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View Full Version : Non Official Fanmade Addon: NeoLauncher Pro ---- version 0.93 update!



BramTops
24-07-03, 20:05
Other thread was kinda cramped up... so here it goes!

( thread about version 0.9: here (http://neocron.jafc.de/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68695&perpage=15&pagenumber=1) )

Some features:
- Showing latest world- and patch news (new items are marked!), including the links
- Showing players online per server (realtime)
- Custom settings, including: language, skin, displayname, primary server.
- Extended statistics showing total players online graph (period of last 50 hours), avarage players online, most active numbers, etc..
- Direct links to useful 3rd party websites and Neocron forums.
- Custom settings are cookie based (so it works on all connections).
- Buddy list

Future features include:
- Integrated black-market
- Integrated player events (by your primary server setting)
- Direct patch downloads
- More statistics (yeah, i love stats )


Here are some 0.93 updates / comments:

- If you tried NLpro in the past hour you got a nice "upgrading" notice.. that was me working on it. So if you see that message - just revisit in a couple of hours and all will be opperational again. You can play Neocron just as usual!!!!

- I havent been online past 48 hours since I really have a RealLife too... So if anything goes wrong, it will be fixed... But sometimes not right away, so please bare with me... (uninstalling for an simple error by a BETA product is kinda stupid imho - you're still playing Neocron right? )

- Version 0.93 is online: Added a buddy list (Launcher links) and link to patch-center (Neocron links). Also removed some exploits and serious bugs (including the news-bug).

- Some lame dudes where running scripts to get themselves into the top5 runners stats. All stats have been reset and I've implemented an exploit-fix.

- I'm overwhelmed by the skins I'm receiving. I really appreciate all this work that you guys are doing but I can not simply include every skin I receive. So, as of now, I'm not accepting anymore skins until the 1.0 final. This will give me more time to get this thing reach 1.0 in the first place . In the final, I will include a maximum of 10 skins or so - obviously only the best will be used. I will notify all of you when i'll be accepting new skins. So keep working on them!!

- The guy who's maked the NLpro launcher program still is working on a new version. I'm sorry, but I dont have an ETA on when the new version (with Windows 9x/ME support) will be available

- I urge everyone to use the name of primary character in the launcher! This way, other runners can easily find your name and add them to their buddylists. It will also help the upcomming trade-service a lot


You can download it here: http://www.creITive.com/neocron
ps. You dont have to re-install if you already have it...

Thanks for beta-testing this with me...

FlashFF
24-07-03, 20:19
OK, you said in the last thread you'll only have a maximum of 10 skins (ish) and those only the best. I like Mingoo's skin and I like many others too. Id also like to play around and make my own. So here is an idea.

The skin is just a picture right? So why dont you have another box beneath the skin selection box. A plain textbox with a button. You type the URL of your custom skin in there, and it then updates your own skin to the one in that box without actually adding it to the skinlist. This would mean that you wouldnt have to add the extra skins, and if people bodge it up, it only affects them.

Just an idea.



I got bored of waiting for you to make a 98/ME fix so I just made it myself *grins*

Works brilliantly at only 36k needs a separate installer tho just to make the shortcuts and put it in the right place.

BramTops
24-07-03, 20:35
Hmmm yeah. I've thought of that but i'm a little reluctant.. It's like KK allowing everyone to replace all textures to their liking. It would be nice to the ppl using it, but you lose control...

If i ever decide (and I will!) to change the layout, all the "custom" skins will become useless and (some) ppl will blame me for it. (old rule: YOU are SMART, the generel public is STUPID).

Look, if i recieve 20 *awesome* skins, I will include them all. But so far, I haven't seen anything that gives me the ... (dont know the english word for it - but it's kinda like when your gf/bf starts playing with your ears :D).

I mean.. everyone with basic photoshop (e.g.) skills kan make a decent skin. I want some "real" artists working on this...

