What is it with ArmA 2 mods and their readmes?

[Flogger23m 2]

I am wondering why ArmA 2 mods tend to have the worse installation directions, Readmes, and most confusing installation instructions for just about any game? Time and time again I download an ArmA 2 mod, only for the directions to be incomplete, entirely incorrect, or simply not there. I really have a hard time believing how terrible some of these directions are, and I've download mods for plenty of other games. I tend to spend more time figuring out how to install the mods than I do playing them. Why don't the modders follow a basic installation style/trend so we can install the mods even when the readme files are not included?

For example, I recently downloaded the map Lingorv 13. The readme claims the following:

INSTALLATION NOTES

==================

Requirements: You need to have Arma 2 and Arrowhead addon combined with it. Make sure you're using the latest official patch for both games.

Client (Player)

===============

1. Unpack folder @lingor to your ArmA2 root folder.

2. Unpack MDB_Buildings2 pbo and its .bisign file to @lingor\addons (you don't need EU folder)

3. Unpack ibr_plants.pbo and its .bisgin file to @lingor\addons folder

Then you have two options:

a) run game and under Expansions menu enable folder @lingor, click OK and restart game.

b) or just run game with -mod=@lingor parameter.

Island will then appear in map list and is ready for use.

Dedicated server

================

Admins can grab server keys if they are running a signed server.

Two very IMPORTANT notes:

=========================

-> Berghoff's vegetation is v1.24t2 and is already included in @lingor\addons folder. It is a special optimised version.

-> Be sure to delete any previous versions prior to the installation! Check other mod folders for duplicate pbos and bisign files.

IMPORTANT: See readme_lingor.txt for full info!

The parts in bold make absolutely zero sense as the files were not included in the download file, nor can they be found anywhere in my ArmA 2/OA install. The Readme clearly states the only two requirements to run are owning ArmA 2 and Arrowhead/Combined Operations with the latest official patch, which I have. So where the hell are we supposed to find these extra files? It would have been nice if they included a download link, or even a hint at where they can be found.

Why not finish the download file or at least make the readme make some sense? What is the point of releasing the mod aside from wasting people's bandwidth and time? :confused: I know mods are free, but I just fail to see the point in making a mod and then making the directions incomplete resulting in what I will assume most people unable to play them.

If this is off topic then feel free to move it to the most appropriate forum.

[metalcraze 290]

When you download a mod from somewhere that somewhere has links to additional mods required.

Everything goes into Addons\ folder - what's not to understand?

[tom3kb 15]

Yeah, its all clear to me to :) and to almost all who plays Bi games [installation and metod of running mods is the same from 10 years now -mod=@mod;@mod2 etc]

If you install one mod/campaign/mission or addon you will know how to install all of them.

[[aps]gnat 28]

You start PAYING for these mods, then maybe we'll start writing fool-proof readme's ;)

[[frl]myke 14]

Maybe it's also a "user issue" which can't follow even simplest instructions. At least on IceBreakr's official page aswell as on armaholic those "bits in bold" are listed as required addons, including hyperlink to download them.

I guess every addonmaker will now be very sorry for not taking you by your hand like a 4 year old boy and guiding you through the internetz.

As soon as you upgrade to Brain 3.1 and carefully read instructions (not only readme, also release posts) i bet 5 cent that those instructions will make suddenly some sense to you.

It's all written there, no one but yourself just have to read it.

:EDITH:

@Gnat

Quote (unknown origin): "Make something idiot-proof and someone will invent a better idiot."

[ProfTournesol 956]

Maybe you could write (or review) readmes for them and so be productive ?

[vilas 477]

o h g o d

cod public bought arma?

demanding, demanding, zero own creativity , unable to find folder,

not only getting stuff for free, but also demanding from freeware

[ceeeb 147]

I strongly agree with the original post. I have downloaded so many pbo files in a zip without any means of identification other that the pbo filename... To think people spend days/weeks/months making a mission or addon then release it without bothering to spend an hour making a decent readme file just seems idiotic to me...

In an attempt at improving the situation, I recently created both mission and addon readme templates on the biki. Feel free to improve.

[Undeceived 392]

I also agree.

If someone adds a readme, add it the way that it is comprehensible. There always are people who don't know things that 10 years-veterans know. And this has nothing to do with demanding COD players, etc.

It also is important to keep the readmes up to date when new versions are uploaded. :)

[vilas 477]

I strongly agree with the original post. I have downloaded so many pbo files in a zip without any means of identification other that the pbo filename... To think people spend days/weeks/months making a mission or addon then release it without bothering to spend an hour making a decent readme file just seems idiotic to me...

