Subscribe to download
[Utility] Dat Mod (Official)

THIS IS THE OFFICIAL 'DAT MOD' UTILITY
Installs New Mods, Converts Old Mods, By Force!

Able to install any mod that you subscribed to, working or not, old or new. Troubles are usually caused by AoE2HD mod handling. This is your beat stick, use it.


Dat Mod 1b113 - Dev (JAR)[www.dropbox.com]
Dat Mod 1b113 - Dev (EXE)[www.dropbox.com]
- Mods now get their names from Steam's web location. (Internet Required)
- New and Bigger Look
- New Preloader
- More stable than 1b86
Dat Mod 1b86 - Dev (JAR)[www.dropbox.com]
Dat Mod 1b86 - Dev (EXE)[www.dropbox.com]
- Highly experimental!
- Added dialog box incase AoE2HD or Steam was installed somewhere else.
- Major recoding of features to accomidate the previous addition.
- Added several failsafes to prevent damage to Steam/AoE2HD installation folders.
- Still unknown results for multi-language installations, use caution.
- Fixed file validation progress for large mods (100 MB+).
Dat Mod 1b73 - Dev (JAR)[www.dropbox.com]
Dat Mod 1b73 - Dev (EXE)[www.dropbox.com]
- JAR and EXE available.
- Fixed minor issues.
- Added source & destination validation.
- Added Panic Button (restarts steam to validate install).
- Added the 'consumed item' workshop location, all mod locations now visible.
Dat Mod 1b61 - Stable[www.dropbox.com]
- Now works with Taunts!
- Added option to Install into Mods folder instead of force install.
Dat Mod 1b58 - Stable[www.dropbox.com]
- Fixed crash from Description reading.
- Small coding changes.
All Versions[www.dropbox.com]

Subscribing to this utility will not download it, it was a soft joke to get the point across.This is a utility for mods, not a mod for the game. Use the download links above and the instructions below. The utility is a Java Application wrapped inside a Windows Executable File packed inside a Zip File. If you are worried that it may be a trojan or virus, scan it. You can even open the contents with 7zip and you'll see it's just a java app.

Yes, once launched it goes to work. The files are unpacked and stored at:
- Age2HD\datmodtmp\unpack\<modname>
They are rebuilt to 4.x standard at:
- Age2HD\datmodtmp\build\<modname>

Current Features

Force Install Mod

• Able to force install mods from known subscriptions.
  
• Fixes known issues with mods not appearing to be installed.
  
• Fixes popular overhaul and revamp mods that modify .dat files
  - Includes population, resources, and minor expansion packs created by the community.
  
• Attempts to bypass the internal Mod Manager decision making.

Soft Install Mod

• Install an old mod as if a new into the Mods folder, as an unpublished port.
  
• Reinstall a 4.x mod. restructured and denamed, into the Mods folder, as an unpublished port.
  
• Allows the internal Mod Manager to decide how to install it.

Gentle Porting: Old => 4.x

• Able to port upgrade older mods.
  
• Will attempt to remap version 3.9 and older mods to correct 4.x folders.
  
• Monolithic .drs files are the exception, .dat files still work.
  
• Knows what goes where, and where goes what.

Mod Diving

• Does not use file manifests of the mod, just the files it actually contains.
  
• Attempts to retrieve any and all data of each mod, regardless of how AoE2HD would install it.
  
• Attempts to retrieve, locally, information of each mod. (Name, Image, Description, etc)
  
• Able to ignore (or not) unknown files (non-existant destination files).
  
• Able to unpack version 3.9 and older mods to a temporary folder (Age2HD\datmodtmp\unpack).
  
• Attempts to rebuild older mods to a 4.x standard (Age2HD\datmodtmp\build).
  
• Will even allow you to install old mods that were rebuilt by the program.

Description

This is a workaround for installing Data Mods as well as other mods not appearing to be installed. It is still required you subscribe to the desired mod as it only will detect valid downloaded Steam Workshop mods for AoE2HD.

- Searches through attempted and current mod installations specific to AoE2HD
- Lists mods by their locally identified name or ID. (4.x names are stored on network)
- Retrieves the original preview image and description.
- Able to install the mod without installing unknown files (not default).
- Forces the Mod's contents to be installed in their respected destinations.
- Root folder is always off-limits to prevent would-be trojan packers.

- AoE2HD files are never patched when Subscribing to a Workshop Mod.
- They are actually added or replaced, this makes stacking mods difficult.
- Steam downloads and keeps local content manifests and mod files cached until unsubscribed.
- That manifest is sometimes incorrect, but the file paths of the contents are often not.
- AoE2HD Internal Mod Manager is currently bugged, therefor making it even more difficult.
- Game contents are thereby forcibly modified. Like burning a house down because of spider.
- Only Steam's 'Verify Integrity of Game Cache' action will revert all effects of the program.

Installation

1) Download Dat Mod Utility[www.dropbox.com]
2) Make sure you have Java[java.com]
3) Subscribe to Desired Mod(s), Let them Download via Steam
4) Launch Dat Mod
5) Follow the Three Simple Steps to Force Install Mod
6) Launch Game
7) Enjoy