Engine Mod Customization

[Baker]

Things a total conversion would want:

1) Own icon (when running)
2) Own icon displayed in the operating system.
3) Own window title
4) Own application description
5) Possibility of indicating the gamedata directory

#1, #3 and #5 could be done via cvars.

#2 and #4 cannot be done via cvars. #4 can probably be done just renaming the engine.

That leaves #2.

Supposedly with this tool you can open the .exe and literally edit the application icon for an .exe.

However, the oddity with that: although a discouraged practice, any "security module" that relies on a checksum of an .exe would break. Not that such a thing is even of any true use as far as I know on a non-Windows platform. But on Windows since process ids or what not can be tied back to the true executable, it is rather difficult to deceive a dll as I understand it (at least in this particular way).

[Spike]

include an .ico file with the program. create a shortcut to the exe that uses the .ico+custom description instead of the one from the .exe.
Many games have some kind of separate launcher, even now.

Or make the 'security' module check specific regions of the program instead. Due to the wonders/evils of code injection, such security modules should be checking the memory image instead of the disk image anyway. Its quite easy when you know how and really rather fun!

[leileilol]

Many games have some kind of separate launcher, even now.

especially every valve game that's not hl2