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Warez installers :)

Started by elis-cool Oct 3, 2002 at 9:54 PM 76 replies 8k views
Original Post
elis-cool
elis-cool
Ok, so I got a friend (yes, really) to send me some warez installer progs because they look so awesome, there like little mini-demos\intros, so I was just wondering how they do them? Ive seen some stuff about about the non-rectangular GUIs, so that part isnt really a problem, but the've got like really cool particle systems, midi music etc, do they do it in GDI, openGL or D3D? and also ive written some particle systems, but I dont really know where to start on something as intricate\advanced in the ones in these... PS: dont turn this into a flame war about warez, and no i dont warez, im on a 56k, so even if I wanted to I cant, im just intested in the installers as you cant deny they look really sweet. (ok, picture time, 56k users beware) EDIT by ze: actually, everyone beware. You're about to download 16 images averaging over 100k each from a personal server. EDIT by elis-cool: its not really a personal server (well it is) but he hosts, so its no biggie, www.icarusindie.com Mod edit: CLOSE YOUR FREAKING QUOTES! [edited by - The Senshi on October 3, 2002 10:57:17 PM] [edited by - zealouselixir on October 3, 2002 11:07:27 PM] [edited by - elis-cool on October 3, 2002 11:35:49 PM]
[email=esheppard@gmail.com]esheppard@gmail.com[/email]
elis-cool
elis-cool
Ok, for those that want to see them in real time, ive uploaded the few I had, (except that last class one, as I dont have it and apperently it wont work with out all the files), someone should start an archive of all these installers and game intros and what not...
you can get it here. its 1.2 MB...
[email=esheppard@gmail.com]esheppard@gmail.com[/email]
helix
helix
those look sooooo good. big props for a job well done. but yeah, a waste. :|
spock
spock
Of course I had to download the installers.rar file to check these programs out.

All three of them appears to use pure GDI for graphics.

Two of them uses a library called BASSMOD for MOD playback, while one of them (the Civ3 one) only seem to import the winmm waveOut* functions - it might use a custom music player or some statically linked library.

No DirectX. That surprised me a bit, actually.

[edited by - spock on October 4, 2002 5:29:10 PM]
Sneftel
Sneftel
quote:
Original post by siaspete
Warezers,

Go away and don''t come back. Cheers.



Cool your jets. The demos being discussed here are only peripherally related to pirating software. And they DO look damn cool.


Don''t listen to me. I''ve had too much coffee.
__tunjin__
__tunjin__
quote:
Original post by spock
Two of them uses a library called BASSMOD for MOD playback, while one of them (the Civ3 one) only seem to import the winmm waveOut* functions - it might use a custom music player or some statically linked library.
[edited by - spock on October 4, 2002 5:29:10 PM]


my bet would be minifmod...
Yann L
Yann L
Hmm, hot topic title... The whole thing is OK, as long as you''re discussing the intro effects only. But don''t let it go further than that.
elis-cool
elis-cool
Ok, so how would I go about getting particle systems like that with the advanced crossfading\morphing\interpolation between shapes\objects and text etc? starfield effects etc are simple, but im not sure about how to do this this...
[email=esheppard@gmail.com]esheppard@gmail.com[/email]
neurokaotix
neurokaotix
While I do find the convo slightly amusing I would like to say that it was a tad bit unprovoked... to an extent. Anyway, I've always admired the installers from groups and have (until recently) limited myself to Visual Basic (ack I admitted it). However now I've been programming in VC++ for about 5 months or so. Its nice to program in a language you know you can really create something useful in. I would like to get in contact with some of the people who program the installers for Myth or Class. I've always found the installers to be visually captivating and a true image of what the scene today really is at heart and what it used to be before my time. The music in these programs is also reminiscent of a time gone but not forgotten.

Like ellis I'm interested in the particle systems (and other parts) because I'm programming my first real "installer" in a similar way that the large groups create theirs. I'm not asking for admittance into the scene but some assistance from the people whom I admire for their place in the larger picture. Unlike ellis I'm not interested in participating in a flame war with someone in one of the myth channels

Edited for spelling and grammar.

