A packaging overview & tutorial video...

Nimugp said:
What is not completly clear to me is wether you have to download a 'Mod' in order to join a server??? What I mean is, if you have all the needed components, can you join a server, or do you have to download a mod file pointing to those components?

PS: I hope my question is clear, I was struggling a bit to find the right words :p
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If I understand correctly you will need a mod file. It seems like the idea is that virtual mod files will be used for easy validation. If you are familiar with programming it will be a checksum of sorts. I think the "best" way (using what I understand from ISI's updates) it seems to use separate cars and tracks so that everything is independent and a virtual mod to make sure you have what is necessary for online play. That's how I'm hoping to do it. I hope that this becomes the "popular" option as it would allow for the easiest way to "bundle" content loosely.
 
That would still require a number of those virtual mods to be exchanged as you would need the exact one the server is running to join it. It's the obvious way to handle things as they probably stand right now, I agree, but it doesn't work around all the issues we're thinking of.

I'm sure this is one area that will be explored in-depth during the beta.
 
Am I right when I say that the 'virtual' mod is just a .txt file of a couple of kb's which you will download from the server and which validates Mods IDs? I mean, when auto-download is enabled for those 'virtual' mods it is finished in a blink of an eye. And what about those 'virtual' mods? Are they showing for example in the mod manager? If so, you will have hundreds of mods with basically the same content, only for different servers, after a year of playing rF2..

When the 'virtual' mod ID validation is only 'under the hood' you won't notice the extra step at all, when already owning the needed content ofcourse.

So IMO this isn't a big problem at all, as long it is under the hood.

I hope I understood everything right.
 
SO there is essentiallay a shift in terminoligy, rather than refering to mods, we will be refering to components, and there will be an unlimited number of 'mods' from every joe bloe who feels they want to put out some combination together.

As of this point forward, anyone who considered themselves a 'modder', is now a 'componentor'.
 
Probably a bit premature but out of curiosity will there be an rF2 Lite at all? If so, would one still be able to redirect the installations to use a separate locations directory?

Thanks for all the work put into rF2, I am sure it will be one for the books.
 
dv8r said:
SO there is essentiallay a shift in terminoligy, rather than refering to mods, we will be refering to components, and there will be an unlimited number of 'mods' from every joe bloe who feels they want to put out some combination together.

As of this point forward, anyone who considered themselves a 'modder', is now a 'componentor'.
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If you want to think of it like that. But then again, any Joe blow that releases "mods" like that would have minimal respect from the community. I would say there are modders and packagers. If you are releasing real content you are still a modder but if you are just packaging things together then I'd consider you just that, a "Packager".

I think the new system will allow components weather tracks, cars, etc to be easily loaded and playable; which is what we all want, right? I think the virtual mod concept works really well for leagues or such so that you can update the virtual mod and as the players to grab just the new track and go. Seems really straight forward to me.

Granted, I know that as it stands it offers modders very little "protection" from rippers (At this stage) but like I said, It's a small community and once someone were to get blackballed I don't think they'd be welcome back again. It's a new mentality for sure (modders/packagers) but I think that it is an improvement for the long run.
 
sway said:
I think the new system will allow components weather tracks, cars, etc to be easily loaded and playable.
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tbh i dont see how it will be easier...as i understand it you might have all the cars and tracks required to enter a room but without the correct "id" you cant join...so then you have to go searching the net for the correct one (as there are no downloads thru matchmaker)...

i could be wrong but to me it seems its just moved the goalposts except now you wont be able to join a room (and mismatch) to ask someone in chat where to go to get correct content :confused:
 
Jim Beam said:
tbh i dont see how it will be easier...as i understand it you might have all the cars and tracks required to enter a room but without the correct "id" you cant join...so then you have to go searching the net for the correct one (as there are no downloads thru matchmaker)...
Click to expand...

This ultimately depends on how it's implemented and I hate to say it, but we'll just have to wait and see. ;)

-Sway
 
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Junebug said:
Probably a bit premature but out of curiosity will there be an rF2 Lite at all? If so, would one still be able to redirect the installations to use a separate locations directory?
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No, you have one install. The thing is, you don't need lite installs like with rF1 - you won't have a league-modified version of a track that needs to be in a separate install from the original for them to both work, for example. You'd have the original, plus a 'modifier', and a couple of small .rfmod files that identify each. You can join a room with the original, or join a room with the modified, and the game will just use the appropriate content (and .rfmod) automatically.

The only question mark left in this area is how it will perform with literally thousands of mods and tracks - but because it works from single-file content packages, it should be much much faster than rF1 was.
 
can this be changed manually to somewhere not on c: drive?

Notes:
By default, the packages directory is located at /My Documents/rFactor2/Packages/ and you may wish to include the /My Documents/rFactor2/ directory in your regular backup schedule.
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Do I understand correctly that there will be no "loose files" in vehicle directories anymore? Only mas or rfmod files? So, if for rF1 I did a tool that loaded .xml log file from a race and based on it "pulled" corresponding info from vehicle .ini files (tires, engine, pitstop data, etc) - this will not be possible with rF2?
 
Lazza said:
No, you have one install. The thing is, you don't need lite installs like with rF1 - you won't have a league-modified version of a track that needs to be in a separate install from the original for them to both work, for example. You'd have the original, plus a 'modifier', and a couple of small .rfmod files that identify each. You can join a room with the original, or join a room with the modified, and the game will just use the appropriate content (and .rfmod) automatically.

The only question mark left in this area is how it will perform with literally thousands of mods and tracks - but because it works from single-file content packages, it should be much much faster than rF1 was.
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I use different installs in rF1 to seperate settings for say formula cars (paddle shift, low steering wheel rotation, other buttons etc.) and historic racing (h-shifter, 900 degrees steering).

How do I do this in rF2 in the best way? I rather just have one install of course :)
 
MS7XWDC said:
what about permitting custom CAM files or liveries or sounds online ?
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Yeah, we're talking about opening up a few of these things. We had to "lock" everything down to conform to the new packaging system, and then we'll go through and see what we can open up and how. We'll be adding support for user-made car skins soon, for example (not sure exactly when, but it's on the way for sure)
 
Local mod (in ModDev folder) needs .mft file in Manifests folder?

And, I often changed sound volume in sfx file at rFactor1.
Because sound volume of some mods had case where they are very different.
In rfactor2, can I do same thing to installed mod?
Does rfactor2 read the files in ModDev folder that has same relative path with the files in Installed folder?
(Of course, the files about physics should be ignored.)
 
Scott Juliano said:
We had to "lock" everything down to conform to the new packaging system, and then we'll go through and see what we can open up and how.
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Please consider opening up some generic textures.
Clouds, raindrops, fire, smoke, etc.

The more moddability the better.
 
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