Mods to Be Made Available in the Spring Installer

[LordMatt]

No offense FA, but I don't think I will include a mod that has not been generally released at all for the first go around. It will certainly be up for consideration subsequently though.

[Forboding Angel]

It's not like I've never tested it lordmatt.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Or93arW8IoE

Besides, I have several people that can vouch for it...

[LordMatt]

I know, but I still think a mod needs some time in the widely released public domain before being included in the installer.

[Forboding Angel]

Well, you're wrong.

You want to include BA and CA Which for CA about 33% of the lua is broken in the next version and they aren't even planning to fix it till the new version comes out, which means that nearly all of the lua is going to be broken in BA, yet my mod is developed using the svn versions for the express reason of making sure that everything works on the new version...

[LordMatt]

CA isn't being included (quantum et al decided there wasn't enough developer support for a "stable" version of CA yet). They are designing their own updater system, and when that is ready, mods like CA can be included. I will make sure BA's lua is fixed in time for release (though I haven't seen any problems with 5.8 and the SVN version, haven't had a chance to test 5.9 yet).

[LordMatt]

Meh, they're downloaded only if the user installs them, more mods in the installer just means more checkboxes you can check.

Tobi has asked that I keep total # of mods to a reasonable number so that new users are not overwhelmed by too many choices.

[cong06]

Meh, they're downloaded only if the user installs them, more mods in the installer just means more checkboxes you can check.

I say if the list doesn't get to be longer then about 5-7, then thrown them in too.

[Forboding Angel]

...it just doesn't really make sense to include a mod nobody know about or has played outside of a very small group of people in the official installer.

Why does it not?

[Forboding Angel]

You said the criteria was quality.

CA and maybe Fun:TA are the only "quality" *A mods out there (don't forget that I have a *A mod myself).

If quality is the only criteria, then I don't see how your point carries any weight.

And FYI I am not trolling, I asked a simple question and got a simple answer that made 0 sense.

You did not specify Visual or gameplay quality, so I assume the former, and even if it's the latter, that's one hell of a stretch.

[tombom]

how can your mod even come with the installer if you haven't released it anywhere?

i meant quality as in for all anybody knows your mod could just be the blue tanks

nevermind, i'm not the guy who does the installer so my opinion doesn't really matter

[Forboding Angel]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Or93arW8IoE

VIDEO PROOF! BLUE ONLY TANKS lern2read

I would be releasing it a day before the new spring version, as I said on the previous page.

[Pxtl]

That's hawt secks.

[zwzsg]

For Kernel Panic description (there's a space between "Kernel" and "Panic" btw), copied straight from the wiki:

Kernel Panic is a mod about computers. Bits and bytes wage war in a matrix of DOOM! The only resources are time and space, there is no metal or energy economy in KP. Since all units are free, every factory you have will be spamming units at all times. You can build more factories, but only on geothermal vents. KP makes for a very fast-paced, action-oriented game, and has a very unique graphical style.

Or, if you need fewer words:

A streamlined RTS, with an abstract graphical style. Games are short, gameplay is easy to learn.

Or, if you have room for more words:

Keywords about Kernel Panic:
- Streamlined
- Fast Paced
- No ressources. (All constructions are free)
- Short game (like, 5-10 mins)
- No building up, to teching up, no porcing up. Pure unadultered action!
- Extremely few and archetypal units.
- Plays like no other Spring mod.
- Actually, gameplay feels a bit like Z, the 1996's Bitmap Brother hit.



Kernel Panic is essentially a sublimated RTS. The ressource management has been taken away completly: all mobiles units and buildings can be constructed for free. The learning of complex tech tree has been cut out drasticly: there is only 10 units, including factories and walls. The hours long struggle so typical of TA/SupCom/Spring have been shrunk dramatically: A typical Kernel Panic game will last no longer than 10mins. Even the eye dazzling graphics every other mod strive for have been swapped for old school vectorial look, somewhat reminscent of Tron or Darwinia.

With the removal of economy management, of offense/defense balance, all that remains is pure strategy and tactics: Performing a 10sec retreat to gather your troop, choosing between staying battling units, or charging through to hit the enemy to the heart, spreading your forces to scout and skirmish everywhere around the map, or concentrating them into an unstoppable tide, taking the left, right, or middle route,.... Yes, in every RTS, you will have to make such choice, but much too often they are diluted into long and boring building up phase, repeating learnt by heart build order, building in masses only the one best unit and throw it by pack of 20 to the enemy via the direct route, ....

