Back-up / Mod - Steam's AoD

[gladio1951]

AoD 1.07 (MZJY)
How/where can I back up the AoD file (steam/steamapps/common/AoD)?
I want to try/test my own mod without having to copy/paste the original game files (I messed up several times with HoI games and had to uninstall and reinstall).
Also I would like to download mods from the forum.
Thanks

 

[UltimaGecko]

AOD supports a variant of moddir, so you can create a folder with a unique name (custommod or something to that effect) and have the game launch using files from that folder.

Make the folder then copy all of your AOD files into it (e.g. the db, ai, config folders and such). In steam find your game in the listing, right-click it and go to Properties. On the General tab (it should be the tab that's selected) click SET LAUNCH OPTIONS... and type in the name you gave your folder (e.g. custommod). Then launch the game and it will use the assets from that folder.


A few caveats: any time you want to switch mods you'll have to change the launch options to match the mod's folder's name. The folder must also contain all of the game assets you want to use (i.e. unfortunately you can't just copy in a file with your own events and have the game use it; you need everything in there including pictures, localization files and the like). Steam will not let you run AOD.exe from another location, so copying the directory would just get you a copy of the directory you could reinstall over the original (you wouldn't be able to play from it).

CORE has a decent tutorial of how to do this as well. You might consider downloading that and just following the install directions for getting a feel for it. You can have as many mod folders as you want, but you'll manually need to change the launch options when you want to switch between them.

You can also do the same thing with other versions of AOD by creating a shortcut and adding a parameter to the end of the shortcut target.

 

[gladio1951]

Firstly THANK YOU VERY MUCH for taking the time to help me.

...you can create a folder with a unique name (custommod or something to that effect) and have the game launch using files from that folder.
Make the folder then copy all of your AOD files into it...

steam/steamapps has another folder (other than /common/Aod): /sourcemods, which appears to be empty.
Can I use this one and/or create another folder in the same directory?

In steam find your game in the listing

Here, I am afraid, you lost me.
For "your game" you mean my mod, don't you?
But most important which "listing" should I look for "my game"?

Sorry for asking questions that must be very obvious to you but I am an OLD gamer with little, if any, knowledge of "computerese".
I was considering to download DH but now I am hesitating. Are all these "complications" with Steam downloads or with all downloads?

 

[UltimaGecko]

...you can create a folder with a unique name (custommod or something to that effect) and have the game launch using files from that folder.
Make the folder then copy all of your AOD files into it...

steam/steamapps has another folder (other than /common/Aod): /sourcemods, which appears to be empty.
Can I use this one and/or create another folder in the same directory?

You'll want to create the folder in the AOD directory. For instance, the path for my CORE install is:

C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\arsenal of democracy\mod-CORE2

(the launch option in steam is then mod-CORE2 (although capitalization is not important)).

In steam find your game in the listing

Here, I am afraid, you lost me.
For "your game" you mean my mod, don't you?
But most important which "listing" should I look for "my game"?

When you open steam you'll be greeted with the store page or your (game) library page. Find Arsenal of Democracy in your library listing, right-click that and then go to Properties.

In the dialogue box that comes up there will be a button labelled Set Launch Options. If you click on that it will pop up a text input box. That's where you'll want to type your mod's folder's name.

Then start AOD through steam and it will launch it using the files in that folder. Thus if you want to revert back to vanilla (original) AOD you'd clear out the text box. If you wanted to switch mods you'd change the text to match the folder name of the new mod.

 

[gladio1951]

got it - I don't know how to thank you enough