ProQuake 4.93 (F5 key = Server Browser)

[Baker]

ProQuake 4.93 released. Main feature is server browser and support for a personal player statistics id which will be unfolding. Source available in the usual place.

Download: ProQuake 4.93 - Windows GL/DX8 - 0.8 MB

[Baker]

For anyone who hasn't seen the 4.93 test thread, the server browser looks as such (except now it uses all available screen real-estate and allows key repeats for faster navigation) and is updated every 80 seconds (upon re-entering the menu). Can also be accessed from the menu via Menu->Multiplayer->Join Game.

Isn't the only change, the readme details the less interesting stuff.

DX8 screenshot issue in certain video modes reported by Archon was fixed (actually by MH who messaged me the entire fix).

@Polarite: There are a couple of debug command line parameters if you encounter the keyboard issue you had. Let me know.

[MH]

I'll implement this browser, but really - more gross text parsing? Yet another text parsing engine? Regular COM_Parse format should have been able to handle it (embedded in a HTML comment if necessary).

[Spike]

mh, http://servers.quakeone.com/index.php?format=json that's the feed fte parses, if you find that any more agreeable (it has IPs so no error-prone DNS lookups needed!)

[Baker]

I'll implement this browser, but really - more gross text parsing? Yet another text parsing engine? Regular COM_Parse format should have been able to handle it (embedded in a HTML comment if necessary).

Works in real time +/- 80 seconds. Few changes in the source. No new dependencies. Does 3 "impossible" things (country code, mod type, server description as it is known).

The perfect solution would require updating the server engine on tons of servers running on several different operating servers (Windows, no doubt 2-5 flavors of Linux, Morphos ... ask Spike about Morphos --- which might even be running on a Big Endian machine @ Bigfoot). Then creating a master server. Many server operators don't even bother to set the "Hostname" in the command line (so it might be a default hostname). The reworking all the PHP here, maybe even QStat. So that would be 2013 or 2014.

I believe in 90%/10% solutions, knowing they can be changed in the future.

Note: The map download that originated in Qrack (R00k's #1 awesome idea ever) is an example of an incredibly effective non-ideal solution. Map download in NetQuake is just a normal, taken for granted feature that no one views as special.

[I agree with your design comments by the way. A working reliable feature > feature on drawing board that might happen someday. Besides, things can change in the future. ]

[Syluxguy28O3]

is that stats file automaticaly made when you connect to a server, or should i make one myself?

[R00k]

I believe the stats is auto generated server side and uploaded to a webpage here. no client intervention.

[Arkon]

Thanks for fixing dx8 version, but the screenshot bug is still there in gl release...

I've noticed that autobindings on arrow keys during demo playback are gone too. (I've turned back to a demo.cfg to bind temporary keys during playback).

Trying to feed my curiosity I've also tried to compile it by myself, but converting the source to Visual Studio 10 version gives a lot of errors (expecially macros definitions in gl and syntax errors in dx). It seems I had better luck with DirectQ. Or maybe I simply did something wrong. I'll try again later.

Bye!

[MH]

The D3D8 stuff won't build clean with any kind of recent Windows SDK. The trick is to move the include and lib directories to the bottom of the search order in their relevant categories.

For DirectQ I use MSVC 2008 but I do the occasional port up to 2010 for testing and verification purposes, so I'd expect it to build (it won't build on 2012 though). Baker, for some ungodly reason, still uses 6.

Incidentally, for porting from 6 to 2010 I've often found it best to take it through 2008 as an intermediate step. A 6 project will upgrade reasonably clean to 2008, but there may be issues going to 2010.

[R00k]

I'll implement this browser, but really - more gross text parsing? Yet another text parsing engine? Regular COM_Parse format should have been able to handle it (embedded in a HTML comment if necessary).

I use com_tokenize_string

[Baker]

Baker, for some ungodly reason, still uses 6.

As far as I know, so does Spike.

It is faster than 2008 in every way. vc6 loads instantaneously, compiles fast, "help" doesn't waste 25 seconds to download off MSDN via internet, express 2008 doesn't support resource files, 2008 hides everything in infinite sub-menus and trees.

I like vc6 better and I get things done faster when using it.

[Spike]

I used 6 for a long time but no longer do. I still prefer its user-interface to any later versions of MSVC, however its compiler is too dated, and is incompatible with many recent things like windows sdks etc.

[MH]

2008 Express loads instantly for me (I also have Professional installed which is a little slower - maybe 0.5 seconds compared to 0.1 or so). Compile times for pure C are quite fast; heavily templated C++ with lots of classes (which DirectQ became a few months ago - I need to pull back from that tendency) is glacial, but not as slow as 2010. The UI in 2008 is also awesome; the ability to tuck away all the little side panels but still have them pop up when needed (or on mouse over), but still also go away when not needed (or on mouse out) is like nothing else for maximizing space for coding - you basically get 90-odd % of your full screen resolution most of the time, and no messing needed to get it back following a compile.

[R00k]

msvc6 doesnt even run on my machine.

[Polarite]

Little problem , I always join using qview when I start playing.
But now it seems not to connect properly and plays the demo instead.
In quake I use the great server browser ofcourse !