Game deployment

[darkhog]

Obviously, I don't want players to install separate runtime files and client, but I'd like to wrap it up in one nice installer that will install it all. How to do that?

[Growlith1223]

the way i done it was i made an installer(in vb6 lawl) and it connects to my site, looks for the required files, and downloads them using the Internet Transfer Control

or you could always do it the easy way and use that one program i think it was called Install Creator pro(i think it was called that)

[darkhog]

Well, it was mostly what ocx files are needed by EO 3.0\. I know how to make installers . Also would EO recognize OCX files (as in load 'em properly) if I'd put them directly aside .exe (I know that it works that way for .dll files: You can either put them in system32 or aside .exe and it will find them, but does it work for OCX?)

[Joyce]

I tend to use Inno Setup, it allows me to select what files it has to register during installation.

[darkhog]

Yeah, but which files are needed by EO client? So I can copy them from my system32 folder. (because runtime files are only in installer form, not in zip with all files listed so I can make use of it). Also, do you know some good Inno Setup WYSIWYG generator, since even though it's script is INI-based, there are so much options there. And built-in one is too simple (thought last contact with Inno I had in 2k9).

[Growlith1223]

download the run-times installer and install the files into a different location, and all those file will be needed to run c:

[Joyce]

ISTools is a decent tool for installers, it generates the scripts based on your input.

Anyhow, I believe the original DD7 one shows what files are required by the engine, of course this doesn't include the D3D8 libraries, but I'm sure you can figure out the difference between dx7vb and dx8vb 

[darkhog]

> download the run-times installer and install the files into a different location, and all those file will be needed to run c:

Well, I'm not that brave. First of all, installing it second time will also mean registering it second time in the system, which can in turn mess up my system.

And thanks Joyce, I'll check out ISTools.

[Growlith1223]

the DX7 run times installer shows what files it will install, those are the files you will need…you don't have to reinstall it to know, just like after a couple of clicks of Next, it should pop up with the files listed. once you know what files, just exit out of the installer and there you go, you know what files to grab, and then you can go make your installer by looking in the System32 folder to find them all

[darkhog]

Aside of dx7 runtimes, there is also bunch of OCX files needed by eclipse games and VB6 apps in general. I am mostly worried about those.

[Joyce]

the DD7 runtime installer includes everything EO based engines use. (EO2.0, Event 2.3, Nightly 3.0 and derivatives). Just make sure you replace dx7vb with dx8vb if you're running a D3D8 engine!