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Greetings fellow game makers!
I recently made a stable enough release of Game Manager for people to use .
This means that the application isn't 100% finished.
The reason I share it with everyone now is because of two things:
* I need feedback; Bug reports and Suggestions for improvement
* It is stable enough to use so why not share it

Anyway, Game Manager is a free application written in DarkBASIC Professional. With it you can share your games created in DarkBASIC, DarkBASIC Professional and FPSCreator.

What is new in version 2?
* Complete rewrite
* New user interface
* Scroll bars
* Sort game lists
* Registration/Login Stuff
* Registered users can Add/Edit/Remove their created games
* Using a MySQL Database to store stuff, this means it's faster.
* Registered users can upload their games to my server
* uploaded files can also be used outside of GM, just go to your
"Add/Edit Games" page and get the link.
* Image Preview of games
* 4 Themes (default, win98 style, winXP style, silver)

Coming soon on GM:
* If a user have made updates to his game, the user will be able to notify everyone who downloaded the game that a new update is available, simply by clicking a button (after the updated file is uploaded)

I'd like to thank:
* CattleRustler: MySQL Plugin
* Xenocythe: Online image preview
* Jess Ticular: Open File Dialog

Other Information
* Game Manager Website [link]
* Bug list [link]
* Statistics [link]
* How to use the application [link]
* How to upload/edit games to the database [link]

Screenshots

click images to enlarge

The Download
v2.0.3 ~ 2.45mb

Requirements:
Direct X: [link]
ODBC Drivers: [link]


Other Known Bugs:
Bug:
This bug happens at random,
After downloading 2 or more games:
After I install a game and I want to install the other game, it cannot find the downloaded file.
Current solution:
delete your "games.ini" file (this mean you have to download and install the games again).
you can also try to edit that file, but I haven't tested this in detail so I wouldn't know.

Bug:
Download speed is capped at 30kb/s
Current Solution:
I have noticed that if the application works in the background (minimize it or put another window over the GM Window) it will download at your full speed.
The reason for this? No Idea!!

Bug:
All of a sudden it tells me "Download Was Interuppted"
Current Solution:
I don't know what's causing this. I put the message ("Download Was Interuppted") so that you would know that it didn't complete the download (and also so the app. didn't register this as a complete download).
I don't think this has anything to do with filesize, as it can download files above 10mb, while other below 10mb get the error a(nd vice versa).
If you have any clue about this (I am using wininet.dll for download) please let me know

Whoo! this was a long post :/

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Ah mate i clicked on the screenies and it didn't come up in a bigger window. Nice application though.

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Thanks for telling me, fixed

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Nice steam look hehe

Will try it out soon.

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looks brilliant, and a very good idea as well. although it seems to take a while to connect to the mysql server (with the latest mysql drivers), currently waiting for it

edit: yeh, i checked the running apps window and it had crashed

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Extremely well presented, very appealing post. Wish every WIP/PA was as detailed and well-presented as this one.

Same goes for the program itself, works smoothly, looks great.

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Gives MySQL errors and a windows exeption error.Cant even register

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Thanks for the feedback

LazLaz,
hmm, don't know why it crashes. It never happened to me (at startup).

Prince of darkness,
Sounds like you didn't install the ODBC drivers [link]

edit,
I'm at work now, but I will see if I can get some time to implement the odbc drivers with the application. that way it won't be necsesarry to have them installed.

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Lol,i did install them,I just forgot I made a tiny mistake for not rebooting after 3 weeks of running my PC.

Now after login,"RTE 506 Could not load image at line 1050"

Why is this?

EDIT:

Whoops,me being stupid again.works now,forgot to copy the icon folder.

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Could you put what extractor to use in the settings, because my winzip has expired, and I use 7-zip, which is much better anyway. It means I have to manually install the games

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i'll chcek it out

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Diggsey,
WinZip v8.1 (or 8.0 don't remember) doesn't expire after a date is reached. At least mine hasn't yet.

But I will do what you asked when I get time.

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Niiiice! This has gotten much better!

Oh, man, I'm in the 'thanks'! Sweet, I don't even remember what I did

This looks great, its gonna be used a lot when its out.

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Thanks

Yea if I remember correctly you had posted (on these forums) a code snippet on how to download and preview an image from http.
This was vital for the application, and worth the effort of implementing it.

So every time you click the "View Screenshot" button, I run your code snippet

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Oh, thats great Glad I helped!

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So this is basically a Steam-esque clone/utility but usable for our games then?

cool

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I'm still hoping this can become a popular utility for many of our games. Of course, it needs to have games on it that make it popular. Keep up the work Lukas.

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nvm....

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Hmm..I can't get it to work. I get a very long "DBP_TPC_MySQL" error when trying to create an account and then it closes :S

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You gotta download the driver.. i forget what its called...


Lukas, you should include the install for the driver with the Game Manager, and automatically run the driver install file when first starting Game Manager.

Thats what Im gonna do with my MMO

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Gil,
yea that error message appear because you don't have th eODBC drivers installed [link]

Xen,
good Idea, I will add that in the next release (whenever that'll be I don' tknow yet :S)

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OK, I have made it possible for the application to run in offline mode.
This will happen if you don't have ODBC drivers installed or you are disconnected from the internet.

It is also possible to install the ODBC Drivers via the application.
If the application notice that you don't have the drivers it will ask you for permission to install them.

this however makes the application 4mb larger, as I had to include the installation file for ODBC.

Next on my list is
* Download Updates using the wininet dll. At the moment the Download Updates function doesn't work correctly, and I don't know why. So by switching to the wininet Dll I hope that it will be fixed (it is the same dll I use to download games, and that part works.)
* Users can upload "updates". meaning that if the game is allready uploaded, the user will be able to add the new version of the game.
This will trigger an alarm for everyone who have allready downloaded the game, that a new version is available. And that user will be able to download that update.
* support for 7-zip (and other packers that I can think of). Also in the settings menu, a dropdown to select the default unpacker.
* on the Local game list, the ability to change game .exe in case you selected the wrong .exe for the game (as you probably know: if the application cannot find the game .exe after installation you have to manually find it).

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Hmm..I downloaded the SQL but it still gives me the error. I guess I'll just wait until you release the next version that installs it for you.

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Hmm, if the error's first line says anything abuot a driver, then thats the problem.

So lets just see if lucas's next release works

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Oh Wow this is something ive been wanting to do something like this with fpsc for a long time now.
Hmmm got an idea to throw out there...
What about running squery that way you can have posted stat's on a game on your website via a php block or module while the game is in play.
If this stuff gets real good I can see Indie Ladders and Leagues poping up all over the place...
Got another question is there any chance on you releasing the source code.
Be nice to see what this program can blossom to...

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Uploaded my Open Source W.I.P FFX Battle Engine could someone try if it works? Thanks.

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Yeah it installs/runs correctly. Some instructions would be nice though I couldnt figure out what was going on! Btw nice effects.

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Well its open source and its really early WIP and just tough if somebody likes this kind of battle system so i would upload it there