Modding support - option to just copy resource folders and files (don't put them into PCK, ZIP or EXE)

[PavelCibulka]

Describe the project you are working on

Strategy game with heavy emphasis on modding and user's created content. I would like modder to have access to many parts of the game - including GUI.

Describe the problem or limitation you are having in your project

PCK files - this feature is just obstacle.

• There are no pros in having files in PCK (or in EXE or ZIP) in my project.
• Games files are hidden to users and require tools to extract it. (and probably to pack it again)
• PCK discourages unexperienced modders from trying to experiment with game files
• PCK makes modding iterations really slow (and annoying)

Describe the feature / enhancement and how it helps to overcome the problem or limitation

Allow option to just copy resource folders and files without putting them into PCK, ZIP or EXE.

• It allows easy access to game files.
• Modders don't have to have previous experience with programing, godot or modding.
• Modding process has fast iterate cycle without any scripts or tools.
• It is easy to create moddable game by authors (less work for me)
• There is no need to write modding guide (at last part about PCK files) (less work for me)

Please look at games with really big modding communities. For example in strategy games it would be Paradox games. You can just open game file with text editor. There is almost every player a modder in Paradox games (In the sense of him changing some game file).

Describe how your proposal will work, with code, pseudo-code, mock-ups, and/or diagrams

• Remove check that PCK contains at last one file (editor_export_platform.cpp - "Must select at least one file to export." error)
• Embede PCK options change to three value (PCK, Embede PCK, Copy folders and files)
• Make ProjectSettings.load_resource_pack be able to also load folder (besides PCK and ZIP file)

If this enhancement will not be used often, can it be worked around with a few lines of script?

It can be almost done with: export -> Options -> Embede PCK export -> Resources -> Filters or Exclude Files set to * (this will throw error right now - "Must select at least one file to export.") manualy copping resources to game folder modders have to ZIP mod files in single zip file

Is there a reason why this should be core and not an add-on in the asset library?

This is change of core feature, not new one.

[KoBeWi]

Well this is already possible, but not directly. Export a ZIP, then unzip it in a folder and you have a working game with exposed files. Just run the exe in that folder.

Note that edited and exported game files are different. Exported project only uses the imported versions of files, so if you leave image and audio files exposed, they won't even be used and can't be modified. Unless you load the manually with Image/AudioStream methods.

[Calinou]

In general, good modding APIs should encourage adding files on top of what's already existing, not replacing existing files in the project. This prevents players from bricking their installation and having to redownload the game from scratch.

This can be done by loading additional PCK/ZIP files with ProjectSettings.load_resource_pack(), or just by using runtime file loading and saving.

• There are no pros in having files in PCK (or in EXE or ZIP) in my project.

A packed format allows the game to load faster (and also be transferred faster on disk, as a sequential file write is much faster than writing a lot of small files).