Working on a tool to create/update the desc file

[dnamro]

Guys,

I am working on a tool to create/update the map's desc file. I have the basics down for a standard BF2 map and once I get all the bugs worked out, I would like to customize it for project reality. Currently the way it works is it parses the game modes and creates a list then it reads the the map's desc file, it it exists. It will then go through the standard possible game modes for the a standard map and check to see if the map has that game mode. If it does it will then check to see if it read it from the current desc file. If it doesn't or it is not a standard entry, then it will allow a choice. This would be mainly to make sure that the map types and locid are set to stardard options, that the game modes are all set up correctly, and that the format is indented using tabs so that it will display in an easy to ready format, instead of the run on mesh that sometimes happens.

I am trying to start off simple, but some options that I might add eventually are a list of music file options if the music is blank or to allow a user to enter a custom map briefing if it is blank as well.

Now for the custom version for project reality, I have questions on the project reality map desc file format.

- Some PR maps, like Al Basrah have a gsid setting, but most don't have it. I understand that gsid is used for stat tracking. All the standard BF2 maps have it. Does PR use the gsid?

- Some PR maps have a map type entry even though they don't have the listed mode type. Al Basrah has gpm_cq, gpm_cnc, gpm_vehicles and even a blank mode. Do these need to be listed even if the mode does not exist?

- Looking at gamemode descriptions and types, it looks like the custom game modes have custom types and custom descriptions, but for cq and coop the type is always "headon" but with custom GameMode descriptions. Is this correct?

- Also it appears that only coop is used in PR, not single player modes. Is there a reason for this? Sure COOP is better because it has more customization options, but is there are reason that SP mode is specifically not enabled?

- It looks like COOP usually has the following game descriptions for the indicated player level:

16 = coopinfantry
32 = coopalternative
64 = coopfullassets

and CQ is normally:

16 - aasinfantry
32 - aasalternative
64 - aasfullassts
128 - aaslarge

Is this a requirement or just a convention? What I am asking is something that I could check for and force a change or at least throw up a message to alert the mapper when updating the desc file with this tool?

Also it looks like the following text in the briefing screen:
map description for modders maps not localized (english only)

and this text in the map type tag:
Unlocalized test for this mode on this map

Are comments and not actually needed.

[rPoXoTauJIo]

- Some PR maps, like Al Basrah have a gsid setting, but most don't have it. I understand that gsid is used for stat tracking. All the standard BF2 maps have it. Does PR use the gsid?

No, we're not using it.

- Some PR maps have a map type entry even though they don't have the listed mode type. Al Basrah has gpm_cq, gpm_cnc, gpm_vehicles and even a blank mode. Do these need to be listed even if the mode does not exist?

I wonder why it's left there. Ideally those should be cleaned out, but i guess "dont touch until needed"

- Looking at gamemode descriptions and types, it looks like the custom game modes have custom types and custom descriptions, but for cq and coop the type is always "headon" but with custom GameMode descriptions. Is this correct?

Afaik type is something dice left for mappers themself, which is depending on map flags areaValues, and so - bleeding settings.

- Also it appears that only coop is used in PR, not single player modes. Is there a reason for this? Sure COOP is better because it has more customization options, but is there are reason that SP mode is specifically not enabled?

Too much work to maintain sp in addition to coop.

- It looks like COOP usually has the following game descriptions for the indicated player level:

16 = coopinfantry
32 = coopalternative
64 = coopfullassets

and CQ is normally:

16 - aasinfantry
32 - aasalternative
64 - aasfullassts
128 - aaslarge

Is this a requirement or just a convention? What I am asking is something that I could check for and force a change or at least throw up a message to alert the mapper when updating the desc file with this tool?

Obviously there's no such thing as aas in vbf2, so it's our internal convention.

Also it looks like the following text in the briefing screen:
map description for modders maps not localized (english only)

and this text in the map type tag:
Unlocalized test for this mode on this map

Are comments and not actually needed.

First one, briefing locid is for backup localization in vbf2, when the map can't find localization in localization folder.
As for 2nd one no idea

[Outlawz7]

First map in levels needs to have all gamemodes defined. Found this out with retro map pack.

Added all gamemode definitions to 7 Gates desc since it becomes first map when installed next to core to fix the issue of gamemodes not showing in local create game menu

PoE2 does same

<map>
<name> Aces High </name>
<briefing locid="LOADINGSCREEN_MAPDESCRIPTION_Aces_High">map description for modders maps not localized (english only)</briefing>
<music> common/sound/menu/music/Loading_Theme_2.ogg </music>
<modes>
<mode type="gpm_cq">
<maptype players="16" type="doubleassault" locid="GAMEMODE_DESCRIPTION_doubleassault">Unlocalized test for this mode on this map</maptype>
<maptype players="32" type="headon" locid="GAMEMODE_DESCRIPTION_headon">Unlocalized test for this mode on this map</maptype>
<maptype players="64" type="headon" locid="GAMEMODE_DESCRIPTION_headon">Unlocalized test for this mode on this map</maptype>
</mode>
<mode type="gpm_coop"></mode>
<mode type="gpm_fl"></mode>
<mode type="gpm_inc"></mode>
<mode type="gpm_nuke"></mode>
<mode type="sp1"></mode>
<mode type="sp2"></mode>
<mode type="sp3"></mode>
</modes>
</map>

Also
https://www.realitymod.com/forum/f189-m ... ntent.html

[Arab]

Unlocalized text is used for the briefing message when there's no localization entry for the map.

[dnamro]

Thanks for all the info and the link to the template. That helps a lot. I am now thinking that I need to add a customization file to be able to support different mods. That way the tool won't have to be re-coded just because a new game mode was added or to support a new mod. The customization file would just need to be updated as needed.

Any idea what the plasma="0" as part of the map tag means? I have only seen this on the free maps that were released in BF2 patches, like Highway Tamp and Wake:

<map plasma="0" gsid="1339">