Zh/L4D2 Campaign Add-on Tutorial

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在求生之路2代中打包你的自定义战役一共分为六个基本步骤：

1. 创建Add-on文件夹与对应子文件夹。
2. 创建好各类游戏资源并放入对应的子文件夹。
3. 创建好数据描述文件（addoninfo.txt等）并放如对应的子文件夹。
4. 将Add-on的所有内容打包成 .VPK 文件。
5. 完整测试VPK文件，并修复出现的问题。
6. 创建一个玩家可以从中下载你的地图的主页。

安装开发工具

为了创作求生之路2的三方内容，你需要安装求生之路2开发工具(Left 4 Dead 2 Authoring Tools)。它提供了用于创作游戏内容的各类程序与工具。一般来说，可以使用 Hammer 程序创建关卡，使用其它工具创建自定义纹理与模型。

如何创建各类游戏资源不在这个教程的介绍范围之内。你可以进入L4D关卡制作基础教程找到相关的内容。介于这篇教程的重点在于讲解如何将所有地图内容打包到VPK中，因此当你开始学习这篇教程之前，应该已经熟悉了如何创建那些游戏内容。

开发工具附带了一个叫做 Dead Line 的战役示例，包含了各类源文件示例。

创建 Add-on 文件夹

首先，在你的求生之路2代游戏安装路径下找到 'addons' 文件夹。对于大多数人来说，应该是类似下面的路径：

C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\left 4 dead 2\left4dead2\addons

注意：你的L4D2开发工具安装后可能并没有 'addons' 文件夹

在 'addons' 中创建一个新的文件夹，并取个合适的名称。这将会是你最后创建并发布的VPK文件名称。全部使用小写字母、避免使用空格是一个好习惯。你还可以将游戏名写入标题，同其它标题加以区分，并可以考虑添加一个版本号。为了便于阅读，我们的示例中还是使用了“deadline”而非“l4d_deadline”。

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2

概念上来说，这个文件夹就相当于地图的游戏根目录，它的目录结构是下面将要介绍的用于发布的 .VPK 文件的镜像。

创建基础游戏资源

你创建的这些内容实际上将会与其它内容一块附加到游戏中。对于一张战役图来说，最基本的地图资源是 .BSP 文件和 .NAV 文件。

在你的工程文件夹下新建一个 'maps' 文件夹：

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\maps

在这个 maps 文件夹中，将你地图的 .BSP 文件和 .NAV 文件复制到这里。在 Dead Line 教程示例中，有两组 bsp/nav 地图文件：

文件	描述
l4d_deadline01	精简的初始地图，包含合作、对抗
l4d_deadline02	最终的地图，包括合作、对抗、生存、清道夫

在一张单独的地图中制作多种游戏模式的优点在于可以节省空间，尽管增加了制作复杂度，这样做还是值得的。

你还可以创建并在地图中使用自定义的 .VTF 纹理文件、自定义的 .VMT 材质描述文件、以及自定义的 .MDL 模型文件。为了减小VPK包的体积，建议你尽可能多地使用游戏自带的纹理。

额外的 .VMT 与 .VTF 文件（见自定义材质教程）应该放在下面的文件夹中：

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\materials

文件与相关的模型文件（见导出模型和编译模型）应该放在下面的文件夹中：

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\models

模型的材质文件放在下面的文件夹中：

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\materials\models

需要注意的是，L4D2将 /deadline2 文件夹的内容当作 /left4dead 的内容一样处理，因此如果你使用了 /materials 与 /models 下的任何纹理与模型，都应该在你的战役文件夹中添加一份。

创建次要游戏资源

次要的游戏资源例如海报与缩略图并不是必要的，但它们能让你的战役更加出彩。（再说了，海报/概念图恐怕是你头一项制作的东西，不是吗？）如果还没有制作的话，新建一个 materials 文件夹，并在其中创建一个 vgui 文件夹：

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\materials\vgui

Campaign Poster

Inside the vgui folder you'll want to place at least two .VTF files, along with .VMTs that reference them:

LoadingScreen_DeadLine2.vtf

This is a poster image that is displayed while your campaign loads. Standard size is 1024 x 1024 pixels with an alpha channel for transparency.

OutroTitle_DeadLine2.vtf

This is a title image that appears behind the end credits/stats. Standard size is 1024 x 256 pixels. Your design should look good against a black background and also allow white text in the foreground to be readable.

Map Thumbnail Previews

In addition to these two, you'll also want to make thumbnail images for each map in your campaign. These serve to provide a visual reinforcement indication for users while they're selecting map "chapters" in the UI.

To do so, create a new folder named 'maps' under the vgui folder:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\materials\vgui\maps

In this folder, you'll want to create a .VTF/.VMT pair for each map you wish to create. They should each be 256 by 128 pixels. If appropriate, you may use a single thumbnail image to represent multiple .BSP maps, such as when you have a versus or survival variant of the same level.

