[pontifex91]

Hello! For some time I worked on a GUI launcher to easily launch add-ons and easily configure multiplayer.
The original idea was to add the 20th Anniversary World Tour edition of Steam to simply launch add-ons via Eduke32 with the Steam Time Tracker feature, so even a child can figure it out. I did this for myself and friends, but after their feedback I expanded the functionality and decided to publish it for the community, maybe it will be interesting for you.
I do not pretend to be original and clean code, maybe a similar work was already done by someone, and maybe even better than mine, but I was interested to do it myself to get experience.

Download launcher and add-ons kit

Having a 20th Anniversary World Tour is optional, you can use it with any DUKE3D.GRP, just put it in the folder with duke3d.exe.
And in the 20th Anniversary World Tour edition, the launcher replaces the original executable file, which makes Steam Time Tracker feature possible.
By default, I distribute this kit with all official add-ons and Eduke32-oldmp to support multiplayer, everything is set up and ready to go, but you can edit it to your taste, delete or add any other add-on or mod to the launcher. How to do this, read under the spoiler:

Spoiler

The configuration is done in the eduke32/dukelauncher.cfg file. It will be created after the first launch of the launcher.

To add an add-on to the list, simply place its name on a new line under [AddonsList]
In brackets () specify the add-ons path. Use standard Eduke32 parameters (-g for GRP, -x for CON, and so on)
You can use both eduke32 or eduke32-oldmp, just change the path to the exe file in [EdukePath]
You can also change the main DUKE3D.GRP to [GeneralGRPPath].
The [OtherExe] option after brackets () replaces the default executable file only for this addon.
The [Block] option blocks the entire interface. It will come in handy if you want to add another engine add-on in the list (like the 20th Anniversary World Tour)

To add maps to a specific add-on, simply place their names under [#_DefaultLevelsList],
where # is the number of line from [AddonsList]. For example [1_LevelsList], [2_LevelsList] and so on.
In brackets () specify the map name. You may not place of the maps list, then the add-on will start just in the main menu.

The multiplayer launch features correspond to EDuke32-OldMP (you need to choose the same add-ons and maps for correct synchronization).
If you are not aware of these features, then you can read my Steam Guide

This kit consists of:
- EDuke32-OldMP - multiplayer branch of the EDuke32 engine.
- Plug 'N' Pray port by Aterbust. It starts with Better Coop mod by Kipo to bypass broken respawn points in the co-op.
- Add-ons Duke it out in D.C., Duke: Nuclear Winter, Duke Caribbean: Life's a Beach, in which I integrated maps from Megaton Edition with corrected respawn points in the co-op.
- Duke It's Zero Hour add-on with a patch byNightFright, which I modified a bit to work better with EDuke32-OldMP.
- Add-ons Duke! ZONE II and Penthouse Paradise unchanged.

In all add-ons are changed with the correct ones and remove extra definevolumename and definelevelname in the CON-file for more convenient navigation in the menu, unused resources are cut out and everything is packed in .GRP.

Message for copyright holders:
This kit includes some early paid add-ons, since none of them are available for purchase in any of the digital distribution services.
The Megaton Edition, which introduced some of these add-ons, is also unavailable for purchase since 2016.
As soon as it becomes possible to purchase these add-ons, individually, or in a compilation, they will be immediately removed from this kit.

[Lunick]

This is actually pretty neat, I have two things to add:

If you're going to include Duke! Zone 2 then you should probably use NightFright's fixed version which can be picked up here https://hrp.duke4.net/download.php

And this is a personal thing but from the same above page, I'd considering including the Duke DC midi pack just to keep the episode fresh but maybe that is something I would customise for myself.

Edit: This is actually a big thing but there is no option in the launcher to start the game in Co-op or Dukematch?

[pontifex91]

Lunick, on 30 May 2020 - 03:10 AM, said:

If you're going to include Duke! Zone 2 then you should probably use NightFright's fixed version which can be picked up here https://hrp.duke4.net/download.php

The fixed version of NightFright's is already used here, I just fixed a couple of points there for compatibility with Eduke32old-MP.

Lunick, on 30 May 2020 - 03:10 AM, said:

This is actually a big thing but there is no option in the launcher to start the game in Co-op or Dukematch?

I did only Coop at now. As I said, I did it for myself and friend, and we were not very interested in Dukematch, so I didn’t even try to make it, but maybe I will add his support in the future, if there is a demand for it.

[pontifex91]

Lunick, on 30 May 2020 - 03:10 AM, said:

And this is a personal thing but from the same above page, I'd considering including the Duke DC midi pack just to keep the episode fresh but maybe that is something I would customise for myself.

I looked at those pack's and they don't look like the vanilla version at all. But thanks anyway, because of you I realized that I did not transfer the updated music from the Megaton Edition. Now I fixed it and updated the link.

[Lunick]

pontifex91, on 30 May 2020 - 05:00 AM, said:

The fixed version of NightFright's is already used here, I just fixed a couple of points there for compatibility with Eduke32old-MP

Are you sure? One of the things NightFright's updated version is fix the names of some of the levels and the Duke!Zone 2 included in this has the original names, unless you reverted those?

pontifex91, on 30 May 2020 - 06:44 AM, said:

I looked at those pack's and they don't look like the vanilla version at all.

