Game Installers for DosBox EX Ultimate


commander-beef

commander-beef

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Hiya 

I would like to inform you that DosBox EX among other things will soon use installers for games [mainly shareware ones]. 'What for?' , you can say. Mainly because to even more simplify adding new games to DosBox EX, so you dont need configure anything AND im doing this for future proof, because i'll try to make online scoring system for DosBox EX and with installers I will be 100% sure that game will work properly with scoring system [you know, there are numerous versions of games with numerous different ideas where to install them. Every single wrong directory might break Online Scoring System for particular game]. 

Every installer [DXZ file -> pure ZIP format] will have [apart from game, of course] documentation + screens + cover arts to simplify everything even more :D

How to install DXZ files with games?

Easy. Start DosBox EX and click on Setup DosBox EX Configuration -> Install new game from DXZ file -> Choose a DXZ File with game to install..

And voilla.. :D game is installed in Games Directory 

First game with installer will be:

Raptor: Call of the Shadows [sHAREWARE], preconfigured and ready to play on DosBox EX.

Download: http://www.filedropper.com/raptorshareware [im looking for a good and free filehosting, anybody?]

Btw. Release DosBox EX with support of DXZ format.. in repo :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You can ask ED if he can get you an ftp account on his server for filehosting. Bit that should be legally bulletproof files then.
 
Yeah, only Shareware and Freeware ones [or commercial that was released as free]. I'll think about demo's as well [for example Tempest 2000 comes as a DEMO apart from commercial one]
 
skeezix said:
Online scoring in what way?


If you want simple scoring like C4A.. coudl tie into C4A :)


jeff
Click to expand...

Why not, i never used C4A btw..


Where i can find some info about C4A with scrpits and samples?  :D

BTW. Looking for a feedback about DXZ Installers in DosBox EX. Cheers..
 
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Installer is certainly a great idea (hum, beware, you will soon have to catalog titles, put screenshots and an easy to browse downloader :)   and will end up with a repo for dosbox!)

Online Score is also great, but it have to go to C4A, we need to have a central point for Pandora online score.
 
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Sango Fighter 2  ENGLISH [Freeware] [Relased as freeware in november this y'r via superfighterteam site]

sango202.gif
 
sango203.gif


Download: [DXZ format for DosBox EX]

http://www.filedropper.com/sangofighter2eng
 
beef -- I definately need to post a solid set of doc for that; the information is spread around in a few threads..

A start at docs got made:

http://pandorawiki.org/Compo4AllSDK

But thats mostly the http interface for pulling scores and some data. I don't think account creation/updates got put in there, and none of the config file business.

In short..

C4A server is split into two parts; the display part (http://c4a.openpandora.org/) is maintained by milkshake on EDs server, and (currently) the only scoring server over at one of my VMs. The 'spaghetti client' can post scores to the server, so you can just include the 'sc' binary in your pnd, or you can whip up a librarized version of it; the code is all posted. (Its really exceedingly lame code, since all of it was put together very quickly as a prototype to see if people liked it; its half rewritten in some nicer form, but I've not gotten around to finishing any of the new codebase yet .. you know how it goes :)

So folks use the C4A Manager (in the repo) to create/update their C4A profiles. Apps need onmly use 'sc' to post scores. The server does the running talllies, monthly rollovers, all tikme highs, etc.

A game has to be registered in the server, which is a short (10 line?) config file; most important there is a unique-shortname ("my-damned-gamename") so the server can use that as its key for the game; the config also notes if its ascending or descending, what the genre/category are, that sort of junk (that not much uses yet.) It can also provide launch details (pnd, arguments etc to invoke a game on client side, but theres no client using this info yet.)

I need to add a lot of features to c4a (overlay UI? in-c4a messaging? vendettas and challenges .. etc etc).

So..

- send me a conf file per-game to register the game with C4A

- add 'sc' (or equivilent) to your pnd

"sc" is trivial; its like 'sc push my-damned-game 1234' sort of complexity.

Unfortuantely, its cheatable, so we rely on honor system. Without locking down end to end (signed client binaries, encrypted comms, closed blobs, etc) theres not much we can do to secure it; ie: making 'sc' binary downloadable means anyone can add support with 10 minutes time, which is q hugue plus; it also means any idiot can call 'sc' from command line to cheat, if they know the unique-id of a game (which they can sniff, read from sh-scripts, etc.)

Its an imperfect world :)

jeff
 
Orion4874 said:
Hey CB could you possibly use MediaFire? Those links appear to be dead already.... or is it just me?
Click to expand...
 It should work, because i uploaded DXZ just yesterday there.. i'd might use media fire, but firsty i need to talk about server space with ED. Then we will see. 

Of course it will depend how community accepts installers with games. No feedback = No further development and adding new games.

BTW. I strongly encourage everybody to create a DXZ file with shareware/free/demo game.

The structure is simple:




 /GameDir
|-- 01.bat [Batch file that points to real executable for a game]
|-- 02.bat [Batch file that points to real setup executable for a game]
|-- 01.txt [this file with manual/GameFAQ will be visible in DosBox EX GUI]
|-- 01.png [gamescreen]
|-- front.jpg [boxart front]
|-- back.jpg [boxart back]
|
|-- README.TXT and FILE_ID.DIZ [optional -> commonly added to any shareware]
|-- c4a.cfg [optional file -> not working yet]
|-- dosboxex.cfg [optional file -> might be generated with Donators Edition]
|
  |-- [game data with exec files]

Then You'll need to compress it using ZIP format [with game directory] and rename ZIP to DXZ.
Done..
 
Last edited by a moderator:
STRIFE DEMO 

Strife is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rogue Entertainment and published by Velocity, based on the Doom engine from id Software. Strife added some role-playing game elements and allowed players to talk to other characters in the game's world. Along with Pathways into Darkness, Ultima Underworld and System Shock, it is considered one of the first FPS-RPG games.


250px-Strife_box_cover.jpg


Images:



Strife_DOS_01.png


Strife_DOS_09.png



Download [ DXZ file for DosBox EX ]:

http://www.filedropper.com/strifedemo
 
'commander-beef said:
BTW. I strongly encourage everybody to create a DXZ file with shareware/free/demo game.
Click to expand...

Here is one of my favourites:

STUNTS / 4D Sports Driving

Great racing game, track editor included.

stunts3.jpg stunts2.jpg stunts.gif

According to this site it's freeware:

The game is FREEWARE as we checked with the former distributors BRODERBUND and MINDSCAPE...
Click to expand...
A mapper file is included, so I recommend to get the DosBoxEX Donators Edition to be able to use the custom mapper:

DPAD Left ... Menu Left / Steering Left

DPAD Right ... Menu Right /Steering Right

(A) ... Menu Up / Accelerate

(X) ... Menu Down / Brake

DOWNLOAD

Enjoy :D
 
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A classic Apogee jump 'n run:

Secret Agent

This is the first of 3 episodes and shareware:

secretagent1.gif secretagent2.gif secretagent3.gif

secretagent4.gif secretagent5.gif secretagent6.gif

If you own DosBox Donators Edition you could use the included custom mapper:

DPAD ... Move
(A) ... Jump
(X) ... Fire

DOWNLOAD

:D
 
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