dMZX Forums: Standalone MZX Games -> Archived Requests -> Tracker

(original poster: about five dozen people)

MegaZeux should be able to create builds that allow seamless integration with only one game. A perceived problem with MegaZeux games getting wide play is that the interpreter is required to run games, which are usually as separate downloads. Integration would remove the interpreter requirement / middleman and make it easier / less unwieldy for people unfamiliar to MegaZeux to play MegaZeux games.

You could have an external installer generator that includes mzxrun, the world file, other files, and generates the config.txt for this game, yet allows the installer file to be unzipped like a ZIP file to simply get the files to run in an existing copy of MegaZeux as normal, too.

As zzo38 suggests, 'mzxrun' was re-introduced with this use-case in mind. MZX now even dynamically loads the resource files it needs, depending on whether 'mzxrun' or 'megazeux' is executed. The mzxrun binary will still run even if editor.dll and various other assets are missing.

I would be against the idea of making a single binary, merging MZX and the game together for a few reasons:

a) Although people have an obsession with single-binary games, especially in the demo scene, on modern systems it really buys you nothing except a bit of obfuscation (which in the context of MZX is bad IMO).
b) Compiling all of the MZX asset files, shader programs, and game assets into the same binary would be difficult to implement portably.
c) You end up sticking the user with an old version of MZX, which can't obviously be replaced with a newer version. In years to come, this might become an issue.

We've talked in the past about supporting copy-on-write semantics for running games from .ZIP files directly, so potentially it might be mzxrun.exe + MZX assets + game zip in a directory to make this work. I consider that another (separate) feature request though.

Perhaps this feature request is best implemented by providing a template NSIS script and some documentation?

--ajs.

This has been touched upon recently, but in separate requests which would help facilitate this but aren't directly towards this end as opposed to in here. Discussion on this starts HERE.

In short, this could be done by having a separate build of MZX that pares out the title screen of a loaded world, and removes not only the editor, but also the help and the ability to load a separate game. One would feed in the name of the required MZX world to load in the config file, and loading MZX would jump right in. Conversely, exiting the world would immediately exit MZX, as would any load world issues.

given that it's been over a year, i'd like to drop a revised 2¢

1) i don't think the title screen should be removed in the build, at least not by default

2) instead, what i'd like is for that to be a future version world feature, and for there to be a way in Robotic of exiting to the title screen

3) in worlds with the title screen disabled, that would either load a blank screen (normal builds) or exit MegaZeux (standalone builds)

the standalone build would be a Windows x86 executable and the bare minimum required assets. it would have the updater, help system, editor, and load menu disabled. disabling GLSL would cut down on assets, so that could be considered.

the standalone build would be available starting from version 2.85 onward. these are fairly easy hacks to add, they just require a world version change.

Most of the relevant discussion for this issue is here.

Thoughts: this should still be a config file option, but the prior discussion on this is a bit convoluted. A simpler approach to this mechanically:

Standard mode:

• The following counters are applied to the title screen as well as gameplay: ENTER_MENU, ESCAPE_MENU, HELP_MENU, F2_MENU, LOAD_MENU.
  
• HELP_MENU also applies to dialogs.
  
• Additionally, EXIT_GAME can be used on the title screen to exit MegaZeux.
  
• The title screen message is suppressed.
  
• Possibly the ability to map a key besides P/F5 to enter gameplay.
  
• Standalone mode is disabled if MZX fails to load any world on startup.

No title screen mode:

• Everything above
  
• The title screen is bypassed; MZX enters the game state directly, and when the game state ends, MZX exits.

I don't think disabling the title screen should be a world option anymore, at the very least.

Updating status to: Awaiting Feedback

Updating status to: Implemented
Updating severity to: 3 - Medium
Updating version to: 2.90
Issue fixed in: GIT

Implemented in GIT 273003e by Lancer-X.

Moving to: Archived Requests