I wasn't talking about including the HRP packs, that would be too huge for something like this, but I mean "Duke It Out In D.C. Music Pack v2.0" which includes new music for DC instead of re-using Episode 3's music

[pontifex91]

Lunick, on 30 May 2020 - 04:30 PM, said:

I wasn't talking about including the HRP packs, that would be too huge for something like this, but I mean "Duke It Out In D.C. Music Pack v2.0" which includes new music for DC instead of re-using Episode 3's music

I understood you. But I prefer to recreate the original experience.

Lunick, on 30 May 2020 - 04:30 PM, said:

Are you sure? One of the things NightFright's updated version is fix the names of some of the levels and the Duke!Zone 2 included in this has the original names, unless you reverted those?

My mistake. I mixed it up with Zero Hour, because I used it from the NightFright compilation, and his name in my head is associated with Zero Hour.
I just watched Duke! Zone 2 fixed 2.0 from NightFright, I like its fixes and size, but I couldn’t connect it to Eduke32-oldMP. Moreover, on standard Eduke32 it works with DUKE3D.GRP only from Atomic Edition. It does not want to work with GRP from World Tour, although the file size is the same.
I thought to open dukezone2.grp and try to fix it, but the file does not open. I tried Grop File Studio and GViewer. Maybe you know the solution to the problem?

[Kylie]

I've been maintaining a similar pack for when we play multiplayer games at home, although I ended up using YANG instead of writing my own launcher. Duke!ZONE II Fixed Release 2.0 by NightFright is not compatible with EDuke32-OldMP. I'm not sure if it is possible to make it work by modifying it but the Group file is actually a Zip file, so you should be able to open it with 7-Zip or even Windows Explorer by renaming it.

[pontifex91]

Kylie, on 31 May 2020 - 10:16 PM, said:

I've been maintaining a similar pack for when we play multiplayer games at home, although I ended up using YANG instead of writing my own launcher.

I tried YANG, but it seemed to me too complicated for my idea of ​​simple use

Kylie, on 31 May 2020 - 10:16 PM, said:

Duke!ZONE II Fixed Release 2.0 by NightFright is not compatible with EDuke32-OldMP. I'm not sure if it is possible to make it work by modifying it but the Group file is actually a Zip file, so you should be able to open it with 7-Zip or even Windows Explorer by renaming it.

Thanks, I didn’t even know that eduke can read zip files. Thanks to this, I repackaged all the add-ons in zip, it is much more convenient.

[LeoD]

pontifex91, on 30 May 2020 - 12:22 AM, said:

This kit consists of:

pirated content, in violation of the forum rules. Sorry to spoil the fun. Even though most or all forum members already have acquired those packs one way or the other, no type of disclaimer will turn this kit into fair use.

[Radar]

It's cool that you're not a mod so it doesn't actually matter if you think he violated forum rules. Maybe a mod will delete it once they come around but nobody likes a backseat moderator.

Also, nobody seems to have a problem with Alien Armageddon.

[pontifex91]

LeoD, on 02 June 2020 - 09:33 AM, said:

pirated content, in violation of the forum rules. Sorry to spoil the fun. Even though most or all forum members already have acquired those packs one way or the other, no type of disclaimer will turn this kit into fair use.

As I said above, I do not consider this to be pirated content, since the copyright holder did not take care to provide the opportunity to legally buy this content.

[NightFright]

We already had this discussion. Gearbox doesn't have ownership of the addons, as does nobody else. As long as one doesn't charge for it, it's highly unlikely anybody will object. Alien Armageddon got away with it, and actually I think it's the best way to present Life's A Beach and Nuclear Winter these days, with enough modifications to let it pass.

I chose to compile a full release of Dukezone II because it's so crappy nobody with a working brain will want to ever claim ownership of this again. It's also not the original file any more (which would be illegal since it would contain all contents from duke3d.grp). My release only contains the new levels and the custom art, with the benefit that it saves over 90% file size. Also, what Simply Silly Software created there hardly qualifies for a commercial addon, so offering it for free is merely reflecting the actual value of this product.

[pontifex91]

Update:
- on the Landing Bay map (E2L4) from the Duke! Zone 2 add-on, everything except the player’s starting respawn point has been removed, because previously of which the second player appeared in a cooperative game at the end of the level, and not at the beginning.
- for all Plug 'N' Pray episode port maps missing respawn starting points were added, because previously to the lack of which the second player in the cooperative game after death spawned at the zero coordinates of the map, which led to a looped death. Consequently, the Kipo Better Coop mod is now removed from the kit, since its revival function near the place of death is no longer relevant.

The link is the same as in the first post

[pontifex91]

Update:
- in the map Outskirts (E1L1) from the "Duke! ZONE II" add-on the second player’s spawn point was moved to the helicopter.
- in the maps The Alien Remains (Vaca7) from the "Duke Caribbean" add-on and A Quicky (E1L6) and No Where to Run (E3L5) in from the "Duke! ZONE II" add-on the spawn points were moved slightly, because previously in some situations standart points could lead to the spawning of the second player on the other floor of the level that intersected with the current one.
- in all maps of the "Duke It's Zero Hour" add-on, besides the first map, moved the spawn points to outside of Duke base, to maintain the dynamics of the game, since the base is the same each time and does not differ from the first map, this annoying.

[pontifex91]

Update:
- Added friendly fire flag (through the CON-script)
- Added respawn monsters\inventory\items flags

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[eqagunn]

I like the way you have cleaned up the addons. Penthouse Paradise could have had duplicate CONs removed too.

Inspired by this pack I have created splash tile replacers for every addon included. Packaged for Raze.
https://www.moddb.co...placer-for-raze

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