CRAIC MODS & GAMING - CONAN SERVER TOOLS v1.0 RC6
==================================================
RELEASE CANDIDATE / WINDOWS TEST BUILD - NOT YET A PUBLIC STABLE RELEASE

Package contents:
  Conan_Install.bat              Installer / rerun for updates and SteamCMD validation
  Conan-Config.bat       Express and Advanced configuration wizard
  CMG-VersionCheck.ps1   Optional read-only version checker
  CMG-Update-Settings.json   Online check configuration (no URL yet)
  VERSION-MANIFEST-EXAMPLE.json   Example metadata for GitHub publication
  README.txt             This guide
  LICENSE                Apache License 2.0
  NOTICE                 Copyright, attribution, and third-party notices

INSTALL AND COPY TEST
---------------------
1. Extract this ENTIRE ZIP to a normal folder (not from inside ZIP).
2. Keep Conan_Install.bat and Conan-Config.bat together in that same folder.
3. Stop your Conan dedicated server. Back up saved worlds and settings.
4. Double-click Conan_Install.bat and select the drive where you installed Conan.
5. Confirm the proposed location. The installer calls shared SteamCMD to
   install or update and validate App ID 443030.
6. Windows VC++ x64 runtime is checked. If missing, you can approve an
   official Microsoft download and installation. Restart if requested.
7. After successful installation, verify these files (replace X with your
   selected drive letter):

   X:\Steam-Lab\Craic-Game-Servers\Tools\ConanExiles\Conan_Install.bat
   X:\Steam-Lab\Craic-Game-Servers\Tools\ConanExiles\Conan-Config.bat

   Conan files remain at:
   X:\Steam-Lab\Craic-Game-Servers\ConanExiles\
   Shared SteamCMD remains at:
   X:\Steam-Lab\SteamCMD\
   Backup locations are under:
   X:\Steam-Lab\Craic-Game-Servers\Backups\ConanExiles\

8. Confirm the installed copies run correctly from the Tools folder.
9. To install/update again, stop the server and rerun Tools\ConanExiles\Conan_Install.bat.
   SteamCMD's app_update (validate) checks files on reruns. It may restore
   modified game files, so back up anything important first.

CONFIGURATION
-------------
- Launch the Conan server once before using Conan-Config.bat if you want
  Conan itself to create the initial config files (verified in CM&G testing).
- Stop the game server before modifying settings.
- Start Tools\ConanExiles\Conan-Config.bat.
- Option 1: Express (name, player/admin password, player capacity).
- Option 2: Advanced categories (XP, harvesting, PvP, survival, crafting, etc.).
- In setting prompts: K / Enter keeps the existing value by default.
  Passwords: C changes; R removes the PLAYER password only.
- The wizard previews changes and makes time-stamped backups of INI files
  before editing. A not-present marker means no prior file existed.
- Backups of INI settings are NOT full world/save backups.
- Review your server startup flags: -MaxPlayers may override Game.ini.

UPDATING THE TOOLS THEMSELVES
-----------------------------
- Unzip a newer tools package and run the newly extracted Conan_Install.bat.
- The installer replaces the permanent installer copy, and if a different
  configuration utility is bundled, first preserves the previous utility
  as a .previous-*.bak file in Tools\ConanExiles.
- The installer does NOT erase saved worlds or INI configurations.

IMPORTANT
---------
- Test release candidate on a test server and make your own backups.
- These scripts do NOT configure Windows Firewall or your router.
- Never port-forward RDP (TCP 3389) to the public internet.
- Verify the Visual C++ install path and download on a clean test VM
  before distributing a stable release.
- Software is provided AS IS, without warranties; see LICENSE.
- This ZIP contains NO Conan game files and NO SteamCMD binaries.

Copyright 2026 Craic Mods & Gaming. Apache-2.0; see LICENSE and NOTICE.

RC2 FIX
-------
Fixed an RC1 packaging error immediately after the Continue (Y/N) prompt.
The installer now calls the VC++ check and proceeds to SteamCMD instead
of falling into the configuration utility copy routine. No Conan saves
or server files need to be deleted to retry.

RENAMED INSTALLER (RC3)
-----------------------
The installer is now Conan_Install.bat. The permanent copy uses the same name.
Previous Tools\ConanExiles\Conan.bat copies are not deleted automatically.
Once RC3 is verified, you may archive the old copy to prevent confusion.

RC4 TEST NOTES (2026-10-27)
- Fixes missing :install_config_tool subroutine in RC3.
- Verifies exact copies of Conan_Install.bat and Conan-Config.bat using fc /b.
- If replacing a previous configuration script, creates Conan-Config.bat.previous.bak.
- Extract all ZIP files together before running. Tested by static inspection, not Windows execution.

RC6 VERSION CHECKS (2026-10-27)
--------------------------------
- Installer reports version 1.0.0-rc.6; configuration wizard reports 1.2.0-rc.6.
- Both can check a published HTTPS JSON manifest (example included).
- A release URL is not yet configured: GitHub repository has not been created.
  Until then scripts report "pending GitHub release setup" and continue offline.
- After GitHub is created, edit CMG-Update-Settings.json in the Tools folder:
  set manifest_url to the REAL HTTPS raw JSON manifest URL.
- Set enabled to false to disable the check; alternatively create an empty
  file called CMG-VersionCheck.off in the same Tools folder.
- If the remote check fails (no internet / error), server tools still work.
- Checker only NOTIFIES; it never automatically installs or updates scripts.
- During RC testing a test manifest can be supplied with the helper's
  -TestManifestFile option (see example JSON).
- RC5 keeps the previously validated RC4 installer, SteamCMD operation,
  prerequisite checks, and the two batch-file names unchanged.
- Test the helper copy and version display on Windows before public release.

RC6 VERSION CHECK CORRECTION (2026-10-27)
-------------------------------------------
- Fixes a Windows command-line argument quoting issue in version-check startup.
- Both scripts now let CMG-VersionCheck.ps1 locate settings using its own script directory.
- Version checks remain optional and do not block the installer or config wizard.
- Real GitHub version lookups remain pending repository setup.
