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Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 9:51
by gerstrong
Happy new year,

and you are the first to know about it. Commander Genius Version 2.0 is finally released for Windows.

Since version 1.9.9.8 not so many changes except many bug fixes as well as physics, ai, multiplayer and video improvements.

Still though I think it is worth to check out, especially if you didn't test it for a long time.

Let me know what you think about this release.

The other ports and updates are on the way.

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 22:48
by Zilem
I seem to have an issues:
There is an odd noise when moving around, a sort of static, on every animation cycle repeat with sat to "Sound Blaster"
it's not there when sound is muted or set to "PC Speaker" (the noise have same timing as the walking sound for "Pc Speaker")
The issue is persistent with both loud Speakers and Headset, as well as on my laptop, Nvidia Shield "Portable" and Shield LTE Tablet
only thing i have not tested is my Phone.


Issues i had with 1.9.9.8 that have Been Fixed:

> Commander Genius crashing on launching Keen 4 plus

> Hidden animation's didn't play

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 10:33
by gerstrong
Zilem wrote: Wed Jan 03, 2018 22:48 I seem to have an issues:
There is an odd noise when moving around, a sort of static, on every animation cycle repeat with sat to "Sound Blaster"
it's not there when sound is muted or set to "PC Speaker" (the noise have same timing as the walking sound for "Pc Speaker")
The issue is persistent with both loud Speakers and Headset, as well as on my laptop, Nvidia Shield "Portable" and Shield LTE Tablet
only thing i have not tested is my Phone.
@Zilem: Is there a way that I could hear it. The sound engine has not changed for a long time...

There is some static when Keen walks, that not a bug. The original also does this... Do you mean that Walking sound or something else?

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 15:13
by Zilem
Yes, Here you go
I have not used commander Genius on my PC much...
But i have on my Nvidia shield "Portable" however, but sound is set to PC speaker and turned down
(I have forgotten why i sat it to Pc speaker, but might have been the noise...)

There was no static-noise back when i had a Windows 95 and 98 PC, i would have recalled
nor is there in dosbox, there a muffled walking sound
however i don't recall that walking sound on the Windows 95/98 PC's, likely was hiding behind the music *shrugs*

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 2:24
by Zilem
Also when manually installing with the "Package" option on Windows
in say H:\Commander Keen\CGenius\
once you launch Commander Genius, a Library is created in:
> 1.9.9.8: {User}\Documents\Commander Genius\
> 2.0.0.0: C:\CGenius\Commander Genius\

Within these folders?:
a Downloads folder - where downloaded .zip's get stored
a Games folder - which is where the Downloaded files gets Installed
cgenius.cfg - User settings
games.cfg - List of directories to installed Keen Games/Mods
CGLog.html - Log file

Why aren't the Downloads folders and Files in the root if the CGenius folder, but instead in a new Library?
so we don't have redundant Game folders.

Code: Select all

\Games\
C:\CGenius\Commander Genius\Games\
Similar redundancy, can also be seen on andruid:

Code: Select all

Storage:\Android\Data\net.sourceforge.clonekeenplus\Files\Games\
Storage:\Android\Data\net.sourceforge.clonekeenplus\Files\SaveData\Games\
Neither aren't intentional, right?


Also the Cache and Games folder within the Package Download option, comes with some left over files:

Code: Select all

cache\perilous.bmp
cache\silcar1.bmp
games\Aliens\README.TXT
games\keen7\KEEN7.pat~
games\Perilous\readme.txt

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:20
by gerstrong
Zilem wrote: Thu Jan 04, 2018 15:13 Yes, Here you go
I have not used commander Genius on my PC much...
But i have on my Nvidia shield "Portable" however, but sound is set to PC speaker and turned down
(I have forgotten why i sat it to Pc speaker, but might have been the noise...)

There was no static-noise back when i had a Windows 95 and 98 PC, i would have recalled
nor is there in dosbox, there a muffled walking sound
however i don't recall that walking sound on the Windows 95/98 PC's, likely was hiding behind the music *shrugs*
Sound is a very complicated topic in my opinion. Let's disect this into pieces:
  • The PC Speaker sound seems to be fine. But still it is just emulation like DosBox does as well. Every machine had it's PC speaker and some sounded bit different than others
  • With Windows95/98/DOS: I also do not remember hearing Keen walking when Soundblaster was on. With PC Speaker I always heard it. The fact is nonetheless, the walking sound exists and was always played.
  • The Soundblaster OPL Adlib stuff is also another emulator more complex than the PC speaker. I wonder why it sounds so different to the one of Dosbox because I am sure to have used the same code. Maybe a bug or some strange frequency conversion. I will take a second look, because now that I saw your sample I have to agree.
  • I have been noticing something strange with the shot sounds but really I was not so sure. With that example you convinced me. I will try to get it like it is played in Dosbox. I hopefully can, because Music and Sounds are oddfully mixed in the original, for what I remember.
So for the next release I will try to get that better...

