[Explaination] Why Huxxi Roleplay Uses an EXE Installer Instead of Just a DLL
Why did I switch from providing a simple DLL plugin to a full EXE installer?
The answer is simple: Map compatibility, automation, and keeping Huxxi Roleplay up to date with your own game setup.
🗺️ The Problem: Hundreds of Maps, Thousands of Possible Combinations
American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2 have massive modding communities, with hundreds of map mods created by different developers.
Some players use only the base game, while others have dozens or even hundreds of map mods in their load order.
And here's where things get complicated.
Huxxi Roleplay adds interactive locations across the map, including:
🚻 Washrooms and rest areas
🍔 Restaurants and food locations
🛒 Shops and other interactive businesses
🏨 Hotels and sleeping locations
📍 Custom roleplay location markers
For these features to work, Huxxi Roleplay needs map icons and location data that match your actual game world.
Previously, supporting different map combinations could require creating and distributing separate SCS files.
But imagine maintaining compatibility with hundreds of map mods, different load orders, and countless combinations. It simply isn't practical!
⚙️ The Solution: Generate Maps for YOUR Game
Instead of making everyone download different compatibility files, I've developed an EXE installer with a built-in map generator.
The installer scans your installed game and compatible map data, identifies relevant locations, and generates the necessary map icons and compatibility files for your specific setup.
Whether you play with:
The original base map
Official map DLCs
GMC free and paid map packs
Large map combinations
Multiple supported custom map mods
The goal is to let the installer generate the correct files for your installed maps, rather than forcing everyone to use a single prebuilt configuration.
🔄 What Happens When SCS Updates the Game?
Here's an example.
Imagine SCS Software releases a new ETS2 or ATS update and removes, relocates, or adds hundreds of restaurants, washrooms, and other locations.
With a traditional prebuilt SCS compatibility file, those markers could become outdated, and I'd need to manually prepare and distribute updated files.
With the Huxxi Roleplay installer, the process is different.
The map generator scans the relevant game data again and creates updated location markers based on what's actually available in your installed maps.
That means you're generating compatibility data for your current game setup, rather than relying entirely on an older, fixed map package.
❤️ Why This Is Better for Everyone
✅ Personalized map compatibility — Generate files based on your own installed map configuration.
✅ Less manual maintenance — No need for me to build separate SCS files for every possible map combination.
✅ Easier support for large map combos — Designed to accommodate more complex modded setups.
✅ More up-to-date locations — Regenerate location markers when supported game or map content changes.
✅ Future expansion — A more scalable foundation as Huxxi Roleplay adds new locations, maps, and features.
🚀 This Is Why an EXE Installer Was Necessary
The switch isn't simply about changing how you install the mod.
It's about making Huxxi Roleplay adaptable to YOUR game, instead of requiring your game to match a fixed compatibility package.
The DLL remains part of the roleplay system, while the EXE installer handles the setup and map generation that a standalone DLL download couldn't conveniently provide.
This approach makes it possible to support a much wider range of ETS2 and ATS setups without maintaining hundreds of separate downloads.
Note: Compatibility still depends on the map's structure, accessible game data, and supported location types. Some maps may require additional support.
Using an unsupported map or unusual map combination? Let me know which maps you're using, and I'll look into expanding compatibility.
Thank you for supporting Huxxi Roleplay! ❤️
— Mods by Huxxi