No offense to the people who already made some skins! I really like them! But, for example, go to www.deviantart.com and check some of the interfaces out over there and you'll see what i mean (and what i'm looking for).

My final goal is: make this thing the best for all runners, and sometimes that means you cant do every single thing a "customer" wants (KK knows what i'm talking about :D)

FlashFF
24-07-03, 20:40
Yeah but what you've got to think is your not aiming to impress yourself, your aiming to impress the public. The public has different tastes. The monk PA skin is probably the favorite out of the people around here and you seem to have brushed right past it.

Oh yeah. Look at the EDIT above if you havent already ^^

G.0.D.
24-07-03, 20:45
Oh so now holding down f5 is an exploit! I say good day to you sir

BramTops
24-07-03, 20:57
Originally posted by G.0.D.
Oh so now holding down f5 is an exploit! I say good day to you sir

ROFLMOL

Yeah.. And I'll even take the time to explain it:
Those top 5 runners are called "5 most active runners", maybe I'm not really clear with that but I mean
- runners who started Neocron the most
and NOT
- runners who pressed F5 the most


G0D, if you want to advertise your url, use it in your sig... dont go messing up my stats coz of that.

FBI
24-07-03, 23:11
Although bram may seem a little hard, you have to understand
he has created this and wants it to work the way he intended.

Refreshing the page all day or using a script is sorta lame.
It defeats the purpose of the feature.

He didn't have to create this either out of his time, be a little more
considerate people.

@Bram: look into the idea for a URL to point at a skin for the
launcher in settings. It makes the launcher more flexable and
dynamic personal styles. Still include a list though of the
select few skins.

KidWithStick
24-07-03, 23:39
LOL i guess i was one of the lame runners...but man...god blew my stats away by a whole 6 thousand or so...

i was in the lead for a couple days though =)

FlashFF
25-07-03, 00:36
god, you must be completely retarded lol (no offense)

but A. who would really want to cheat there way to the top to say they've started NC thousands of times in one day.

and B. why do it thousands of times (which easily shows ur cheating the system) when you could just top the highest ranking player by a few?


-Spellcheck-

BramTops
25-07-03, 04:02
why dont we just drop this matter since the "exploit" is fixed... ;)


just got an email from Odin asking for some minor details.. he's going to relay it the "officials" soon.

quote from the patchnotes:

- Added support for the NeocronNetworkLauncher Tool by Neofrag (see www.neocronnetwork.de) *not interesting for non-german folks*

so i guess having a 3rd party-launcher is ok ;) Hell, they even implement support from their side... so..

StryfeX
25-07-03, 05:13
Originally posted by BramTops
If i ever decide (and I will!) to change the layout, all the "custom" skins will become useless...All I ask is that you create a template image giving the various dimensions when you do this! Having to guess the tolerances/dimensions that we (the skinners) are working under can seriously put a crimp in our plans.

Make sure to highlight the unused portions of the skin! Knowing this enables us to be more creative without fearing that we're going to mess something up.


An additional thought:

I think it would be a good idea to give users the ability to pick their own skin through the use of a 'Custom' option in the skin menu and then a 'Path' box for the path. If implemented, you could give them the option to put a local path in there so they could have high quality images as backgrounds with no fear of bandwidth limitations. I think that feature would be quite popular among the 56k users. Hell, it might be popular among broadband users as well since an uncompressed 622x480 BMP is about 875K. o_O


--Stryfe

Shad0w
25-07-03, 08:46
This is just an idea, maybe not for the final release but maybe a later release. Make all the important data to save to a XML file. Setup a page locally in the NC dir, so that all the important info is linked to those XML links. This will allow the user to customize his own skins and designs. Beats trying to add all the skins designs to the php scirpt on your page. Also less bandwidth is used on your server everytime someone has to download that background image.. even though most of us use our cache.
Just an idea.

BramTops
25-07-03, 12:23
that would be... for version 2.0 or something dude.. ;)

anywayz, got this from Odin:
Ok Codi says he sees no problem with it.Isn't he a talksome fella? Anywayz, I now know for sure I can continue this... and that's what matters.