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:32
by gerstrong
Zilem wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2018 2:24 Also when manually installing with the "Package" option on Windows
in say H:\Commander Keen\CGenius\
once you launch Commander Genius, a Library is created in:
> 1.9.9.8: {User}\Documents\Commander Genius\
> 2.0.0.0: C:\CGenius\Commander Genius\

Within these folders?:
a Downloads folder - where downloaded .zip's get stored
a Games folder - which is where the Downloaded files gets Installed
cgenius.cfg - User settings
games.cfg - List of directories to installed Keen Games/Mods
CGLog.html - Log file

Why aren't the Downloads folders and Files in the root if the CGenius folder, but instead in a new Library?
so we don't have redundant Game folders.

Code: Select all

\Games\
C:\CGenius\Commander Genius\Games\
Similar redundancy, can also be seen on andruid:

Code: Select all

Storage:\Android\Data\net.sourceforge.clonekeenplus\Files\Games\
Storage:\Android\Data\net.sourceforge.clonekeenplus\Files\SaveData\Games\
Neither aren't intentional, right?

Also the Cache and Games folder within the Package Download option, comes with some left over files:

Code: Select all

cache\perilous.bmp
cache\silcar1.bmp
games\Aliens\README.TXT
games\keen7\KEEN7.pat~
games\Perilous\readme.txt
Indeed, I have noticed strange things lately after testing the android port which is not out yet. I will review the Searchpath system for that. There exist standard paths (hardcoded) for the system and specific settings for users. So you think as Installer version it is fine as is now and the Package version should keep the files where CGenius.exe is started, right? I will try to put the standard settings back to

1.9.9.8: {User}\Documents\Commander Genius\

nonetheless. I think the problem is related to a call of the windows System, where the home directory is not correctly detected anymore. I remember to have fixed something, but CG was not compilable anymore. Let me take a second look on this...

Not sure how important it is to have per user settings, but why not...

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:35
by gerstrong
Btw, thanks for the feedback. I have put those as tickets to the Github system:

https://github.com/gerstrong/Commander-Genius/issues

It helps me organizing a bit those topics.

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 19:02
by Zilem
gerstrong wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:32I think the problem is related to a call of the windows System, where the home directory is not correctly detected anymore. I remember to have fixed something, but CG was not compilable anymore. Let me take a second look on this...

Not sure how important it is to have per user settings, but why not...
I am not against having user settings, per user account on the PC, for the Installer version,
as that is what you expect of an installation.
Like you'd expect everything in a Manual install to be contained within the it's own directory.

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2018 21:33
by gerstrong
Zilem wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2018 19:02
gerstrong wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:32I think the problem is related to a call of the windows System, where the home directory is not correctly detected anymore. I remember to have fixed something, but CG was not compilable anymore. Let me take a second look on this...

Not sure how important it is to have per user settings, but why not...
I am not against having user settings, per user account on the PC, for the Installer version,
as that is what you expect of an installation.
Like you'd expect everything in a Manual install to be contained within the it's own directory.
Well, that search path system definitely needs a revision. I will be working on this in between the other stuff...

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2018 13:11
by gerstrong
Zilem wrote: Fri Jan 05, 2018 2:24 Also when manually installing with the "Package" option on Windows
in say H:\Commander Keen\CGenius\
once you launch Commander Genius, a Library is created in:
> 1.9.9.8: {User}\Documents\Commander Genius\
> 2.0.0.0: C:\CGenius\Commander Genius\

Within these folders?:
a Downloads folder - where downloaded .zip's get stored
a Games folder - which is where the Downloaded files gets Installed
cgenius.cfg - User settings
games.cfg - List of directories to installed Keen Games/Mods
CGLog.html - Log file

Why aren't the Downloads folders and Files in the root if the CGenius folder, but instead in a new Library?
so we don't have redundant Game folders.

Code: Select all

\Games\
C:\CGenius\Commander Genius\Games\
Similar redundancy, can also be seen on andruid:

Code: Select all

Storage:\Android\Data\net.sourceforge.clonekeenplus\Files\Games\
Storage:\Android\Data\net.sourceforge.clonekeenplus\Files\SaveData\Games\
Neither aren't intentional, right?


Also the Cache and Games folder within the Package Download option, comes with some left over files:

Code: Select all

cache\perilous.bmp
cache\silcar1.bmp
games\Aliens\README.TXT
games\keen7\KEEN7.pat~
games\Perilous\readme.txt
Well, I fixed this with version 2.0.1 and 2.1 Preview. Hope it is better now...

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2018 18:33
by gerstrong
Version 2.0.3 for Windows has just been released.

Here we have many more bug fixes, better and stable code. This should crash less on many earlier and later systems. I still need to check the other ports: Android, Ubuntu, etc.

There are no new features for this.

Newer stuff is seen in the preview version 2.1.

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 22:14
by gerstrong
Hi, just pushed an update (Version 2.0.5). This is uses the SDL_Mixer. I hope it runs much better this time for all.

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 14:19
by gerstrong
Android Version has been updated. If you are an android user, you don't need to do a thing. It will update automatically. Have fun!

Re: Version 2.0 Released

Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 20:22
by gerstrong
Updated we are at 2.0.8 for Windows