Gothic3 Starter =BETA=

[rockfest]

Hello
Since Gothic3 was released and the modding area for the english community will probably have a big part along with the german one i developed a starter for Gothic3.
It is important to understand that at the moment the starter is at the BETA stage. During this stage alot of changes will prbably be made based on your input and feedback. I'm waiting for bug reports, suggestions or any improvement you have in mind. This is the thread to submit this data.

Description
The starter at is basis works the same as the previous starters for G1 and G2 developed by Nico. However taking advantage of the new way that Gothic3 gathers it's resources the most important change is the fact that we can play more than one mod at the same time.

The starter will have to be installed in the main folder of Gothic3 in order to work and it uses the .NET framework 2.0
There are 2 versions of installation (with and without the .net framework included).

Basic usage
Without any doubt starting Gothic3 with the selected mods is easy as eating chinese food with chopsticks (just kidding).
The only thing required to do in order to play Gothic3 modifications is to open Gothic3 Starter, select from the list the desired modification(s) and press Start Game.

Features
Some of the features for users

• Auto-detection of present modification(s)
• Auto-saving and loading selected modification(s) for each time you open the Starter
• Simple tool design
• Auto-saving of current modifications and their files during run-time in the case of system failure or Windows crash
• Multi-mod play at once

Some of the features for developers

• Simple files layout for modifications
• Link, thumbnail image, description and a configuration file are available to customize on how the mod appears in the starter.
• No worries for how your pak files are managed by the game. The starter takes care of that.

Unknown behiavour
The multi-mod feature has a drawback on how modifications will work. Since at runtime only one version of a raw file (i.e image file) will work (it's simple physics : 2 different objects can't be at the same place in the same time) a possibility of conflict between 2 modifications can exist.
But the solution to this problem is simple : don't play modifications at the same time that share the same files.

This drawback exists and i failed to implement a system to avoid this. I'm opened at any suggestions.

Another unknown area for me is the saving system. As far as i was told the game will probably not load a save that belongs to a mod wich is not loaded with the starter.

Requirements
As it said in the ReadMe you will need Gothic3 to be installed and the .NET framework 2.0

There are 2 versions of the installer for G3 Starter, one included with the .net framework (~25 Mb) and one without the .net framework (~2 Mb).
You need to have the .net framework installed or the starter will not work.
It is your choice how you install it (either download it directly from Microsoft or download the installer version included with it).

For developers
The structure of files for a modification has to be like this :
Bold = folder
italic = file
*Modification name* = The name of the main folder for the modification will be the name that will appear in the Starter.
*raw n.pak* = raw pak files belonging to the mod. If you use another extension the starter will still use the file but it will generate a warning in it's log.
Description.rtf = Rich Text File for the description that will appear in the starter
general.ini = Configuration file. At the moment it only has 3 valid settings in it (author - the team or person who made the modification, link_text - the text for the link that appears in the starter, link_url - URL address of the link that appears in the starter)
Thumb.jpg - Image that appears in the starter. Recomended width-height : 200x150 px, jpg format.

• *Modification name*
  • Files
    • *raw 1.pak*
    • *raw 2.pak*
    • *raw n.pak*
  • Description.rtf
  • general.ini
  • Thumb.jpg

Known ToDo
Clean up the code, improve some functions and create a multi-language system.

Download locations
You can find both versions of the installer on the wog.com page (link that follows)
Also the installer includes a few gui tweak mods by default.
Download @ wog.com

Thanks to WernerTWC and mistress_larisa for the feedback given during the development of the starter. Most of the features wouldn't had pop up in my mind if it wouldn't have been for them.

[Larisa]

Some ideas:
A bigger X close button. It's very small right now, but, if there will be a skin, maybe that can corect it.

"As far as i was told the game will probably not load a save that belongs to a mod wich is not loaded with the starter."

Some other mods/starters have the same drawback. But I think it applies only to mods that change the world/quests. Not to those about interface.

"Recomended width-height : 200x150 px, jpg format"

What happens if I put a bigger one?

"Most of the features wouldn't had pop up in my mind"

With the right hammer at the right time, sure they've would.

[rockfest]

A bigger X close button. It's very small right now, but, if there will be a skin, maybe that can corect it.

Annoying no? I feel the same way. i just chosed a default skin for it an apply some colors. I haven't managed to make changes and i didn't even intended but i think that x button will be made bigger.

What happens if I put a bigger one?

It would just cut down a portion of it (from the lower side i think) till it reaches the max width-height.

With the right hammer at the right time, sure they've would.

maybe, but i doubt it. A sledgehammer might have been needed

[Lazor]

VERY GOOD WORK ROCKFEST!!! . Can you also insert the autumn pacK??

[rockfest]

Zitat von Lazor VERY GOOD WORK ROCKFEST!!! . Can you also insert the autumn pacK??

