An alternative binary distribution
Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2017 5:55 pm
As you know, Oolite has been designed to be portable and playable even from a USB stick. Here is a little experiment for those feeling adventurous to take the concept a little bit further: What if you could have a simple and very easy to move around distribution of the game, at the same time offering a more up to date visual and audio experience? Something that you could use to demonstrate Oolite to a friend, with plenty of eye candy and sound fx, without having to go looking for OXPs first?
Well, here it is: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NLmf1Y ... sp=sharing
The zip file you can download contains a 290MB executable and a readme file. I would suggest having a look at the readme before running it, but here are the main points:
OXPs included in the current version:
It seems to work pretty well for me so far. If you want to play with it, feel free and let me know if there is anything that requires attention. I hope this can be of interest to our Windows users, although it should be considered experimental at this stage.
Edit 20221117: Updated with version 1.91.0.7388.36834ab
Well, here it is: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NLmf1Y ... sp=sharing
The zip file you can download contains a 290MB executable and a readme file. I would suggest having a look at the readme before running it, but here are the main points:
- It has been created using the Enigma Virtual Box packaging and virtualization application. When run, it decompresses in memory.
- It is not an installer. It is the v1.91 (revision 36834ab) game executable, completely autonomous. When you run it, Oolite starts up.
- The game contains a few selected OXPs, already embedded in the game's core Resources folder. The selection is completely personal preference and if you don't like it, well, sorry . Check out the included readme or the list below for details on what is there.
- The executable runs on 64 bit Windows only.
- The game executable has been tweaked to start up by default in desktop full screen rather than windowed mode.
- The default windowed mode for this executable has been changed from 800x600 to 1024x576.
- The maximum FOV has been raised from 80 to 120 degrees.
- The default ambient light level has been raised from 0.1 to 0.136.
- The default planet bas relief grade has been lowered substantially from 1.0 to 0.15.
- The default sun glare filter has now a value of 0.85 instead of 0.0.
- You cannot remove or update any of the embedded OXPs using the in-game OXP Manager. The OXPs that are included are considered part of Core in this distribution. You can do whatever you want with any other OXP not already included.
- Your anti-virus may throw a heuristic fit at it because of its format and in-memory decompression activities. If it does, it is a false positive.
OXPs included in the current version:
- Basic-debug,oxp: The standard debug OXP distributed with the Test
Release flavor of the game. - BGS2.0: UI Background Images, new sounds and new effects. Author:
Svengali. - CustomShelds v0,83. Shield effects for NPC and player ships. The package
has been modified to remove the additional shields it originally offers
to NPCs for reasons of balance, keeping only the visual effects part.
Author: CommonSenseOTB. - Deep Horizons Nav Buoy v1.0.1: Graphical update for the Station and
Witchpoint navigation buoys. Author: Cmd Cheyd. - LibMusic Orchestral Demo: A demo OXP by Svengali, adding events-based
music in the game. - Library v1.0: Utilities expansion pack, required for BGS and LibMusic
Orchestral Demo. Author: Svengali. - RandomShipNames v1.6: Adds procedurally generated names to all NPC ships
encountered. Author: Commander McLane. - Cinematic Skies v1.3: Changes the ambient light level, adds more stars
and nebulae in space, completely changes the appearance of interstellar
space. Author: ZygoUgo. - ZygoUgoExplosions v1.0.1: New explosion effects. Author: ZygoUgo.
- Oolite v1.88 Base Shipset Normal and Specular/Gloss Maps. Adds normal
and specular/gloss maps to the basic Oolite shipset, making use of
version 1.88+'s new materials and lighting system. Authors: Griff,
another_commander.
It seems to work pretty well for me so far. If you want to play with it, feel free and let me know if there is anything that requires attention. I hope this can be of interest to our Windows users, although it should be considered experimental at this stage.
Edit 20221117: Updated with version 1.91.0.7388.36834ab