Comments on: Poll Question 142 – Do you prefer executables or compressed folders for mods?

By: jjawinte

jjawinte — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:25:04 +0000

I’ll go with compressed 90% of the time simply because I find it easier to extract them to an exact location myself. Unless I know the source of an exe. is trustworthy, I generally don’t use them. I’ve had too many instances of the installer(s) being set up with with an incorrect pathway. This can easily ( for example ) happen with some HL(2) mods given a ” Valve ” pathway and not the proper ” Steam “.

It always pays to look at the installation pathway while using an exe. just to be sure. Other than that, I love em too.

By: DuckSauce

DuckSauce — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:03:16 +0000

I prefer executables, the simplest kind, next next next, install, done, restart steam, play.

I don’t mind compressed folders either though, only those that put all the files into it directly, without an extra folder. As in, I unpack the folder on my desktop, then suddenly I’ve got a lot of folders and files on my desktop(this isn’t bad with Sourcemods nor do I think I had that issue with any mods I downloaded, but once had a simply indie game that had like 100 or more files not even packed in folders, all dumped onto my desktop, cleaning that up was a pain!)

I’d like to add that making a simple installer, takes less than 1 minute if you right the application and have used it a couple of times.
As there’s programs that makes this extremely simple. Making that installer looks fancy with added gimmicks would take longer, but I find those pointless, just gimme a straight next, next, next, install, play installer and I’m happy!

I’d do the same for my own mods for the installer, besides that I’d make sure to have a zipped file available for anyone who doesn’t want an installer or has issues running them.

By: TaRgEt*TuRkEy

TaRgEt*TuRkEy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:44:49 +0000

I don’t think it’s a question of being more “professional” but more user-friendly. Is the typical gamer that’s never played a source modification going to know about the SourceMods folder in all of its obscurity? It’s not like WinZIP/WinRar tells them where to put the files or folders, they have to Google it or hope there’s a Readme.txt. But those are already a couple steps that are skipped when using an installer executable. Each have their own merits and bad points. I do hate when:

Archives/compressed folders have unnecessary things such as files hanging out loosely and have confusing folder structures (this happens more in Half-Life 1 modifications).

Installers/.exe’s install random files in places inside the steam folder such as uninstaller .exes or read-me files that don’t get removed when uninstalling.

By: jjawin118

jjawin118 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:44:20 +0000

I’ll take the compressed,hands down.

By: Mabilis

Mabilis — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:57:39 +0000

Im not sure.. I like EXE’s because they are simple to use but on the other hand, they can be dangerous so you have to be extra carful by not downloading them from some dodgy site.

I can deal with folders and zips but its just anoyying having to locate your program files/steam/sourcemods etc etc…

By: SolidFake

SolidFake — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:15:29 +0000

I don’t care pretty much if it’s now an executable or an installer, but I voted installer as I guess it makes the mod looking more professionell.

By: planetphillip

planetphillip — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:41:08 +0000

Too late now. In fact I think it always makes a difference. If you were presented with three download options; exe, folder and “Don’t care” then it might have been a valid addition to the poll but that’s never an option.

By: Hypnotek

Hypnotek — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:59:40 +0000

Possibly add a “Doesn’t make a difference” option?

By: Aniline

Aniline — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:27:10 +0000

I remember all that .pak business too (thanks for the flashback). And that’s why I go for executables mostly. About 99% of the time I spend on a mod is actually playing it. There is a risk of course but after six or seven years I didn’t experience any major crashes due to badly placed or substitute files, so I’ll stick with it.

By: KingDaniel

KingDaniel — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:04:37 +0000

Compressed folders. I *hate* EXE’s filling my syatem with icons and unistallers when all I need to do is delete a single folder.

That said all mods should come with proper install instructions. I downloaded a Portal map the other day and didn’t have a clue what to do (it wasn’t a BMZ). And I’m an experienced mapper!

(i figured it out eventually. The map was rubbish)

By: Ol' Scratch

Ol' Scratch — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:33:46 +0000

This.

And well-stated. I rarely play a mod that requires me to load a map thru the console–just too big a pain in the ass.

Plus, most of us are using some form of antivirus/antimalware, that scans the files of the executables, and blocks them when something bad is detected–I know, I know, not perfect, but one of the front lines of defense.

So: exectuables, for the win.

