Idea for intercompatibility between submods

[billyfromhill]

One of the first requests many submods recieve is "Can you make this compatiblewith X and Y submod?". I have an idea that would help submods be compatible with one another and it really doesen't require much extra work.

The main problem that submods run into is the different XML files such as freeplaybase.xml, portraits.xml (in the lang folder), infotexts.xml, and portraits.xml (in the specs folder). The files that they include only add the units from their submod. If you have another submod installed , all of those units will suddenly disappear ingame. They'll still be in the editor, but not ingame.

My idea is to have codeboxes with the required lines of code for each file along with instructions as to where to paste the code. These would be in the first post so that people can't miss them. The XML files wouldn't even be included in the submod download, the end user would have to edit them himself. The only files that would be included would be the model files, the skin files, the prototype files, and the unit files.

It should look somehthing like this if I wanted to add the ALS ambulance.

freeplaybase.xml - C:\Program Files (x86)\WizardWorks\911 - First Responders\Mods\Los Angeles Mod v2.0\Specs

<vehicle prototype="mod:Prototypes/Vehicles/01 LA Ambulance/ambulance02.e4p" count="4" />

portraits.xml - C:\Program Files (x86)\WizardWorks\911 - First Responders\Mods\Los Angeles Mod v2.0\Specs

<portrait prototype="mod:Prototypes/Vehicles/01 LA Ambulance/ambulance02.e4p" text="AMBULANCE02" unit="AMBULANCE02"/>

infotexts.xml - C:\Program Files (x86)\WizardWorks\911 - First Responders\Mods\Los Angeles Mod v2.0\Lang\en

<string name="ID_PURPOSE_AMBULANCE02">The ALS (Advanced Life Support) ambulance is critical in transporting injured persons. It can transport injured people to the hospital and patrol the city.</string><string name="ID_TOOLTIP_AMBULANCE02">ALS Ambulance</string>

portraits.xml - C:\Program Files (x86)\WizardWorks\911 - First Responders\Mods\Los Angeles Mod v2.0\Lang\en

<string name="ID_PORTRAIT_AMBULANCE02">ALS Ambulance</string>

What do you think? It's pretty easy to setup. All you need is the codebox tags (

), the code itself (copy and paste) and the location of the file. You can even copy and paste the file location by right clicking on the file, selecting properties, and then highlighting the directory and then copying it. The download for the submod would be slightly smaller as well. 

I think if all submods did this compatibility issues would disappear. What do you think?

[randomperson139]

I like the idea. But I don't think i would work. Some users on the forum can't even use WinRAR to extract a file, I don't think they would be able to do this.

However It is a good idea for the people who know what they are doing.

[Newfoundking]

I think several people have tried to, many times, create one large submod, containing all the submods, but then people wanna mix and match, and with the updates coming out too fast, it'd raelly be near impossible to keep up with a good set. I think for now, the only way people are gonna be able to mix and match submods is with knowledge of the scripts and that, or having to have it explained several times in that submod's topic.

[Steve Winters]

I agree. It would work for people who know what there doing. Unlike I, who can't script or anything but model, just by looking at the code boxes I understood it. Putting a question in mind. How many people would use it? How many can use it? Some people don't know how to do anything at all, and then you've got the genius' who can do anything.

The biggest thing would be the constant "how do I do this and that" that's the only thing that will annoy people.

[soulbody]

i think we should wait for emergency 5, before this would be ready emergency 5 is already out, besides if emergency 5 comes out, everything is clean and easier to make then.

[danny96]

It'S pity that there is not mods system like in arma... add the -mod= @ACE;@ACEX;@CBA and you have 3 mods in game

[billyfromhill]

i think we should wait for emergency 5, before this would be ready emergency 5 is already out, besides if emergency 5 comes out, everything is clean and easier to make then.

Mods for Emergency 5 would likely have to be redone from scratch. I imagine you could still use the models and skins, but that's about it.

[soulbody]

i either think this won't work, i mean when you add a vehichle he doesn't show up in the vehichle buy menu. and when you add it to the menu and the vehichle doesnt exist it will crash your game. i will look within a month to try something out on this but i think this won't work.