Byond as an Application in BYOND Discussion

ID:132907
 
Aug 7 2009, 4:17 pm
I think it could be cool to be able to compile a byond project into an application.

So you wouldn't need Byond installed to play it. This would help game developers get their games out more. Malver's Bizlof War: Tactical Implications has an application of the game with the hosting files. Something that could be done automatically to create the application could help out a lot. Maybe an option similar to when you package game files.
#1 Aug 7 2009, 4:25 pm
Magicbeast20 wrote:
I think it could be cool to be able to compile a byond project into an application.

Make EXE. Creates a game installer with a BYOND installer.


So you wouldn't need Byond installed to play it.

Impossible.
#2 Aug 7 2009, 4:26 pm
In response to Airjoe (#1)
Airjoe wrote:
So you wouldn't need Byond installed to play it.

Impossible.

It isn't possible to embed the BYOND engine into an executable?

I sincerely doubt it would be EASY, and therefore not worth the time and effort, but impossible? Seems improbable that it is impossible.
#3 Aug 7 2009, 4:29 pm
In response to AJX (#2)
That's like saying anything written in .NET should just include the .NET engine in the executable, right? Same for Java? Python?

Applications have dependencies. What game developers should do is simply make their own installer, and package the dependencies.
#4 Aug 7 2009, 4:33 pm
In response to Airjoe (#1)
Airjoe wrote:
Magicbeast20 wrote:
I think it could be cool to be able to compile a byond project into an application.

Make EXE. Creates a game installer with a BYOND installer.

I wish more people would try this. The end-user experience is really quite seamless. It connects to our site, downloads the latest BYOND, installs it, and connects to the game. Subsequent executions launch the game.
#5 Aug 7 2009, 5:28 pm
In response to Tom (#4)
I didn't even know Byond had that.
#6 Aug 7 2009, 6:21 pm
In response to Tom (#4)
Tom wrote:
Airjoe wrote:
Make EXE. Creates a game installer with a BYOND installer.

I wish more people would try this.

Three people in my county know what BYOND is. If I ever make anything worthwhile, I'll have plenty of people to try it on.

P.S. Can/Do you keep track how many people use the Make EXE feature?
#7 Aug 11 2009, 10:54 am
In response to Tom (#4)
Out of curiosity, why do you "wish" this? Do think its a better end user scenario for new users?

ts
#8 Aug 11 2009, 12:58 pm
In response to Tom (#4)
Tom wrote:
It connects to our site, downloads the latest BYOND, installs it, and connects to the game. Subsequent executions launch the game.

Here's where I think the whole thing stumbles and falls over. When I build an exe I want to package my game with it. Yes, I like the fact BYOND will automatically be downloaded and installed, but that's where the online activity should end.

Right after the install is completed the player should be able to play my game immediately, not browse the games page. I realize either way the player still has to download the game resorces, but I think it would just make more sense to download a single "main installer" rather than downloading a tiny exe which sends you off to two other downloads. Also, If someone told you about this massive RPG they made then sent you a 24KB exe file with a blank icon, would you run it? The exe should be a little more beefy in my opinion. Packaging the game along with the exe would do just that.

Having resource files packaged into an exe would also make it easier for some regular BYONDers who just want other BYONDers to play their game. It's sometimes difficult with free hosting to link a hub page directly to your package files. A lot of people require you to manually unzip the files and "install" them yourself. With a packaged exe this problem would be eliminated.

Food for thought: As it stands the exe has almost nothing to do with the game itself. If I wanted to I could create an exe with the hub ID LummoxJR.Runt and change the icon to a distasteful pair of plastic breasts. This exe would work exactly the same as any exe Lummox JR could made.
#9 Aug 11 2009, 1:13 pm
In response to SuperAntx (#8)
SuperAntx wrote:
Right after the install is completed the player should be able to play my game immediately, not browse the games page.

If you supply the appropriate action link (eg, ##local or ##remote (more info)), the game will launch without going to the games page.

Point taken about packaging the .dmb/rsc (local) or .rsc (remote) files. This has been suggested before, and it shouldn't be too problematic to build into the format. I don't think it makes a huge practical difference since the user has to download the data one way or the other, but maybe it will give a better perception that you are distributing a game rather than an engine-installer.
#10 Aug 12 2009, 1:08 am
In response to Tom (#9)
If you are going this way, which I think is a good choice, why not go all the way and (optionally) include a (selectable/the latest) BYOND build in the package as well?
That way, you can distribute a BYOND (single player) game on a CD and the customer won't even need an internet access.
It would be just 'click and go' experience.
Though there is no direct revenue on that, it might very well leave a mental note and someone happy with the game might want to visit BYOND soon as there is an Internet connection.