New Mod Launcher v0.22

[Fyron]

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

[Black_Knyght]

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

[Black_Knyght]

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

Scratch that.

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

[Captain Kwok]

It lacks the charm of Matryx's application.

[dogscoff]

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...)

[Suicide Junkie]

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

[dogscoff]

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.

[Fyron]

.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. I do not seek to replicate the SE4 Companion.

Kwok: Charm-schmarm!

[bearclaw]

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

[Fyron]

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.