Having spent many days searching this forum, and reading posts, and reading through tutorials, I find that information on making Server Mods for a COD4 server seriously lacking. This includes the Infinityward wiki.

Yes, a tutorial in this area would help most likely. Problem is, I know just how time consuming making tut's can be. Not to mention you have to have the inclination to do it, and the knowledge of course. Can't make a tut about something you know nothing about.

What I'm talking about is a tutorial on how to MAKE a mod for your server for COD4.

There are a lot of great Server Mods out there for COD4: AWE4 comes to mind. I like the BTD tool (bit grusome, but hey, whoever said killing zombies was a clean business??), and of course I've always like the RSM mod too.

But what if you want to create your own mod for your own server?
I have a big family living in my house, and we have several computers networked together. It's not uncommon for us to set up a LAN game and just play with each other. We do play online too, lots of good new usermaps out there (when Rat House came out, my wife was screaming "MORE! MORE!" we finally had to jerk the plug from her computer and drag her to bed.....but that's another story......).

So I'd like to try making a server mod......except....yah.....info is scattered......or the subject talked about is way above your head.....

Well then, let's just take a look at the mods that I have! That always teaches you quite a bit!

Okay, messing with the config files...yes, yes, I see what to do now. Hey, really cool to set my own messages, put in my own logo and mess with the music......but, what about that mod.ff file?

Okay, let's go take a look at that raw folder that came with the tools.
Wow! Okay, okay, I'm seeing here some great stuff! After looking at the ModWarfare mod, it's showing how to build a mod....sort of .....They are showing the folders, and sub folders........obviously I modify the files, and better yet, many of those files say at the top what you have to include in your mod....cool!

But then I run into a brick wall.
It's a config file for the mod itself. For example let's look at the awe.cfg file, or just the beginning part of it:



Okay........I have to figure out how to do this for my mod. It sure would be nice to see how they did it......I say as I look at the mod.ff file, and have no idea how to see what they did, so I can do the same.
Oh sure, get a hexeditor...........but what then? I don't know how to read C++, so it's not going to tell me jack-squat. Be nice if it could, then I wouldn't have to ask. I'd just pick apart what they did and would know how to do it myself.

So that's the request........if at some point someone could take the time to talk a bit about how to create a server side mod. Obviously you can't answer every question, since server mods can be just as varied as a custom made map!

But it would be nice to know the following:

What files HAVE to be included in the mod.ff file.
How to set up for the "YourModName.cfg" file in the mod.ff file.
Common mistakes that make you chase your tail for hours on end, and how to avoid them.

Oh, and before I get COD2 and CODUO and COD thrown up here (being told, hey go look at them, they are sort of the same) I've looked, and it's not helping answer the above questions......

There is no 'how to make a mod' tutorial, because there is too much you can do when making a mod. So you kinda answered your own question there.

Decide what kind of mod you'd like... something like a weapon mod? Playermodels/skins altered? Or something as massive as the AWE4 mod?

The mod.ff file contains all the script files the mod maker(s) altered and used in their mod. So there is no 'it HAS to contain this', because that's based on what you want to alter in the game.

The config file is used by those script files to adjust certain settings in the gamescripts. (for instance turning awe_hardcore on or off). The script reads those settings and displays or does things according to those settings. So there is no sense in making a config file if you don't have any scripts which actually use those settings.

I suggest beginning by downloading AWE for CoD2 for instance (which doesn't use FF files and you can thus see all the scripts) and seeing all the work which went into that. Definitely not a one man job without very good understanding of CoD scripting.

I absolutely agree with you, there should be a "getting started" tutorial out there. The lack of it just makes it so difficult to get started with creating your own mod.

3 months ago I was in the same position as you, I wanted to create my own mod (gametype actually) but there just wasn't enough info to get started with it, I had to do a lot of work to just get something to run. And I bet that other people have had to do the exact same thing before me. Wouldn't it be sweet if every person interested in modding didn't have to go through all of this?

That's why I joined the OpenWarfare project. Because that's what the project is all about, to share code, ideas and experience so that we can all create our own great mods.

Now, I do have a long programming background but after just 3 months on the project I have learned a lot about CoD4 modding and modding in general. We have a modding environment with a complete mod already set up, you just have to download it. You can look at the code, modify it, compile it and see what your changes did to the game.

It might be difficult though if you don't have any programming or modding experience. But one of the goals of the OW project is also to get tutorials written so that getting through that first hard part of starting modding becomes much easier.

I just started writing a tutorial today actually which will cover the CoD4 scripting language, as well as getting started with writing your own mod. I'm not sure how long it will take to complete it, I suspect it won't be that long.

But I do suggest you have a look at our project's homepage. Maybe you can learn something new from our mod or by just browsing the discussions on the forum. :)

Cheers.

Redien writes...

I'm sorry but in my opinion its a waste of time and effort. CoD4 is a worst game in the series about: mapping, modding and scripting.

Actually we have 3 "big" mods...ACE, AWE and eXtreme 4. Because of the limitations in CoD4, there is less custom maps and mods then the other games in the series. Less custom maps? yes, because of themods and limitations, mappers are obliged to make maps with very few details.

Not only the Mods are in fault... The way IW made the tools. The crappy way to compile, etc... The nightmare of everyone.

There's less custom maps since the released then any othe games in the series.8 months after the tools released there still people having problems to compile, make the loadscreen, the minimap finally all the basic steps of making maps. And more.... the 2000 steps you have top do before you can even just look at your map.

You want Script and coding tutorial to make mods? There's not even a good "how to make a single map from A to Z" available.

If you have so much experience in coding and C++ why not starting helping people with their scripts, their fx, etc... everyone have problems with these and more stuffs?

