How to proper use custom/3rd party mods..

[adonys]

Hello guys,

Looking around it seems that many of you don't know how to use kegetys custom mods, or how to proper use 3rd party mods with a game..

What you'll need, for modding ANY game? Well.. :
- Total Commander - there's no better navigator than this, not to mention it does a LOT of other things too (like comparing the content of two files/folders, and synchronize them). Microsoft should buy this and incorporate it into Windows, period!!!
- UltraEdit - the best (hexa) editor out-there. Knows a LOT of things (languages, scripting, hexa editing, vertical mode, file/folder compare, etc)
- JSGME - simply put, the TOOL if you want to mod a game without destroying it and having to re-install it again.
- READ THE DAMN READMES - I can't stress enough how IMPORTANT this is

Now, how should this work for IL2 CoD?

Atm, I already have a few mods I am using with kegetys' dll: HakenKreuz skins, jafa's sounds, darker trees, and now bigpickle's sound suite.

Do you know how to make them all work toghether, or in any combination or time you want to?!! No?!! I do!!!

so, Il2 CoD how to:
0) disable Steam IL2 CoD's automatic updates and cloud (just to make sure Steam won't "figure out" that your mods are a corrupted install and "clean-up" the mess, or it won't start download an update while you have the game modded; and also to make sure it will remember your eventual config modifications)
1) install kegetys' tool. This means add the .dll and modify the Launcher.exe.config file accordingly with kegetys' readme. I did a custom install, meaning I've put the kegetys.dll file in the JSGME's @_MODS folder bellow, to keep all the mod files separated from IL2 CoD's folder.
2) make an _kegetys_mods folder in IL2 CoD's root
3) make a -mod=_kegetys_mods custom shortcut to the IL2 CoD Launcher.exe (as per kegetys' readme)
4) make a @_MODS folder for JSGME
5) install JSGME in IL2 CoD's root, and point it to the @_MODS folder you've created
6) add all the mods you want to use in the @_MODS folder. make a folder for each mod, which should contain a single _kegetys_mods folder, in which you should put all mod's content (the $bob and $core folders, etc)
7) start JSGME and activate whatever mods you want to. Activating a mod will actually copy all mod's folder content into IL2 CoD's root folder (therefore everything you put in mod's _kegetys_mods folder into IL2 CoD's root _kegetys_mods folder), overwriting everything is already in there (but making backups for them). Deactivating a mod deletes all mod's files from IL2 CoD root folder, and put the original backed up files instead. It also does a cascade backup, if each subsequently activated mod uses same files (for the first mod backups the original file, for he second mod backups the first mod's file, and so on, going in reverse when you deactivate them - it's smart and it won't let you deactivate a mod of which files were overwritten by another mod, until you deactivate the latest mod first).
8 ) if you want to be safe about playing ONLINE without 3rd party tools/mods which can get you banned, all you have to do is make another mod containing the modified Launcher.exe.config for kegetys' dll, and activate it when you're paying offline, and deactivate it when you're playing online. as simple as that!
9) start the game using the custom shortcut made above at point 3)





Cheers,
dan

[Shado]

Dan, Brilliant mate well done, I didnt realise JSGME worked with COD, been doing it the old fashioned way.thanks.

Should be stickied.

[Jotaele]

Total commander!! i have used this program until now since my first computer, and when peoples see me using it in work things that im crazy, im happy to see that other peoples still use it.

[smink1701]

Originally Posted by adonys

Hello guys,

Looking around it seems that many of you don't know how to use kegetys custom mods, or how to proper use 3rd party mods with a game..

What you'll need, for modding ANY game? Well.. :
- Total Commander - there's no better navigator than this, not to mention it does a LOT of other things too (like comparing the content of two files/folders, and synchronize them). Microsoft should buy this and incorporate it into Windows, period!!!
- UltraEdit - the best (hexa) editor out-there. Knows a LOT of things (languages, scripting, hexa editing, vertical mode, file/folder compare, etc)
- JSGME - simply put, the TOOL if you want to mod a game without destroying it and having to re-install it again.
- READ THE DAMN READMES - I can't stress enough how IMPORTANT this is

Now, how should this work for IL2 CoD?

Atm, I already have a few mods I am using with kegetys' dll: HakenKreuz skins, jafa's sounds, darker trees, and now bigpickle's sound suite.

Do you know how to make them all work toghether, or in any combination or time you want to?!! No?!! I do!!!

so, Il2 CoD how to:
0) disable Steam IL2 CoD's automatic updates and cloud (just to make sure Steam won't "figure out" that your mods are a corrupted install and "clean-up" the mess, or it won't start download an update while you have the game modded; and also to make sure it will remember your eventual config modifications)
1) install kegetys' tool. This means add the .dll and modify the Launcher.exe.config file accordingly with kegetys' readme. I did a custom install, meaning I've put the kegetys.dll file in the JSGME's @_MODS folder bellow, to keep all the mod files separated from IL2 CoD's folder.
2) make an _kegetys_mods folder in IL2 CoD's root
3) make a -mod=_kegetys_mods custom shortcut to the IL2 CoD Launcher.exe (as per kegetys' readme)
4) make a @_MODS folder for JSGME
5) install JSGME in IL2 CoD's root, and point it to the @_MODS folder you've created
6) add all the mods you want to use in the @_MODS folder. make a folder for each mod, which should contain a single _kegetys_mods folder, in which you should put all mod's content (the $bob and $core folders, etc)
7) start JSGME and activate whatever mods you want to. Activating a mod will actually copy all mod's folder content into IL2 CoD's root folder (therefore everything you put in mod's _kegetys_mods folder into IL2 CoD's root _kegetys_mods folder), overwriting everything is already in there (but making backups for them). Deactivating a mod deletes all mod's files from IL2 CoD root folder, and put the original backed up files instead. It also does a cascade backup, if each subsequently activated mod uses same files (for the first mod backups the original file, for he second mod backups the first mod's file, and so on, going in reverse when you deactivate them - it's smart and it won't let you deactivate a mod of which files were overwritten by another mod, until you deactivate the latest mod first).
8 ) if you want to be safe about playing ONLINE without 3rd party tools/mods which can get you banned, all you have to do is make another mod containing the modified Launcher.exe.config for kegetys' dll, and activate it when you're paying offline, and deactivate it when you're playing online. as simple as that!
9) start the game using the custom shortcut made above at point 3)





Cheers,
dan

This is just what I needed. Thanks and where do I send my check. Seriously...since it appears that modders will play a major roll in making a good game a great game, your post is most appreciated.

Thanks again

[Doc_uk]

Bloody hell thats seems even more complicated than doing it the old way

[adonys]

That's only a little bit more complicated during the setup of the whole thing.

After that, it is only a matter of pushing the Add/Remove mod(s) buttons. What can be simpler than that?!!

[Trooper117]

can you not just install JSGME and work it that way?

[adonys]

yes, you can, but only for beta patches.

all the folder structure is needed if you want to use kegetys dll's mods.

Thanks for the info adonys. Are Jafa's sounds avaliable?

[RickRuski]

Thanks for this Adonys, I wouldn't be the brightest lamp in the packet when it comes to file structure and it took me a while to figure it all out. But now that I have it works just as you have described. This will make adding/deleting extra mods so much easier. The item that had me confused was No.3 but then I remembered it goes into the "Steam" launcher/ game/ properties/ set launcher options.

Cheers

Rick