well to be convoluted and extreme.
why else would ANYONE do it?

They wouldn't, because it's a stupid idea that limits the exposure of your mod that would otherwise have an already limited audience.
That's why.
Doing it to be EXTREME doesn't get you many points with any intellectual crowd, unless your EXTREME comes from how amazing your graphics and code are, or how well made your argument is. You're not being smart about this, you're being stubborn, so I'll say it again just for clarity:

You cannot feasibly encrypt files to be read by cortex command, and if you do it in an infeasible manner your audience will be very, very limited. You'd be wise not to attempt to cloak bits of your mod while starting out.

Fine. I will be swayed. I just really wanted to try out the alternate version of the mod in a secret kind of way.
The alternate will just have to be in the open.


A quick question, how would having parts of a mod that are supposed to be secret, hidden make my mod only applicable to a smaller audience? It is not really taking anything away from the mod itself, it is in fact adding to it.

It's adding to the "download size" and "complexity" aspects, not the "fun" of the mod.

If unlocking the mod is complicated, less people are going to bother. Heck, people don't even bother to read the OP of mods like DarkStorm, then complain 40 pages in about not being able to set your melee keys when the procedure for doing that exact thing is outlined in both the README file and the OP.

A suggestion for fun "hidden" content would be not adding whatever this epic actor is to any groups -> making it not purchasable from trade star by default, and adding it to a mission map as a boss. You'll have to script its AI so it doesn't cower away from any bullets but that would be a good way of showing that the actor is there without letting the player buy it initially. Players that do want to play with it can then go and uncomment the AddToGroup line that you could so thoughtfully add near the top of this EPIC BOSS's definition file.

Well that would work except for one thing.

It is an entire alternate version of the mod, it isnt one thing, but I get the concept.
Also, who doesnt read the entire OP of mods? Noobs?

Probably 80% of your mod users won't ever have posted on the forums once you get good.
Aim for making the worst case scenario enjoyable, not the best.