The 7D2D Launcher was created to help 7 Days To Die players and server administrators keep their moddified files updated.
One of the most frustrating aspects of connecting a modded 7 Days to Die server was getting out of date, or missing, icons or requiring extra mods to play. Players would have to seek out forum posts or server administrators in order to get information about the latest versions reqiored by the server. In popular forum threads, this information could span across several pages, and not always easy to find.
With no current Steam Workshop available, users must resort to a series of forum posts across various web sites, in various formats, and confusing instructions.
The 7D2D Launcher is aimed at creating a more uniform experience to players, admins, and modders.
The 7D2D Launcher will load an XML file, that is maintained by your server administrators. This file will contain download links and other server information. The 7D2D Launcher will display the relevant information to you, allowing you to select a server to connect to.
Once you have selected an individual server, the 7D2D Launcher will make a copy of an existing copy of your 7 Days to Die, or will let you download a fresh copy from Steam. All you have to do is choose where you want to get the files from, and where you want them to go.
The 7D2D Launcher will keep a copy of the game seperated for each server you wish to connect too. This will allow you to quickly change servers, without worrying about changing or updating mods.
The 7D2D Launcher will download each of the mods fresh each time you play, ensuring that you are using the latest version, each time you play.
Modders can add support for the 7D2D Launcher in one of two ways:
You may follow the same steps as a Server Administrator would, but you do not need to fill in all the values. The important information you would need to enter is:
Server Group Name, Server name, and include Download links.
Here are some examples to get you started:"
Before uploaded your XML, you can use the 7D2D Launcher to test, by going to File, Open File, and selecting the local file.
There are many different service providers that allow you to update and share files. Some of these files will redirect, or hide actual download links, forcing you to visit their landing page for ads. While we are not against ads, it is not possible for the tool to view or use them, so we recommending using direct links.
Support has been included for MediaFire and DropBox. http://envul.com support has been added, if you right click on the "Download Game Mod" link.
Other download providers may need to be tests.
Steam Workshop opens up a huge market place for modders, allowing an easy to deploy and manage modding environment.
However, Steam Workshop is not yet supported by 7 Days to Die. The 7D2D Launcher aims to fill that gap by providing an easy to use and manage deployment strategy while we wait for official Steam Workshop support.
When Steam Workshop support does get released for 7 Days to Die, the 7D2D Launcher will still be available, and work with existing and new mods, for as long as users continue to use it.
You are not required to have a Server Configuration file for your Mod. You could just provide direct links for people to make their own. However, if your mod is somewhat complex, requiring multiple download links, and you want people to always play the latest versions, then you may want to consider providing one.
Here are some examples to get you started:"
The 7D2D Launcher supports a concept called My Mods. This allows users to create local configurations, where they can grab various modder's zip files, and combine them locally, using your provided downloaded zip files. Their 7D2D Launcher will always download the latest at the download paths, keeping them up to date.
Here are some examples to get you started:"
If you only need a single configuration, you can remove the second Server Node.
The structure of your zip file will be more important with 7D2D Launcher support. The zip will will be extract in the top level of the game's folder, so the structure of the zip file should support placing the files in the correct locations.
Here are some examples to get you started:"
If you only need a single configuration, you can remove the second Server Node.
The only requirements for the location of the Server Configuration is that it's in a consistent location, that allows editing of the file without changing the URL. A free service such as TextUploader would be good. Simply make an account, and add your contents.
A Server Group is when a server administrator or administrators run one or more servers. For example, a server group could call themselves The Chaotic Clowns, with their own logo. The Chaotic Clowns could be running 5 different modded servers, ranging from vanilla, to experimental, or to a heavily modded server with SDX.
A Server Group allows the launcher to group similarly administered servers under a single configuration file.
However, more than one Server Group could exist in a single configuration file, if necessary.