Author Topic: can Hak Contents work in Override  (Read 813 times)

Baaleos

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1916
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« on: November 27, 2012, 05:18:56 pm »


               Without getting into a Best Practices debate.

Im simply wondering - if I were to extract the contents of a hak to my override directory.
Does this still give me access to the content?


I did an experiment with it last night - with Worms Fantasy Interior hak pack.
Extracted the entire contents to Override - and booted up Toolset, and all the content appeared.
(Tilesets etc)

I havent tried it yet with in-game though.


 I know as far as PW Setting goes - typically people are advised to keep their content in a hak, so not to spill over to other PW's etc.

Shouldnt be an issue - with what I have planned.


Now - another question.
Does Override - override hak contents?

What comes higher in priority.
Override, or Hak?
               
               

               
            

Legacy_Shadooow

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7698
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2012, 05:30:36 pm »


               Does this still give me access to the content?
~yes

What comes higher in priority.
Override, or Hak?
~hak, patch-hak, override, bif (texturepacks are bit special dont recall where they belong now)
               
               

               
            

Legacy_T0r0

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 380
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2012, 05:57:39 pm »


               Hak is the top of the foodchain. I was trying to look for a post on harvest moon that summed it all up, but failed. As Shadooow said. there is more than just hak and override. There is patch-hak, and bif too. Also take into consideration dds over tga, but a dds in the override won't work if you're overriding an existing texture. I'm sure someone will post the exact hierarchies soon.
               
               

               
            

Legacy_henesua

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6519
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2012, 06:02:22 pm »


               This doesn't relate to tilesets but
what about files in the module itself? Don't they have highest precedence?

this would include blueprints, the faction file, scripts, conversations....
               
               

               
            

Legacy_Shadooow

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7698
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2012, 06:09:00 pm »


               

henesua wrote...

This doesn't relate to tilesets but
what about files in the module itself? Don't they have highest precedence?

this would include blueprints, the faction file, scripts, conversations....

ah sure they do

its between hak and override not sure about patch-hak but I think its like this then:
hak - patch-hak - module  - override - bif
               
               

               
            

Legacy_henesua

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6519
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2012, 06:14:00 pm »


               interesting... thanks
               
               

               
            

Legacy_Invisig0th

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 279
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2012, 07:00:27 pm »


               A much better and more complete explanation of all this was uploaded to the NWVault by Axe Murderer. You wouln't necessarily know it by the title, but this is exactly what this document talks about. Anyone who wants an in-depth understanding of how all this stuff works should definitely start there.

Custom Content Mechanics - A Tutorial by Axe
               
               

               


                     Modifié par Invisig0th, 27 novembre 2012 - 07:00 .
                     
                  


            

Legacy_Invisig0th

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 279
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2012, 08:00:57 pm »


               There are also a handful of things that ONLY work in override. If I recall correctly, custom palette textures are one example of this. They work fine when placed in the override folder, but don't work at all when placed in a hak.
               
               

               
            

Legacy_Khuzadrepa

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 347
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2012, 08:19:21 pm »


               One thing to keep in mind, if this is multiplayer, is that using override doesn't guarantee the client logging in has the content, whereas a hak loosely does.
So if you were using Worm's tileset, for example, a player could log in without the files in place and have undesirable results when they entered one of those areas.
Not sure what you have in mind, but just thought it good to mention that. '<img'>
               
               

               
            

Baaleos

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1916
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2012, 10:00:14 am »


               Hi Guys,
Thanks for the replies.

Essentially, I want to use hak content, without the server requiring players to have the haks.

To this effect - I have an application that some of my players use.
It detects the nwn installation directory, and from there detects the override,music,portraits folders etc

Then it downloads alot of 'optional' content from my website.

I was using this for just music at first.
Meant that if you didnt have the music, you could still enter the server and the area, just not hear the music for that area.
Then I moved onto sound files -  encoded them as mp3 to save download bandwidth
then they get converted client side by the application to wav - to make them work in nwn.
Then I added portraits etc
And now
I've added Archive support.

Essentially, I take the content from a hak, rar it with WinRar.
And then these are downloaded by the application also - and then unrarred to the override directory.

I have setup some webservices with my nwn server - that integrates it with my forum.
Every forum user has a checkbox to say whether they use the Updater Application.
If they select Yes - Area Transitions will allow them access to areas where the tileset is a certain resref (I've taken note of the tilesets that require the additional content)
If they leave it unselected - Area Transitions will prompt them to register at the forums, and to indicate whether they have downloaded the content, and warns them that they need the content, or they face a real risk of crashing.

I've tested this last night with 2 of Worms packs.
Scorched Earth, and Fantasy Interiors.
Granted - the Override Directory becomes a little packed when it is done this way, but the good thing about the application is that it gives the players a clean easy way of uninstalling the content again when they are finished with it.
Not that they would want to:  Cause it would take along time to redownload.

Also - It does MD5 Checksum validations to make sure they have the right versions of files etc
And to minimize impact on my websites bandwidth - anyone using the Downloader, is a potential peer who can then share the content to additional peer users of the downloader application.
If a peer connection is not successful, then it will default to the website.
               
               

               
            

Legacy_kamal_

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 347
  • Karma: +0/-0
can Hak Contents work in Override
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2012, 04:32:18 pm »


               With mp3tobmu you can convert mp3 to wav on your machine and not require the players to convert sound on their machines, but retain the benefit of the mp3 file size.