MindEngine Developer Network

[edited by - neurokaotix on October 5, 2002 2:20:49 AM]
siaspete
siaspete
Can we do a preemptive ban on the warez kids too?

Sneftel, I know I sounded angry, but this is a serious issue. My work has employed quite a few guys that were forced to look for a new job because the developer they were working for went under. Not because they made shoddy games, but because the company just didn''t have enough money to keep running.

I''m not saying that everyone can afford to buy a computer game whenever they want (I sure as hell couldn''t when I was in uni), but I am saying that if you want one, you should save up and not download it from these people. The warezers just don''t realise (or care) that people''s ability to feed themselves and their families is affected by whether people buy their game or not.

In effect they''re biting the hand that feeds them. If they carry on, the only developers left will be the big ones (id, Epic etc) who can afford to lose 50% of their sales. Unfortunately these are the developers who like to churn out iterations of the same game over and over. The smaller more innovative developers go out of business, as publishers don''t like to back a game that isn''t guaranteed to make money.

Rant over (for now!)


Helpful links:
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way | Google can help with your question | Search MSDN for help with standard C or Windows functions
elis-cool
elis-cool
Man! that guy who posted that converstion up there has edited it!! now thats not fair! and I dont have the original logs of it either...
edit: thanks mod for removing it.

quote:
Original post by siaspete
Can we do a preemptive ban on the warez kids too?

Sneftel, I know I sounded angry, but this is a serious issue. My work has employed quite a few guys that were forced to look for a new job because the developer they were working for went under. Not because they made shoddy games, but because the company just didn't have enough money to keep running.

I'm not saying that everyone can afford to buy a computer game whenever they want (I sure as hell couldn't when I was in uni), but I am saying that if you want one, you should save up and not download it from these people. The warezers just don't realise (or care) that people's ability to feed themselves and their families is affected by whether people buy their game or not.

In effect they're biting the hand that feeds them. If they carry on, the only developers left will be the big ones (id, Epic etc) who can afford to lose 50% of their sales. Unfortunately these are the developers who like to churn out iterations of the same game over and over. The smaller more innovative developers go out of business, as publishers don't like to back a game that isn't guaranteed to make money.

Rant over (for now!)


Helpful links:
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way | Google can help with your question | Search MSDN for help with standard C or Windows functions


Man did you not even read what I said in my post, yes we all know warez is bad, please dont continue on about this, this debate has happened SO many times here on Gamedev, this isnt about that.

[edited by - elis-cool on October 5, 2002 10:24:44 AM]
[email=esheppard@gmail.com]esheppard@gmail.com[/email]
mickey
mickey
hey the graphical effects in media player and winamp are kewl too, i''d also like to know how those are done?

thanks!
http://www.dualforcesolutions.comProfessional website designs and development, customized business systems, etc.,
siaspete
siaspete
quote:
Original post by elis-cool
Man did you not even read what I said in my post, yes we all know warez is bad, please dont continue on about this, this debate has happened SO many times here on Gamedev, this isnt about that.



I don''t want warezers getting involved with gd.net (thanks for giving them the link by the way) and I don''t want gd.net involved with warez. To me, that means installers and anything else related to it.

Sure the installers look good, but I really don''t see why you couldn''t research the individual parts of the programs (particles, non-rectangular windows, midi, etc) separately instead of posting a load of pics and going "Wow these are COOL!"


Helpful links:
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way | Google can help with your question | Search MSDN for help with standard C or Windows functions
Coincoin
Coincoin
Ten years ago, in the not-so-old time of mode13... there were some very impressive effects done. Sometime you wondered how they could pack that much without slowing the computer out to cr@p.

Now, with all the power advances in computer processing, I''m not surprised that the CPU could obtain a good fillrate on such small windows.

As of the particles effects, I would be very surprised if they used and made a good modular one that can basically do anything with inheritance and polymorphism. No, they just made one with a stupid array of points, put a math formula and displayed that to screen. No need for an engine in such trivial tasks. However, I didn''t see them so I couldn''t tell, but from here they look very impressive, except the green one, it looks like the guy was colorblind.

It''s a shame that the last remnents of the demoworld are spent on warez installers tough. They were so popular in 90s and now it''s pretty much limited to warez installers.

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