Evochron Mercenary 2D Server Program...

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Evochron Mercenary 2D Server Program...

Post by Vice »

Over the last year or so, I've been working on a project to introduce a 2D text only version of the server program that did not have a requirement for a 3D graphics card. This involved porting the server program over to a different language and rewriting/changing much of the systems of the program for the new language and target platforms. At one point, it seemed as though this project would only take a few weeks, but several major obstacles surfaced that prevented any further development until they could be fixed or worked around.

After the problems were resolved, the project was back on track and I'm please to announce the introduction of an optional 2D only version of the server program. Here are some important details to keep in mind if you choose to use this version of the program:

- You must have the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 redistributable package installed on the system you plan to run the program on. This is available for download here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/de ... en&id=5555

- It renders using 2D text only. While this has the benefit of not requiring a 3D graphics cards, it also means that some visual options are not available in this version of the server program including the territory control map. The 2D server program still supports the territory control system, but the visual display in the 3D version is not available in the 2D version. Color text, mouse over highlighting, menu frames, and other graphics are also not displayed in the 2D version.

- The 3D version has the advantage of off-loading some functions/routines to the GPU to free up more CPU resources for managing gamestate. The 2D version can't do this, so it must handle everything outside of a GPU. This can mean significantly lower overall performance on some systems.

- The 2D version is more sensitive to display changes and program interference. Make sure the server program is not interrupted by other tasks and any sleep/hibernate/screen savers are disabled on the system running the server program. The 2D version of the server program is best suited for a 'dedicated' system that will be solely running the program and not performing other tasks.

- The 2D version will technically be in beta for a while, so there may be some issues while it continues to be fine tuned and developed. No public listing will be available for this server program for a while as it goes through this testing phase. Direct IP or LAN will be required. Please report any bugs or issues to me directly via e-mail.

So if you have the option, I suggest using the 3D version of the server program for maximum performance and maximum options. But if you need a 2D version of the program due to the limitations of a 'server only' system configuration, this new version is available and is included with the 3D version.
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Angitherias
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Evochron Mercenary 2D Server Program...

Post by Angitherias »

Cool beans.
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