Help request: AGS games for Linux

[Tartalo]

I have been working in a frontend for AGS (inspired in MAME frontends, basically a games database with extra features). It will have a GPL License. I'm writing it for Linux but it's written in Python so it can easily be ported to other OSs. Now it's on stand-by until I get a book from Amazon about GUI creation, so I decided to advance in another sense.

As you might know, in Linux you don't execute the game directly, you need to copy the right game engine to the folder first. If the game doesn't use external incompatible plugins it will work. The Frontend should make the repetitive tasks and allow "one click to download, one click to play"

To make this real I need your help:

AUTHORS
- Would you like to prepare a Linux and Mac friendly version of you games?

PYTHON DEVELOPERS
- Do you want to join in the Frontend development? I am veeery interested on you if you know about wxPython.

USERS IN GENERAL
- Even if you don't use Linux, I might port the frontend to your platform in the future,  which features would you like to see?

Edited.

Tartalo

[Vince Twelve]

I think this is an excellent idea and I would gladly host Linux-friendly versions of all of my games on my website.  As for the AGS version, I believe that you can see that info on any game by pressing ctrl-v.  I'm on my mac right now and can't test it though to make sure I'm remembering correctly.

[FSi++]

If public is really interested, I could release linux-friendly versions of some of my games. I prefer to not use plugins, so actually they should be linux friendly right away.

[woodz]

how much webspace would you need? i'm enough spare space to host the project website, but not a load of converted games
its a paid host, with php, mysql etc, i can do it as an addon domain so its not a sub of the main domain

[strazer]

If the game doesn't use external incompatible modules it will work perfectly in most of the cases.

To avoid confusion: These external DLLs we call plugins, not modules.
Modules are normal script code packaged for easy adding/removal and thus work on all platforms.

[deadsuperhero]

I'd be more than happy to make a Linux version of any games that I'll eventually come out with.

[Tartalo]

FSi is right, even if the game is not for Linux it's Linux friendly, and making a "Linux version" for every game is an unnecessary mess.

The only two problems are having to guess the right engine and when the game comes as an installer (not simply compressed).

So a friendly format can be as simple as the game compressed with a LinuxAndMacInstallation.txt file inside.

This text file will be readable and useful for humans but have a format that will allow treating the game with the Frontend and make automatically the repetivive tasks. (Different depending the OS) One click to install the game, one click to play. Something like:

REACTOR 09 INSTALLATION

---
Engine: 2.70
Data: reactor09.run
---

WINDOWS INSTALLATION
- No installation needed, just run starter.exe

LINUX INSTALLATION
1) Download midiptch.tar.bz2 and AGS engine version 2.70 from http://drevil.warpcore.org/ags/
2) Uncompress the files
3) copy "midipatch-dat", "ags-setup" and "ags" files into the folder of the game
4) Rename reactor09.run to ac2game.dat
4) Run ags-setup to set the game preferences and ags to play the game

MAC INSTALLATION
1) Download AGS engine from - http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=30021.0
2) Open the downloaded AGS271beta3.dmg
3) Open the AGS271beta3 disk image
4) Drag the AGS271beta3 folder inside to your Applications directory
5) Drag AGSRunTime.app from the AGS271beta3 folder in Applications to the dock
6) To run Reactor09: Drag file "reactor09.run" to the app in the dock


Do you like this idea?

how much webspace would you need? i'm enough spare space to host the project website, but not a load of converted games

For the moment I could only hang a pre-pre-alpha version, so a simple Hello page with a link to a file is enough to start. it's 1MB now database included.

To avoid confusion: These external DLLs we call plugins, not modules.

Thank you. Corrected already

[Tartalo]

edited

[Tartalo]

edited

[deadsuperhero]

Hey, buddy. Just so you know, there's an edit button. The forumers here frown upon multi-posting.
Cheers.

[Tartalo]

This project has a web :
http://feags.sourceforge.net