ARGSS: Remaking of RGSS Player and Library

[vgvgf]

I have made some fixes and other updates, and ARGSS is finaly on Alpha stage. That means that it includes all major features, but still isn't fully debugged and optimized.

Here is the last binary compilation, for windows:
ARGSS Alpha Test Fix - Rev 31.rar
ARGSS Alpha Test Fix - Rev 31.7z
ARGSS Alpha Test Fix - Rev 31.zip

It is included the VC++ 2008 runtimes instaler for x86 with the downloads. If you have a x64 machine, you can download the runtimes from: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

 

[Ares]

Wow! This is really impressive.

But I can't play games in it... It says that zlib1.dll is missing.
I don't know if my machine is x64 or x86, but the included "vcredist_x86.exe" didn't seem to solve the problem. Then I tried downloading the x64 version, but that says ".\install.exe" is not a valid Win-32 application.

The other 9 options work fine, though. You've done a great job!

 

[vgvgf]

D'Oh!

I forget to include it too... But you can download zlib1.dll from here: http://www.dlldump.com/download-dll-fil ... nload.html
Just copy it in the folder with the others dlls.

Thanks for the support

And, here is a video of ARGSS running:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSZV0oHD4Ns

 

[Neo-Bahamut]

Hey, vgvgf.
I really respect you for your work (especially for the advanced scripting possibilities .
But as I wanted to make an addon similar to ARGSS as well some time ago, I found a problem; the RTP is under a license which only allows you to use it in games distributed with RMXP and I guess modifications like ARGSS do not count. So everybody who wants to create a game with ARGSS must use only own ressources which is probably going to be a problem.

Well, anyway, the good message is, that (as I understood the RMXP license) you may use the standard scripts as they are not included in the RTP but the RMXP itself. So you won't have to rewrite it all and compatibility with RMXP scripts is assured :D

 

[Dargor]

This is very nice, I've been keeping track of your projects for years now and, like Neo-Bahamuth said, I respect that a lot too.
I've been thinking on remaking the RGSS player myself but right now, it's beyond my knowledge and I prefer to spend more time in making my editor instead since the RMXP player (or VX in my case) is good enough for now:P

I downloaded your demo (I'm on Windows7) and I can run it but I can't see anything. I hear the sounds and musics but that's all.
Any idea what's wrong?

Also, nice video! However I'm worried about the framerate, it gets low very often and ranges from 25 to 71 as far as I can see.
Is it normal?

Anyway, you're doing great!
-Dargor

 

[vgvgf]

Actually, the standard scripts are included in the RTP. However, I have read the rtp license, and it seems that there won't be any problem:

ENTERBRAIN grants to Licensee a non-exclusive, non-assignable, fee-free license to use the RTP SOFTWARE only for the purpose to play the GAME created and distributed by RPG MAKER XP users who shall complete the registration procedure.

In other words this says, that the RTP can be used in games created by RPG Maker XP, the editor, and can be distributed only by people who has bought RPG Maker XP. This doesn't say that the RTP need to be used with the default "Game.exe" and "RGSS102E.dll".
Thanks, but I think there won't be any problem with the license.

Edit: Dargor, you posted at the same I posted so I didn't see your post.

I downloaded your demo (I'm on Windows7) and I can run it but I can't see anything. I hear the sounds and musics but that's all.
Any idea what's wrong?

Many people said the same thing to me, and it seems to be some problems with OpenGL. I am trying to find where are the bugs. What about the other tests? Are graphics displayed?

Also, nice video! However I'm worried about the framerate, it gets low very often and ranges from 25 to 71 as far as I can see.
Is it normal?

That's normal. The framerate system still needs developement. The test game from the video is at 40 fps, like rmxp, but it plays faster than a rmxp game, like at 60 fps even when it says that it is playing at 40 fps.

Thanks for the support.

 

[Dargor]

All the demos seem to work, since it doesn't crash and I can hear sounds, but nothing is rendered on the screen.

 

[Neo-Bahamut]

This doesn't say that the RTP need to be used with the default "Game.exe" and "RGSS102E.dll".
Thanks, but I think there won't be any problem with the license.

Really? Well, that's exactly what I thought ^^
Then I have to thank you for this information.

Are you going to speed ARGSS up from now to the final release? I tested the "rotate demo" in RMXP and it runs a lot more fluently than yours.

And, as your are using OpenGL, what image effect features do you want to build in? You can also get a Windows texture and modify it as far as I know.
This would be one of the most interesting parts for me because RMXP's Bitmap-methods are horribly slow.

 

[vgvgf]

All the demos seem to work, since it doesn't crash and I can hear sounds, but nothing is rendered on the screen.

I have had this problems before with OpenGL, but I have fixed them, at least for my pc and video card. Could you use http://glintercept.nutty.org/ for logging OpenGL calls?
You have to download this installer: http://glintercept.nutty.org/Ver0_5/GLIntercept0_5.exe, which will copy some files to Program Files\GLIntercept0_5. You will need to copy OpenGL32.dll and gliConfig.ini to ARGSS folder and run argss exe normaly. GLIntercept wraps all opengl calls and logs them to 2 files, compress them and upload them somewhere. If possible, upload the logs from different tests, and close argss after some frames, because there are OpenGL calls every frame and the logs files can become really big if much time is elapsed. Thanks

And, all people who wants to help me can use GLIntercept too and upload the logs. That would be really good feedback, even if you are able to play ARGSS well without these problems.

Are you going to speed ARGSS up from now to the final release? I tested the "rotate demo" in RMXP and it runs a lot more fluently than yours.

