I've recently released a new version of my mod, Forgotten Emerald
Along with that version, i have released a brand new easy to use (and free to use and distribute) launcher, called Libertas Launcher
Virustotal virus scan for Libertas.exe (25.04.2017 version)
The abovementioned launcher has a few noteworthy features that make it what DOW2 has been missing for some time:
- Supports Auto-Update - update frequently and keep all your players up to date - powered by SVN (SubVersioN), which can be hosted anywhere (i can recommend sourceforge, its free and all). No re-download, unpacking etc required - just launch, press "Update", press "play"
- Plug-And-Play launcher - the minimal package you need to provide with your mod is just an .lbmod file, measuring in bytes (plaintext config for the launcher).
- Easy to install mods - Players need only to drop an .lbmod file into libertas/mods/ and restart the launcher to install the mod.
- You can add your own mods - There is no central verification service or a modlist. You are free to configure the launcher to use any mods with your repositories - the choise is yours.
- Fancy - Custom mod backgrounds supported, custom "Community" URL's supported, you can even keep an automatic changelog using this launcher!
I will explain in short how to set up your own .lbmod file - to make sure your players are ready to move to the new launcher.
An *.lbmod file is plaintext, and therefore should be opened with a notepad, or the like.
The insides look something like this ( i use my mod "Forgotten Emerald" for an example)
I will break down these parameters one by one:
- ModuleName - REQUIRED - The game will be launched with "-modname N" parameter, where N is what is after the equals "=" sign (i.e."forgottenemerald")
- Author - Purely informational, currently not used in the launcher.
- Description - Purely informational, currently not being used, will later be displayed on one of the tabs in the launcer.
- CommunityURL - if a valid URL is supplied, opens an additional tab with a webpage. This can be anything, but i use it for my steam group.
- SVN_URL - REQUIRED - the link used to update the mod. Must contain a valid SVN repository.
Expected folder structure of the repository is like this:
Background.png is an optional file (does not get installed in the game directory). It is displayed as the mod's splash screen in the launcher. - SVN_Login (and SVN_Password) - optional settings. If your repository is password protected, you can use these to obtain access. I do not recommend using them (they have not been tested, and their usage is an experimental feature). Password security with them is also not even there, so i do not see a reason to use them currently. However this is up to you.
- PlayURL - This URL is being launched in the system's default browser just before the launcher runs the game.
(CLIENTS CAN OPT OUT OF THIS BY SETTING "LaunchURL" IN PARAMETERS TO "FALSE")