I just want to touch on this subject, as it seems some people just throw all the required files in a directory and zip it up, this is just unacceptable in most cases, as some people (the ones who will be playing your map) wont know what to do, so I am going to make a basic guide to follow when packing up the maps you make.
First, you should have the full Unreal Tournament directory tree inside the directory you plan to zip up. Say for instance the map name is MH-Package.unr so you need to create a directory called MH-Package, then inside that directory you need to put the directories of Unreal Tournament in there if the map uses a custom package from that directory. So lets say there is a package named SomePackage.umx, Textures_Package.utx and a SoundEffectsPackage.uax package that your map uses that doesn't come with the game.
So you will create a directory tree like so.
MH-Package/Textures
MH-Package/Music
MH-Package/Sounds
Since you should ALWAYS include some kind of readme file in with your maps, explaining how to install the map, how to contact you, and if you'd like some kind of story or something for them to read. Then you need to put a Help directory in there as well.
MH-Package/Help
So lets show what a sample directory structure should look like, assuming a map uses files from all know UT file types.
../System/SystemFile.u
../Music/MusicFile.umx
../Sounds/SoundFile.uax
../Help/MH-MapName/screenshot.jpg
../Help/MH-MapName/readme.txt
../Maps/MH-MapName.unr
All of this in an archive named MH-MapName.zip
This way, when a user downloads your map, unzips it to his/her desktop they can easily just select all the directories and drag them into the UnrealTournament directory, instantly installing everything needed to play the game. If your map requires the BonusPacks, then you should NOT include them in the archive, but rather mention that you will need to install the BonusPacks in order to play the map somewhere in the readme file, so users will know. Also since all maps require MonsterHunt to play, you should let users know they'll need to download that as well.
Far to often do I see map archives with all the files placed in the root directory, without a readme file. Sometimes missing files required to play the map, so I have to track those down as well. This should eliminate that problem, as well as make it easier for the player to install custom maps locally on there own computer to play offline. (or new server admins to be able to easily install the map his server)
How to package maps
How to package maps
Last edited by Skillz on Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Sorry, but you are wrong.H꣣Fï®è wrote:And put the ''uz.'' files in the map Redirect in your UT Folder.
If the map isn't there just call him ''Redirect'' and put the file into it.
Mostly the uz. files will be used for Mapvote.
You do not need to package the uz files with your maps. Though if you want to, you can place them all in a directory called Redirect, as the only people who will be using them is the server admins.
uz files are just compressed UT files that are placed on a redirect server, so you can have fast downloads when you connect to it. Has nothing to do with mapvote.
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Skillz are you interested in packaging the uz files with the maps, or even creating a redirect section where compressed files can be downloaded ready-to-go for a server? I could compress the necessary files by map or mod and include them into the download, or even create a master redirect download with all the compressed files in it. That would be pretty big, probably 5-600MB but I could mirror the download off my site, I've got plenty of bandwidth.
Ouch lolSkillz wrote:Sorry, but you are wrong.H꣣Fï®è wrote:And put the ''uz.'' files in the map Redirect in your UT Folder.
If the map isn't there just call him ''Redirect'' and put the file into it.
Mostly the uz. files will be used for Mapvote.
You do not need to package the uz files with your maps. Though if you want to, you can place them all in a directory called Redirect, as the only people who will be using them is the server admins.
uz files are just compressed UT files that are placed on a redirect server, so you can have fast downloads when you connect to it. Has nothing to do with mapvote.

Than Iam probably wrong

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A public Monster Hunt redirect server? Sounds interesting. As for packaging the compressed files with the downloads, no. It'll just make the archives larger and most people who run servers will know how to compress files on there own anyway.gopostal wrote:Skillz are you interested in packaging the uz files with the maps, or even creating a redirect section where compressed files can be downloaded ready-to-go for a server? I could compress the necessary files by map or mod and include them into the download, or even create a master redirect download with all the compressed files in it. That would be pretty big, probably 5-600MB but I could mirror the download off my site, I've got plenty of bandwidth.
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Just in case some my not know how to compress the files, this program would help called UZforUT, found here (near the bottom): http://unrealtorment.planetunreal.games ... nload.html
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