ARGSS is still on alpha, and I haven't cared much about optimizations yet. So, yes, I will optimize all code I can for making ARGSS faster, and when implementing ruby 1.9.1 speed should be greatly increased.

And, as your are using OpenGL, what image effect features do you want to build in? You can also get a Windows texture and modify it as far as I know.
This would be one of the most interesting parts for me because RMXP's Bitmap-methods are horribly slow.

I still don't know :P
I haven't thought much about that, and I won't be implementing new effects until I finish all RGSS/2 ones first.

 

[trebor777]

I haven't said yet how happy and thankful I'm for that project to finally reach this state
Still needs work and such but still a big YEAAY !

Even if i'm not posting on ur forum doesn't mean i'm not following it :p Great Work my friend!

 

[vgvgf]

Thanks trebor777

 

[e]

So, I said a long time ago I'd do a OSX port, and I've finally started work on one. I've got a working Cocoa app (it's a Cocoa wrapper around an SDL surface), and most of your stuff is compiling on OSX 10.5+, however I still have to write the classes you wrote specifically for Windows (there aren't that many, however, so it's alright). As soon as I can reproduce your demo on OSX I'll share the good stuff

EDIT: Might as well go and put up some notes...I'm using the OpenGL version that (I think) comes with the Mac. I had to fish into the old SFML project for the Simpleini stuff, I don't know what solution you had but in the trunk I couldn't find anything but the .h (it was missing the ConvertUTF.h, which frankly is a bit useless on Unix). I'm rerouting the Registry things (since they don't exist on the Mac) to the a user folder, $HOME/.argss/, where hopefully the RTP would be located. I'm using the Console.app with NSLog instead of an actual console, because its a pain on OSX to attach consoles and all, and I put up a Xcode project to manage the whole thing. Should've done it as a Makefile for Unix compat but eh, Xcode helps me make it a Cocoa app with Interface builder and all.

 

[DJ]

I think there is a problem.

Why do characters look so - crackled? and also, texts looks bad, too.
It it something wrong with ARGSS, or my computer?

 

[HellRazor]

Hey vgvgf i'm impressed with the demo! game.exe does it really fast here and i hope you can finish that! Good Luck

ps: do you use events for the "stacks" animation on the upper right on first map? or do you use scripting for animate this? looks really cool if it don't be done using events. Also your ARGSS looks like really powerful compared to RGSS2

 

[cstrahan]

Nice job, vgvgf!

I have the beginnings of an RSpec test suite on GitHub, targeting the official Game.exe, perhaps we could collaborate? I think it could help both of us find any bugs in our implementations (I've written one targeting Silverlight... but it's hella slow right now), and it could help future implementers:

http://github.com/cstrahan/rmxp-tests

All you need to do is execute   from the command line, or just double click the  . The Game.exe will be loaded, and RSpec will be run against the spec/ folder. To add a spec, you just need to add a   file to the spec/ folder (the important part is making sure to end the file with "_spec.rb").

Let me know what you think!

 

[vgvgf]

I think there is a problem.

Why do characters look so - crackled? and also, texts looks bad, too.
It it something wrong with ARGSS, or my computer?

I hate it when the things I do only work well on my PC It shouldn't look so, that's weird :/
However, ARGSS is still on alpha, bugs are expectable.

Hey vgvgf i'm impressed with the demo! game.exe does it really fast here and i hope you can finish that! Good Luck

ps: do you use events for the "stacks" animation on the upper right on first map? or do you use scripting for animate this? looks really cool if it don't be done using events. Also your ARGSS looks like really powerful compared to RGSS2

Thanks

What do you mean with "stacks"? Remember that ARGSS is only a ruby interpreter that includes a "clone" of the RGSS library (Sprite, Bitmap, Plane else graphical things, and audio and input). So I think the answer is that the animation of events is made with rmxp scripts, ARGSS only implements the graphical backend so the scripts can work with the graphics.

Nice job, vgvgf!

I have the beginnings of an RSpec test suite on GitHub, targeting the official Game.exe, perhaps we could collaborate? I think it could help both of us find any bugs in our implementations (I've written one targeting Silverlight... but it's hella slow right now), and it could help future implementers:

http://github.com/cstrahan/rmxp-tests

All you need to do is execute   from the command line, or just double click the  . The Game.exe will be loaded, and RSpec will be run against the spec/ folder. To add a spec, you just need to add a   file to the spec/ folder (the important part is making sure to end the file with "_spec.rb").

Let me know what you think!

Thanks

Sounds interesting, I will take a look at it.

 

[MysticTrunks]

D'Oh!

I forget to include it too... But you can download zlib1.dll from here: http://www.dlldump.com/download-dll-fil ... nload.html
Just copy it in the folder with the others dlls.

Thanks for the support

And, here is a video of ARGSS running:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSZV0oHD4Ns

If this goes through, you might just make RMXP the best platform to develop RPGs on! Really hope you finish this!!!

 

[shinnn]

Man this is the best project ever!!!

How is it going anyway?

 

[gRaViJa]

gerrtrunk said this in a thread about porting rmxp games:

"Wait for argss project, with that you can port it everywhere."

Wait, what? Fo' real? :hercule:

 

[vgvgf]

Man this is the best project ever!!!

How is it going anyway?

I'm kinda busy... so I can't dedicate the time I would want to the project. Now I'm implementing unicode support for it, so it can work well with all texts.

gerrtrunk said this in a thread about porting rmxp games:

"Wait for argss project, with that you can port it everywhere."

Wait, what? Fo' real? :hercule:

Not "everywhere", but the plans are to have it working on Windows, Linux and Mac first, and then go for some portable consoles, like nds, psp and maybe iphone.