When does a mission become a mod?

[EO 11277]

I want to garner some opinions on this so please hear me out...I'm currently making a mission, my first for quite a while, and while i'm having much fun bringing all the elements together, I'm beginning to wonder at what point does a mission become a modification....

Spoiler

Making missions in Eden really gives us the opportunity to be our own mini film company, everything from the setting through to lighting, weather, even sound design. I'm guessing when we undertake a mission we want the end user to see it as we, the mission maker, wanted it to be seen. 

So as we build we add, and the formula seems to be, if we choose too, we can take other mods and make them requirements, now this is fine when those other mods are for example gear or weapon packs, then the end user has no choice but to download these mods in order to play the mission.

Therein lies my own dilemma...

What if the mission maker wants to add mods that are config edits, some of these kinds of mods don't create dependency when creating a mission and are therefore not a requirement when finally saved and exported, so in theory the end user could simply play the mission without these mods and in doing so will not experience the mission as the mission maker intended. This brings me back to the title of this thread...if I were to build in a config edit then the mission takes on a new form and becomes a modification....is this a favourable way forward?

I guess my main worry is as I build the mission I'm taking promotional screenshots and videos with these "optional" mods, in my case Sullen Skies and ReColor, but if the end user didn't run these "optional" mods then they won't experience the mission as I intend it to be experienced.... Any thoughts/opinions would be appreciated folks.

TL;DR...I would like to make "optional" mods "requirements" for my mission.

 

(I think this topic is in the proper section, but a moderator can move it if need be.) 

[MrCrazyDude115 132]

23 minutes ago, EO said:

I want to garner some opinions on this so please hear me out...I'm currently making a mission, my first for quite a while, and while i'm having much fun bringing all the elements together, I'm beginning to wonder at what point does a mission become a modification....

  Reveal hidden contents

Making missions in Eden really gives us the opportunity to be our own mini film company, everything from the setting through to lighting, weather, even sound design. I'm guessing when we undertake a mission we want the end user to see it as we, the mission maker, wanted it to be seen. 

So as we build we add, and the formula seems to be, if we choose too, we can take other mods and make them requirements, now this is fine when those other mods are for example gear or weapon packs, then the end user has no choice but to download these mods in order to play the mission.

Therein lies my own dilemma...

What if the mission maker wants to add mods that are config edits, some of these kinds of mods don't create dependency when creating a mission and are therefore not a requirement when finally saved and exported, so in theory the end user could simply play the mission without these mods and in doing so will not experience the mission as the mission maker intended. This brings me back to the title of this thread...if I were to build in a config edit then the mission takes on a new form and becomes a modification....is this a favourable way forward?

I guess my main worry is as I build the mission I'm taking promotional screenshots and videos with these "optional" mods, in my case Sullen Skies and ReColor, but if the end user didn't run these "optional" mods then they won't experience the mission as I intend it to be experienced.... Any thoughts/opinions would be appreciated folks.

TL;DR...I would like to make "optional" mods "requirements" for my mission.

 

(I think this topic is in the proper section, but a moderator can move it if need be.) 

 

My opinion on the matter is, upload the mission normally to Steam Workshop and set those "optional" mods as required mods. Steam will therefore inform the player that they are needed to proceed. Then, write in all bold characters, that these mods are required.

 

At this point, if the user still refuses to run these mods, then it's their problem, and they won't experience the mission properly hence it's their loss.

[EO 11277]

That would be a great solution, I didn't know publisher tools could turn optional mods into actual requirements....based on that i'll upload a quick dummy mission to the workshop to see that in action. Thx.

 

 

[GEORGE FLOROS GR 4207]

1 hour ago, EO said:

I would like to make "optional" mods "requirements" for my mission.

 

Hello there EO !

There is also this solution :

in the initPlayerlocal.sqf

//	GF_Mod_Check

waitUntil {!isNull (findDisplay 46)};
waitUntil {!dialog};


GF_Mod_Check ={
 params ["_Mod"];
 isClass (configfile >> "CfgPatches" >> _Mod)
};


if("task_force_radio" call GF_Mod_Check) then {
	hintC  "Task_force_radio Mod is Enabled";	
} else {
	hintC  "Task_force_radio Mod is not Enabled ! Exiting mission";
	sleep 5;
	["",false, 2]call BIS_fnc_endMission;
};

if("cba_main" call GF_Mod_Check) then {
	hintC  "cba_main Mod is Enabled";	
} else {
	hintC  "cba_main Mod is not Enabled ! Exiting mission";
	sleep 5;
	["",false, 2]call BIS_fnc_endMission;
};

 

[MrCrazyDude115 132]

Just now, GEORGE FLOROS GR said:

 

Hello there EO !

