Windows Setup/Installer for AGS?

Ashen · Wed 05/05/2004 03:02:32

Now, see, this is the rude version of my 'Don't mean to be rude, but...' post.

Ishmael · Wed 05/05/2004 08:28:29

My cousin has quite a temper on some things, as he told me a while back that during a month he had deleted AGS six times, because nothing was working... if people install AGS, get mad at it (be it their ignorance or a fault in the engine), and delete the folder, then try to re-install, it's not possible because the registery tells that the porgram is already there...

What was already mentioned, the zip contains like 10 files? What are you supposed to do, if, say, a virus contaminates your agsedit.exe? You need to re-install the whole thing. If you have the zip, you just need to extract agsedit.exe from it.

MOTAS · Wed 05/05/2004 11:11:08

Hehe.

Look I know it's a sensitive issue guys (and gals). But there *WAS* a poll about this, yes?! And the pol was, let's be honest, almost 50/50. Where are those other 1000 people now!?

Anyway, I don't think creating an installer would take to much time. (Uploading takes longer) and a setup wont be 10 times as big as the zip.

Whatever we all personally think or want, it's not wrong to consider an windows setup. And I think *both* zip and exe should be available.

PS. deleting the folder and re-install would make no difference

Ofcourse it won't tell the programm is already installed. If you get a virus, you just re-install AGS. An installer is not much more than an self extracting zip.

Oh well, perhaps I should just zip it

Kweepa · Wed 05/05/2004 11:29:04

I hate 48% of AGS users.
I love 52% of AGS users.

auhsor · Wed 05/05/2004 11:44:13

Yeah I agree with most people here about the evils of installers... except as netmonkey pointed out, larger programs should have an installer. AGS is not a large program. I don't want an installer messing with my computer. With a zip, I know exactly whats happening, and everythinks hunky dory...

Andail · Wed 05/05/2004 11:54:10

There have been extremely few occasions where an installer has been actually needed...I guess it's good if you have included certain flics that need certain codecs installed and so on.

If you have just ordinary ags-files, it's completely superfluous. Of course, it looks a bit fancier.

Ishmael · Wed 05/05/2004 13:01:03

If there is a freeware winzip-style (you can choose which files to extract) style self-extractor maker, then I do not oppose, but an installer... I would understand the need for an installer if AGS would be 30MB, containing all kinds of sample/premade sprites, animations, sounds and sample games (like, for example Klik 'n' Play and Game Maker did), but as it is only a few MB package, I want to keep it simple.

Scorpiorus · Wed 05/05/2004 14:13:08

The main purpose of the installer is to automate the whole installation process, look for and set up links with some of the already installed software, configurate the program in order to work correctly with the operation system and so on. AGS just has a few things to setup, and that's what it successfully does when you start it the very first time.

AGS editor puts some generic entries into the regestry but they are all of vital importance and don't clutter it up in either way.

Some people prefer that every program should have an installer but I believe what they really want is a reliable uninstall routine to delete program's files and clean up the regestry entries the setup made before (which is the big problem with the most of them).

Personally, I prefer AGS to be distributed as a plain zip archive, but then again it just for AGS (for example, I really don't want to to "install" ms office this way).

~Cheers

DragonRose · Wed 05/05/2004 14:31:29

I have to admit, the first thing that pops into my head when I download something that could be zipped, but has an installer instead, isn't "Wow. How pretty," but "Wow. How pretensious." Except it would most likely be spelled better.

I like the zip file. When I download new versions I don't need to get things like CJ's LucasArts template (which I'm never going to use), and I don't really care about a lot of the documents. I just unzip what I need, and the rest of it stays compactly on the harddisk in case I DO need it one day.

About the 52/48 split on the vote: approximatly 1160 people wanted the zip. 960 wanted the installer. A difference of 7 people is almost 50/50. Not 200.

Timosity · Thu 06/05/2004 09:03:10

I don't think an installer is necessary but If you think an installer makes a larger file size than a zip, rar or ace, then you haven't done your research.

I just tried an example with ags, the current beta version is 3.49MB

and using the mentioned Innosetup it compresses to 3.13MB

not that much difference, but for larger files it makes more difference.

I think it should stay as a zip, I'm just clearing up some peoples misconceptions.

But yes, I too prefer knowing exactly what files and where I want them, rather than creating unwanted menus etc.

Ryam BaCo · Thu 06/05/2004 21:38:20

i don't know much about ags-games but i know that setup-files are quite unecessary for them.

but if anybody wants to have setup-files and owns ms visual studio you can make setup-files really easily. oh...and if you don't own visual studio you can make setup files by using a lot of almost freeware-programs you can find in the net or you use an exe-creator for winzip/rar or do anything different...

MOTAS · Mon 10/05/2004 15:05:38

Talking about a setup for games... My adventure game will have a windows setup. Letting user choose if they want shortcuts and where, etc.

As for freeware (and open source for that matter) installers I would advise Inno Setup as it creates the fastest and smallest setups -and due to pascal scripting it's very powerfull. It beat's the big boys like Wise, InstallShield, etc.

Anyway, I will download the ZIP anytime ( when a windows setup is unavailable

).

Cheers

Windows Setup/Installer for AGS?

MOTAS

MOTAS