updating crap mids and maps...

[Snarky]

5 hours ago, GM Crumpet said:

I always found it an absolute pain to download and install vidiotmaps. I'm not very good with modding and stuff. The modder is so easy, and does all the work for you. You do have to make sure to delete any old files first though.

And how do i know what are “ old files”???

[tidge]

I'm glad MIDs (whatever version) works for some folks. I gave up on it years ago because (at the time) it was such a resource hog and it felt like it was requiring too much of my PC to do what (I think) should have been a rather straightforward database implementation. I am 100% aware of the complexities inherent to the various character building options in CoX, but as a software designer it felt to me like the focus was more on the bajillion corner cases and less on refactoring the database implementation to run in a more 'minimalistic' way. I haven't seen the code, so this is purely my feels as a consumer. Similarly: I am guessing the UI is designed with whatever the team feels they understand the best, likely because it "works". That doesn't mean that the UI code implementation is the best for all consumers. Kudos to the folks working on it.

 

These days I construct my builds in Excel (of all things!) while referencing City of Data and my Enhancement cheat-sheet. I typically try to approach builds by having no more than three primary design intents (depending on AT and mood) after those I find I can tweak the higher-order effects without needing a MIDS... but I usually only do THAT after some time running the characters.

 

Personally: Ever since Homecoming lowered the level requirements for powers, I have found designing character builds to be easier. Partially because there is less of a need to put 'filler' power choices early-ish in a build, and partially because with higher-tier powers available sooner I like being able to slot those early. At level 50 it makes little difference but I like having more play time with a power as I level.

[Marshal_General]

1 hour ago, Snarky said:

And how do i know what are “ old files”???

I am curious about this myself since I do use the modder and have never deleted any files.

[BZRKR]

I don't understand why "No Mids = Do it on paper"?

 

I use a spreadsheet and the city of data website.

[Snarky]

3 minutes ago, BZRKR said:

I don't understand why "No Mids = Do it on paper"?

 

I use a spreadsheet and the city of data website.

mids provides a scratchpad that feels very much like a respec in game.  it is just flat easy rather than spending how many hours building a spreadsheet environment....

[BZRKR]

2 minutes ago, Snarky said:

mids provides a scratchpad that feels very much like a respec in game.  it is just flat easy rather than spending how many hours building a spreadsheet environment....

Ahh gotcha. That's fair.

 

However, when I say "spreadsheet" I really mean a single tab that has columns for level, the power taken, how many slots, what goes in them, what the total +recharge is, and a cell to tell me how many slots out of total I have left. So it's almost a piece of paper 🙂

 

And I made the layout in 2019, so those minutes are well absorbed into time spent building characters.

[Frozen Burn]

On 2/19/2024 at 2:48 PM, AboveTheChemist said:

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there are LOTS of maps being updated, and quite soon.

 

As was mentioned, installing vidiotmaps via the City Mod Installer is the strongly recommended method. If that is not an option for you, then manual installation is fairly straightforward, and is covered in the installation section of the vidiotmaps thread. Manual installation used to be quite painful, but I've simplified it a great deal. You'll likely need to make some one-time changes to your launch parameters (assuming you haven't already done so for some other mod), but there are instructions and links in the installation section to help with that. You'll also likely need to delete your old installation, and there's a section that covers that too. If you don't delete/move the old one, the new install won't appear in-game.

 

Lastly, if you do plan to install manually, be sure to check back after i27p7 releases to the live servers, as there will be an update shortly thereafter. I'll post to the vidiotmaps thread linked above when the new maps are available. Barring any last-minute changes, it should be within a day or two of i27p7 going live.

 

 

Just want to say.... THANK YOU For the clear instructions on the manual install for this.  It worked beautifully and was easy-peasy.... Download, remove old, and adjust the launcher parameter.  

 

Something to note that had me worried... I already have a launch parameter in my Launcher - one that allows me to view the Going Rogue welcome screen and music.  I wasn't sure how to put in a 2nd parameter.  So, I just a comma and space after first and before the second and prayed it would work and it did.  

 

But thanks again for all your work on the maps and making this easy for us!  

[AboveTheChemist]

5 minutes ago, Frozen Burn said:

But thanks again for all your work on the maps and making this easy for us! 

 

You are quite welcome, thank you for the feedback!

 

Regarding the launch parameter, I don't think the comma is necessary, but (based on your findings) it apparently doesn't hurt either so I am glad it worked for you. I think you just need a space in between consecutive parameters. Here's mine as an example, and I have multiples (the assetpath parameter is cut off because my parameters extend beyond the visible window).

 

[Frozen Burn]

13 minutes ago, AboveTheChemist said:

 

You are quite welcome, thank you for the feedback!

 

Regarding the launch parameter, I don't think the comma is necessary, but (based on your findings) it apparently doesn't hurt either so I am glad it worked for you. I think you just need a space in between consecutive parameters. Here's mine as an example, and I have multiples (the assetpath parameter is cut off because my parameters extend beyond the visible window).

 

 

Thanks for clarifying this.  Maybe a short statement in your instructions for anyone else who have them on how to add multiple parameters?  ...you know, for n00bs like me?  😀

[Perfidy]

On 2/19/2024 at 12:50 PM, Snarky said:

any advice for the grumpy undead?