It's not my job. The one who made it should do it

edit:
Download @ wog.com

[Snoop_dg]

A starter allready . geez . The game has been realesed 3 months ago and we allready have a starter . Well thys could only mean that the moding teams are gathering and the moding begins soon . Cool but still I only played Gothic 3 once so da hell with the mods , let me explore the world more

[rekinu]

Good Job rockfest !

It works now with the .Net framework

[NicoDE]

Thanks for providing a cool starter for Gothic 3
A standard for fan-made modifications is born. Let's hope that the existing mods will be repackaged for your starter in the near future


Best regards,
Nico

ps: one little thing, the icon of the desktop link was wrong (there is no [g3]\Gothic3.ico in my system?)

[rockfest]

ps: one little thing, the icon of the desktop link was wrong (there is no [g3]\Gothic3.ico in my system?)

Ahh yes, i forgot to pack the icon too. Well, first mistake spotted. I'm sure more will come But ...

The game has been realesed 3 months ago and we allready have a starter

I realise it's very early for such a tool to appear.
However, small mods and most important GUI mods already appeared wich can use this tool to play them efficiently without increasing the number of pak's to p99 until big mods appear. And besides that i will have time to improve it in time.

ohh and thank you all for the best whishes

edit:
@Nico
Btw, i hope you don't mind if i inspired myself from your ReadMe's. The first time i wrote one and it seemed harder than the developing itself.

[NicoDE]

Zitat von rockfest Btw, i hope you don't mind if i inspired myself from your ReadMe's. The first time i wrote one and it seemed harder than the developing itself.

Don't care
Usually one needs 20% of the time to make it work, and 80% to make it work for the average Windows user

[rockfest]

Zitat von NicoDE Don't care Usually one needs 20% of the time to make it work, and 80% to make it work for the average Windows user

Hehe, very true.
And another thing about Readme's that i won't forget is

Zitat von Nico the average Windows user doesn't care about the ReadMe

Still, it has to be done. The hardest part was to write a disclaimer or license or something. Didn't knew if it's really a standard template somewhere so i just had to write one from reading others. Or maybe i'm giving too much importance than i should.

[diego_pmc]

i have a problem with my diego's old characteristics mod
th thumb dosan't appar in g3 starter. it is .jpg, it is 200x150 size, but still nothing-and also i would have like it more if it wouldn't have had any mods in it right from the start

[rockfest]

Zitat von diego_pmc i have a problem with my diego's old characteristics mod th thumb dosan't appar in g3 starter. it is .jpg, it is 200x150 size, but still nothing-and also i would have like it more if it wouldn't have had any mods in it right from the start

1. Make sure it's Thumb.jpg not thumb.jpg or jpeg and something like that. These file names will be case insesitive in the next version.
2. There will be that version released when the official release will be done of v1.0 of the starter(hope to finish it next week).

[diego_pmc]

Zitat von rockfest 1. Make sure it's Thumb.jpg not thumb.jpg or jpeg and something like that. These file names will be case insesitive in the next version.

ya those are correct-I copy/pasted another thum from another mod to see if it works, and it didn't work this time eighter-guess it means the files are wrong or something, but all the other features work with no problem-could someone try my mod to see if the thumb appears in their starter?

[WernerTWC]

Zitat von diego_pmc ya those are correct-I copy/pasted another thum from another mod to see if it works, and it didn't work this time eighter-guess it means the files are wrong or something, but all the other features work with no problem-could someone try my mod to see if the thumb appears in their starter?

Your Thumb has 200x188 it's too big + the filename is wrong, even the .jpg ending seems case sensetive, you have .JPG change that to .jpg

[rockfest]

Zitat von WernerTWC Your Thumb has 200x188 it's too big + the filename is wrong, even the .jpg ending seems case sensetive, you have .JPG change that to .jpg

*g* now that's what i call a total conflict

Anyway, even if the resolution is different, at least a part of the image should appear. And yeah..i did screwed up that thing with filenames(why did i even used caps for the first letters i don't know ). Anyway, these things won't be a problem in the next version.

[diego_pmc]

Zitat von WernerTWC Your Thumb has 200x188 it's too big

on the link i posted yes, but last night I modified the size so that i'd try to fix it-anyway why didn't it work even when i used another thumb fro another mod to see if it works-and at it's original mod it worked, but at mine it didn't that's really confusing

[harhar!]

when will the next gothic3 starter will be released?

[rockfest]

Zitat von Orkelite-Killer when will the next gothic3 starter will be released?

In a few days. Can't say for sure cause i have to take my driver's license, i just started a job and the vacation from the faculty is over. my free time has really decreased.
But i don't have long, most of the features have been rewritten without .net, without it the starter is more efficient and i just have to rewrite some other parts of it and it will be released

[harhar!]

Zitat von rockfest In a few days. Can't say for sure cause i have to take my driver's license, i just started a job and the vacation from the faculty is over. my free time has really decreased. But i don't have long, most of the features have been rewritten without .net, without it the starter is more efficient and i just have to rewrite some other parts of it and it will be released

i hope you fixed the bug i had^^
i wrote it in a pm^^