DLC for RPG maker game?

[Tuomo L]

Hey, sorry if this has been answered before. I'm making my first commercial game and it has been in production for some time. Because the game has been under work for a long time, I'd rather keep on supporting it in the future, is there a way to do any sort of a DLC for the game, such as on the Steam version?

 

[djDarkX]

Plenty.  A lot of the packs in the RMW Store are also on Steam.  Look up Degica on Steam and you'll see a lot of the resource packs there.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

There are patch systems out there but most of them says that you cannot do DLCs with them... Mostly because all they do is patch the game, so it will be like Update 3 contains all changes on Update 1 and 2 plus it's specific update. But for a DLC, it's different. If you only have Update 3, then you would only have update 3's content in the game.


And that is the part that is hard to do. Mainly because each part of the game uses a single database. So unless you set the game in a way that it would use multiple databases when a certain "DLC" is installed, it will be hard to do... That is of course assuming you want different DLCs to be usable with each other. If you only want 1 DLC to be available at any given point in time, then it becomes easier (coz you'd only need to supply the modified database specific to that DLC). But then I do think players prefer DLCs that can go side by side with other


@dj - I think he's talking about DLCs in a game, which as I stated above is kind of hard to do with RM's default set-up. Sure it's easy to add in the store, but in the game itself?

 

[Funplayer]

I have seen many game companies provide patches for DLC built into the main game, and then establish connections within the game based on the presence of said DLC being unlocked. The abstraction can be as simple, or as complicated as your imagination would allow.  I would choose the in-game lockouts of areas, with confirmations before entry based on a steam DRM check.  This would allow for easy inclusion of new areas. A highly versatile, and useful method of abstraction that would provide a layer of security using the steam api.  If you're having trouble accessing the steam api dll files, see the required Ruby documentation for creating dll files that will run within the RPG Maker.

You can conceal data in countless ways normally, however in the RPG Maker games, I wouldn't expect to get an in-game store running.  There are too many cheat devices, and programs that can extract the overall structure of "encrypted archive" versions of the games.  You would more likely than not see leakage, but the leakage would be much smaller if you use a dll lockout tied into the steamworks api.  

I would suggest targeting choke points of interest, and story points to require certain checks to be accessed.  Running an invisible check against steam, and verifying with steam the DLC is unlocked properly.  This should also apply with steam in offline mode, if you correctly abstract.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

That would be easier to implement, yes.


But, it's easier to hack that way since everything is already there anyways.


Also, you need to make some more considerations when making the DLCs, like maybe separating the added resources download from the data patch download so that future DLCs which will probably have the data of the older DLCs (for them to work together) will not need to include the whole older DLCs, just the data files. You could also do that as an added layer of security, like have the resources downloaded only if the player buys the DLC. His data files will contain the DLC data but the resources like graphics etc (which takes a large size) will not be downloaded until he buys that DLC.

 

[Funplayer]

That's the kind of DLC that I hate as a player. The game ships out with the features already, just locked. What a money milking thing to do, you already made everything and simply decided to lock some features unless I pay more? Plus, those locked resources take space on my drive when I cannot even access them.

And also, it's easier to hack that way since everything is already there anyways.

Its not my intention to milk money, simply provide more content for a title.  This design isn't meant to milk money on release, such as a game on a console disc containing completed DLC models and costumes.  Its meant to easily patch a game with new large amounts of content, with occasional checks to confirm the DLC is paid for.  This should allow a developer to help prevent theft of dlc, and also not produce animosity for the included data on launch... because it just doesn't exist yet.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Actually I realized something..

Also, you need to make some more considerations when making the DLCs, like maybe separating the added resources download from the data patch download so that future DLCs which will probably have the data of the older DLCs (for them to work together) will not need to include the whole older DLCs, just the data files. You could also do that as an added layer of security, like have the resources downloaded only if the player buys the DLC. His data files will contain the DLC data but the resources like graphics etc (which takes a large size) will not be downloaded until he buys that DLC.

That would be a good added protection, right?


This way it would be easy to add the DLCs that work with each other but still only activate if you buy it, while not needing to download everything unless you need it. The data files are small anyways so downloading them all won't be a problem.

 

[Funplayer]

Actually I realized something..

That would be a good added protection, right?

