Online Data updates & the future of modding

[Leftos]

UPDATE: Issue described below still exists, however I've created a tool that can work around it; Keep My Mod.

========================================================

Now that 2K has started updating/fixing things besides just adding new stuff using the Online Data silent downloads, this means that any mods we install are overridden.

Example:
Pistons court floor file f021.iff. No matter what mod you use and how you edit the f021.iff file in the game's folder, if there's an f021.iff file in the %appdata%\2K Sports\NBA 2K12\Online Data\download folder, the file in the game's installation folder is overridden, ignored, and the game instead uses 2K's update.

Replacing the file in online data doesn't work either, as the game likes to delete the whole "download" folder and re-download everything if it finds something going wrong in there, of if it can't get a connection to 2K's servers.

Btw, the Pistons floor is not a hypothetical example, it was actually updated in one of the last Online Data updates, and now we can't use any custom Pistons floor, as the game will always use 2K's own update instead of the mod.

The only solution is to prevent the game from connecting to 2K's servers, but that means no online, no living rosters, no NBA Today, no other updates.

We need to find a way to keep this from happening, or to make a tool that will start the game, allow it to update, find out when it's done updating, and then delete from the Online Data folder whatever files the user wants to keep using modded.

There is a way to find out when the game's done silently updating (as the game's front-end doesn't inform you about this). It's the moment the folder %appdata%\2K Sports\NBA 2K12\Cache\patches gets deleted. That's when all new patches/updates/additions are copied to the %appdata%\2K Sports\NBA 2K12\Online Data\download folder.

So we need to make a tool that will keep a list of the mods the user has installed, allow them to start the game, watch for when the Cache\patches folder gets deleted, and delete the user's modded files that got updated by 2K from the Online Data\download folder.

I will be trying to do that, I have enough programming experience for something like that, but if someone with more experience wants to do it, all the better.

[Albys]

Very interesting thread.
This new 2K features is good and bad, yes.
2 days ago i tried some solutions like you, but same results...

[Leftos]

I'm already developing a tool that will allow modders to force their mods to override 2K's updates. I should be done with the first version soon.

They'll only need to include a filelist along with their mods which the tool will read automatically and make sure the mods aren't replaced.

It won't hinder any online features, the user will get all updates and keep online functionality, but also be able to keep any mods they want.

[Albys]

[Leftos]

First version of the "Keep My Mod" tool released.

viewtopic.php?f=143&t=83896

[ShippingToBoston9]

rad tool broski

[Sixers85]

it's a incredible and usual 2kbug...interesting treadh leftos

[Andrew]

It's not really a bug, it's just the way it goes with their expanded official updates. It does cause problems for community made mods though, so Leftos' utility is a great initiative.

[kidabra]

When you say they update over the mods we've put in the game, does that mean they replace the global you've put in etc? Cause so far, mines been fine. I still have the golabl I use (with the TNT presentation) Still have all the cf's i've downloaded and used in the game, and still have the jerseys and courts I've used in the game.

[Leftos]

No, they don't actually overwrite your mods. There's a a separate folder for 2K's silent updates (%appdata%\2K Sports\NBA 2K12\Online Data\downloads). If you visit that folder, most of the files are new, such as the new shoes. But for any files that are both in that folder and in your installation folder (right now the only files updated are f021.iff and f021_lo.iff, namely the Pistons floor), the game overrides the files in the installation folder with those in the Online Data folder.

So even though I have the Pistons floor modded in my installation folder, since NBA 2K12 downloads its update in the Online Data folder, the game will always use the update over the file in the installation folder, so my mod's disabled.

You're not seeing any differences yet because 2K haven't updated anything you use regularly, yet. If they update the global, you're stuck with theirs. If they update a cyberface, you're stuck with theirs. If they update a jersey, you're stuck with that one over your modded one.

This is what my tool fixes. Whenever the game downloads these updates, whatever mods you've told it to keep, it overwrites the according files in Online Data\downloads with your mods. So when the game tries to override your mod with its update, it finds your mod again.