Cross-platform Scenario Guide

From Aleph One Wiki

It is possible to create a "Unimap", a scenario that will work with both SDL and Mac versions of Aleph One. Follow the guidelines below, and you only need to offer one download.

• The Shapes and Sounds files will work without modification
• Use Atque to merge maps and images.
• MML should go in the Scripts folder
• If you rename Aleph One Preferences, Untitled Game, or Aleph One Recording by changing stringsets in MML, make sure the new names are file names only! If you use a path with directories in it for any of those, some users may not be able to start the game.
• Some file systems are case sensitive. While your setup may work fine on your system, double check to make sure the capitalization in your files and MML matches exactly.
• Add these file extensions (and change MML string sets to match):
  • Maps: .sceA
  • Shapes: .shpA
  • Sounds: .sndA
  • Physics: .phyA
  • Images: .imgA
  • Music: .aif, or .wav, or .mp3, whatever you use
• Zip the scenario. Do not use Stuffit!
• The zip file should contain one folder, which contains the scenario data itself. For example, if you unstuff MarathonInfinity.zip, you get a "Marathon Infinity" folder, which contains Map.sceA, Scripts, etc.

Here are some suggestions that don't necessarily have to be followed, but will help users and avoid headaches in the future:

• Lua netscripts can go anywhere--but they must have a .lua extension if you put them in the Scripts folder.
• For convenience, you can include the Fonts file and Themes folder from the Windows version of Aleph One. This way, Windows users will merely have to copy AlephOne.exe into the scenario folder. If you create your own custom theme and put it in Themes, that's even better!
• Use JPEG or PNG for OpenGL load screens, and DDS for replacement textures (Replacement_Texture_Guide)
• Use AIFF, WAV, Ogg/Vorbis, or mp3 for music. Ogg/Vorbis is recommended
• Use AIFF or WAV for MML-specified replacement sounds
• Use MPEG-1 for movies.
• Customize the preferences file name in MML so the user's prefs are kept separate from other scenarios
• Use the MML scenario tag to identify your scenario in net games, and prevent out-of-sync issues caused by people joining with incompatible scenarios.
• You can edit the zip file and remove some stuff that Mac OS X adds. For instance: files such as .DS_Store, anything starting with ._ and the __MACOSX folder

If you follow these guidelines, all the user has to do is unzip your scenario, and copy in the appropriate version of Aleph One.