Client Addon Packages: the future

aluminium · 2019-07-24T16:38:00.354Z

Again, this post is generally outdated, as would be expected with a post from 2019. At this time .oiv-style mod packages don’t have to be signed and can just use `OPEN` encryption key.

old post

Starting at near-future FiveM releases, we will no longer support the use of citizen/common/, citizen/platform/ and addons/ for loading client modifications, mainly since certain modifications people put in here have caused desynchronization issues and crashes on unrelated clients.

Instead, we will require signed modification packages in mods/, which use a new format loosely compatible with the OpenIV .oiv assembly.xml format and the GTA V setup2/content.xml formats.

For now, see an example modification package, which can be loaded in canary builds of FiveM using +set modDevMode 1 as a launch argument to FiveM.exe after dropping it in the FiveM Application Data/mods/ directory:

sculpture_revival_decrypted.rpf (1.1 MB)

You can open it in CodeWalker or OpenIV to see the general file structure of a new modification package.

To load without development mode and be able to use your mod on public servers for release, we’ll currently have to manually sign and review your mod package (final RPF you intend on releasing); this will be automated in the future, but for now send a DM on the forums to @mod_reviewers with the package you want to be signed, and a short description; and we’ll give you a (temporary!) link to a signed mod package you can release for general use, if the mod package is confirmed to be safe/working.

Again, in the future we’re looking to streamline the ‘signing’ process, and potentially allow other kinds of client changes (or privileged server functionality) to be ‘approved’ explicitly.

Also, we might end up adding a mod package catalog or similar to the game one day - this is just a prelude to a lot of potentially cool functionality, and a way to prevent players’ games from breaking due to unrelated client modifications.

CakeArmy_Max · 2019-07-24T16:49:09.234Z

Nice job

GanjaMonster · 2019-07-24T16:50:18.416Z

amazing can’t wait

James_21410g · 2019-07-24T16:56:54.319Z

Absolutely amazing! Thank you for everything! It really means a lot!

Langweilig_LP · 2019-07-24T17:09:22.774Z

not a smart move in my eyes. most of the playerbase uses some sort of clientside scripts, including visual modifications. this is gonna draw a lot of people away

milo3 · 2019-07-24T17:10:19.314Z

if its causing that many issues on unrelated clients, couldn’t the server owners individually disable client modifications on their own servers?

RellentMods · 2019-07-24T17:11:27.766Z

Will this impact any visual modifications, and if so, how will we install them?

Langweilig_LP · 2019-07-24T17:12:45.754Z

thats exactly what i think. if people have issues on the server the server can disable the scripts manually. why would they disable all clientside scripts etc. if most of their playerbase uses them. not even lambda,menyoo etc. which is still quite important for rp, but visual mods dont work either which is fucking retarded

GanjaMonster · 2019-07-24T17:15:09.536Z

visual mods can be converted into RPF’s no problem

Langweilig_LP · 2019-07-24T17:15:58.458Z

it will they wont work anymore and have to be approved by fivem in order to use them. i dont get it, like just give people the option to use client side scripts(visual mods, lambda,menyoo etc.) and then its their problem if they crash. if a server has THAT big of a problem with crashes etc as its described from fivem here, then can disable it themselves.

Cpt_Spoons · 2019-07-24T17:16:06.332Z

I am not a fan of this, could possibly draw away alot of people.

milo3 · 2019-07-24T17:16:49.554Z

Yeah, most servers are a 50% split on non clientside and clientside menus. If people dont like client menus, there are thousands of servers without them. No need to disable them globally

GanjaMonster · 2019-07-24T17:16:52.304Z

this change would only affect files inside CITIZEN/COMMON and CITIZEN/PLATFORM not the plugins folder

Langweilig_LP · 2019-07-24T17:21:28.285Z

i really dont see a need for this. i mean if things like visual mods etc cause crashes etc. thats the persons problem isnt it? i mean you could have a system where you can report things and it gets checked if the visual mod etc causes crashes and if it does it gets taken down from the forums, but why disable it globally?? no point

element.10 · 2019-07-24T17:21:54.042Z

milo3:

couldn’t the server owners individually disable client modifications on their own servers?

Not possible due to the way client modifications were originally loaded. That, and it would detract from the seamless ‘you can join anything without restarting your game’ experience.

Langweilig_LP:

the server the server can disable the scripts manually. why would they disable all clientside scripts etc.

This isn’t about scripts - it’s about client file mods.

gallium · 2019-07-24T17:22:24.951Z

Langweilig_LP:

thats the persons problem isnt it?

Not if ‘crashes’ spread to other players on the server, which has been the case due to ‘visual mods’ including completely unrelated files.

F0r3sT · 2019-07-24T17:25:55.151Z

I don’t see this as a smart move tbh. It will get people away from playing FiveM. There is people that wasted 8000 hours on making a visual mod, and removing that from FiveM permanently, that’s not so smart if you ask me. If it crashes players game, he can delete that. He is responsible for his own game files.

lithium · 2019-07-24T17:26:43.431Z

F0r3sT:

There is people that wasted 8000 hours on making a visual mod, and removing that from FiveM permanently

Then these ‘people that wasted 8000 hours’ can apply for their mod to be approved as a client package, and get a signing key.

Langweilig_LP · 2019-07-24T17:27:20.341Z

literally. why not blacklist the visual mods that cause these major issues with “crashing other players” instead of blacklisting ALL visual mods until they get signed. if they get signed you wont be able to change shit about them either as easily as you currently can

GanjaMonster · 2019-07-24T17:27:31.533Z

But client sided visual mods will still be a thing they will just be used in the rpf format in a different folder to make it work better and implement files that were not properly supported