Implementation work has finally been completed on the new data format system. Testing remains, though. What’s next is to make the concept of Data Modules work in code. Modules will enable modders and addon makers to create their own, freestanding packages of game content without modifying the original game’s stuff, and without disrupting data of other mods and addons.

On the file system, a module simply looks like a folder in the game’s directory, named “MyMod.rte” or something. It contains at least one .ini (index.ini) and whatever other resources like bitmaps and binary data files used by that module. For organizational purposes, the index ini can ‘include’ (IncludeFile = MyMod.rte/Weapons.ini) other ini files within the same module, like a ‘Scenes.ini’ or ‘Actors.ini’. All these ini files use the new data formatting system throughout (see earlier post).

In its ini files, a module can define instances of almost every object in the game engine. So, one could for example make a module with only weapons, or only effects, or only new scenes (maps/levels), or a combination of these. Gameplay logic is currently totally hard-coded, but eventually we’ll see how data driven we can make that too. This would mean modders could define their own gameplay styles as well, much like Unreal’s ‘mutators’.

There will always be at least a single module present called Base.rte, which will contain all the data of the basic game. Other modules can safely refer to data in the base module since it can be assumed to be there, but add-on modules should never refer to bitmaps and such in other (non-base) modules. This will ensure that each add-on module can be passed around to fellow CC players without a hitch.

After work is done on a module’s data, there will be a tool to compress its containing folder into a single file with the same name as the folder (e.g. MyMod.rte). Hopefully this will make it even easier for people to share their new weapons, actors, levels, etc. with the community.

I was going to draw a diagram to make this post a little more visually interesting, but I’ll spend that time on actually getting the code done instead. (Update: but then I drew one anyway!)

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