[Dunken]

I been experimenting with Edukes Launcher and trying to figure out if it was possible to launch both "The Gate" and "Duke Plus" simultaneously. The results were, new HOM's effects where plain textures should be, disabled custom AI's, and a ton of other questions to spawned out of the pits of my enthusiasm.

First of all, I'm not entirely sure how Duke 3D functions or Win32 Ports of Duke3D function. I know you got your CON files, your GRP files, and your misc files which I wont bother to address. I want to know what the connection is there between a CON and GRP file. I barely know that a GRP file almost works somewhat like a Doom Wad file. But do CON files have any connection with GRP files, or does the game engine run them both upon detection... Or does it have to register certain directories to pick up these files?

I need somebody to break it down for me... I'm not so good at reading wiki documents or listing to dated material that sounds like what Linux users would say when I tried using Ubuntu. (They often get way too technical and expect me to know how raw programming works rather than explaining the functions of it). I need somebody to explain to me in some detail how this works. So that I may be able to utilize the Eduke Engine more effectively.

Oh, and many apologies if I'm being a little too detailed in submitting my first post..

(I have some experience in running some Doom Engines for miscellaneous info.)

Thanks for any help on this!

[Danukem]

CON files contain game scripts that control enemy AI and many other things. In EDuke32, the scripting system is vastly enhanced from the original game and can be used to do just about anything, within the limits of the game engine.

A GRP file contains a group of other files. These may include ART files, CON files, maps, sounds, music and game palettes. There is no special connection between GRP files and CON files -- CONs are just one of the things that a GRP file may contain.

When you start EDuke32, there is always one main CON file. Typically, that main CON file tells the game to include other CON files. These are all compiled at startup time. There is at present no easy way to mix and match CON code from different mods. When you tried to combine DP and The Gate, the game used the CONs from one but not the other (depending on which you specified as the main CON file).

[Dunken]

So, it was most likely reading from the GRP file in the Duke Plus Directory? I tried dropping both The Gate's CON and GRP files into it so, I guess it didn't work. Is there a way to specify which CONs it can read?

[Danukem]

Dunken, on May 17 2010, 07:24 PM, said:

So, it was most likely reading from the GRP file in the Duke Plus Directory? I tried dropping both The Gate's CON and GRP files into it so, I guess it didn't work. Is there a way to specify which CONs it can read?

There's a hierarchy that determines which CON to load as the main script file. I think this is right:

1. If you start the game using -x[FILENAME] command line (specified in a .bat or shortcut), then it will use "FILENAME" as the main CON. For example, if you have a CON named "MYMOD.CON" in your eduke32.exe directory, and you want to use that CON, then you could start with the -xMYMOD.CON command line.

2. Next it will look for a file named "EDUKE.CON" and use that if it exists.

3. Next it will look for a file named "GAME.CON" and use that if it exists.


The game might be doing either 2 or 3 without your realizing it. Unless a custom GRP is specified, EDuke32 will try to load DUKE3D.GRP. That file is supposed to have a GAME.CON in it (if it doesn't, then it has been pirated or otherwise modified). In my mods, what I do is put the cons and other stuff in a subdirectory, then I put an EDUKE.CON in the subdirectory, and it in turn includes my main CON file. The subdirectory gets searched when you choose it as your game directory (either in the drop down menu at startup, or because of the -gamedir command in a .bat or shortcut).

One final thing to keep in mind: If there are two CON files of the same name, and one of them is at the root level, then it will be loaded instead of the other. For example, if you have a GAME.CON at root level, and another one in DUKE3D.GRP, then the one at the root level will be loaded.

That's probably more than you wanted to know, but maybe this post will be useful to others as well.