New Spring Installer with Downloadable Content

[LordMatt]

For those who may not read the mods forum, the installer for the next version of spring will have downloadable maps and mods, instead of including them in the installer. Also, this allows the OTA content to be removed from the installer (and the SVN) and makes the installer fully GPL compliant.

Mods:

Based on a thread in the mods forum, the following mods will be included:

Balanced Annihilation
XTA
Gundam
Kernel Panic
Evolution
Spring: 1944
SimBase

I have required the following from all mod authors:
1) Send me a description of your mod. Because of limitations on space in the installer GUI, these descriptions can be no more than 210 characters including spaces and include the size of the download. I have the following descriptions:

Balanced Annihilation (203 char): --I have BA 6.0

Balanced Annihilation (BA) is a mod of Total Annihilation, and is currently the most popular game. Balanced Annihilation claims to have the most finely tuned balance of all the TA mods. (9.1MB Download)

XTA (187 char): --Final Release Version

XTA is a mod of Total Annihilation originally developed by the Swedish Yankspankers. It claims to have the most similar gameplay to the original game Total Annihilation (12.6MB Download)

Gundam (203 char): --Final Release Version. EE_RiverGlade included.

Gundam RTS, Giant stomping robots fighting across a vast landscape. Battles focus more on combat then base construction, economy is minimalized allowing you to spend more time fighting. (51.0MB Download)

Kernel Panic (199 char): --Final Release Version

Kernel Panic is a mod about computers, where bits and bytes wage war in a matrix of DOOM! KP makes for a very fast-paced, action-oriented game, and has a very unique graphical style. (6.4MB Download)

Evolution (201 char): --Final Release Version

Evolution RTS is a dynamic strategy game which merges fluidity and simplicity, where the outcome of each battle impacts the advancement of the factions and the direction of the story. (34.0MB Download)

Spring: 1944 (204 char): --Final Release Version

Spring: 1944 (S44) is a reproduction of the Second World War which balances the demands of realism, historical accuracy and gameplay to produce a fast-paced, aggressive game of strategy. (28.0MB Download)

Simbase (197 char): --Final Release Version

Simbase focuses on base-building and resource production. It allows players to take their time and enjoy the game, while constructing a base and an army to destroy their opponents. (3.5MB Download)

The final deadline for mods is this Friday evening, so please get the above required information to me by then. I have also PMed at least one author of each mod with the remaining requirements they need to meet.

Maps:

I have made the following three map packs:
Default Maps:
SmallDivide.sd7
Comet_Catcher_Redux.sd7
Sands_of_War_v2.sd7
(9.0MB Download)

1 v 1 Maps:
4886_Lowland_Crossing_TNM01-V4.sd7
8862_Cooper_Hill_TNM02-V1.sd7
Altair_Crossing.sd7
Aquatic_Divide_TNM05-V2.sd7
ArcticPlainsV2.sd7
Battle for PlanetXVII-v01.sd7
BlueBend-v01.sd7
Brazillian_BattlefieldV2.sd7
CoastToCoastRemakeV2.sd7
DarkSide_Remake.sd7
Geyser_Plains_TNM04-V3.sd7
HundredsIsles.sd7
Mars.sd7
MoonQ10x.sd7
(87.3MB download)

Teamplay Maps:
Altored_Divide.sd7
Charlie_in_the_Hills.sd7
Crossing_4_final.sd7
FrostBiteV2.sd7
GreenHaven_Remake.sd7
Islands_In_War_1.0.SDZ
MoonQ20x.sd7
River_Dale-V01(onlyRiverdale).sd7
Small_Supreme_Battlefield_V2.sd7
Tabula-v2.sd7
Victoria_Crater.sd7
XantheTerra_v3.sd7
Zeus05_A.sd7
(199.1MB download)

I realize that these are hefty downloads, and am open to suggestion on maps that should be added or removed. Certain overplayed (or those with very skewed resource distribution) maps will not be included. The total download time for me if I select all downloadable options (many of the mods are not yet included is ~13 minutes on a 9mbs/1mbs connection, ~12 minutes of that is for the maps).

As always I don't tolerate flaming or off topic crap in my threads so please don't do it.

[Noruas]

XTA (186 char): --Need SVN tested version (9.2) with required mod tags.

