[Proposal] - Allow overriding urls.json source link with a java properties

[kristofbolyai]

Issue

Problem Statement

In recent years, users from China and other countries with censored or filtered internet access have encountered difficulties in downloading online resources for both Artemis and Wynntils mods.

For Artemis specifically, managing networking and URL access has been a challenge. While we have made improvements such as utilizing a unified urls.json resource to store all resources as key-value pairs, this resource currently lacks easy override functionality, as it's not designed for modification.

Previous Workarounds

To address this issue, the Chinese community has commonly resorted to two main workarounds:

1. Creating custom builds of Artemis.
2. Developing add-on mods that mix into Artemis to incorporate patched urls.json files, redirecting to CDNs accessible in China.

Proposed Solution

Our goal has always been to support all communities interested in using Artemis. While the ideal solution would involve migrating our data to AWS, ensuring accessibility in China, this migration has been delayed due to resource constraints within the web team.

As an interim solution, we propose implementing the ability to override the urls.json file source link using java properties. This solution offers several benefits:

• Ease of Implementation: The proposed change is straightforward to implement.
• User-Friendly: End users will find it easy to utilize this feature.
• Safety: This approach is as secure as previous methods involving custom builds or add-on mods.
• Minimal Disruption: Regular users will experience minimal to no impact from this change.