In an attempt at improving the situation, I recently created both mission and addon readme templates on the biki. Feel free to improve.

if you have many free time, you can also help doing readmes for addonmakers, mod , hmm ?

maybe you have time to do BIKI for mods hmm ?

do you think that addonmaker who spends all his free time (sometimes only free time he has , cause we are not kids, we have families, job, problems) on making models, configs, textures - has this one hour more ?

i prefer spending one hour on better model of element or better texture than readmes, classnames etc.

cause for example biki with pictures, PDF readme like CSLA has , it is few weeks of work

do you want good PDF file or another tank or another 3 rifles ???

if you have free time, go ahead, i need help

[igneous01 19]

I agree to some extent about readme's being somewhat vague at times. Its not really an issue for me though, however, I really dont like it when a weapon pack or new vehicle/unit doesn't have its classnames listed inside the read me (which thankfully doesnt happen often) but when it does, its frustrating having to generate copytoclipboard commands for all the new addon objects.

[Craig_VG 20]

I really dont like it when a weapon pack or new vehicle/unit doesn't have its classnames listed inside the read me (which thankfully doesnt happen often) but when it does, its frustrating having to generate copytoclipboard commands for all the new addon objects.

Agreed, but then I'll just crack open the config and look for them there. Again, doesn't happen often.

About the readme issue:

In the beginning I was a little confused, but caught on quickly. The basic rule is: Make an @folder, make an addons folder. Dump everything into the addons folder. If there are keys, do the same for keys. Rinse Repeat. Play.

But yeah, these people put a lot of work into their addons. They are free. They can do what they want. Sure, 'noobs' would appreciate it more, but they will learn as we all had to at some point. :D

[Undeceived 392]

if you have many free time, you can also help doing readmes for addonmakers, mod , hmm ?

maybe you have time to do BIKI for mods hmm ?

do you think that addonmaker who spends all his free time (sometimes only free time he has , cause we are not kids, we have families, job, problems) on making models, configs, textures - has this one hour more ?

i prefer spending one hour on better model of element or better texture than readmes, classnames etc.

cause for example biki with pictures, PDF readme like CSLA has , it is few weeks of work

do you want good PDF file or another tank or another 3 rifles ???

if you have free time, go ahead, i need help

If someone adds something, he should do it right. This counts for the .pbo as well as for the readme.

If there is no time for a proper readme, it should not be included.

But that's just my opinion. :)

[Flogger23m 2]

Agreed, but then I'll just crack open the config and look for them there. Again, doesn't happen often.

About the readme issue:

In the beginning I was a little confused, but caught on quickly. The basic rule is: Make an @folder, make an addons folder. Dump everything into the addons folder. If there are keys, do the same for keys. Rinse Repeat. Play.

Sadly this does not work for most of the mods. It seems simple enough. Most of the mods even point directly to the following link:

http://www.armaholic.com/plug.php?e=faq&q=18

Which again, sadly is insufficient to make half of the mods work that claim these are the only requirements. I have a decent selection of mods that do have proper readmes and I have installed them successfully via Option 2, but half of the mods require more. And they don't even claim what else needs to be done.

Another example is the PLA mod. Placed the @vme_pla folder where the rest of my mod folders are in the ArmA 2 directory, added it to the shortcut. Moved the bikey file into the Keys folder with the rest of the mod bikey files. I am assuming this is all I have to do, since there is no Readme included in the download and the instrucitons on Armaholic point to the link above. It does not show up at all in game, not even in the expansion menu. What else needs to be done? What other files do I need? I'll probably never know. A readme file would've helped!

do you want good PDF file or another tank or another 3 rifles ???

if you have free time, go ahead, i need help

Does it really take that long to create a .txt file and type out what is needed to be done? I'd think it wouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes. If you can 3D model and texture a tank or three rifles in that amount of time I would be impressed. :)

Myke;2093387']Maybe it's also a "user issue" which can't follow even simplest instructions. At least on IceBreakr's official page aswell as on armaholic those "bits in bold" are listed as required addons' date=' including hyperlink to download them.

I guess every addonmaker will now be very sorry for not taking you by your hand like a 4 year old boy and guiding you through the internetz.

As soon as you upgrade to Brain 3.1 and carefully read instructions (not only readme, also release posts) i bet 5 cent that those instructions will make suddenly some sense to you.

It's all written there, no one but yourself just have to read it.

[/quote']

Its all there - we have to follow 5 page forum threads, find multiple websites, sign onto their Twitter account in addition to reading the Readme file to get some instructions. Or how about including the full directions in the readme or at the least all of the directions in a single place? :omg: A nice concept isn't it?

o h g o d

cod public bought arma?

demanding, demanding, zero own creativity , unable to find folder,

not only getting stuff for free, but also demanding from freeware

Are you implying ArmA is a difficult, hard core game? Because it isn't. The only hard part is making AI infantry walk across a 20 foot thick bridge rather than having them swim in the water. Or having AI vehicles not get lost or stuck in the most simple of waypoints. I think you get my point. :p A real sophisticated game would be Lock On, DCS or Rise of Flight.

