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NWN Mods on Steam Workshop

Savant1974Savant1974 Member Posts: 303
edited February 2018 in General Discussions NWN:EE
So I'm planning to put the Aielund Saga onto Steam Workshop, and I think I've figured it out, but I needed to check something. Basically, I need to put all of the files a mod needs into the directory that's going to get uploaded, so the module files themselves, and all hakpaks it needs. Is that right? I mean... what about CEP? What about extra community content? All of it? That would mean that every mod that gets put on there that uses CEP gets its own version of CEP on there too. My series needs the Real Skies hak, that's 1.2gb. It'll basically duplicate big community content packs for each and every mod. That sounds horribly inefficient! Am I doing something wrong or is that really how this is going to work?
JuliusBorisov
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Comments

  • MadHatterMadHatter Member Posts: 145
    You can set dependencies on the workshop entry similar to the Vault.
    Savant1974voidofopinionJuliusBorisov
  • Savant1974Savant1974 Member Posts: 303
    edited February 2018
    Thanks, that makes a lot more sense! Would be nice if the guide mentioned that.
  • Savant1974Savant1974 Member Posts: 303
    Okay I guess I'll wait for CEP and other needed haks to appear on the workshop.
  • MadHatterMadHatter Member Posts: 145
    I tried to upload TAD's files but he said no. He'll do it himself. Figured getting a headstart wasn't worth the drama we see sometimes in the NWN community (not that TAD is that way).
  • Savant1974Savant1974 Member Posts: 303
    Yeah I'd prefer to do mine myself so I can understand.
  • MadHatterMadHatter Member Posts: 145
    I can deprecate yours (wouldn't want to delete them so as to not inconvenience any subscribers who have it set to autoupdate)
    Savant1974
  • HonounHonoun Member Posts: 12
    Somewhat unrelated but instead of creating an entirely new thread how do I point Steam to my Beamdog folder? I know I can add NWN:EE as a none steam game but when I entered all the keys it wants to re-install the game all over again... That's fine if I have to, just prefer not to download it all over again is all ;)
  • Savant1974Savant1974 Member Posts: 303
    I wasn't entirely sure, so I just went and downloaded it again!
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
    Honoun said:

    Somewhat unrelated but instead of creating an entirely new thread how do I point Steam to my Beamdog folder? I know I can add NWN:EE as a none steam game but when I entered all the keys it wants to re-install the game all over again... That's fine if I have to, just prefer not to download it all over again is all ;)

    I don't think it's possible. Beamdog and Steam game folders are a bit different due to steam_api.dll and other files. You have to download the game from Steam in order to run it in the Steam app and get Steam features like the Friends List or the Worshop.
    Savant1974Torgrimmer
  • MadHatterMadHatter Member Posts: 145
    if you copied the Beamdog NWN folder over to the correct Steam path and made sure it was game 74450 or whatever it is you might be able to trick it into not installing the whole thing.*

    *Untried, untested, no promises
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
    MadHatter said:

    You can set dependencies on the workshop entry similar to the Vault.

    We have just added a new section there:

    "Dependencies
    If your mod relies on content from other mods, you can use Steam Workshop's dependencies feature. To do this, go to your workshop item's page and click "Add/Remove Required Items". From here, you can choose other workshop items that your mod depends on.

    Using this feature will allow you to avoid including redundant content or content that you don't have permission to redistribute."

    http://steamcommunity.com/app/704450/discussions/0/1699416432428329123/

    Let us know if it needs any more changes.
    Sylvus_MoonbowSavant1974
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,270
    I see that mods uploaded to Steam need to be in subfolders that mirror the user folder, e.g. mod, hak, localvault etc.

    Is there a standard for miscellaneous documents such as walkthroughs and maps? Can we use sub-subfolders, e.g \docs\[mod name] to make them easier to find? Do Steam players generally know how to find documentation folders?
  • Savant1974Savant1974 Member Posts: 303
    Great, that'l come in handy for workshop newbies like myself :smiley:
  • ShadowMShadowM Member Posts: 573
    edited February 2018
    Ok just uploaded new rain visual to steam, let me know you guys can see it and test it out. Wish we had copy paste when working with the command prompt for upload.
    Savant1974
  • Savant1974Savant1974 Member Posts: 303
    Yep I can see it, and it works! Very nice. Just needs an image for the workshop page.
  • ShadowMShadowM Member Posts: 573
    edited February 2018
    Thanks, it a nice test run.
    I just added one, the thumbnail seem to not be loading though.
  • MadHatterMadHatter Member Posts: 145
    Proleric said:

    I see that mods uploaded to Steam need to be in subfolders that mirror the user folder, e.g. mod, hak, localvault etc.

    Is there a standard for miscellaneous documents such as walkthroughs and maps? Can we use sub-subfolders, e.g \docs\[mod name] to make them easier to find? Do Steam players generally know how to find documentation folders?

    Most Workshop users would not know to go into their Workshop folders to find documentation. You can include links in the actual Workshop entry however where that type of documentation is typically included.
    Savant1974Proleric
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    i hope more module makers add thiers to the work shop or give people permission. would save some people time when they are doing it manually and then the game says they are missing a hak pack and spending 20 minutes figuring out whitch one it is.
    Savant1974
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,270
    @MadHatter So walkthroughs and other documentation are not hosted on Steam?

