Spiffy759 wrote:1.Alrighty, I'll look into testing my mod with other versions of spore. My brother has GA (no bot parts or creepy and cute) on origin so I'll try it out on his PC when I get the chance. I have no way of testing it on a disk copy of spore unfortunately.
That would be a good start, es. I'd recommend you suggest he backup his creations and save data first, just in case. As for disk versions...ask around online. There's bound to be someone who'd be willing and able to test the mod for you on the disk version out there. The SMC Discord Server may be a good place to inquire, if you use Discord.
Spiffy759 wrote:Would you recommend having a signature for every mod?
Absolutely not. The embedded package signatures should
only be used when it is absolutely necessary to do so. You never want your mod to take higher priority than it needs to in order to do its job. Unfortunately, we've set a bad precedent in that department, but that doesn't mean it's too late to correct course.
Spiffy759 wrote:2.I wasn't aware there were so many different ways to install spore mods;
Truth is, there aren't a huge number of ways to install Spore mods, the issue is more that manual installation is one method with many variables to take into account. Too many variables. The Spore ModAPI Launcher Kit eliminates nearly all of them, providing a smoother experience for the end user. Additionally, the Spore ModAPI Launcher Kit works best when it is the only method used, and since it can do everything standard manual installation can do and more with less hassle, there's really no reason to discourage it. By encouraging it, you teach users one way to install mods, rather than two. Config tweaks still can't be installed through it, but I'm hoping that will change in the future.
Spiffy759 wrote:what's an appropriate way to go about that? Should I suggest using the mod API for installation instead?
If it were me, I wouldn't include installation instructions with the mod itself unless they differ from the norm. In your case they don't, so the user should be able to use any standard documentation they find. That way, you don't have to worry about maintaining the instructions you provide.
Spiffy759 wrote:3. Well I put 'vv' because if I release subsequent versions of the mod then I'd just make a list like...
vv1.0
[download]
vv2.0
[download]
Oh okay. I'd figured it might've been a typo (e.g. "vv1.0" vs "v1.0"), but evidently not.
Spiffy759 wrote:Thanks for the insight! I don't really intend on becoming a full on modder or anything, but should I ever want to publish more of my little edits, I'll keep all of this in mind.
No problem, happy to help. Best of luck if you decide to change your plans. We can always use more people keeping things interesting for those of us who still play this game, especially in less popular areas like the one you've seemingly set sights on.