SE 4: Disabling Splash Screens?

Arralen · #1 February 23rd, 2007, 07:21 PM

Fyron's Mod Launcher

The program requires the .NET Framework 2.0.

Suicide Junkie · #2 February 23rd, 2007, 07:27 PM

Using SE4 v1.91 works great to avoid the splash screens.

You only need deluxe to process turns, and only if the mod includes anti-missile missiles.

Fyron · #3 February 23rd, 2007, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Arralen said:
The program requires the .NET Framework 2.0.

Right, it use modern technology, rather than shoddy c++ com32 api programming from a decade ago.

capnq · #4 February 23rd, 2007, 11:32 PM

I have never understood why people are so annoyed at those splash screens. Strategy First added a whopping two clicks to starting a game that takes dozens of clicks per turn, and at least a couple hundred per play session (in solo). How can people who think that two clicks is an intolerable slowdown even play 4X games?

Suicide Junkie · #5 February 23rd, 2007, 11:35 PM

Negative. Value. Added.

On purpose, no less.
Shrapnel wouldn't have done that to us.

Captain Kwok · #6 February 24th, 2007, 01:16 AM

So it wasn't Shrapnel Games that added a splash screen to Star Fury?

Suicide Junkie · #7 February 24th, 2007, 03:24 AM

There is a difference between having a splash screen the whole time, and adding one (well two) after a long while.

Removing a feature is far more noticable.

The least it could do is load the modfiles in the background instead of doing nothing at all until you click or it times out.
It is a pity that so many programs don't start right away when you click go. Just get a move on, show the logos in a nonintrusive way that dosen't slow things down, I say. Take pride in your work, but not on my time.

I know this is out of proportion, but its a pet peeve of mine.
So, I stick with 1.91 as an upgrade from 1.94+ where possible.

Captain Kwok · #8 February 24th, 2007, 03:26 AM

But to be fair, it was more of a MM thing then an SFI thing - you can cleary see Aaron's preference for the start menu thing and splashes from Dungeon Odyssey onwards.

capnq · #9 February 24th, 2007, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Suicide Junkie said:It is a pity that so many programs don't start right away when you click go.

I cannot think of a single commercially released game that behaves the way you want.

Did you expect Strategy First to buy the IP, but never mention anywhere that they're the publisher now?

Will · #10 February 24th, 2007, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Imperator Fyron said:

Quote:

Arralen said:
The program requires the .NET Framework 2.0.

Right, it use modern technology, rather than shoddy c++ com32 api programming from a decade ago.

Nothing wrong with using C++ Win32/COM. It was, and still is, useful. In fact, you can do all the features you listed for your modlauncher with that "decade old" technology. As a bonus, it doesn't require users to download a 280MB VM framework (and that's just the x86 version! IA-64 is more than double that), it will just run with the *.exe. Takes less memory, too.

"Modern Technology" ain't always all it's cracked up to be.