[SIZE=13.63636302948px]Yes this is a great idea, and I support the separation of the required resources including music and graphics.  This would strengthen the lockouts, and thus you would never actually see any relation to the content, until the required data is paid for, the resources downloaded, and the content unlocked into the game. I would however choose an invisible style lockout for maps, something you can't see but would still exist within the game itself.  The maps would be updated to a modern version of map, and the dlc being unlocked would add npcs and features to maps that would otherwise be invisible.[/SIZE]

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

We could use multiple copies of the same map probably and use the one that is appropriate for the DLC (or the more recent DLC in case of multiple DLCs changing the same map), in case of terrain change. If it's just events that are added/removed in the map, then it would be easy to do using that same map...


Anwyay, seems like we actually managed to find a good method of having DLCs...


Though:


I'm sure the patch systems out there do handle data patching inside encrypted archives, by IDK if they support injecting of graphic files into the archive.

 

[??????]

Hey, sorry if this has been answered before. I'm making my first commercial game and it has been in production for some time. Because the game has been under work for a long time, I'd rather keep on supporting it in the future, is there a way to do any sort of a DLC for the game, such as on the Steam version?

Yes its possible. Currently holing out on some DLC for the PiNG game (which can be viewed from the link in my sig) - the aforementioned game has a n automatic download/updating(patching) system and is able to process image installations and dll's and **** (basically, you can patch any file you need.

Using a combo of my script update / patch system and yami's patching system, you would be able to get a full game patching system and subsequently, obtain a dlc enabled environment.

That being said, my patching system is not and will not be publicly released for use - as soon as it is it loses integrity. Your game would have to have a similar system built in thats written for your game and your game alone. (imo)

Should you wish to obtain some kind of DLC enabled environment for your game via these techniques, your are free to pm me (just a heads up  : wont do it free - wont do it cheap.)

Also - As people keep mentioning how things are left so vulnerable within the engine when unencrypted..

https://www.dropbox.com/s/05snb0kp0t8ydo9/for%20venka.exe?dl=0

There is a fair amount one could do to ensure information is not so easily obtained when a game is decrypted - as seen from link above. 

 

[phoenix_rossy]

I'd personally recommend not adding DLC for your game. Give the content out as a free update and publicise it - boost sales of the core game rather than making it look like you're milking the crowd.

This way, you'll generate more revenue AND get a positive reaction from customers.

 

[??????]

DLC doesnt always mean you are charging for it. Just means its optional content

 

[phoenix_rossy]

Patches are easy (although LARGE) and can be distributed as a .zip or something.

If you're working with Steam, they have the awesome capability of patching games without replacing the entire encrypted RM file. If I upload entirely new game files, the update is usually a mere 30MB

I stand by my 'just update it and post an announcement' thought

 

[??????]

lmao 30mb...

What kinda of things would one of those patches contain?

PiNG has 4 patches so far and each is a mere 1kb in size.. (granted, no heavy images are in those patches)

 

[phoenix_rossy]

My last update was an overhaul for the ENTIRE cast of character graphics, upgrading from 1-tile-high to mack-style height

My point was that normally, my patches are a replacement encrypted RGSS file, whereas Steam has the capability to select sections of the encrypted file and determine which portions of the game files need updating

 

[??????]

...Steam has the capability to select sections of the encrypted file and determine which portions of the game files need updating

Steam isn't the only one

 

[Tsukihime]

My last update was an overhaul for the ENTIRE cast of character graphics, upgrading from 1-tile-high to mack-style height


My point was that normally, my patches are a replacement encrypted RGSS file, whereas Steam has the capability to select sections of the encrypted file and determine which portions of the game files need updating

Oh, that's pretty cool. Wonder when it'll be released as a stand-alone tool.

 

[phoenix_rossy]

Oh, that's pretty cool. Wonder when it'll be released as a stand-alone tool.

Dekita can do it

In fact, if I could ask for one integral feature (besides multi-platform support) it would be patch-creation. 

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Doesn't the current patch scripts do that? Never really used them but judging from the instructions and headings, seems like they could patch thru.

 

[??????]

Some patch scripts o some things, like yami's script allows for maps and actors and such, and its actually a fairly simple concept.

It basically just reads the patch files and adds the data onto the game data at runtime. Lots of unique equipment and instance items type scripts also do this, the only difference is they dont read the data from a file, usually some notetag or script customization

Yami's script however does not accommodate script patching, so I had to write that one up myself

There are methods one can utilize to encrypt audio && imagery as well, which means those can also be added into new patches without having to physically create the usable images on the gamers computer, all they have is the encrypted data, which helps for resource theft I guess.

@pheonix - was thinking of releasing one myself, but idk yet... kinda want to keep things like that for my own projects