Sorry if this was posted arleady, but I was just installing some mutators and I noticed the mess in my 30 gig ut2k4 folder. I think they really need to stress the use of a new package system. Right now, a lot of people dont use the current ut package system mainly because it craps out so easy, and people end up making external apps which is just a hastle when you can provide a zip and have them extract it. A new system really needs to become a standard. Also, they need to set up a better way to organize how the files are located. All the stock files are mixed in with my downloads, and its a pain in the ass when I am making a map or cleaning out stuff when I dont know what belongs to what. I am pretty sure it is possilbe through the INIs to set up multiple dirs for everything but once again that too much trouble really. With a solid package system we could easly manage all downloaded content and mods etc. It could also provide an external mod launcher so we dont have to go through directories, make batch files, or go into the game to start up another. I best solution I can think of it how HL2 does it with their giant archive files that hold the stock file structure with all the files in them. Then there is a serperate folder where if a file exists in the same spot as the layout in the mentioned file structure then it replacse it. Or files in that psuedo-folder can exist to serve as new content. This is could also allow people to replace older content, so lets say you want a new assualt rifle sound you can change it and still be compatable with other servers running mutators. There is too much of a heavy dependance on mutators for things like this, and thus you dont get to play with your favorite wep models on every server. BUT! Back to the packaging system, thats just as important, I want a way to manage content through external means.
Also, another good thing would to make a precompiled database of all files.. this would get rid of those long pauses when it has to check every single file you have. This is very annoying when you have so much extra content. And of course there would be the ability to rebuild this database on command, or it would auto append itself as new content was added. (I am actually taking this idea from STEPMANIA (I am sure other things do it too though) and how it handles managing songs : P, their package management system is good too btw, instead of installations it manages individual file sets, but that may not work to well for a unreal game layout.)
Also, another good thing would to make a precompiled database of all files.. this would get rid of those long pauses when it has to check every single file you have. This is very annoying when you have so much extra content. And of course there would be the ability to rebuild this database on command, or it would auto append itself as new content was added. (I am actually taking this idea from STEPMANIA (I am sure other things do it too though) and how it handles managing songs : P, their package management system is good too btw, instead of installations it manages individual file sets, but that may not work to well for a unreal game layout.)
That kind of stuff needs to be generated dynamically every time.
I agree this has to be addressed (in UT2004 even...it's just a kind of bug). On the other hand, mappers have to name their versions different as well, so it's not entirely just Epic's fault.