• Do not use Works in Progress as a way of avoiding the releases system! Works in Progress can be used for sharing early betas and for getting suggestions for improvement. Releases of finished content are not allowed in this forum! If you would like to submit a finished addon, click here for instructions on how to do so.

startSRB2 beta - An alternative to the official launcher

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sort by date Sort by reaction score
Shardvexz

Shardvexz

Cosmophile on IRC/Discord
Hello SRB2 community! I've been working on an alternative to the SRB2 Launcher: startSRB2 beta v1.0!

Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/umu9m5

When I started this project, I wasn't aware that sonicfreak94 had already released his launcher. But I plan to implement most the features that sf94's SRB2 launcher has, plus a few more that I've imagined. I've been testing the launcher for a while now, and I think all of the features work.

So far startSRB2 has pretty much all the features that the official launcher does. I created it using the Microsoft Visual C# IDE. I will release the source as soon as I have added a few more features, or as soon as someone asks me for it.

Requirements:
  • Microsoft Windows (See the bit below about Linux)
  • You will need the .NET framework 4.5 or higher.

Believe it or not there is a way to port C# programs to Linux, and I am considering doing so.

I'm thinking of moving it to an older version of .NET, for those of you who never update.

Current features:
  • You can host or join (directly by IP) a net-game right from the launcher
  • You can set the server name from the launcher's host menu.
  • You can warp directly to a stage.
  • You can record a demo. (Useful feature for time attackers.)
  • Xmas and ultimate mode!
  • Separate console window. This makes SRB2 output it's console to a command prompt window.
  • There is an extra field where you can type in the name of a SOC to add.
  • So far startSRB2 has pretty much all the features that the official launcher has. Contact me if I missed one!

Now that I've gotten this far, I can begin to add some more exciting features:

Planned features:
  • Save and Load Profiles for ALL the launcher settings (You can save and reload the list of files, custom command-line arguments, and other settings.)
  • Retrieves a list of net-games from the master server, and you can join one of them by selecting it.
  • Controls setup/MainCFG editor.
  • You can set your server password from the host menu.
  • You can create a dedicated server.
  • You can warp to maps by using their in-game numbering system (e.g A1 for 101; the first level of Mystic Realm)
  • You can change the order of the file list which subsequently changes the order they're loaded in SRB2.
  • You can drag and drop files and directories into the file list (dragging in directories recursively adds all files from the directory, and all its sub directories)
  • You can add and remove multiple custom files (wads etc) simultaneously.
  • You can add files from other directories (so if SRB2 is in your documents and there's a file on your desktop you want to use, it won't crash!)

Features I might add:
  • And I have been thinking about adding a cheat engine menu. This will allow you to hack SRB2 while it's running.

That's it! =)
 
Last edited:
TheHappyNihilist said:
  • Xmas and ultimate mode!
Click to expand...
You are aware that Christmas mode does not exist in the current version right?

I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to add files from other directories, since it would be something like srb2win -file "DRIVE:PATH/FILENAME.ext" "DRIVE:PATH2/FILENAME2.ext"
 
Oh right, I forgot that. =P I'll keep it for now, but will probably remove it in a future version.

As to your other comment, many of the features won't be hard to implement, it's just a question of when I get around to it.

I am very open to suggestions.
 
Last edited:
Well, it's not like you could actually take advantage of a gameplay hack online without immediately getting cfail'd.

Not sure how a netgame would react to a cosmetic hack, though.
 
Not to be rude, but didn't SF94 make a godly launcher not too long ago?

Edit: Welp, missed a part of the first post apparently.



<kathy> hi shardvex
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Wait, Christmas mode? the only way I could see that working is if you automaticly included the Christmas mode mod I include with SRB2 the past.
 
It wouldn't be a good idea to pack the launcher with a whole level pack just for one feature that is depreciated. It is just a fluke, he will probably change it in the next version.
 
No it wouldn't, not to get at a separate wad file anyway.

If it was a fluke though it really shouldn't matter.
 
Already I have over half of my list of planned features finished! (So I'll probably be releasing the launcher soon.)

One of the few remaining features I have to code is a master server query tool that retrieves a list of net-games from the master server.

I know that I am supposed to send ASKINFO packets to the MS. (http://wiki.srb2.org/wiki/ASKINFO) But I don't know how to do this.

So I was wondering if any of the coders here could do anything to help me. Maybe someone could show me some code or direct me to a UDP packet sending/receiving tutorial?
 
Last edited:
You must have been using it wrong then, adding SOCs work's fine. But you can't add TXT files using the launcher or addfile command. You gotta use the exec command to run TXT files.
 
steel the fox said:
You must have been using it wrong then, adding SOCs work's fine. But you can't add TXT files using the launcher or addfile command. You gotta use the exec command to run TXT files.
Click to expand...

I will add the ability to execute scripts in the next version.
 
steel the fox said:
adding SOCs work's fine.
Click to expand...

When I try to add a soc, I just get an error saying "one or more wads where not loaded"

But it doesn't matter anymore, thanks to Ssrb2, I don't have to remember to add the Npcs in Sf94.

Though it would be handy if I could add more then one Soc.
 
iBMR7KZm3x8SEWEmZYxF-lu7ETW8-CfUEyIW1IfHUXw


No Love for WinXp Users?
 
Wow, this is really nice! Thanks for this. This is really useful for soc loading and stuff like that. I've never used the hosting feature, and I can't host at the moment, so I have a question, does it host directly or ingame?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Who is viewing this thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)

Back
Top