There is also this solution :

in the initPlayerlocal.sqf

//	GF_Mod_Check

waitUntil {!isNull (findDisplay 46)};
waitUntil {!dialog};


GF_Mod_Check ={
 params ["_Mod"];
 isClass (configfile >> "CfgPatches" >> _Mod)
};


if("task_force_radio" call GF_Mod_Check) then {
	hintC  "Task_force_radio Mod is Enabled";	
} else {
	hintC  "Task_force_radio Mod is not Enabled ! Exiting mission";
	sleep 5;
	["",false, 2]call BIS_fnc_endMission;
};

if("cba_main" call GF_Mod_Check) then {
	hintC  "cba_main Mod is Enabled";	
} else {
	hintC  "cba_main Mod is not Enabled ! Exiting mission";
	sleep 5;
	["",false, 2]call BIS_fnc_endMission;
};

 

 

Oh! Wonderful idea!

[EO 11277]

Thanks George, that is indeed an excellent solution. 

 

[haleks 8212]

Better yet, you could use George's idea to just inform players they aren't using the recommended mods - instead of exiting the mission (it seems a bit drastic ^^). That still allows "lazy" players to keep  playing. 😉

[EO 11277]

Yes, I could use something like "You are not running the mods recommended for this mission, expect an inferior experience from here on in"  

[pierremgi 4905]

hmmm

Don't forget some mods are mandatory: All of them creating a specific entity via editor.

That can be any modded object/unit/module...

So, you can recommend the usage of sound mods like JSRS, or enhanced movement, advanced slingload... but as soon as you place a CUP or RHS or IFA3 or... unit, it's dead. Your client must have the mod.

 

To go a little further, you can scan for some mod, for very limited enhancement. For example, having a TFAR radio, for example. You can scan, like George said, if the player has this mod or not. Then, you can spawn a TFAR crate on a marker if OK, skip that if not.

In SP, it's easy. In MP, you have to check that locally but spawn the crate locally also (createVehicleLocal). Then all players with mods could benefit of the radio mod, while others will not see the equipment...

 

[GEORGE FLOROS GR 4207]

Just for the story  ,

 

It is possible also to add , if the mods are not loaded in the code above , instead of exiting the mission :

#include"Load the mods";	//	any word or anything

to crash the game.

[gc8 977]

18 hours ago, EO said:

Thanks George, that is indeed an excellent solution.

 

It would be even better if you could kick the player in lobby. Now the player will load the mission just to see the end screen...

Wish we had more options in the lobby but AFAIK lobby's not scriptable

[GEORGE FLOROS GR 4207]

4 hours ago, gc8 said:

It would be even better if you could kick the player in lobby.

 

 

Does anyone know how and if this has change for arma 3 ?

https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/serverCommand

serverCommand format["#kick ", name _player];

I read the above , but i could understand if there is a similar way as the old one above.

Thanks !

[FallujahMedic -FM- 867]

I have never really considered "missions" to be mods. However, I do see your point EO. 

[HazJ 1289]

Missions aren't mods as far as I know. Even if they contain mods. Unless packed and structured in completely different way like MANW contest SP campaign winner (if I remember correctly), can't remember name right now haha. I guess it all depends on personal preference. A mod to me is something that is required to download in order to play, missions do not force this, they only do so if the mission contains an addon dependency.

[FallujahMedic -FM- 867]

To expand on my initial post (and having been prompted into action by Hazj's post) I define a mod as a "modification (go figure) to the base game". It adds something unique to the base game that isn't normally present. At one point I'd have defined that as a model or sounds/voice acting or a bit of code. However, having experienced some really good missions that require very specific mods to achieve the desired effect, I now extend this to certain missions. 

[GEORGE FLOROS GR 4207]

AZCoder has a moded campaign :

http://www.azcoder.com/#/campaign/GambitRoyale

 

 

[Mr H. 402]

You can also edit your mission.sqm to manually add dependencies to the addons you want

 

[GEORGE FLOROS GR 4207]

1 minute ago, Mr H. said:

edit your mission.sqm to manually

 

This means to create the mission in the 2D editor ?

how to edit else the new .sqm format ?

[Mr H. 402]

If you set your editor to not binarize your file you can edit the sqm with a text editor.  In there there's a bit where the dependency addons are listed. I figure you can manually add other addons  (copytoCliboard str activatedAddons to get them). I have never tried it though 

[GEORGE FLOROS GR 4207]

1 hour ago, Mr H. said:

If you set your editor to not binarize your file you can edit the sqm with a text editor. 

 

I remember editing this in old time and i didn't know that is still possible ! thanks !