In other RTS, newcomers are slaughtered in 5mins by Koreans who know every little idiosyncrasy of every of the myriads units. To the contrary, Kernel Panic has such a short learning curve, that it takes about half of game to learn all there is to no know about Kernel Panic. It is not unusual for people who have never played Kernel Panic to reach the top players in their first game, as only raw skills matter in Kernel Panic.

In short, Kernel Panic is pure, unadulatered RTS fun, with all the borings bits removed, and condensed in quick and intense action.

For GundamRTS description, copied straight from the wiki:

"Giant Japanimation-style robots smashing each other to junk is the gist of Gundam Annihilation. What more could you want?"

This mod is a Total Conversion to place the Gundam Universe into spring game format. The mod does not stray into any of the side universes of gundam. It stays loyally within the "UC" or Universal Century time line. This was done because there are no enjoyable Gundam RTS or table top games. In the history of modding there has yet to be a complete gundam mod, which is shocking when one considers the world-wide popularity of the anime.

I hope the newy installer takes into account mods often comes in several files. I also hope it takes into account not all those files go into /mods/ (liek, let's say, KP maps!)

Oh, and could you precise how you need the mod packaged? Especially the bit that let us update the mods without channging the installer?

[Neddie]

Quality is subjective. LordMatt is a the judge of quality in this context, but we are allowed to make our cases - it may seem strange, considering that he only plays Balanced Annihilation and has told people on numerous occasions that he only really cares about Balanced Annihilation, but give him some credit as a person. He has integrity and will consider your submissions honestly - and don't forget that he doesn't judge in a vacuum.

Evolution is under active testing, I've been involved in three tests so far. It can't be released because it is SVN dependent. I do not believe that you can use that to justify exclusion, for if you did there would be no space for SWS or Gundam to be considered. It is stable and fairly well balanced at this point, I've played both sides and used the full array of basic units - it is also free of illegal content.

Tobi will tell us before he releases, because he is dependable and usually meets the deadlines he sets. If the next release doesn't make it out before Christmas, there will be a lot of indicators in what he says and does the days immediately prior.

[LordMatt]

zwzsg thank you for your helpful post. If a mod depends on multiple files I need to know where those files go and get links to all of them. The mod does not have to be packaged specially, as the installer will install the files in the correct locations. Keep in mind that a mod that requires a very large download will be less likely to be included than a mod that requires small download. About updating mods. I will use generic filenames for the mods e.g. mod_installer_version, so all that will be needed to update a mod in the installer is to upload a new file to the server on which the mods are being stored. I have already tested that this solution works. Adding mods to the list of downloadable ones will be slightly more complicated, as the installer will have to be recompiled, however it will also be possible to do between spring releases.

To correct neddie, I am doing my best to rely on more knowledgable people's judgement of quality (because my own experience is very narrow), i.e. the community's judgement. That is one of the reasons I want to include mods that have had several previous public releases, so that others will have tried playing the mod and be able to say something about it. That is also why I made this thread, rather than just deciding what mods to put in without other people's input.

I will be away for a few days and may not be able to check the forum, but please continue trolling this thread with anti-BA nonsense. You know it will have absolutely no effect on my decision to include BA (which has already been made, and is the only mod related decision I am making without community input). On the other hand helping Noize fix BA for the SVN version would be helpful and appreciated, as otherwise he will have to remove nice lua features.

[Tobi]

Tobi will tell us before he releases, because he is dependable and usually meets the deadlines he sets.

Or not I wish I could tho, but this release is far over my original deadline already. But thanks for the compliment anyway

[Pxtl]

LordMatt, KP's maps are hyper-simple patterns that capitalize on Spring's tilling system, so the whole KP package, maps included, is still smaller than most mods.

[AF]

The original deadline was september 19th iirc

[Argh]

Um, I might have a release of PURE I'm willing to let people see by the end of December. It, um, relies very heavily on SVN stuff.

The big issue for me is... why just include a select few in a release, instead of just saying, "you can get mods through our client, it hooks into UF, have a nice day discovering all of the variety in Spring"?

Why are we doing yet-another static solution, when we have just about everything we need to make this an entirely Steam-like experience, where you're downloading a client... everything else is up to what you browse to and choose to get... except for the free part?

[cong06]

The big issue for me is... why just include a select few in a release, instead of just saying, "you can get mods through our client, it hooks into UF, have a nice day discovering all of the variety in Spring"?

And I guess the problem with bogged down lists...too many options... could be fixed by forcing the common ones to the top.

Maybe have the top 5, pre-installed, in their own category, etc.

Or just have a list that sorts them by popularity (though that wouldn't encourage more diverse playing).