XTA is a mod of Total Annihilation originally developed by the Swedish Yankspankers. It claims to have the most similar gameplay to the original game Total Annihilation (9.0MB Download)

how about:

XTA (210 char):
XTA was the original mod for spring developed by the Swedish Yankspankers. Similar game play to Total Annihilation. Has unique graphics and strategy. It takes practice to master all the units in XTA. Try it now


Is it mandatory to include the download size? Because it fluctuates a lot.

[LordMatt]

Yes filesize in the format I am using is required (so that the user knows what they are downloading). Please post a version that includes it.

[Neddie]

Evolution RTS is a dynamic strategy game which merges fluid gameplay with design simplicity, where the outcome of each battle impacts the technological advancement of the factions and the direction of the story.

[AF]

There's a fatal error in XTA, I just tried running my portfolio program that runs the NTai test with XTA and found the commanders had 40 energy and metalstorage. According to script.txt they should have 10k storage. I believe this is due to a change that was made regarding setting storage at start up to the commanders storage rather than the starting resources but XTA never corrected the issue and stayed at 40 because of the 0.75b2 behaviour.

This issue does not show up when running spring.exe directly as those scripts set the storage manually. BA should also be tested for this bug.

Repackaging XTA with the commander fbis changed to have 1k storage for emtal and energy corrected this in my personal copy.


hmm it seems tobi made a post on the xta forums about this, but considering the friday deadline.....

[Tim-the-maniac]

Any reason for not including pure?

[KDR_11k]

The public release wasn't meant to happen before the deadline AFAIK

[Argh]

I was hoping it'd come together before then. I was going to have some free time around Christmas, and Tobi wasn't promising anything before that. As things stand, I really don't know what state the game will be in.

[Boirunner]

Will the links be static, or always point to the updated version of a mod?

[NOiZE]

stuff

Slavedriver!

[KDR_11k]

The updating installer is gone now? Does the regular one no longer overwrite config files?

[lurker]

*Installer now removes old XTAPE files from previous installers.
*Change defualt maps to SmallDivide, Comet Catcher Redux, and Sands of
War (all are now downloadable, 9.0MB).
*Cleanup of commented code.
*Add Downloadable 1v1 Map Pack 14 maps (87.3MB).
*Add Downloadable Teamplay Map Pack 12 maps (170.1MB).
*Install unitsync.dll by default, instead of with TASClient.
*Merge Updating and Regular installers (To Do: Stop Creating Updating
Installer).
*Don't overwrite user updatable config files: selectkeys.txt,
uikeys.txt, cmdcolors.txt, and ctrlpanel.txt(in /game/).
*Delete old versions of Riverdale map from user's maps directory and
replace with newest version (if old versions are present). This will
fix the issues people have with hosting and joining battles with this
map.
*Fix graphical glitch when downloading files.
*To Do: Update/Add all mods to be included, see
http://spring.clan-sy.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=13093

[KDR_11k]

Gundam will need an update again since Satirik changed the values comboboxes return. The matching rev isn't up yet so I won't do that yet.

[LordMatt]

Evolution RTS is a dynamic strategy game which merges fluid gameplay with design simplicity, where the outcome of each battle impacts the technological advancement of the factions and the direction of the story.

Neddie phails @ following instructions: (211 char + no filesize mentioned). So does Noruas for that matter. If you guys don't send me a description that fits the format, I'll just be making one up myself, which you may or may not like, and it will remain permanent until the next installer compile (a long time from now).

XTA Bug

Fix in 9.2 plx.

Will the links be static, or always point to the updated version of a mod?

Mods will have a generic filename in the installer, so I can update to new version of the mods easily without having to recompile and upload.

Gundam will need an update again since Satirik changed the values comboboxes return. The matching rev isn't up yet so I won't do that yet.

Will this change be in the new spring release? If so, I'll need an updated version before hand (all mods will need to work properly with the latest SVN, so please test).

[LordMatt]

stuff

Slavedriver!

I forgot to ask you to send me the current version so I could play with it on the SVN sometime this week. I'm thinking of requiring more Arm buffs before I include BA in the installer.

[Cabbage]

stuff

Slavedriver!

I forgot to ask you to send me the current version so I could play with it on the SVN sometime this week. I'm thinking of requiring more Arm buffs before I include BA in the installer.

+1

[smoth]

balance is fine, core is supposed to win!

[Neddie]

Fine, I'll predict the size of the final release and retract my attempt at humour, you heartless so and so.

[LordMatt]

It would be find to make a description that included (##.#MB Download) for now. I thought evolution was finished anyways?

[Peet]

msvcr71.dll is required and missing.