[Akalabeth Angel]

   I was just wondering, what's the preferred method of distributing files within in an archive? Let's say I have a new model with a POF, UI elements, tbl entry (in its own .txt file), textures etcetera. What's the best method to package those up?

1. In an archive, with all files just lumped into the same directory (or lack thereof) with instructions within the readme as to which files go where?
2. In an archive, with subdirectories and all files in their associated directory which assumes that the zip/rar is being unarchived within /data
3. In an archive, in a self-contained VP file. With the ship entry added to the basic ships.tbl for Freespace 2


   Personally I lean towards #1, because most modders should have basic knowledge of how to at least add a ship. And it also allow for ships with new textures to be seen with those textures by PCS2 (since it finds them in the same directory). Also it allows for the author to just have the table entry separate and the modder can add it to their own ships.tbl (which has likely already been modified) rather than having to hunt within a table and find the one new thing. But I dunno, that's just me.

[Harbinger of DOOM]

I agree with you, I hate having to sift through a .VP file and/or find the ship entry in the .tbl

[Jeff Vader]

I'd say anything goes. But with #1, the instructions are a nice thing to have. Back in the early days when I found Bobboau's beams, it was a small pain in the arse to dig through the release thread to find a set of instructions on where to put what, since the download was just an archive containing a pile'o files.

A .vp would indeed be a bit awkward. It's great when you're releasing complete and more complex mods that have models, textures, mission and campaign files, maybe sounds. But for single ships meant to be free for use, a non-vp release is better.

[Joey_X]

#1 seems to be the best option given our current state of modding. #2 would be the optimal choice if we could get everybody to conform to some kind of standard. A model database website requiring the community to adhere to standard #2 would be nifty. Perhaps something for the future.

[Solatar]

For complete MODs and stuff a full .vp is nice. However when I add a ship, often I only want to use the model and textures and not the table file. Even if I use the whole ship, I like to stick it in my ships.tbl file instead of having it added at the end in a .tbm.

[peterv]

A VP file is the most flexible way IMO (hope this means In My Opinion). You can install/uninstall and test something fast and easy and iff you want to keep something like a .pof or textures you can always extract it to the proper directory.

[blowfish]

What is it you plan on distributing, anyway?

[Akalabeth Angel]

What is it you plan on distributing, anyway?

     Just a fighter atm. Nothing exciting. But after downloading nigh everything off of Freespace mods I see a lot of different ways to package them in an archive.

[Getter Robo G]

#1 for single ship or small group of ship releases

#3 for FULL CAMPAIGNS

[Herra Tohtori]

If the thing is a final release of full campaign with mods, I'd say a VP file is a better choice since it's more difficult for lusers to break (not to say it's impossibly difficult, but more difficult than with open files...)

If the thing is just a single effect (or even a bunch of effects of same type), an archive with a data- and subfolders in it, so that when it's extracted into a mod folder the files are automatically at the correct place. However with stuff like Lightspeed's nebulas or Bobboau's beams that have a lot of files, a VP can be considered as well, especially if the effect(group) is finalized and proven to work without too much grief. Of course, if one uses lots and lots of mod folders, clutter in the mediavps/data is not a problem since separate things go into separate folders, but for anyone who wants to incorporate stuff into mediavps folder would face a lot of files in their mediavps/data/effects folder after installing Bobboau's beams and LS nebulae...

If if it's a ship, I'm kinda divided. A ship usually involves table, model, maps and possibly some effects and sometimes interface files; it's much easier to move the thing around when it's in a VP, since it can be just dropped into mediaVP's folder if it's properly made with modular tables, and at the same time it can be bropped into an additional mod folder if that is the preferred way. But then again, an archived modfolder with complete directory tree works well too and is easier to modify and access the individual files.

...then again, anyone who actually wants into FreeSpace Open modding should have or get appropriate VP management tools anyway, and when you have them, it isn't that big a deal to extract stuff from VP's.