.VMT files which are used for interface elements such as posters, thumbnails, etc., (I.e. Those typically found in the materials/vgui folder,) often need to specify an UnlitGeneric material. See Deadline vgui .VMT File for an example.

Creating a sound.cache file

If you wish to have custom sounds in your add-on, you need to build an audio cache file that the engine uses to load your sounds. Place your sounds in a "sound" folder in your add-on directory, then while Left 4 Dead 2 is running enter the command "snd_buildsoundcachefordirectory <path>" with the path of your sound folder. For example, in the Deadline example, we would place sounds in:

..\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\sound

Then rebuild it with:

snd_buildsoundcachefordirectory "..\left4dead2\addons\deadline2"

This will generate a sound.cache file in the sound folder that you should include when building your VPK file.

Create metadata files

There are a few more files that you will make in order to allow your add-on content to function in game.

addoninfo.txt

The first is the addoninfo.txt file. This allows your content to be recognized by the game. It should go inside your add-on root folder, which was the first one we created way back at the top:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\addoninfo.txt

This file is used by the game in the Extras->Add-ons screen. It describes your add-on in general and what it provides. The example Deadline AddonInfo File includes full comments and instructions for using it as a template for your own add-on.

addonimage.jpg

Another file you can create in the root folder is an image named addonimage.jpg. This serves as an icon to help differentiate your add-on and is displayed when an add-on is selected in the UI along with add-on details listed in the addoninfo.txt. Some JPG files may not work, depending on which application they are saved from. If you're having trouble getting you JPG to work, try exporting it from VTFEdit.

Mission File

The second required file is the mission file. This describes the structure and content of your campaign and is used by the campaign selection UI, matchmaking, and the game server. This should be a .TXT file with a unique name in the 'missions' folder, which you will also need to make:

...\left4dead2\addons\deadline2\missions\deadline2.txt

The example Deadline Mission File includes full comments and instructions for using it as a template for your own mission.

注意:Adding a mission.txt file (or any text file) to the missions folder will flag the VPK as a campaign instead of a content pack. It is unknown whether there are other factors that affect how the VPK is treated. Specific sets of files in the VPK will not eclipse other campaigns. Such content includes, but are not limited to, unique and replacement materials/textures, models, sounds, sound cache, particles, and particles manifest. At the moment, script files (found in the scripts folder) and resource files are still eclipsed by add-ons regardless of the "type" of VPK it is packed. This causes conflicts with official and other add-on campaigns if file names are the same.

Test it out

At this point, your add-on should be fully functional. You should be able to launch the game, go to Extras->Add-ons, and enable your add-on. If you type path into the console, you should see the root directory of your add-on near the bottom. This means that the game will search your add-on folder for files that it cannot find in the standard game .VPK files. Play a full game on other computers to check for an errors such as crashes and missing assets. You can continue tweaking your content in folder form until you're ready for that magical moment: Release into the wild.

Packaging and shipping

The final remaining step is to package your add-on into a .VPK for distribution.

The .VPK serves as a convenient, one file method for others to install your add-on folder. They need simply put the .VPK in their own add-on folder. Or, assuming they, like most non-authoring players, haven't associated the .VPK extension with something else, they can double click on it and it will install itself in the correct place.

Every .VPK file contains a unique ID that allows the game to ensure everyone is running the same content. If you've put in meta-data properly, the game will also prompt users to download a newer version if it is required to play.

Navigate to this folder:

C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\left 4 dead 2\bin\

Locate the vpk.exe packaging utility and make a shortcut to it on your desktop. Drag your add-on root folder and drop it onto the shortcut. The utility should make a new .VPK next to your original folder. By default it will not include source files such as .VMF, .TGA, .SMD, .QC etc., and it will always strip out executable binaries. Remove the folder version of the add-on (or move it to a safe location) so that the .VPK is alone and test it out. The .VPK should function exactly as the add-on folder does. If it works, you're ready to upload it to a location you specified in the metadata files and from which it is available.

Ideally, you'll want an add-on "homepage" that includes ratings, screenshots, and player comments. A simple example can be found here.

Compression

Since full Left 4 Dead 2 campaigns can be very large it is advisable to compress them before uploading to file sharing sites for distribution. The open source Windows utility 7-zip supports compressing files in the 7z format/LZMA algorithm, which provide a very high compression ratio. The bulk of a campaigns size comes from the .bsp map files, which are highly compressible, so a vpk can be reduced to 25% or less of its original size. For example an unofficial version of Death Aboard was packaged up by a fan; the vpk was 267MB uncompressed, 92MB zipped, and 55MB with 7z.

Final testing

At this point, you should test out the download prompt. Start a lobby with a local server, and invite a friend to join. When they accept, they should be prompted to download the necessary add-on, after which a browser window will opened to your add-on homepage. They should be able to download and install the add-on without having to restart the game, and then join your lobby.

See also

• VPK
• VPK File Format
• L4D2 - Campaign Packager Tool