By: Sortie

Sortie — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:51:24 +0000

vecima, I never thought about that situation. However, I never said you should assume the registry setting is correct. However, the installer SHOULD ask the user where Steam is installed and SHOULD use the registry setting as the default option, and let the user correct the path if it’s incorrect.

Personally, I think that’s the most userfriendly approach: Letting the installer figure out as much as possible on its own, and then let the user confirm if it guessed correctly. In no context should the installer presume the information is correct without asking the user.

By: Richard van den Burg

Richard van den Burg — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:10:01 +0000

If I was asked this question one year ago, I would have voted for executables, why? , simple, I just didn’t know what to do with the folders (and was “afraid” to ask for a long time)
I did not “grew up” with PC’s , i-pods & mobile phones like young kids nowadays (I’m 44 years old)
I play games on consoles for quite a long time, but bought my first PC just 3 years ago, the first game I bought (because I read so many good things about it) was half-life 1 (with the official expansions) , half life 2 followed quickly and then the episode’s.
Searching the internet I found out about mod’s and the first one I downloaded was Riot Act (with an installer)
Many mods followed, untill I found out that I wasn’t able to play/install some of them (the folders)
I didn’t know the difference! (no one ever told me)
Thera are a lot of exe.files I could play so there was no real problem for me.
In the mean time I found PlanetPhillip on the net and did a lot of reading , and reading the comments made me very anxious to play some mod’s I was not able to play before because I just did not know how to extract folders.
Reading the instructions on the site, my thoughts where, “It can’t be that hard” , but I was just afraid to do something wrong and mess up my PC
One day I just mailed Phillip and asked , Phillip replied the same day with a short and clear answer how to use winrar and how to extract the files ………………. If I knew it was thát simple …
So now, I vote for compressed folders (the reasons are all mentioned above)
Computers are in a way a bit like cars,
Allmost everyone owns one.
Allmost everyone knows how to surf the net or how to play a game (when it’s allready installed) , when it gets a little more “difficult” and you don’t know exactly what to do, you don’t do it, because you’re afraid to do it wrong.
With cars it’s the same for a lot of people , Everyone knows how to drive their car, but when there’s a minor “problem” most people are not able to fix it themselves , even when it’s very simple (In my country (netherlands) 35% of the drivers is not able to change a tire for example) , only because they are not sure how to do it the right way .
Sorry for the long explanation.

By: vecima

vecima — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:32:43 +0000

sortie, I used to use steam from an external HDD, and I would use it on several computers each of which would assign a different letter to said drive.

In that case, an installer very well may NOT know how to find steam. Should developers assume it will? I say at the very least developers should ALSO provide the folder method, and not assume their installer will work.

By: foxholeboy

foxholeboy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:53:18 +0000

When i first started i prefered executables, but doing it manually seems so much easier to me now i’d say i prefer it. I like having the control. I know this is off HL2 topic but for UT3 mods executables are a pain in the ass because my UT3.exe is on my E drive rather than where they want it to be causing some executables to fail making a shortcut or installing the mod at all. If your going to use an executable do it right like CSS SCI FI 3, best use of an executable i’v ever seen.

By: Grey Acumen

Grey Acumen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:52:54 +0000

I only don’t like Executables if they add crap to the start menu.

The biggest gripe I have is with standalone maps. I hate having to load things up through the console. I seriously wish someone could make a mod for each of the episodes that could just load standalone maps and either run them as bonus maps or as individual chapters.

By: Jasper

Jasper — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:39:54 +0000

When you say scan, do you mean virus-scan (yes)or being-able-to-see-files-contents-scan (yes)? If you mean the last, would you find it useful if an installer allowed you to view the contents of whatever you are about to install, before installing it? (yes)
I’m probably more security conscious than most because I own half the shares in a relatively small, niche market, manufacturing company and run the website which has a shopping basket (not Ebay!).
I run 3 security suites of which McAfee is the best. I keep the other 2 ‘just in case’ – not counting Windows Defender which has caught nothing. Also the security suite from our issuer of our Web Site Security Certificate.

By: Sortie

Sortie — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:20:15 +0000

When you say scan, do you mean virus-scan or being-able-to-see-files-contents-scan? If you mean the last, would you find it useful if an installer allowed you to view the contents of whatever you are about to install, before installing it?

