DLC for games

[Xtumech]

Hey so I was wanting to know if there was a way to release a game then release a DLC for the game later without having to redownload the game or have to restart the game?

 

[Andar]

Not easy - you'll need a plugin for that, and you need to plan for the DLC from the beginning, and it depends on your deployment target as well.


For the older Ace, there was a patch script - I don't know if a patch plugin has been written for MV already.


Then you need to know that you can only add to the original game - changing it may cause incompatibilities in the save files or disrupt game balance. So you'll have to prepare those additions from the beginning.


And that is just to prevent the redownload - preventing restart is a lot more difficult. For example, adding new plugins will require a "new game"-restart in 90% of all cases. That depends on the plugin, the more complex it is the higher the need for restart.

 

[Schlangan]

Then you need to know that you can only add to the original game - changing it may cause incompatibilities in the save files or disrupt game balance. So you'll have to prepare those additions from the beginning.

One way around that I used in RP Maker XP was to add the game version to the save file. Then, while loading a save, I created a function that was checking the version and corrected elements that would have crashed the game with a normal save. Doing so, there was no need to force a full restart with every change.

 

[Andar]

That solution however requires the developer to have enough scripting knowledge for a custom save/load-function, and to know every added script with enough detail to know how to change the data...

 

[Iavra]

One way around that I used in RP Maker XP was to add the game version to the save file.

MV already does this by default.
Unless a plugin changes the way actors, items or skills work, it can also most likely be written in a way to be plug-and-play, but most scripters are too lazy to do that.