[max power 21]

Are you implying ArmA is a difficult, hard core game? Because it isn't. The only hard part is making AI infantry walk across a 20 foot thick bridge rather than having them swim in the water. Or having AI vehicles not get lost or stuck in the most simple of waypoints. I think you get my point. :p A real sophisticated game would be Lock On, DCS or Rise of Flight.

No. He's implying that users that complain about readmes can do hard working mod devs a solid and either shut up, figure out how mods work, and put up with the bad readme; or offer some kind of assistance instead of making threads barking about it. He's saying that when you complain about all of the things you get for free you look like the user he is describing:

demanding, demanding, zero own creativity , unable to find folder,

not only getting stuff for free, but also demanding from freeware

How you got anything about the complexity of ArmA's simulation out of what he was saying is beyond me.

Personally I think bug reports and suggestions are useful but blanket threads making a big deal about readmes is more likely to cause mod devs to instantly pass you over than to inspire them to listen to you.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Max Power

[ChiefBoatsRet 10]

Seems simple to me. If you don't like how it's been done, don't use it. Make your own, properly done to your own high standards

[Flogger23m 2]

No. He's implying that users that complain about readmes can do hard working mod devs a solid and either shut up, figure out how mods work, and put up with the bad readme; or offer some kind of assistance instead of making threads barking about it. He's saying that when you complain about all of the things you get for free you look like the user he is describing:

How you got anything about the complexity of ArmA's simulation out of what he was saying is beyond me.

Personally I think bug reports and suggestions are useful but blanket threads making a big deal about readmes is more likely to cause mod devs to instantly pass you over than to inspire them to listen to you.

That was not his intended point. It was pretty clear what he meant by "the o h g o d cod public bought arma?" comment - if you can not decipher vague readmes like proper elite ArmA modders then you should stick to simple games like Call of Duty which feature no mods. I just pointed out that ArmA is not that complex in the first place, the only complex part is getting the game to function as advertised.

A blanket statement was needed as I can not remember all of the mods with poor readmes, or even the ones that worked. I do have a few mods that installed flawlessly such as the French/Czech mod I have installed now. It is not much of an issue for me, as I only wasted 30 minutes trying to get the PLA mod to install. Though I can see it being an issue for those with a slow internet and download caps.

[[frl]myke 14]

Its all there - we have to follow 5 page forum threads, find multiple websites, sign onto their Twitter account in addition to reading the Readme file to get some instructions. Or how about including the full directions in the readme or at the least all of the directions in a single place? :omg: A nice concept isn't it?

Hmmm...the download pages i've linked all contain a section which lists the "required addons" including direct links to download them. Then the Lingor readme (which is referenced in this thread) says where to put the files required. I don't really know how this could be simpler.

No need to "follow 5 page forum threads", simply read the page where you're downloading it.

This makes it one page to read (not searching, as you obviously already found it to download Lingor) and one readme.

[bars91 956]

30 minutes to figure out mod install? Smells like trolling to me - it took me less than 10 back in the good ol' OFP to figure it out once(on my own - did not even know of any OFP forums, just pure readme) - then it was just a matter of repeating the procedure(and still is) and I was a "CoD kid" back then)))

[rye1 22]

30 minutes to figure out mod install? Smells like trolling to me - it took me less than 10 back in the good ol' OFP to figure it out once(on my own - did not even know of any OFP forums, just pure readme) - then it was just a matter of repeating the procedure(and still is) and I was a "CoD kid" back then)))

When I first started it took me 2 days.

In the Arma 2 directory you should have:

@mod

Mods always have @ infront of them

within that addons folder

within that bisigns and pbos

If require other addons = download them.

Goodnight!

[[aps]gnat 28]

Sorry Flogger, you're not doing yourselve any favours here.

One, your WAY off with what Vilas said, the rest of us can see it, and Two, your now referencing the PLA mod ..... which is probably the worst example, as it was never designed for the english speaking community ...... just try and find any of their mod team interacting with any of the english ArmA sites or forums with anything more than "hello".

Not that I'll let that deter me from trying the mod. I'll ask for help and provide assistance before I'll whinge about it.

As already suggest, find the author (thread) and post some improvement suggestions instead.

[katipo66 94]

The thing i like detailed in the read me's are classnames... With classnames readily available I'm able to enjoy a mod much more easily when using with mission scripts such as DAC etc.