New Mod Launcher v0.22
 

Partially out of boredom, I have been working on a new mod launcher. Matryx' is great, but it has a few quirks that have always irked me, such as being unable to move or resize it.

Differences between the two:
- Can resize and move the window.
- Double clicking on a mod name is equivalent to hitting Launch SE4 button.
- Double clicking on a savegame name is equivalent to hitting Load Game button. You can also hit enter to run the savegame when the cursor is in the player number or password boxes.
- You can specify an alternate mod path. This is useful if you prefer to keep all of your mods in a Mods folder.
- You can process turns as host directly from the interface, without changing the player number and password every time you want to play the turn, then process it manually.
- You do not have to run the launcher from the SE4 folder. If you do not, it will check the following locations:

..\ (the parent of the folder it is run from)
C:\Program Files\Strategy First\Malfador Machinations\Space Empires IV Deluxe
C:\Program Files\Shrapnel Games\Malfador Machinations\Space Empires IV Gold
C:\Program Files\Shrapnel Games\Malfador Machinations\Space Empires IV

If these fail, it will provide a prompt to specify a location.

I am not sure what the exact default install locations are though, so please correct me if I am wrong.

- Savegames are listed in a tree view, categorized by mod folder name.
- When you select a savegame, the date last played will be displayed in the status bar.

The launcher uses the same modinfo.txt files that Matryx' does. You will have to reenter player numbers and passwords for your savegames though, as I am not entirely sure how Matryx has them stored in Launcher.ini. My mod launcher will store them in its own file, separate from Matryx'.

Please post any suggestions for additional features you would like to see in a mod launcher. I am contemplating a "Host Process" button that will run the savegame as host to process the turn, for the expedition of non-PBW PBEM games.

The program requires the .NET .NE Framework 2.0. It should be considered under development, but it seems to work correctly.

Download location:

http://www.spaceempires.net/files/te...auncherv22.zip

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

Well, I'm willing to give it a shot. Let you know what a think a bit later.

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

Scratch that.

I downloaded it and tried to open it, and in the attachment above is what I got.

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

It lacks the charm of Matryx's application. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

Hmmm, how about adding the zillion features of Ruatha's SE4 companion (auto-check, download and unzip of turn files from PBW, auto-upload of completed turns, shipset management, mp3 player, history file editor, tea-maker, car-washer, dog-walker...)

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

Why hardcode locations for SE4?
Just have a dialog box for locating it, and save that location in the INI for later.

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

I get the same error as BK, but I don't think I have .NET installed. I'm guessing that's the source of the error.

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

.NET Framework 1.1

BK: Do you have a version of .NET Framework installed that is not 1.1? If so, what version is it?

Dogscoff: You are crazy. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif I do not seek to replicate the SE4 Companion.

Kwok: Charm-schmarm!

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

hardcoded folder locations? well. that's of no use to me...

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

Only if you did not have it in the SE4 directory, as you would with Matryx mod launcher. If it's in the SE4 dir, there is no issue with default locations. The default location checking is a fallback.

But anyways, I have uploaded a new version 0.11 that will prompt you with a folder browser if it could not located SE4.exe. It also now checks for SE4 in the parent directory, in case you want to stick it into some subfolder.

As an aside for the programmers in the crowd: Apparently, Application::Exit() does not actually exit the program unless you also call return... That is the most asinine thing I have ever seen.

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

i dunno, a small little app like that shouldnt need all those .net schenanigans.

and besides, theres a certain je ne sais quoi to the old launcher that yours lacks. its just missing the charm.

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

MFC is an atrocity and I can't get WTL/ATL working. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif I had to go with some sort of framework... java, .net, wxpython, gtk, whatever. Java is crap, python + wxpython is probably more complicated for most to get installed, and I know nothing of gtk, so I am left with .net.

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

Nice program Fyron, however I don't like the icon you are using for it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif Perhaps in a later version you could change that. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

Sheesh. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

Have you looked at wxWidgets?

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

I've uploaded v0.12, which adds the ability to delete savegames and fixes an issue with trying to launch a savegame as host without a password. Default player # for new savegames has been set to 1 instead of 0. I've been trying to get password importing from matryx mod launcher working, but .net is being very finicky about reading in the encrypted characters.

Re: New Mod Launcher
 

I have uploaded v0.13, which has the ability to import passwords from Matryx Mod Launcher.

Re: New Mod Launcher v0.20
 

Due to some OS malfunctions, I have had to reinstall windows. I upgraded to vs 2k5, which results in the project being upgraded to .NET 2.0. From now on, it will require the 2.0 framework:

.NET 2.0 Framework

Now, for the update! This new version 0.20 adds the ability to process turns as host, storing a separate password from the player password. The confirm dialog displays a report on the existence of the plr files.

Re: New Mod Launcher v0.20
 

I loaded .Net after discovering the new version didn't work.

I am getting an error message, attached.

Re: New Mod Launcher v0.21
 

Try the new version 0.21 (in first post). http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

v0.21 will automatically zip up the savegame files for you when you use the host process function.

Re: New Mod Launcher v0.22
 

The new v0.22 will automatically detect the SE4 game version. The folder browser also now has a convenient address box.

Note that it is now set to go into it's own folder, due to the increasing number of files. You can move or delete all of the FyroModLauncher related files in the root dir, if you had it there.