Please feel free to comment/amend/adjust or just laugh
GIUDE TO SUBMITTING ADDONS FOR GTLIf you have found an addon car, track or other modification that you feel would be suitable for inclusion in our league, please follow this guide and complete all the required testing BEFORE submitting it to the moderators.
Mods submitted or suggested by any other method WILL NOT be considered.
PACKAGING AND SUBMISSIONThe mods and all the files associated with it,(see Checklist below) should be made into a single .zip/.rar file and hosted on a site such as FileFront. A download link and brief description should then be added as a new topic in the appropriate 'Community Projects' thread.
All evidence, correspondence or results of tests conducted, should also be posted under the relevant topic in exactly the same way as skin pack contributions are submitted.
LEGAL ISSUES AND CHECKSIt is
Vitally important that any modification is of a legal nature and includes FULL redistribution rights.
We cannot consider any modification without supporting evidence that it has been produced legally.
You will need to find the answers to the following questions, and supply any evidence to support your findings.
1. How was the mod produced?
ie. Is it a conversion from another racing sim? and if so has the conversion been authorised by the original producers?
or, Is it a conversion of a 3rd party mod and does it have all the relevant permissions from the original producers?
2. Does the mod include Full redistribution rights?
This means, can the mod be legally placed on OUR downloads page for our members to freely download and install on their systems.
For example, some mods require that you only download from the original source, ie the mod developers website.
This would not be acceptable as the mod could not then be included in our skin/track packs etc.
Finding the answers to the above questions requires some searching and background checks through any or many different sources available. The more information that can be found about a mod, the better it's chances of possible inclusion. Anything you come across that either supports or undermines the legality of the mod should be added to your submission under the correct topic heading as stated above.
TESTINGAll mods must undergo rigorous and thourough testing procedures to ensure that they will not cause any undue problems during extended online usage.
For ALL Addons Installing/uninstalling It is very important that any new addon has the capacity to be both installed and uninstalled cleanly and simply. This requires the modification package to include it's own installer/uninstaller program.
Some mods are complicated affairs, with many files requiring installation into various locations on a PC and server. Without a workable installer package, this can be the cause of many problems associated especially with online use.
It is a
possibillity however that it would be a simple task to integrate the package into a specific Srou installer. If the mod you have found does NOT already come as an installable package, please PM a member of the Admin team before you complete all the required tests and they will be able to inform you whether or not it could be integrated and whether it would be worth carrying on.
In game menu's Ensure the mod actually shows up in the correct place within the game menu's and displays all the correct information.
So a new track for instance should show, and be selectable from the tracks list menu with the correct name and information displayed.
Likewise, any new vehicles should be listed in their appropriate class selection screen and must be fully viewable in the showroom and include any technical specifications associated with it.
Specific Tests for Addon Circuits Loading Check the new track loads normally both offline and online.
It is possible for some tracks to cause CTD's when loading, so it is important to ensure it loads cleanly. This is most likely to happen ONLINE so it is necessary to check for this.
Most Addon tracks can usually be found running on the public servers. Join one if possible. Alternatively either host an online server yourself or get a friend to host one.
(MortenS has kindly offered his services for hosting any test sessions required if the above is not possible)
Repeat the above steps multiple times using a range of different vehicles.
Finding Bugs The only way to uncover any bugs in a circuit is to drive it.....a lot.
Bugs are not normally easy to spot, if they were then the developers/converters of the track would probably already have spotted them. A few common things to look for in 'normal' usage (ie driving normally round the track) include:
Lighting. Does the light stay consistent within the time of day settings being used? Try different time settings...if you have midday sun a 2am, then thats a bug. (unless the track is in northern Finland
).
Shadows and shading. Unless you are going through a tunnel..aka Monaco, or through a 'virtual' tunnel of trees etc. then there should not be any major transitions from normal light.
Flags. Look out for yellow/blue flags being shown....was there reason for it?
Floaters. Check for marshals, or even cars in extreme cases that seem to be self levitating or floating in mid air.
Dissapearing objects. Check buildings, trees, track signage and markers etc.
Some other bugs will only come to light when you visit parts of the track you would probably rather avoid, such as in the gravel traps, areas of grass, armco barriers and trees!
To test the circuit correctly you will need to visit these areas. Do unusual or seemingly stupid things (I'm sure someone will do it for real at some point
). Look out for 'black holes' where your car ends up dissapearing from track and spinning in midair. Another regular bug to watch for are 'drive through barriers', try them....from both sides.
Do you get a 'Wrong Way' message when driving the wrong way?
Basically, go everywhere and try everything and anything and report your findings with the submission.
Not all bugs will necessarily put a stop to the track being included, but being aware of them before installation on the server is essential.
Corner cutting detection Some tracks have very loose cutting detection, others very tight.
Whilst Srouk implements it's own rules regarding this, we rely on the inbuilt detection for the vast majority of cases. It is important therefor to test ALL corners beforehand to determine the tolerances on the particular track. Use the Srouk rules and guidelines to determine if a corner has a 'loose', 'tight' or 'none' detection associated with it. Please post your findings with the submission.
Frame rates Whilst doing all the above testing, it would be a good idea to check the frame rates you obtain from all parts of the circuit. Pressing 'ctrl F' in game, or running a program such as 'Fraps' will display your frame rates on screen.
Also check the FPS with different lighting (time of day settings) and different weather conditions.
Because your FPS is quite specific to your own equipment, when posting your results please also mention the approximate specification of the PC used. ie low spec, med spec, high spec.
Online All the above testing should be carried out both online and offline.
Some problems will only come to light when tried online. Some of these problems could prove critical, it is essential then that they are discovered BEFORE being installed on to the Srouk dedicated servers to minimise the risk of damage or disruption to the normal srouk services.
Specific Tests for Addon Cars Suitability Please ensure the car is suitable for inclusion as a GT Legend. We do not currently run any other series through GTL, so for example, a 1970 F1 open wheeler would not be appropriate.
Loading Check that the vehicle loads into the game correctly. Some mods have multiple versions and most have a variety of skins, Check them all. Take a look at the cars from different camera angles and views, make sure it is all there and looks the way it is meant to.
Driving Characteristics Test the general 'feel' of the car. Does it feel as though it drives as you would expect it to? For instance, if it's an American Muscle car, it shouldn't drive like an Arbath.
Lap Times At Srouk, we make the effort to match cars of similar abilities and limit the available choices for each race to ensure some good close racing. It is important therefor that we have a good representation of the lap times from any additional vehicles being submitted.
Test at a variety of circuits, some short, some long, some twisty and some straight fast tracks. Do a reasonable number of laps at each track to get a good representation of what the car is capable of. Also make notes on tyre wear and fuel consumption whilst testing the above. The more information you can supply, the easier it will be for the administration to place the car in it's most suitable location within the current system.
Skinning The majority of teams and independent drivers at Srouk enjoy developing their own skins for the cars available. To enable this, skinning TEMPLATES of the car must be available. Please ensure that you either include these with the addon, or post a link to where they can be downloaded.
Online All the above testing should be carried out both online and offline.
Some problems will only come to light when tried online. Some of these problems could prove critical, it is essential then that they are discovered BEFORE being installed on to the Srouk dedicated servers to minimise the risk of damage or disruption to the normal srouk services.
CHECKLISTS
General Legal Track Specific Vehicle Specific Packaging Production Method Loading Suitability
Install/Un-install Distribution Rights Bug Finding Loading
Menus Corner cutting Characteristics
Frame rates (FPS) Lap Times
Online Skinning
Online
