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Itch.io and the Rai Manager (Patreon)

Published:
2022-09-06 15:21:06
Imported:
2026-06

Content

tl;dr: I will distribute my mods on itch.io. Two Forks VR is already there. My mods now come with a new, simpler installer.

Distributing on Itch.io

If you've installed Two Forks VR, my Firewatch VR mod, in the past few weeks, you have likely seen that the mod is now being distributed on itch.io.

I'm experimenting with this new distribution method for a few reasons:

  • It's an alternative way to gatekeep early access versions of my mods for people who don't want to (or can't) go through Patreon.
  • If you use the optional Itch.io app, you'll get automatic updates for all mods I distribute there. I've often had issues with people either downloading the wrong version, or just not realizing there's an update. I want to reduce the time I spend troubleshooting issues like these.
  • I can generate as many itch.io keys as I want. I can also automatically grant keys to my patrons here on Patreon. This means I can distribute to a single place and everyone gets access to it.
  • Itch.io is actually made for distributing downloadable files like games and mods. Distributing files directly on Patreon is awkward and clunky. My workflow improves since I can automatically deploy new releases easily, meaning more frequent and smaller updates.

Rai Manager

Almost all my mods so far came with an exe installer, where you had to drag the game exe and drop it on top of the installer exe. This is a pretty simple process, but some people struggled with it. Some users just aren't as comfortable messing around in the file system, and that's understandable. So I made a small app which I called Rai Manager (because I have a huge ego and I simply cannot be stopped).

Rai Manager does a few things:

  • Tries its best to automatically detect where the game is installed.
  • If that fails, lets you add a custom install path by dragging the game exe and dropping it on the window.
  • Has a Wario icon.
  • Allows you to uninstall the mod with one click, so you can easily go back to the flat version.

I still need to clean up some things in the app, but it currently seems to work. People have been using it for a few weeks now, and I haven't gotten any negative feedback, so that's probably a good thing?

What's next

I'm working on a new mod for a while now, and I'm having a lot of fun with it! It should be released some time this month. For this one I'm going for a more polished first release, as opposed to the very broken early access I usually do. After that release, I will be going back to The Stanley Parable and Shipbreaker. I will be polishing those up a bit, and preparing to open-source them. See you soon!

Comments

Lewigi

Oh awesome, doing it through itch will definitely be nicer than patreon

Stan Shelton

Simple enough, look forward to your future mods!

Collin Drennen

I like the Itch concept, and the Rai Manager concept, but do have some questions like: (1) At least for Two Forks you can conceptually get the game for free, whereas through Patreon there is a paywall. Does this mean if one waits long enough, they can get all of your mods for free? I'm not trying to be a cheap-arse, just stating a perception, (2) Will the Rai Manager replace things like the Outer Wilds Mods Manager? I ask because when I used OWMM,it was one of the few instances where I couldn't boot up Steam VR first before playing, and wondered if Rai Manager might change that.

Raicuparta
>>91417269

1) Paying me gives you "early access" to my mods, but I don't make any promises as to how long I'll keep them locked in this state. So yes, all my mods will eventually become free and open source, but only after I clean it up and decide I don't wanna make any substantial improvements to the project. Firewatch was locked on Patreon for like a year and a half, for example. I was always pretty forward about this, it's included in the "About Raicuparta" section of this Patreon page (easy to miss). 2) If I mod a game that already has a large modding community with their own managers, then I will have to use that manager, to minimize nasty conflicts with other mods. In that case Rai Manager will either not be used at all, or serve just as a way to install the mod in that other manager. If a modding community exists but is very small or very fragmented, then I'll probably ignore it and just use the Rai Manager.