By: Ritosito

Ritosito — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:43:31 +0000

The only advantage exes have is that they do not require you to look at a readme and find out you are supposed to put it in the SourceMods folder —if you didn’t know that’s where you put it in the first place.

Making it into an exe is just more work for developers. The exe does nothing you can’t easily do yourself.

By: Jasper

Jasper — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:53:36 +0000

Yes!
Because I can scan during the download, I download to desktop – another scan, and the dummy file I unzip to.
Not to worried about the other things as I clean up folders and files weekly. Grateful to andyb for pointing out the start/programs thing but now I know about it, problem solved.
I have never had problems with downloads from PP, your site or developers who I know but I like to check the same.
The odds are that my systems would detect and stop any nasties but there is no knowing with an EXE until the damage is done. Using the Internet in any way at all takes a leap of faith and it is up to us to minimise the risks.

By: Sortie

Sortie — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:25:59 +0000

Interesting. While, so far, 43% of all votes went to Installers, I’m the only one who left a comment favoring Installers. Does this mean that the people who prefer installers, also happens to be people who don’t comment?

Also, on the topic of unnecessary things installed by installers. I also hate useless desktop shortcuts and start menu icons. However, it seems these useless things seem to be default options in the installation software used. Sometimes they can’t even be disabled, or the mod makers just don’t care.

In any case, while they are annoying, they don’t really do anything. Things on the desktop takes a few clicks to permanently remove. Short cuts in the start menu takes just as little effort to remove, and often aren’t even noticed for a while.

It seems that a lot of people in this discussion assert that most installers do things incorrectly and therefore prefer compressed archives. However, if we state that a given installer will do everything correctly, not install to the wrong location and not install useless things, would you still prefer a compressed achieve?

By: Sortie

Sortie — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:16:41 +0000

If an installer does something wrong, it’s because the developers messed up. I mentioned in my first post how to properly detect where Steam is installed.

By: Sortie

Sortie — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:15:21 +0000

Yeah, my Maxsi Distribution installer service is currently down, but it’ll be up ‘Soon’ (Valve Time).

By: Bolx

Bolx — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:00:17 +0000

I voted Compressed Folders as over the years .exe installers have often screwed up. On more than one occasion an installer has put files in the wrong folder and at least one has created a separate Steam folder in program files.

When an .exe gets it wrong you then have to cut/copy and paste to the correct location thereby defeating the reason for the automation.

Also as Jasper and Ade mentioned you can scan folders.

By: Ade

Ade — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:19:32 +0000

Huh, Ima have to agree with everyone who voted for folders.. You can see the darn content and scan it, can’t do that with an executable, plus most installers leave so mush rubbish behind, pardon me if it’s been said before, but that’s what’s annoying about all applications, not just mods. Running it from within the game, or from Steam is easy. Unzipping it in the right folder can be problematic at first, but after 2 such ‘installations’ and ‘runs’ you’ll get the hang of it. Plus, that is why we’re here, to provide newcommers with such info, I think even Phillip’s posts contain this info, when the mod has no readme in English, so I don’t understand where do all the votes for Installers come from, don’t see many ppl defending it

By: planetphillip

planetphillip — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:19:17 +0000

Having an executable doesn’t mean you won’t have a readme and the install instructions should be part of the executable anyway.

By: planetphillip

planetphillip — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:18:20 +0000

I know anydyb disagrees but age or experience may have something to do with it. I would like to know whether the readers who voted for executables are mostly modders themselves.

By: planetphillip

planetphillip — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:17:01 +0000

We are not forgetting the 3rd option because the poll is about mods not maps. Copying the map is really the same as copying the folder, so for the purposes of the poll a compressed map is the same as a compressed folder.

By: Black Dog

Black Dog — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:48:22 +0000

I too picked compressed folders. You can’t go wrong.

Aren’t you all forgetting about the 3rd option. The one where you have to Open the console and type map…..

I myself refuse to play mods that use the 3rd option. I know it’s my lost but you can’t save your games like you do with folders. You have to remember what to type to get the game started, not to mention all the clutter.

Just my 2 cents.
I wonder how many people pass on the console thingy games.

By: andyb

andyb — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:14:18 +0000

Nope,not a quake thing.I never played it.As Sortie said there are benefits to an exe but not many.His exe thing is down also(last I checked since before august) and I’m still waiting .I just want stuff I don’t have to trust or not.Just gimmie the folder.No extra’s.