Game Building Process for Distribution
by Mark Powell · in Torque Game Engine · 06/30/2006 (7:04 am) · 8 replies
I have just bought TGE and am really enjoying using it. I've gone through the starter tutorial and found it quite straight forward.
One thing I am confused about is how to build my game for distribution.
Lets just say I want to sell the game I made in the tutorial, I finished it and it's ready to go. What steps do I take to turn it into a download? I have worked with installers before I just need to know which files to include.
Thanks in advance.
Mark
One thing I am confused about is how to build my game for distribution.
Lets just say I want to sell the game I made in the tutorial, I finished it and it's ready to go. What steps do I take to turn it into a download? I have worked with installers before I just need to know which files to include.
Thanks in advance.
Mark
#2
So what is stopping someone from pressing f10 or f11 and editing my game?
Am I completely off here?
Mark
06/30/2006 (7:26 am)
Thanks Aaron,So what is stopping someone from pressing f10 or f11 and editing my game?
Am I completely off here?
Mark
#3
06/30/2006 (7:45 am)
Mark, you'll need to remove the editor files and stuff, most of which are in the common directory. Also get rid of any key bindings in your config files that you don't want. Then just distribute the exe plus the dso files and so on, without the .cs source files.
#4
What is stopping people from editing this file?
If I include this file the game runs fine BUT I can still press F10 and edit the GUI and F11 brings up a screen then hangs. I am doing this on a machine that does not have the engine installed.
What am I doing wrong?
06/30/2006 (7:58 am)
Do you have to distribute the main.cs file in the example I get an error "Unable to find main.cd" if I don't.What is stopping people from editing this file?
If I include this file the game runs fine BUT I can still press F10 and edit the GUI and F11 brings up a screen then hangs. I am doing this on a machine that does not have the engine installed.
What am I doing wrong?
#5
The main.cs in the root folder unfortunately does not compile to a .dso so you do need it. There are resources however on removing the need for that file and combining it into the .exe.
06/30/2006 (8:15 am)
Actually the bulk of the editor files were moved into the creator folder in 1.4. To pack up your game for distribution all you need are the .dll's, the .exe, main.cs, the common folder and your mod folder. I'm pretty sure you don't need the creator folder, but if you do for some reason just delete the editor and ui folder from it and you'll remove the editors entirely.The main.cs in the root folder unfortunately does not compile to a .dso so you do need it. There are resources however on removing the need for that file and combining it into the .exe.
#6
Very straight forward and to the point, got that bit sorted now.
Just one more little problem. The GUI loads fine but when I try to load the mission I get this popup:
You do not have the correct version of the torque game engine or the related art needed to connect to this server, contact the server admin. (Invalid Packet)
Am I not including the art, where is it located? I have included everything in the gameOne folder except the Creator folder.
Mark
06/30/2006 (8:23 am)
Thanks Scott,Very straight forward and to the point, got that bit sorted now.
Just one more little problem. The GUI loads fine but when I try to load the mission I get this popup:
You do not have the correct version of the torque game engine or the related art needed to connect to this server, contact the server admin. (Invalid Packet)
Am I not including the art, where is it located? I have included everything in the gameOne folder except the Creator folder.
Mark
#7
06/30/2006 (8:40 am)
Check the console log to see what file its failing on. I think there's something being used in the Creator folder by default, I don't really remember what it was. When I packaged up some demos recently I was lazy and just included the Creator folder with the editor and ui folders in it.
#8
Perhaps this can help anyone looking for information on releasing their games.
I asked myself the same 'what to include in the release' question a little while ago, I automated the process on my PC using a batch file and PKZIP (the 'batch' version of WinZip; mine is old, I got it in the late 90's).
I then unzip the file whever I want the game to be (test machine, client's PC, or an "Install Builder" sub-directory to create an Setup.EXE file for downoad).
The batch file is located in the "example" sub directory and reads like this:
Line-1: Add in the ZIP all files in the 'include.lst' (include file list) BUT exclude any file in the 'exclude.lst' (excluded file list).
Line-2: Add all files in the 'include2.lst', these are exceptions to the exclude list (for example in line 1 I excluded *.cs (all script source), but in line 2 I add 'main.cs' to let the user configure some items.
Line-3: I add terrains script items (more exceptions to the exclude list).
The list files are:
include.lst:
exclude.lst:
include2.lst:
Hope this can help...
[Edited Jully 18 2006: No mission when starting game: A few 'G' instead of 'g' for the 'game' sub-directory was in the batch process (Torque is case sensitive for some feature)]
07/10/2006 (3:47 pm)
Hi, Perhaps this can help anyone looking for information on releasing their games.
I asked myself the same 'what to include in the release' question a little while ago, I automated the process on my PC using a batch file and PKZIP (the 'batch' version of WinZip; mine is old, I got it in the late 90's).
I then unzip the file whever I want the game to be (test machine, client's PC, or an "Install Builder" sub-directory to create an Setup.EXE file for downoad).
The batch file is located in the "example" sub directory and reads like this:
PKZIP25.exe -add -max -dir=current gameZip.zip -excl=@exclude.lst -include=@include.lst PKZIP25.exe -add=update -max -path=specify gameZip.zip -include=@include2.lst PKZIP25.exe -add=update -max -dir=current gameZip.zip game/data/terrains/*.csNotes:
Line-1: Add in the ZIP all files in the 'include.lst' (include file list) BUT exclude any file in the 'exclude.lst' (excluded file list).
Line-2: Add all files in the 'include2.lst', these are exceptions to the exclude list (for example in line 1 I excluded *.cs (all script source), but in line 2 I add 'main.cs' to let the user configure some items.
Line-3: I add terrains script items (more exceptions to the exclude list).
The list files are:
include.lst:
*.exe *.dll common/client/* common/lighting/* common/server/* common/ui/* common/main.cs.dso game/*
exclude.lst:
.mayaSwatches CVS *.cs *.bind.cs *.ml *.ma *.max *.3ds *.dmp *.psd OpenMayaErrorLog.txt
include2.lst:
main.cs common/prefs.cs game/client/config.cs game/client/prefs.cs
Hope this can help...
[Edited Jully 18 2006: No mission when starting game: A few 'G' instead of 'g' for the 'game' sub-directory was in the batch process (Torque is case sensitive for some feature)]
Torque Owner Aaron E
Default Studio Name
If I understand your question, you will need to include everything in the example folder from the SDK. Once you build your setup.exe file, try it out on a fresh system and see if it works ok.
Aaron E.