Sometimes a lot of this material can be confusing or worse, and we who work with it regularly don't always remember these difficulties. While it would be nice if all mods were contained within a single mpq file, there are good reasons why we can't always do that. I'll tell you my system, and it might be non-technical enough to be within your comfort zone. These instructions are for running a mod under the latest version (v1.10 final) of Diablo II. Other people have their preferred methods, but I get authorial privilege for this post, heh heh. Everything I describe below is done within Windows Explorer.
First, I put each mod in its own folder under the Diablo II folder. Copy the mod's file(s) you downloaded into this mod folder. Now extract the working files if this is a ZIP or other archive file. Let's use the Middle Earth mod as an example. The distribution file is
memodlod192.zip. So I look for
C:\Program Files\Diablo II and make
C:\Program Files\Diablo II\MiddleEarth and put
memodlod192.zip there. I extract the ZIP contents, keeping all path information (a zip option) so each Middle Earth file ends up in its proper place. You will end up with a lot of subfolders inside of
C:\Program Files\Diablo II\MiddleEarth.
Next, go to our File Center and get the
Mod Running Scripts (follow the link). The launching script sets up the game session with proper references to Diablo II files and folders so you don't have to worry about it manually. Put the two vbs files in the mod folder you created, e.g.
C:\Program Files\Diablo II\MiddleEarth.
The mod's readme file (if there is one) should tell you if the mod is mpq-only (the kind you are familiar with), -direct -txt, or either with dlls. You don't need to worry about dlls using the script, those get handled automatically. That leaves -direct -txt, so you need to check one more place. Under the mod folder you should have a \data subfolder. If you don't have it, you don't have a -direct -txt mod, or it isn't set up correctly. If you do, drop down through \global to \excel; in our example that would be
C:\Program Files\Diablo II\MiddleEarth\data\global\excel. If you see a lot of bin files, you're all set, but if you have txt files only you need to make the bin files. Do not worry, help is here!
Now double-click on the file LaunchModGame.vbs. This starts the script, and you will get two questions. Answer the first question NO,
unless you need to make bin files for a -direct -txt mod. You only need to make them the first time you run the mod, or after any updates from the mod maker. Answer the second question NO also. (The default for both questions is NO, by the way.) Now the mod should run just fine.
What about d2mod-based mods? This is where you see a lot of reference to patching dlls and ini settings, and unfortunately many of the more adventurous efforts use the d2mod system. The mod should come with the file D2ModSetup.bat, which you use to modify a Blizzard file (d2gfx.dll) so it will pull the d2mod system into your game session. Follow the instructions for setting up d2mod.dll in your Diablo II folder, but be sure d2mod.ini (or the mod's equivalent if renamed) is in the mod folder. You only set up d2mod
once, with the d2mod.ini (or equivalent) for each mod in that mod's folder, thereafter any mod using d2mod will work.
