Next Darwinia Windows Patch - Call for Beta Testers

[Dave2]

Because not everyone has SDL installed, and it's faster and easier to support OpenGL?

SDL uses OpenGL, I believe. SDL gets distributed with apps, typically, so there is no installation required.

[NeoThermic]

something Id really like to know is why you always have separate linux/ windows tests.
why dont you simply rely on SDL for both so you have only to maintain one source?

Because the windows version uses DirectSound for its sound, while the linux and Mac versions don't because you don't have DirectX on their platforms. Darwinia does use SDL, however, so I'm not too sure where you're going with that

NeoThermic

[Luigi300]

He's being a zealot, naturally.

[madman2k]

Plus, you have issues with each OS that need addressing.

but thats exactly what SDL is fixing - it offers a unified way to do things.

I mean take a look on warzone or other OSS projects. They all just bring their SDL.dll along:
http://download.gna.org/warzone/

and they are still being distributet binary...

[madman2k]

something Id really like to know is why you always have separate linux/ windows tests.
why dont you simply rely on SDL for both so you have only to maintain one source?

Because the windows version uses DirectSound for its sound, while the linux and Mac versions don't because you don't have DirectX on their platforms. Darwinia does use SDL, however, so I'm not too sure where you're going with that

NeoThermic

thats a good reason - though you might ask if using OpenAL on both would be the better alternative to maintaining two sources

[NeoThermic]

something Id really like to know is why you always have separate linux/ windows tests.
why dont you simply rely on SDL for both so you have only to maintain one source?

Because the windows version uses DirectSound for its sound, while the linux and Mac versions don't because you don't have DirectX on their platforms. Darwinia does use SDL, however, so I'm not too sure where you're going with that

NeoThermic

thats a good reason - though you might ask if using OpenAL on both would be the better alternative to maintaining two sources

As I've said in another topic, combining OpenGL/SDL with DirectSound and DirectNetwork is a common practise when you target Window platforms due to the support of DirectSound on devices. I'm sure that OpenAL could be used, but I doubt it would be as flexable as DirectSound, and Darwinia would need a rewrite to use OpenAL, and then you're talking a huge re-test of the windows version to make sure there's no obscure issues.

At this point, the complexity of replacing DirectSound with OpenAL and unifining the source tree outweigh the benifits of doing so.

NeoThermic

[Stewsburntmonkey]

Plus, you have issues with each OS that need addressing.

but thats exactly what SDL is fixing - it offers a unified way to do things.

I mean take a look on warzone or other OSS projects. They all just bring their SDL.dll along:
http://download.gna.org/warzone/

and they are still being distributet binary...

SDL provides a standard API interface, but interally it works differently on different platforms and thus you can still have platform dependant errors and issues.

[shinygerbil]

*sits on forums waiting for news of linux version*

[Lord_Doskias]

how did we turn a topic about a new patch beta into a discussion of SDL?

[Dave2]

how did we turn a topic about a new patch beta into a discussion of SDL?

something Id really like to know is why you always have separate linux/ windows tests.
why dont you simply rely on SDL for both so you have only to maintain one source?

HTH.

[Lord_Doskias]

i had meant my question to be rhetorical, but that works too

[film11]

Applied, I wonder what new game play features he mentions o_O
Seeing as multiplayer has been mentioned I'll put forward my crazy idea. New Darwinia sprites. Yeah that's right. BETTER ONES, WITH FACES! I DEMAND INDIVIDUALITY.

Or you just use goatse's.

[RabidZombie]

Please, god, no goatse....

Also, Source or no Source, I can still use it. I like having source. Means I can make some "additions" to the game, if I easily die, or muck it up in cirtain places.

[Virulent Virus]

Just in case the submissions are randomly/automatically chosen, I'd just like to point this out: The submission form for beta testing is flawed. The CPU Speed categories are badly done/incorrect... am I the only one who has noticed this? For example, I'm running an AMD64 3000 at 2.0GHz, but I could have chosen either the 1.5 - 2.0GHz category OR the 2.0 - 2.5GHz category. Call me a pedant, but it's a very irritating error to a maths student, especially one taking statistics.

Just my £0.02 (and I dont remember which I chose in the end)

[Lord_Doskias]

ohoho! are you saying IV did something WRONG? no beta for you!