Staredit Network

this is an excellent idea!

Especially for guys like me w/ terrible internet connections. Maybe I won't get booted from UMS games because I'm taking forever to download smaller maps!

Also while we're dumping files int patch_rt.mpq, why stop at sound? what about some improved navigational menus like these ones?

Update: Picture removed by poster
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Yoshi is absolutely right. At this time I would like to apologize for the apparent “cheap shot” of posting this screen shot of said mod. It in now way represents SEN’s “no-mod” policy!

While I appreciate your inquiries, this topic is about Chu’s OSF and the implementation/innovativeness of it. Plz support Chu and discuss this topic only. if you are interested in this mod for your “PRIVATE” use, head to http://www.staredit.net/index.php?act=ST&f=59&t=12876 and download it for yourself.

Again my apologies, and plz refrain from further discussion of this mod in this topic.
Steve H

Because maybe you're not allowed to directly modify blizzards files?

thats a nice mod

howd he do that? did he cut and paste? or did he mod it?

That's why we have 3rd party map editors?
Or that's why we have mods?
Hacks?
Bots?

So, really, what's stopping us?
Sure as hell isn't Blizzard.

it's the people rexy...plus the copyrights.

dont copyrights expire like when they are 10 years old? i know patents do...(i tink it's 10).

i might take on this project once i learn more VB, im halfway through the book, but then i still need practice...

Mod. Deathknights 3rd party patch does the same thing, its nothing special.



Go to C:\Program Files\Starcraft\License.txt. Thats whats stopping us. We try to follow the licence the best we can.

Oh man...

List of Stuff:

Gods:
Chu
Yoshi
IP
Bolt

Demigods:
Legacy
Rexy
Moogle
TEC

Congrats Chu, you rose to God status .

Thats a nice looking mod bajadulce, I wish I had that.

I hope OSF can have a large database of sounds.

Tux shall smite you.
(Sorry for being a bit off topic )

Off Topic:
Hmmm maybe he will... I only saw like 2 of his maps and I don't really know so eh... Mebbe I'll look at his maps and see.

On Topic:
Ummm... I was replying to Rexy...

*ShadowBrood runs away.

hm...
OSF alreayd has a big database...SEN!

WHAT! im not a god? fine then...

Hmm, I heard about this before, but didn't know it involved patch_rt. Interesting. It's great idea, Chu, but don't go slicing your wrists if it doesn't catch on. Believe me, I'm the master of all things brilliant that never catch on.

Idea: Make a program to automatically extract sounds from downloaded maps, add them to patch_rt (all except blizzard maps, for patch reasons). You might also have to redirect the wav file strings in the map for it to work, but if you've modified the map anyway you might as well.

I have a few questions, though:

• Would maps changed in such a fashion require re-DL even if they're identical copies, simply because the "Date modified/created" info would be different?
• Would new blizzard patches delete those sounds (patches usually modify the patch_rt file)?

Hmm, if this is something that would require mass distribution to be effective, you might as well tack it onto the automodder program (which would make added incentive for people to want it).

First and second question, yes. But you've seen how often blizzard releases patches, it's not a major problem ... people can just transfer sounds from one MPQ to the other or just keep them in the OSF folder.

Thats why I showed interest in the automod program. Though I don't have the time or motivation to work on such a program at this time.

ADDITION:
Oh yeah, so far I already have 6 people signed up for the weekly digest. That tells me there is a lot of interest in this already.

on the mod topic, id liek to know howcome my TblPad isnt working...ive extracted the stat_txt.Tbl, but then when i try to read it, nothing shgows up. im using the tutorial on stormcoast.

sorry for being off topic but i cant wait, since in campaignecreations.org, you have to wait for an admin to verify before u can post.


and im one of those 6 people

a faster way to spread it is ask Heimdal and SI to put it into their editors, so it does it automactically.(or if it detects a wav you have that's not in the patch_rt).

bug i really thing this would would, if it were advertised, maybe send it to the Blizzard homepage lol. (though...i dunno, they migth get mad with at jacking their files up).

hm...the WinMPQ, it's turning i think my language to spanish, though the lcoal ID is 0, which is default english...HELP!?

SI was talking to me about editing the sounds.tbl file and adding them so that they would be automatically imported in SCMD2. I'll post about that in a bit...

So THIS is what it's all about. Uber idea!

EDIT- Idea removed. Won't work.

I still don't think it will work, Tux. The filesize will be changed if you edit the strings because instead of "staredit\wav" and such you would have a smaller pathname of "effects\". That would decrease the map size and SC would identify this and you would have to re-DL the map. And that is despite of the fact you are removing sounds from a map and drastically changing the filesize.

Also there is the problem of WHERE to place the sounds. I supposed a 4th path "mapSounds\MapName\" could be created. But without being able to change the strings so that a re-DL isn't needed there isn't really a point. From this perspective it would just be better to upload them to DLDB and make a whole new version of the map.

Well if each program removed the sounds and renamed the strings the same way, it should work. But it wouldn't be worth it unless there was a way for maps to share wavs, which would require a download at least once anyway.

ADDITION:
Grr, I gotta stop thinking out loud on forums lol. I make the most obfusticating posts because of that.

Oh I get what you're saying now. However I don't realy see the use in this considering everyone else would have to make the same sound updates to their MPQ for it to work. It would be best to just have a program/person control the updates of the list of sounds that can go in the MPQ file.

EDIT: Ok, lol. It's ok to think out loud.

Yeah, which is why I edited my post above. A program wouldn't be useful unless it could also send the wavs somehow at least once with the maps that need them, which would only be practical through a centralized source anyway. Except to make it automatic for everyone who downloads the set, the difficulty in simply sticking them in the MPQ manually isn't to much greater.

A program that automatically updates Patch_rt with OSF wavs from the DLDB wouldn't be a bad idea. It would have to have a server-side component to work automatically, though. And maybe also respond to update Patch_rt with only the wavs that are needed by the maps you download... no that's going to far.

I'd find this particularly useful if you are testing minor things in a map which requires you to have the songs and such to be in there to test. Oh, yeah, you're with a friend too.

Can someone just tell me the directory in which you put the songs for Mpq songs?

Don't no-file songs crash starcraft? It did it with me when I was working on an HKR map.

If you are going to try to release this to the public community in general, you should do more than just sound formats.

People (most) on BNET won't want to leave SC to go to a website just to download a program to hear sounds (a lot of people listen to their own sounds and turn off map sounds anyway).

If this is going to work well:
1. There needs to be a seperate spot on the website to minimize browsing. The map shouldn't say "go to www.staredit.net and browse to the DLDB and. . .", it would be much better if it was something like www.staredit.net/osf. This way, people would download it due to how fast and simple it would be.
2. This needs to have additional functionality. Local sound storage isn't enough. If you are aiming to distribute this to the public community, you have plenty of power to change starcraft however you want. You should take the extra time on this program to add additional things (think of the possibilities). Add a built-in hack notifier, add a program to automatically play MP3s when the map says to play a wav with a special name (MP3 FILES YAY), native map encryption, there are plenty of other things that you could do, just try to make this one special!

It does sound like a great idea, but like I said, it won't catch on in it's current state if you are targeting the public. If you want it for just the SEN members, I can see how it would work but, if you are going through all of this effort, you might as well make this the best thing to ever happen to SC.

It sounds great though, keep it up!