Packaging a mod, Editing Game.exe Options

[Altzan]

Ok, I have a mod and I want to package it. ScrinHack and I use it to play LAN games for fun, not as a contest (we like to mess around with pimped-out units ) so it's not really a mod per se... but we are annoyed with having to switch the ini's around between my mod and Origional rules.
So, I read the tutorial on editing Game.exe, followed it and...fail. It runs, yes, but plays origional rules.

So here's my failing procedure.
I have the typical INI files that are in a mod:

CODE

AI.ini
Art.ini
BattleFS.ini
Firestrm.ini
Rules.ini
Sound01.ini
Theme.ini
ArtFS.ini

I put these within a MIX entitled LANMOD02.mix using MIX editor. I copied Game.exe, renamed it to LANMOD.exe, used HDD Hex Editor to change [ EXPAND ] to [ LANMOD ]. Saved it, then ran it.

So, can anyone see flaws in my procedure?

PS How many instances of [ EXPAND ] must be changed in the .exe? Must I change ECACHE even if there are none?

This post has been edited by Altzan: Dec 21 2007, 02:54 AM

[SeekSomethingNew]

Err... Try renaming your Rules.ini aswell.

Also, Only rename EXPAND%02d.MIX, EXPAND01.MIX is for Firestorm.

[Team Black]

It's possible you either forgot to save, or you might be using the original game.exe by accident (I've done that a few times,, )

[Altzan]

Err... Try renaming your Rules.ini aswell.

Also, Only rename EXPAND%02d.MIX, EXPAND01.MIX is for Firestorm.

What do you mean by "rename Rules.ini"?

And I did the other thing, Firestorm units work now but origional rules are still here.
If I point it to LANMOD02.mix instead of Expand01.mix, will I have to make sure all of the files in Expand01.mix are on LANMOD02.mix as well? Or do I only need to put in my 8 INI's?

[SeekSomethingNew]

You sir, are making no sense...

[Team Black]

some ini files can't be read from within 'expand##.mix' files IIRC, which is why they're usually included separately.. correct me if I'm wrong

[SeekSomethingNew]

INIs are global i think, but its best to put them in ECache.

[Altzan]

What I'm trying to say is, if I point the exe to my custom mix, does it only need my mod ini's to work?
Or does it need all the files from the origional expand?
I tried looking at the ROTD mix's for inspiration, but they contain more than just ini's. I'm going to send a message to the deeloper of ROTD for help.

[SeekSomethingNew]

Arf, why cant people make more sense 0_o

Look, if you rename Expand%02d.mix to OMGLuL%02d.mix, the game will read OMGLuL%02d.mix instead of Expand%02d.mix. Now, the same goes for INI's. If you want to put your custom INI's in OMGLuL%02d.mix, then the game will read them fine, taking assure that you dont have copy's in the current directory.

[ORCACommander]

Arf, why cant people make more sense 0_o

Look, if you rename Expand%02d.mix to OMGLuL%02d.mix, the game will read OMGLuL%02d.mix instead of Expand%02d.mix. Now, the same goes for INI's. If you want to put your custom INI's in OMGLuL%02d.mix, then the game will read them fine, taking assure that you dont have copy's in the current directory.

hyper here is correct. another possibility is that you forgot to pack the mix file you put the inis in. The game engine oesn't consider and uncompressed mixed file as legit mix file

[SeekSomethingNew]

Mix Files are uncompressed to begin with

There is a compression flag in the file header, it just seems Olaf didn't use it.

[Altzan]

Arf, why cant people make more sense 0_o

Look, if you rename Expand%02d.mix to OMGLuL%02d.mix, the game will read OMGLuL%02d.mix instead of Expand%02d.mix. Now, the same goes for INI's. If you want to put your custom INI's in OMGLuL%02d.mix, then the game will read them fine, taking assure that you dont have copy's in the current directory.

That is exactly what I did, and it runs TS with origional rules. Even with no ini's in TS directory.

[SeekSomethingNew]

Erm, if you changed Rules.ini to something else, then the game will and not the standard rules in the shop files. your messing something up...