So what's wrong with installers then? Have i missed something coz everyone seems to hate them on applications on this site! And how do you create a standalone game without installers that people who don't have MMF can still play?
Some people hate installer because they don't want shortcuts in their desktops, their Programs menu and the Remove Programs dialog for every game they play.
You can make installers with Clickteam's Install Creator (It has a Free version where the only difference between it and the non-free one is an installer page with a link to Clickteam). Just be sure you make your installer friendly by NOT doing the stuff mentioned before (And mention your installer is friendly )
Your game's chance of being played works like this
S = Awesomeness of screenshot on a 1 through 10 scale
T1 = Time it takes to "Install" or boot up the game, in seconds.
T2 = Time it takes to skip the intro/controls sections, in seconds.
((S * 24) - (T1 * 4 + T2)) / S
So even if your game has spectacular looking screenshots, if it takes more than 1 minute to install it, nobody will ever play it.
Good replies, and i kinda understand what you mean with the shortcuts etc, as well as the equation. But i am still unsure as to how you make a game where the installer isn't required for people who do not have MMF, or am i right in thinking they DO need an installer, in which case a 'friendly-installer' would be sufficient.
If you use MMF2 there's no reason you'd need an installer, you only need one .exe file and not a single .dll file.
Unless you make some complex application that needs to set registry values, run at start up, has many external file or installs 3rd party DLL files - You'll need an installer.
Sounds about right Pixelthief. I don't normally play games with installers or anything that takes a while to get into the game. I only get a few minutes break when Photoshop/MMF/woteva is saving a document so I like to play something quick.
MMF2 can store files internally so you can distribute files in a single .exe.
I don't mind downloading installers but it is quite annoying when they've finished installing and don't leave a shortcut on the desktop. I have to search through my admittedly huge list of games in my start menu for it.
Another annoyance is when ive uninstalled it all it often leaves behind a few shortcuts that were placed inside the Program files/Games folder.
Yes. You never had to include an installer even in the ages of KNP.
In MMF1.5 and older you just had to include the DLL files, and MMF2 you just need one EXE and that's it!
KNP: .EXE file, .GAM, KNPsomething.dll and these files (Not for all games):
.snd, .mus, .img, .mft, .nam.
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Assault Andy Administrator
I make other people create vaporware
Registered 29/07/2002
Points 5686
11th June, 2008 at 22:14:55 -
I personally hate installers, for all of the reasons mentioned above. Quite often installers will install things, and then when you uninstall the game they won't remove everything. If you have 1 single exe in a single zip ir rar file, then it's easy for the user to keep track of where everything is.
And yes, I don't play many games purely because they have installers, and it takes too long to install and run them... only to find out that it's a crap game anyway
I think that the best method to having an installer is to just do simple things like put custom mouse cursors into the proper directory (assuming that custom cursors have to be in the Windows directory). Otherwise, it just seems like a hassle.
As everyone has said, they're just a hassle. I also don't want them in any folder other than my designated games folder - or any shortcuts (my desktop is blank).
I also tend to play a game from the browser temp folder and check if it's good enough to warrant keeping and an installer forces me to "install" a game that could suck.
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