If you have so much experience in coding and C++ why not see if something can be done about those limitations that affects mappers and modders?

If you have so much experience in coding and C++ why not find ways to help mappers in their files processing creation?

CoD4 is crap, simply crap and it is too late to start a new Mods, World at War will be release in few weeks/months, CoD6 is already in the making. So intead of starting something new that will never see the day we saw tons of these ) or will never be used , help the actual people with their problems ( some are really basic ).

All those tutorials, wikis, helping web sites don't even help a mapper to make a single map from A to Z... Think about it...



edited on Aug. 30, 2008 03:59 pm by Nemo06c

Nemo06c writes...

What can I say, I've got lots of free time. :)

But the main focus of the tutorial would be the scripting language and not game-specific stuff like how to customize the mini-map or create custom maps. It's an introduction on how to get started. It's not supposed to be a complete A-Z walkthrough on how to customize every tiny detail in the game.

Since both CoD:WW and (I assume) CoD 5/6 will use the existing CoD4 engine, things won't be changing much. Especially not the language. So the tutorial could easily just be converted to a CoD:WW tutorial without much work.

The reason in the first place to do such a tutorial was because there's next to none information from IW and that the tools available are crap (anyone into serious CoD4 scripting don't use the mod tools anyway, just the compiler).

BTW. I didn't mention that I knew C++? :/

Thanks for the replies!

You already answered several questions Caretaker that I had just by replying!

While I understand that there is no "you HAVE to include THIS",

However there are little things that some need answers to, or have questions, such as your example: how to link the "set awe_hardcore" to a script file that is in the mod.ff file.
Things like that don't get talked about.

However, I'll use your suggestion and look at COD2 again (did before) and see if it helps more.

As to others that feel COD4 was crap: what can I say? You are certainly entitled to your opinions and ideas, some of which I'll even agree with you on, some which I'll disagree with you on.

Why go through the trouble? Ah, that's the question.
Here's another question: Why build something for an obsolete game?

There are still people making maps for COD, and UO. Why? Because they enjoy it.

I build Ages for Uru......a game released by Cyan years ago. Yet it's a game that refuses to die. Game Tap had it for awhile as MOUL (Myst Online: Uru Live) and shut it down at the begining of this year.
But Cyan decided just a couple of months ago to bring the game back online, as MORE (Myst Online Restoration Experiment), and down the road they are going to let us incorporate our Ages that we've built. So finally after all this time, User Created Content will be happening.

While there is no doubt that Plasma (the Uru game engine) is very out of date compared to more modern games (especially FPS type games), there is a magic there at attracts us to it. So there are thousands of us that flock to it, and build for it, simply because we like it so much.

Same goes for COD4, I like to play it. I also liked playing all the earlier games, and look forward to playing future versions. But at the same time, I have a large family that likes to play together. We just spent most of the day playing the BTD mod........man, you never saw so much Zombie gore everywhere. We just had fun is all.

So, :shrugging: while y'all may not like it, and think it's "crap", it's still My Crap that I can play with and have fun with.

Nemo06c writes...

Indeed.


Better to start anywhere than waiting for the right time to write a tutorial about it.


Because you can't buy anything from thanks only? Or get back the time you spent to help all these people? There are things worth to do.


Do you know what you're talking 'bout? I don't think so.


What do you mean by "files processing creation"?
something like a "Mod Builder Interface"?

What has coding experience to do with helping mappers?

On a serious note, they could start using their own brains.


There's a small difference between saying "i'm willing to learn" and to be willing to learn. I think it's the essential problem.


Enough fault-finding, i hope Treyarch will do better than IW. They hopefully allow full conversion mods, thinking of "Back Modern Warfare" and a Racing mod

Sevenz writes...

Sevenz writes...

So what are you doing here? This is a community. A place to help...for free!!!
Its not everyone that learn things the same way or as fastest as you or have your experience. These people need help.

Now if people come here to search for help and not even able to provide help in exchange... again you are at the wrong place.


And btw... yes, CoD4 is crap compare to the other games of the serie. And I'm not talking about the gameplay ( this is a great ) I'm talking about modding and mapping. Also I was not borned yesterday. I'm with CoD since day one. I saw tons of big heads whilling to start mods, total conversion, etc... that never see the light and even them disapear.....

So yes I know what I'm talking about. One day you'll find who I am and find I know a lot about certain things.

Ok, both of you cool it down. This is a forum for helping people with modding problems, not your own personal flamewar playground.Back to the topic please.


As for linking your config file to your scripts:

In your config file you set socalled dvars (just like in your normal serversettings.. gametype for instance is one...). You can make your script read those dvars (with the getdvar function) and then run parts of the script accordingly.

The basics of CoD2 (scripting wise) are the same as CoD4.Same syntax etc. To make a mod like AWE4 ALOT of time will be required.. and a good understanding of the scripting language for CoD4 is very handy (or some other basic programming language, like C, C++, VB, C#, Delphi) just so you can understand what happens in a certain script and know why it's done that way.

For getting a basic idea of programming I would actually suggest learning Javascript (aka ECMAScript.) It's easy to get started with as all you need is a browser, basic understanding of HTML and a simple text editor such as notepad that comes with windows (although I would suggest using one a little more advanced. I use Notepad++.) You also get something up on the screen right from the start which is something that can be very important if you're just starting out.

Javascript is also pretty similar to the CoD scripting language as it's a dynamic language and has a C-like syntax. But like the above poster pointed out, the important thing is to learn the concepts of programming instead of an actual language.

There's plenty of tutorials out there, the one at w3schools.com is a good one. link

edited on Aug. 31, 2008 07:06 am by Redien