The current difficulty in installing mods

[Dark0ne]

The software I had in mind was a "one-click install" type of system. It would involve mod authors packaging their files in a specific way so that downloaders who had the software would click on a software link (i.e. FOMM://link/to/download/download.esp) and then the software would do everything from download the file to instantly install it, leaving them to carry on browsing the site.

 

After that the software would keep track of any file updates for the file. The functionality of the software will be dependent on premium membership. If the user does not have Premium Membership then the software will keep track of the file version number as specified by the author. If the version number changes then the user is informed and they have to go to the site and download the update manually. If the user is a Premium Member the software would keep track of any new file uploads for specific mods and either automatically download and install a version update or inform the user there is an update, and clicking an "Update now" button would do it all for them without having to visit the site (the either/or will be a user preference).

 

The divide between Premium Member and normal member isn't to reap "MASSIF MONEH" but to bridge that issue you mentioned kaburke where the system would circumvent a needed revenue stream of the site in order to operate.

 

As it is such a system won't happen for some time because it would require me to first of all learn .NET and/or similar languages. It would also be pursuant on me bringing on a full-time web programming assistant who could carry on the projects I have on the site at the same time; something I've been working towards recently. Alternatively I have been speaking to several of my friends who work for large software development power houses in the UK (including IBM, Microfocus, and so on) but they're all to busy to take on another project right now in spite of me offering them some substantial sums to work on this. If someone could prove to me they have the knowledge and willingness to work on this then I might be persuaded :) As it is I do have trust issues when it comes to delegating work.

[Thandal]

... As it is I do have trust issues when it comes to delegating work.

As you should! Nexus is a resource upon which thousands, tens-of-thousands, have come to depend. That it exists, and that it is constantly evolving and improving, is a direct result of the dedication, incredible amounts of work, and even love lavished upon it by its founder. To expect you to allow another to take over major portions of the effort... Well, it's like asking a mother to send her baby off to school. "Yes, it's probably time. But not just yet..."

 

Whatever/whenever you decide, I'm sure it'll be best in the long-run, for all of us who care about the Nexus.

 

Thanks, Robin!

[kaburke]

...the software will keep track of the file version number as specified by the author. If the version number changes then the user is informed and they have to go to the site and download the update manually.

FOMM currently does this.

 

As it is such a system won't happen for some time because it would require me to first of all learn .NET and/or similar languages. It would also be pursuant on me bringing on a full-time web programming assistant who could carry on the projects I have on the site at the same time; something I've been working towards recently.

Is the goal of this so that the Nexus could develop it's own FOMM-replacement? Or is it so that you could develop the extensions to the website required to support the discussed functionality?

[shotgun188]

Hmm this is one of the only good ideas about installing mods most of the others are like "I needz a thingy tha givz me awezum modz" because you put thought into this and you are asking for it from a experienced players/modders point of view and that itself is way more likely to get listened to then a total noob that avoid every "READ ME" they see and they pretend that tutorials are too simple and instead they ask for something that will only install MMM,OOO and Francesco's mod.Back on topic:This would be very hard to make and would require being able to use many different programming languages and a big team and no limit to development time.

[Dark0ne]

Is the goal of this so that the Nexus could develop it's own FOMM-replacement? Or is it so that you could develop the extensions to the website required to support the discussed functionality?

 

To be honest I've never actually used FOMM. Bad, I know. So I don't know about FOMM's functionality so it's not meant to replace anything but simply to add more functionality to the site and create an official Nexus client.

[ub3rman123]

So would such a system work from a browser base? If there were problems with multiple browsers, you could make it program based. A Nexus installer of some sort.

 

Main problem I see with this is getting files to work with it. The program would probably need files to be in the same form: WinRAR with standard subfolders. However, some mods are different, for example placing a folder inside of the .RAR file that contains the mod instead of the mod being in the first directory of the file.

[Zaldir]

This would be very much like the Curse Client for games like WoW, warhammer and such. When on [Blocked URL: Spamming mod authors with advertising links], you can click on a link "Download using Curse Client" or something, and it will open curse client, which will download and install the mod/addon automatically. :)

 

I like it! :D

[Argomirr]

So would such a system work from a browser base? If there were problems with multiple browsers, you could make it program based. A Nexus installer of some sort.

 

Main problem I see with this is getting files to work with it. The program would probably need files to be in the same form: WinRAR with standard subfolders. However, some mods are different, for example placing a folder inside of the .RAR file that contains the mod instead of the mod being in the first directory of the file.

It could easily support other archive types by using open source software such as 7zip which can extract almost any archive. The way subfolders are organized is a little trickier though, like you said. It would be possible to code it in a way that it doesn't require a standard packaging format (i.e, let the software look at the contents of the archive; if there's a folder named \non\standard\structure\meshes\, its contents are probably supposed to go into \data\meshes\, .esp's go into to \data\ etc, but obviously, that would not be 100% water proof.

 

I think Wrye Bash does this, but I'm not sure.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Argomirr

[kaburke]

So would such a system work from a browser base? If there were problems with multiple browsers, you could make it program based. A Nexus installer of some sort.

 

Main problem I see with this is getting files to work with it. The program would probably need files to be in the same form: WinRAR with standard subfolders. However, some mods are different, for example placing a folder inside of the .RAR file that contains the mod instead of the mod being in the first directory of the file.

It could easily support other archive types by using open source software such as 7zip which can extract almost any archive. The way subfolders are organized is a little trickier though, like you said. It would be possible to code it in a way that it doesn't require a standard packaging format (i.e, let the software look at the contents of the archive; if there's a folder named \non\standard\structure\meshes\, its contents are probably supposed to go into \data\meshes\, .esp's go into to \data\ etc, but obviously, that would not be 100% water proof.

 

I think Wrye Bash does this, but I'm not sure.

I can't speak to Wrye Bash, but FOMM does exactply what you describe. It can handle files in any archive format (well, any format supported by 7zip), and it analyses the folder structure to guess where things should go. As you say, it isn't 100%, but it works the vast majority of the time.

 

Given that FOMM does it, there's no reason a Nexus client couldn't.

[Spaceritual]

It does seem a brilliant and simple solution but I am guessing the implementation would bet tricky indeed , hopefully a modder/programmer with plenty of free time and that meets Robins requirements can turn up and sort it all :)