PKT stuff

[Marshall]

Sorry, I know some of this info has been posted already but I wanted to be absolutely clear. I've been doing some testing of my own and have reached the following conclusions:


PKTs

You can only have one PKT that is loose in your RA2 folder.
Multiple PKTs will result in duplicate maps.
This is a bug with the game engine.

If you have a PKT file that lists a map that has already been listed (say, in missionsmd.pkt) then a second copy of the map will be created in memory (and rightly so).
To add mapfilters ('GameMode=...' to an existing map, list only the mapfilters you wish to add.
You cannot use a PKT file to remove mapfilters for maps in other PKT files.

Maps are loaded in the order they appear in the PKT - and so this is the order they appear in the map list.


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YRO files are MIX files.
They can contain multiple map files.

Unlike MIX files however, YRO files can contain a PKT that will be read by the game.
Unlike loose PKT files, YRO-embedded PKT files do not cause the duplicate map bug.
YRO-embedded PKT files must have the same filename as the YRO (minus extension of course).
For example, <mymappac.yro> contains <mymappac.pkt>.

For this to work, the YRO (and the PKT) must have an 8.3 filename.
[Bobingabout, this maybe why it didn't work for you first time.]


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Assault Mode:

I renamed <ecacheassault##.mix> to <amp##.yro> and embedded the appropriate PKT.
In the PKT I also included fake map 'dividers' ("---Assault Map Pack #---").

It worked brilliantly, except...
Assault Map Pack 2 appeared before Assault Map Pack 1.


Therefore problems for Assault mode are:

1. YROs don't seem to be loaded in alphabetical order.
2. Graphics probably can't be embedded (needs testing).
3. Redefining mapfilters/excluding maps reintroduces the 'you have the maps but you don't really' bug.


Additionally, if you have two Assault Map Packs, it may be preferrable to have all the maps listed in player/name order (as they are using a loose PKT). However, with the YRO method, they will be grouped by map pack number.


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Thoughts anyone?


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Also, what maps in Assault map pack 2 use the extra graphics.
Just one example of a place where an extra graphic is used would be helpful to me.