    I can link to my own site or the vault, of course.
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,270
    @megamike15 Steam users will presumably find workshop downloads easier, if that's what they're used to.

    However, unless I've misunderstood, in many cases modules will still require the player to subscribe to additional shared content items.

    One obvious reason is to avoid redundant downloads. Even on today's networks, acquiring big packages like CEP takes time, so you'd only want to do that once.

    There are permission issues, too.

    As I understand it, those dependent items will appear as links in the module description, to Steam if the author uploads them, or more likely to the vault. So the potential for missing items due to player error remains.

    Having said that, I do see a case for bundling all the smaller haks into the module on Steam, terms of use permitting, regardless of the download overhead. To that extent, it should be easier for the player.
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    i only think you need to sub to cep once for it to work. all the work shop does it move stuff to the right folders like adem millers and darkness over daggerford does.
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,270
    Sure, but my point was that if every module author bundled all the CEP files into their Steam workshop upload, that would be a lot of megabytes to download every time.

    If - and this is a design decision - CEP becomes available as an independent subscription, and modules provide a link to it, it would only have to be downloaded once, but with a risk of player error. The more haks that are unbundled, the greater the risk.
    Savant1974
  • Savant1974Savant1974 Member Posts: 303
    Yeah we just have to wait for things like CEP to be put on steam before we can put our modules on there.
  • HunterRayder93HunterRayder93 Member Posts: 266

    Yeah we just have to wait for things like CEP to be put on steam before we can put our modules on there.

    @MadHatter told me in private message that the CEP modder did not agree to put the content on steam.
  • MadHatterMadHatter Member Posts: 145
    To clarify TAD said he would put his files up himself.
    Savant1974
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,270

    Yeah we just have to wait for things like CEP to be put on steam before we can put our modules on there.

    Well, there is a way. For now, we can put our modules on Steam, with a link in the description to CEP on the vault.

    True, players would have to figure out how to install CEP manually. We could provide a Guide on Steam & link our modules to that.

    Last I heard, TAD was thinking about maybe adding CEP to Steam when EE goes live, which might be a way off.

    More generally, modules have a lot of dependencies on vault haks that may never appear on Steam, because the authors are no longer around. Links to the vault would be a solution there, too. Alternatively, where vault permissions allow, perhaps we could bundle a copy of those haks in our modules on Steam. A little duplication wouldn't hurt.

    One thing I haven't tested yet is whether Required Items are automatically downloaded when a player subscribes to a module. If they are, it might be better to publish the old haks on Steam as separate (but required) items. That might be a stretch on the permissions front, though.

  • jonesr65jonesr65 Member Posts: 66
    This is my first exposure to Steam and from what little I used it, my preference will be down load it from the vault and/or nexus so I know its on my hard drive and I can unzip it and reinstall it any time I want. And if I want to make any changes for my own personal use I can do that.
  • HunterRayder93HunterRayder93 Member Posts: 266
    Proleric said:

    Yeah we just have to wait for things like CEP to be put on steam before we can put our modules on there.

    Last I heard, TAD was thinking about maybe adding CEP to Steam when EE goes live, which might be a way off.

    It is not true that it is a step backwards it is a step forward because it allows users to have more accessibility to the modules or PW in play ... they do not agree with your ensemble line. as for the rest, just make a special pack with all the overdrives and hacks needed for that module in a single module and they will work only qu that contneuto as they did with "Tethyr Game Patch + CEP (2.1)" to play "Knights of Noromath ", the modd works only to access that PW and does not conflict with anything else ... however I want to point out something ... yesterday I tried to manually download a modd on the Nexuse and insert it into overdive ... this at some point I was in conflict with a modd delwork shop I think but not what (perhaps Advanced Combat Animation Pack V4 - Override Edition) but I do not know there was also a bug that showed me the modd used for KoM, then I removed that modd from overdrive and 'now works as before ... so to manually download the "CEP" to steam users is not the best thing, doing so is likely to create conflicts ... but tell me something. .. why do you like it so much to manually download the CEP? what's wrong with putting it on steam? who manages the mod on the Workshop can only be assigned administrators and that's it ... so I do not see why not do it ... but the me and only one thought ... then do as you want.
    DM_Djinn
  • ProlericProleric Member Posts: 1,270
    @HunterRayder93 your post is quite hard to understand, so forgive me if I've misunderstood.

    Clearly, it is best for the player that when a module is on Steam, any required projects are on Steam, too.

    However, putting haks like CEP on Steam (or not) is a decision for the hak author, not the module author. As long as a hak is not on Steam, I'm proposing the temporary workaround of linking to the vault.

    Posting other people's files on Steam without permission would be an act of piracy, which is against the Workshop rules.

    When it is a major live project like CEP, it would also be grossly disrespectful to the author to take the matter out of their hands.

    In the case of abandonware haks, I'm cautiously suggesting that (with explicit exceptions) existing vault guidelines and permissions might be sufficient to allow the module author to bundle those haks into the module's Steam Workshop item. This is a controversial opinion, which is open to discussion, both here and at the vault.
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