Addon Packs

[the corinthian]

Hi

I download addons for OFP for a couple of reasons. Firstly it is to play user created missions that require the mod (Kegetys' work with the islands being one of the best examples here). Another reason is that I wish to use the mod in my own missions. Both ways enhance the original gaming experience.

However there are so many addons out there now that some missions (such as my own) may require the use of several addons, the locations of which may be scattered at various OFP sites all over the net. This presents problems for the people wanting to download and play the mission as they need the addons first and they may be difficult to track down.

A solution is to include any required mods with the mission file as it is uploaded but this would mean increased mission sizes for download and storage and Im sure lots of missions would include the same addons so you would be downloading the same pbo again and again.

Surely a better way would be to release regular Addon Packs along the same lines as the OFP Ultimate Addons pack released a few months ago?
These packs could contain for example all of the addons released in a certain month (or week), and people could download them on a regular basis so that whatever the mission they download they are going to be more likely to have the addons that they need for it and not have to scour the net in search of them.

[macguba]

You might be interested in this post Marek Spanel, the OFP Project Leader.

However the obvious and immediate solution is for mission makers to include details of the addon locations.    As a matter of principle I never download a mission unless the author includes precise and accurate urls.

[the corinthian]

Ah but how many OFP owners could tell you exactly which addons they have installed and the download URL for them?

I for one couldnt tell you the exact URL of every addon in my addons folder. For one thing some addons contain more than one .pbo file, others have a different download name to the actual .pbo file itself so finding exactly which addon the pbos come from can also be a chore. It also places a lot of burden on the mission designer to ensure all the links for the addons work.  There is also extra burden on the person downloading the mission as they then also have to go to several other webpages to get the addons, assuming the webpages are still working.

Surely a more user friendly way to have missions that use addons is to incorporate the addons themselves as I mentioned earlier? Its easier for the designer as they can tell which addons are needed by their mission.sqm file, then can add those mods into a zip file with the mission and upload it.

There is also the fact that lots of OFP users, at least those who do download new missions will in all likelihood also have downloaded some addons. That means that everyones addons folder will probably look different, some people will have a heap of addons, others just a few. There is no standard to refer to to ensure that everyone has received the same addons. This is another reason why I think a regular addon pack compilation could be the best answer all round.

If people were given the option of downloading all the addons for the past 6 months in say 2 or 3 addon packs that would then help ensure that any missions they downloaded that were created within that timeframe would work without further downloads as the player would in all likelihood have the addons needed anyway because of the addon packs.

So the options are:
(a) mission designers include all URLs for necessary addons
(b) mission designers include the addons with their missions
(c) Sites like OFPEC release bumper addon packs containing all the addons released in a certain timeframe
(d) we do nothing and just carry on as is.

Which option would people prefer to see happen?

[macguba]

lol I  understand perfectly the problem of not knowing what's in your addon folder .... I sometimes use the rather blunt technique of trying to play the mission and seeing what error messages I get  ;D

(a) should happen anyway.   If you are a mission creator and you include an addon in your mission you should publish the url.   If you've lost the readme or something, then at least take the trouble to search the net to find it.   If you can't find it, then what hope does the poor player have?    There is absolutely no excuse for not including correct urls with your mission.

There remains the problem of the urls getting out of date ... you post a mission somewhere with correct information, but the relevant website closes or something.

(b) simply excludes people who don't have fast connections.  When I was on 56k downloading a large addon was a non trivial decision.   Potentially having to download it several times is madness.   Not to speak of the extra space required on the mission servers, as you mentioned.

(c) has some merits, but I for one see no point in downloading an addon if I'm not going to use it in a mission.    And there are several websites offering addons, do they release one pack each?     In which case there will be a certain about of duplication.    

(d) isn't going to happen, thanks to BIS  

The whole thing is a bit of a headache.     But (a) and Addons at ease are the way to go.     If a mission designer can't even be bothered to tell me where all the parts are for his mission......

[the corinthian]

Thanks for the reply...

Well I have started looking through my addons folder copied the filenames into a spreadsheet and have put columns in there for the mod name and URL for download so I have a reference when I wish to post a mission.

I think I will inlcude the smaller addons with the mission though but will try not to go over a few Mb in total.

Another option I neglected to mention is (e) Dont release missions online that use a lot of mods. I also intend to go through the missions I have created and see which mods I can do without. Although some of them are integral to the actual mission and will have to remain, others may be replaceable via te standard units within OFP.

[macguba]

Totally agree with your last point.     I've played too many missions where I've downloaded a 4meg addon and barely seen it.    

Also agree that small addons can and should be included, though I would say that "small" means the total included addon download should be less than the mission download.

[the corinthian]

There is one mission in particular I am doing that I would like to upload. It is basically a 4 player co-op spec ops team dropped into North Nogova to find and steal a prototype vehicle from the Russians (a mech). They also have to assassinate key members of the research team and destroy ongoing research.

I begin the mission with a HALO drop from a c130 (addon) then nearby have a Humvee with machine gun (addon) that the players can get if they wish. [sidenote: why isnt there an eastern jeep with a machine gun in the ofp units?]. I could change the humvee to a jeep but would only be able to fit three units in it.

Other units I am using include a model for a general, and weapon mods such as the Bizon etc. which again I could replace with standard ones.

Some addons though such as the burnfire addon needed for the nuclear explosion when the mech goes boom I need for the required effect so that will have to stay.

[the corinthian]

Music is another one.  I regularly use custom music in missions and feedback suggests that the right piece of music at the right time can dramatically increase the gaming experience. However put in two or three tracks and you are looking at the best part of 5-10Mb mission file. Add to that the extras for thr required addons and you could be talking up to 50 or 100Mb to play the one mission.

In future I think I shall have two variants of my missions, one for LAN with all the addons, music, bells and whistles so that my friends can enjoy the mission how it was meant to be and a stripped down version for posting online so it is easier for people to download and play.