So, this is what I did. And I'm approaching 60 years of age. Slowly, but still approaching. Not a million years like some of the undead around here, but old enough to find some of the technical stuff daunting. 

First, I downloaded the CityMod Installer. I didn't want to do this. I just wanted to manually update the specific pages, but the Bicentennial meant that was going to more work than I wanted to do. So, The CM install comes in a zip file. So, all I did was click on it. I don't know what it did, but it installed. Then I ran it. 

The only two mods I wanted were the new pop-menu BadgeSetList that was pretty much the same thing I'd been using, just had the new stuff in it, and the updated VidiotMaps. 

Neither worked. So, when all else fails, read the directions. Damnit! I hate reading stuff. I like to skim, gloss over. Not read. 

Anyway, once I uninstalled the old copy of VidiotMaps and deleted the old badgesetlist from the data folder where it used to be, the updated maps and the updated pop menu both worked. 

I have no idea how helpful or time wasting this was, but that's all I did. Seems like you could handle that. File structures is a fancy way of saying where stuff is on you computer. 
The instructions make it pretty clear where the default locations are. If you still have trouble, I suspect someone like you has friends smarter than me that can help you out. 

Worst case, find a 5th grader. This stuff is like super simple for them. 

 

[GM Crumpet]

11 hours ago, Perfidy said:

So, this is what I did. And I'm approaching 60 years of age. Slowly, but still approaching. Not a million years like some of the undead around here, but old enough to find some of the technical stuff daunting. 

First, I downloaded the CityMod Installer. I didn't want to do this. I just wanted to manually update the specific pages, but the Bicentennial meant that was going to more work than I wanted to do. So, The CM install comes in a zip file. So, all I did was click on it. I don't know what it did, but it installed. Then I ran it. 

The only two mods I wanted were the new pop-menu BadgeSetList that was pretty much the same thing I'd been using, just had the new stuff in it, and the updated VidiotMaps. 

Neither worked. So, when all else fails, read the directions. Damnit! I hate reading stuff. I like to skim, gloss over. Not read. 

Anyway, once I uninstalled the old copy of VidiotMaps and deleted the old badgesetlist from the data folder where it used to be, the updated maps and the updated pop menu both worked. 

I have no idea how helpful or time wasting this was, but that's all I did. Seems like you could handle that. File structures is a fancy way of saying where stuff is on you computer. 
The instructions make it pretty clear where the default locations are. If you still have trouble, I suspect someone like you has friends smarter than me that can help you out. 

Worst case, find a 5th grader. This stuff is like super simple for them. 

 

You beat me to it. Just delete all the old files and it works perfectly

[Michiyo]

18 hours ago, Snarky said:

And how do i know what are “ old files”???

 

17 hours ago, Marshal_General said:

I am curious about this myself since I do use the modder and have never deleted any files.

"Old files" are the loose .texture files in the data directory.  These files still override the files loaded via the mod installer.  The only thing I keep in my data directory anymore are personal popmenus that no one else would want.

[Bionic_Flea]

On 2/22/2024 at 7:49 AM, Snarky said:

And how do i know what are “ old files”???

 

When you are one of the immortal undead, all files seem young.

[Clave Dark 5]

I got it all done much like how @Perfidy did, which puts me in mind of this scene...

 

[BlackSpectre]

On 2/20/2024 at 10:49 AM, BurtHutt said:

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the CoX game itself needs to have a native toon builder much like MIDS.

Either that or an easy to use API that pulls all the necessary data needed for a character builder straight from the main database. Not in real time, but only updated when the game is patched. Great idea!

[BlackSpectre]

And while we’re talking about what would be nice… a Mac version of city mod  installer  and mids would rock (or at least a well worked out version of Wine (windows environment emulator). 

Edited February 24 by BlackSpectre

[lemming]

3 hours ago, BlackSpectre said:

And while we’re talking about what would be nice… a Mac version of city mod  installer  and mids would rock (or at least a well worked out version of Wine (windows environment emulator). 

City Mod works well on my Linux machine.   MiDs works, but took more effort to get running.

[High_Beam]

Mids has now posted up an update that incorporates a lot of Page 7 in it including Arsenal Control (ARSC) and Arsenal Assault (ARSA).  I just hit update in the software and bikity bam it was done.  It doesn't have everything (their own statement - lot of numbers) but they were clearly working it hard during Beta to make sure it was out there when Seven was released.  and Zed and others on their Discord channel are actively working a lot of the things that aren't in this update.

[BlackSpectre]

6 hours ago, lemming said:

City Mod works well on my Linux machine.   MiDs works, but took more effort to get running.

If what you did would work on a Mac (I know linux is similar), is there any chance you could tell me how to do it for both? I'm computer savvy, but not a professional. Well, not any more anyway. 🙂

[lemming]

1 hour ago, BlackSpectre said:

If what you did would work on a Mac (I know linux is similar), is there any chance you could tell me how to do it for both? I'm computer savvy, but not a professional. Well, not any more anyway. 🙂

CityMod I grabbed the zip and extracted it in Games/CityMod.   Didn't take any extra steps and could call it via wine

wine ~/.wine/drive_c/Games/CohMod/CoHModdingTool.exe > ~/down/cmod.log 2> ~/down/cmod.err &

 

Mids, I did the Lutris install that's mentioned on the forum thread, but it took me a few different tries since it's finicky about .NET