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help:how_to_package_and_release_a_file [2017/11/26 18:47] – [Hosting] ZigguratVertigoBlewTronynsSocksOff! Spirithelp:how_to_package_and_release_a_file [2023/02/14 16:47] (current) – [Hosting] Spirit
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 ===== How to package and release a file ===== ===== How to package and release a file =====
  
-<WRAP center round todo 60%> +dumptruck_ds made a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-NGjpa8iYM|video]] explaining a lot of what is written down here. If you prefer video formats to written text, consider giving it a view. This page will probably be more up-to-date and "canonical" though.
-This is work in progress +
-</WRAP> +
  
 ==== Naming ==== ==== Naming ====
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 === Maps === === Maps ===
 Pick a good filename for your .bsp file. People commonly use their nicknames and a counter or try to find a good short word describing the map. Adding a "sp" or "dm" or "ctf" bit to the name helps indicating the intended gamemode. If you decide for a "boring" numbering scheme and you also release maps for other games, you might want to stick a "q1" in there as well. Pick a good filename for your .bsp file. People commonly use their nicknames and a counter or try to find a good short word describing the map. Adding a "sp" or "dm" or "ctf" bit to the name helps indicating the intended gamemode. If you decide for a "boring" numbering scheme and you also release maps for other games, you might want to stick a "q1" in there as well.
 +
 +Alternatively just name it after the map's actual name.
  
 Don't forget to set the title field in the .bsp file to something useful. Don't forget to set the title field in the .bsp file to something useful.
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 Before you settle, search the web for the name and make sure it is not already used. Before you settle, search the web for the name and make sure it is not already used.
  
-==== readme.txt ==== +==== Text file ==== 
-You must add a text file to your release documenting at least the title of the work and your (nick)name. You should also include a release name, the intended purpose, contact details and the like. Without this, your file(s) might be lost in "who on earth made this and when and why?!" limbo.+You should add a text file to your releasedocumenting at least the title of the work and your (nick)name. You should also include a release name, the intended purpose, contact details, release date and the like. Without this, your file(s) might be lost in "who on earth made this and when and why?!" limbo.
  
 Best practice would be using the good old base.txt template: [[/files/idgames2/levels/base.txt]] Best practice would be using the good old base.txt template: [[/files/idgames2/levels/base.txt]]
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 Name the text file exactly like your zip file and/or your bsp file and/or your mod directory! For example the readme file for abc123.bsp would be abc123.txt. For the mod qwe456/ the readme file would be named qwe456.txt and placed into qwe456/ : qwe456/qwe456.txt! Name the text file exactly like your zip file and/or your bsp file and/or your mod directory! For example the readme file for abc123.bsp would be abc123.txt. For the mod qwe456/ the readme file would be named qwe456.txt and placed into qwe456/ : qwe456/qwe456.txt!
  
-If you have creativity oozing out your pores, well, some mappers include erotic short stories too.+If you name your text file readme.txt, it will conflict with everyone else's same-named file and no one wants to overwrite other people's files. 
 + 
 +If you have creativity oozing out your pores, well, some mappers include short background stories too.
  
 ==== Packaging ==== ==== Packaging ====
 Package your files into a standard zip archive. Not rar, not a self-extracting exe, just a plain zip. Zip is widely supported, Windows natively can handle the format since Windows XP. MacOS and Linux have no trouble either. Package your files into a standard zip archive. Not rar, not a self-extracting exe, just a plain zip. Zip is widely supported, Windows natively can handle the format since Windows XP. MacOS and Linux have no trouble either.
- 
-If you feel like you must use a more modern and smaller format, use the free format 7z. But seriously, please don't. Only even think about this if you want to release a huge amount of files and using 7z would considerably reduce the file size. 
  
 If you release a single file, put it (and its readme) directly into the zip file. Do not add a directory. If the user extracts the file straight into his maps/ directory, it should be correct. If you release a single file, put it (and its readme) directly into the zip file. Do not add a directory. If the user extracts the file straight into his maps/ directory, it should be correct.
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 ==== Hosting ==== ==== Hosting ====
-If it is a finished workyou can contact [[quaddicted.com:Spirit]] to get it hosted at Quaddicted. Feel free to mail it straightaway.+Upload the final archive to https://archive.org/ or http://www.quaketastic.com/ . The password for uploading at QuakeTastic is "ZigguratVertigoBlewTronynsSocksOff"the username "quaketastic". Then paste it in [[https://www.quaddicted.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=636|the forum thread]], following the description in the first post. The file will be uploaded to Quaddicted then and at some point also appear in the [[/reviews/index.php|database]]. 
 + 
 +Do not use services that do not support direct download links. And please do not use volatile hosts like Dropbox, Google Drive or any ad-ridden free hosting providers. We would not be here if people had done that in the past. Thanks! 
 + 
 +==== Quaddicted's database ==== 
 +The database of singleplayer Quake maps (and some mods) at https://www.quaddicted.com/reviews/ was designed on a per-file level. Each entry or page available there is describing a specific file. There is no process for replacing a file with a different version or to link different versions with more than a plain hyperlink. 
 + 
 +This means that e.g. three different versions of a thing become three separate entries in the database. This allows external tools like the [[tools:quake_injector|Quake Injector]] to work without errors and to make sure that ratings, comments, tags, demos, etc are linked to the specific version they describe. But this also means that releases which only add minor bugfixes are separate from the community interaction which might have previously happened on the initially released version. Testing your releases well before publicly releasing them is highly recommended so you can avoid having to publish updates. You can always find people interested in testing your works by asking in [[/forum/|our]] or other forums.
  
-If that is not an option, if it is a work-in-progress, you do not want to wait a week before Spirit replies (though he is quick if you packaged everything well) or otherwise you want to host elsewhere, http://www.quaketastic.com/ is there for you. The password for uploading is "ZigguratVertigoBlewTronynsSocksOff"the username "quaketastic".+[[/forum/viewtopic.php?id=622|Help on building a better system is highly welcome]]as always.