How do you get around these idiot updates Iron Clad provides? as a modder.

from Sins Forums

Since this new rebellion game has come out i have developed mods for this game, however steam is full of crap. I disabled automatic updates and for about a week it had been working then steam says that you can not play this untill content has been updated.

It would be fine if iron clad released these updates every 6 months and when they do there totally worthless there basically updates for the winers.

10 + updates since the release and not one of them even had a crash log added for modders or a tool to read the dump files. I mean i'd like to enjoy the content i've created but every time i finish; it's updated i have to completley rebuild the mod. It takes me almost 2 weeks to re do all the content. If your going to be update whores like Microsoft include a conversion exe so that we can convert to the newest version.

modding
13,612 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

The dev.exe has a log and error reporting. That's been there from day one, though it doesn't always tell you the immediate cause of a crash.

Several of the updates have not broken most mods, which is better than they were before Rebellion. Their mod breaking changes usually means more options for modding though, so I say let them do more updates. If you don't like updating, wait until the final version (whatever that is).

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Notepad++ helps as well as it has a comparison function that allows you to see what changes you need to make in reference to what files you modded and and the new base files.

The only time I have ever seen updates not break mods is when the update doesn't mess with the files that us modders have access and/or use.

Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

You should have been around when Original Sins, and Entrenchment updated damn near every week. With mod breaking updates that forced us to rebuild mods from scratch almost each, and every time. That was a lesson on frustration.

Its not so bad now. As long as the update doesnt alter the files you already modded you are ok, but if it is a major update then yea you will have to do some rebuilding. That is the nature of almost any game being modded.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

and when they do there totally worthless there basically updates for the winers.

Yes, because only pansy "winers" complain about minidumps and bugged modifiers...

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Make a copy of the entire sins rebellion installation directory. 

Register the exe in that new folder as a non-steam game.

The exe will run from steam and register steam is running correctly.

Use this version and it's associated mod folders to create your mod until your ready to update if ever.

 

+2 Loading…
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Like seleucia said, Updates are made mainly to fix issues like minidumps, or bugged code. I would much rather have a broken mod that i can update later. Than a broken game that is abandoned.

The thing is unlike other games SD/IC is trying to make the game better with their updates. For 4 years the dev's have been fixing, and improving Sins. Many times the updates gave the game more moddability, or increased the hard limits on some things. Rebellion is the last version of this game so i wouldnt expect any kind of "major" updates. There really isnt much more left to do except fix the balancing.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

@ Major Stress I've been with sins since the first beta phase ; Steam is the real issue it can't take no for an answer on the updates. But Iron Clad needs to pace themselves on the updates or like mentioned above provide us with a conversion kit.

@GoaFan77 I'm aware of the developer's tool i do use that, but i have to spend 5 mins copying the mod between the developers folder and the original as somtimes the dev side will bypass and let you get away with things the client side wont.

So the quick way would be an actual crash log.

As far as the updating goes, i begin reconstructing my mod for the 5th time, got off work and was about to start running test and then here comes 1.041 and yes updateing was disabled.

 

 

============================================================

@ZombiesRus5 I just saw your reply that seems like a wonderful idea i'm going to try that now.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

I keep 2 copies of the Sins folders... before I do an update I back up the entire game folder... do the update.. and then do a filesize compare (I use UltraEdit and UltraCompare).

I'll always compare the big files (entity.manifest) and English.str at a byte level.

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Yea that second copy works great, ill probably end up doing that same thing to the other 40 or so steam games lol. I laugh at Iron clad though the reason they are torturing us with steam is because there satistics state that it cuts down on piracy. If theeeeeeeeeey only knew; what i've seen others do with steam they would have never put it there.

It's just that if someone wants somthing bad enough, no amount of security is going to help.

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting DFM6000, reply 10
Yea that second copy works great, ill probably end up doing that same thing to the other 40 or so steam games lol. I laugh at Iron clad though the reason they are torturing us with steam is because there satistics state that it cuts down on piracy. If theeeeeeeeeey only knew; what i've seen others do with steam they would have never put it there.

It's just that if someone wants somthing bad enough, no amount of security is going to help.

I don't know if it was IC that choose to use steam, and regardless if it was IC or Stardock, the primary reason was for greater multiplayer support with the free libraries and cloud support steam provides.

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

I think it was a mutual SD/IC decision to go with Steam, because for the reasons goafan stated. Plus Impulse tanked, and was sold to Game Stop. The failure of Elemental probably had something to do with it as well. I am not a big fan of steam, but i also have no real issues with steam as long as it lets me log in offline mode.