The Dink Network

Just wondering what people's ideas are regarding releasing an ffextract.exe file.

I've made one, which I needed to do to resurrect some original graphics from PQ that I've lost... and have kinda submitted it to the DN.

Redink1 then pointed out that perhaps the community might not want such a file made accessibly, in the same way the .d -> .c converters are not accessible.

What'd you think? ffextract.exe (yes/no/don't care)?

that undink source project had one...but i say yes

I second that. I also wish the .d -> .c converters were available.

If undink already has one, then not much point.

Man, I wish I'd known before... I could have saved myself the last week and a bit learning c/c++. Ah well... If you want the file, then go to the files page on my DinkWorld site.

The unDink one doesn't work for me, so I'll try your one.

"The unDink one doesn't work for me, so I'll try your one."

Mine was a quick hack, and I'm almost ashamed to have released it.

What was your problem, in case I find time to revise it and write a .d->.c converter?

What was your problem, in case I find time to revise it and write a .d->.c converter?

I don't know. It just didn't run.

yeah, the one in undink doesn't work properly, i think it did on my older computer that used windows 98, but not on my mom's that uses windows XP

this doesn't seem to work right for me...

Yeah, I'm using XP as well.

Do you mean my file? Does anything happen when you double click on it inside a folder with the "dir.ff" file?

No offense to the wolves and dragons in this discussion, but I would be much more interested in hearing from people who have released D-Mods. They're the folks who have the option of storing scripts as .d and graphics as dir.ff, and I'd be much more inclined to listen to one person saying "You know, I used .d and dir.ff to Protect The Children from my villanous ways" than everyone else saying "Gimme!"

Personally, I don't have any problem with it, and wouldn't mind seeing convertors on the site, but I wouldn't want to make such tools available against the wishes of a few D-Mod authors.

I'd be much more inclined to listen to one person saying "You know, I used .d and dir.ff to Protect The Children from my villanous ways" than everyone else saying "Gimme!"

I agree. However, I also have UltCheat copied to every key.

One case where the extractor/converters would come in handy is "omg i lost all my data and have to download my dmod because i lost the original!" (Unfortunately, this happened to me once and I had to download a bunch of stuff off of the website I had at the time.)

So, y'take the good (crash recovery), y'take the bad (hacking, stealing, and cheating), y'take them both and there y'have The Facts of NetLife.

I haven't tried your one yet (I've only installed it).

I want it only in the case of a situation where I used dif.ff files and .d files (which I'm not sure if I will) and then had pc problems and had to download my dmod (I'm gonna begin work on one in the next few days) and had to extract the files from the dir.ff and .d files. I have no intention of using such files for stealing because I think it's immoral and wrong to steal.

I seem to be the only one who doesn't think a ffextract file is a good idea. If you release a DMOD with new graphics you can compres them to dir.ff. If you do so you make it very clear that you don't want them used by other authors, or atleast that they need to ask before using them. So there's no point in extracting if you can just ask the author for the graphics.

About the same applies for a .d -> .c converter.

Yeah, but as I said AI want the files so that I can extract from my [i]own<\i> dmods. No need for permission there. I should have my first dmod (a simple, short and humourous romp) ready for release soon.

Agree with metatarsel. Apparantly with the new .dmod archive system they all end up the same size anyway so the only reason an author would .ff his graphics would be a clear statement not to use them.

Whenever I use .ff or .d I mean it not as a way of compression but as a signal to players/authors "don't mess with my stuff". But if I ever release any other D-Mod, I'm keeping it open source for everyone to enjoy.

So, yeah, as far as I'm concerned, "Gimme!"

EDIT: How 'bout a poll?

If someone made some graphics that he wants to protect from other DMOD authors, he should specify in his readme.txt file: "I made this graphics only for myself, so I don't want other to use them." If a DMOD author sees his graphics in some other's author DMOD, he can ask that author to give him credits for them.
A .d->.c converter would be great for players like me, that looks into the game source when they can't slove a puzzle, although this is not fair.

I realise that, but I'm not exactly going to forbid myself from using my scripts or graphics am I?

Solution: Back up your stuff

Though I have never (and probably will never) turn my scripts into .d files, or .FF my graphics, surely it is the author's right to decide whether people can look at his work?

Though inquisitive Dinkers may "crack" into the files to look at them, it would be rude to make a file publicly available, that allows anyone to sift through an authors work.

Badabing, badaboom.

I meant in case of backup discs being damaged or lost. My part of New Zealand is in great danger if a Tsunami comes through. It's below sea level and close to a coast that has only declining land between it and my village. Luckily the lieklyhood of a Tsunami coming through my area is astronomically low. But just in case, I'd like to have a backup plan. More importantly though is the fact that I'd also like to have a backup plan for in the case of more likely events.