kind of data files that are loaded at runtime.

[poesel]

Whats the current status of using mods? You state in the changelog that the server won't crash anymore if you have different inventory lists.

What happens now if the server has mod A but the client hasn't? What if client chooses B and server has no mod at all?

I'll ask because I have made a mod in the past but that was very unsuccessful because halve of the players didn't notice that this was a modded server and connected anyway.

[yurch]

I use a mod of various graphical changes, and play with it regularly. I can connect to servers without problem, unless I go 'too far' with stuff outside what could be accepted mere client mods - such as adding weapons or objects to thor. Then it will crash if I forget to turn the mod off.

I don't know if the opposite (server having mod, plain client) will cause crashes, but there is sure to be some odd behavior.

If things stay this way, it may be possible to keep out the 'riffraff' without the mod by changing the inventory around so he'd need your inventory.XML to even spawn - be an easy way to send home the message that he needs extra files.