First things i'll do now are improving the buddie-lists and adding the first features of the trade-channel.

I will have a new installer with windows 9x/ME support within 48 hours. (I'm going on a vacation after that. So....)

FlashFF
25-07-03, 12:45
yay for me for hax0ring NLPro and getting a job maing the new version of the launcher lol

*kiss*

and there was me thinkin bram was going to have a fit...

that ruins my evil schemes to make him hate me... lol



not to brag... but im using the new NLPro launcher already
ner ni ner ni ner ner *blows raspberry*
lol

Mingerroo
25-07-03, 14:01
FlashFF is l337. I watched him spend a whole FIVE minutes coding the program we have now, then another few adding what Bram wants. :p

BramTops
25-07-03, 14:05
Yeah.. I though "lets do this the right way" and started in C++ :o

It appears that you somehow dont need one of the most powerfull languages to make something this simple.. ;)

New installer will be available soon.

PsycheBlade
25-07-03, 14:32
Tell me... have the dropdown menus changed their dimensions? I've got a template of the previous NeoPro setup (where menu drops down to, etc) and was wondering if anything changed as I'm prolly going to try and make something that works around drop-downs and such.

I'll try to make something slightly artsy fartsy uh... soon™ - drawn stuff, no screenshots.

You ever consider using Java instead of C++?

BramTops
25-07-03, 14:59
The dropdownmenu's will get larger as i put more items in them, yes.

And using java?!? You must be joking :D (/me hates java)





Anywayz..
Installer 0.93 is available for download! It supports Windows 9x/ME/2k/XP
http://www.creitive.com/neocron

Users that already have the program installed are not *required* to install this new version. Although this version is 4 times smaller and has a nifty splash-screen ;) (Please uninstall your previous version first - your settings will not be lost).

Please give some feedback and dont forget to rate this thread :D

BramTops
25-07-03, 20:48
No-one is responding? I can assume that it works on windows 9x/ME now?

I'll be going on vacation next sunday, so if there's something critical to be done, i'd have to know it asasp... ;)

thewarrior008
25-07-03, 21:02
sory dude but since the recent attacks i will quite using ur prog (nuting personal) , and the progs of other 3rd party comps .



ty alex M

BramTops
25-07-03, 21:44
Hmm yeah.. I gues I saw that comming... I just though about it myself too...

I'd advise everyone not to use his NC account password in mine nor any other program. Have a unique password for you NC (and other important things) is kinda important.

NEVER use same passwords for e-mail, websites (you dont KNOW the webmaster), etc...

If you DO use your NC password in NeoLauncher PRO, change it RIGHT NOW. My database is secure (I've never had any hackers), but you never know...

I can only assure you that I have NOTHING to do with these hack-attacks. (If it even are hacks, and not people being lazy with their passwords)

BramTops
27-07-03, 02:44
I'm going on vacation now. You can post here anyway, I'll keep in touch. I've some backup people covering this thread...




Just need some R'n'R with my gf.. you'll understand... ;)




:D

FBI
27-07-03, 07:26
Have fun on vacation

FlashFF
28-07-03, 08:55
grrr vacation who needs one when u have NC? u can travel huntreds of years into the future in just a few clicks...

ok im sad...

...

BramTops
04-08-03, 14:52
Hi guys.. I'm back... Good to see you all again!

Gonna do some work on the launcher now.... I'll keep ya posted!

FBI
05-08-03, 02:40
Originally posted by BramTops
Hi guys.. I'm back... Good to see you all again!

Gonna do some work on the launcher now.... I'll keep ya posted!

Hurray. :p

Ryuben
05-08-03, 03:17
yay :D wb glad ur not too exausted after that RnR ;)

BramTops
05-08-03, 12:01
New thread has been started about the most recent update...

It's here: http://forum.neocron.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=70801


This thread can be closed.