Messages

1

Coding Snacks / Re: Custom WinPE build

« on: August 08, 2018, 01:11 PM »

The link to Lakka. It is still a http website, in case your chrome browser starts to whine about that.

-Shades (August 08, 2018, 11:22 AM)

I'm really not into Lakka. It doesn't support box art, music clips, video clips, attract mode... Any of the stuff Launchbox has. Just a PS3 style XMB menu :/ Just not very arcadish. More of a console interface.

OH! I just realised what's happened. In your last post you said "Kalla" and I thought it was a different frontend of some description but you meant Lakka. I'm on the same page now.

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Coding Snacks / Re: Custom WinPE build

« on: August 08, 2018, 01:05 PM »

Yeah seemingly the hardware IoT will run on is very limited

3

Coding Snacks / Re: Custom WinPE build

« on: August 08, 2018, 07:56 AM »

IoT is mainly for single board computers, like Raspbery Pi. I mainly said x86 to differentiate from the ARM build but I also don't think IoT has a 64bit version, from what I've seen so far.

I followed this guide to run Windows IoT from a VM. That's a start.
https://www.newventu...in-a-virtual-machine

If nothing else, this opens up the possibility to run Launchbox from SBC systems.

4

Coding Snacks / Re: Custom WinPE build

« on: August 08, 2018, 07:29 AM »

I was reading about IoT edition literally moments before your post. It does sound worth a shot! I'm having a difficult time locating the version for x86, though... perhaps the "Minnowboard" version will work on other x86 hardware.

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Coding Snacks / Re: Custom WinPE build

« on: August 07, 2018, 10:21 PM »

I just got feedback from Jason Carr, the lead developer of Launchbox. He thinks the reason I'm having difficulties is because I need pretty much every DirectX library ever. Not just DirectX 11. Trying to include those libraries in the build now. Progress

6

Coding Snacks / Re: Custom WinPE build

« on: August 07, 2018, 08:26 PM »

I'd not heard of the Launchbox project!  I'll have to look into that.  Are you making your WinPE build public?  I'd love to take a look at what you've done.

-wraith808 (August 07, 2018, 09:08 AM)

I've been following Launchbox since they started out. The community has grown a lot and have created a lot of custom themes for the 'Big Box' mode. Big Box being the mode intended for usage in a cabinet setup; which is now unfortunately a paid feature. The standard mode for desktop use remains free.

I have a premium license but it was much cheaper when I bought it. I think back then it was $20. Now they're asking for $50   They do occasionally run promotions, though. So if you follow them on social media or join the mailing list you might pick it up discounted.

I will absolutely make my WinPE build public if I get it to a place where I'm happy with it. I'm feelling pretty frustrated with it at the moment... but I believe it's worth persisting with. Thanks for the kind words.

7

Coding Snacks / Re: Custom WinPE build

« on: August 07, 2018, 08:13 PM »

If an absolute bare-bones Windows installation is what you after, you should look at how musicians set up their Windows-based studio. Those persons have a much better understanding of what hardware combinations work and all the services/functionality you must strip from Windows that create these processor "hick-ups". Normally you barely notice interruptions in the flow of information that your eyes/ears receive from the computer, but when the soul purpose is to record the best quality sound without any interruption from either hardware or software, you install only the bare minimum of extra software and strip all surplus from that computer.

-Shades (August 07, 2018, 01:43 PM)

Thanks. Do you know where the best place would be to look for examples of this? A link to a forum maybe?

After taking a brief look at Launchbox and Kalla, my personal preference would be Kalla, because of its cleaner, deceivingly simpler look. While Launchbox appears to have more expansion options, Kalla works with PC's, Mac's and raspberry Pi or similar devices. If looked at pure gaming experience, I think both systems are pretty evenly matched.

I hadn't heard of Kalla. I tried to search for it but didn't find it. Do you have a link?

I've already put a lot of time into doing things a certain way but as they say "Don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it."  I'm open to the idea there's a better way.

8

Coding Snacks / Re: Custom WinPE build

« on: August 07, 2018, 08:00 PM »

I was testing the build on my laptop. As I used the laptop to compile the build.

The target machine is an old Core 2 Duo with 2gb RAM. The intention is to be able to turn old machines (which would otherwise only going to a computer recycling company) into arcade machine guts.

I was unaware of the 72 hour reboot with WinPE. However I'm using tools developed by TheOven.org to compile my build. They have a very strong community writing scripts to implement all kinds features PE was never intended to have (and in fact designed by MS not to have). They have most likely already taken care of this issue but I will be inquiring on their forum.

If "hunting for ghosts" means building an OS build which is TOO efficient, I think that's a silly point to make. I'm a pessimist but even I think that's being needlessly negative.

9

Coding Snacks / Re: Custom WinPE build

« on: August 07, 2018, 04:59 AM »

I'm set on Windows for one reason only: to use Launchbox as the frontend for my cabinet.

Launchbox is by far the best frontend out there IMO (https://youtu.be/Wdp9IB5pl2Y) however it's only available for Windows. The devs say they will create a Linux version one day but they've been saying that for years now so I won't hold my breath.

The problem with using a full OS for a dedicated arcade cabinet is the amount of unwanted background processes. So I set out to create a WinPE build which contains only the essential framework for Launchbox and emulators.

After nearly 40 hours of wrestling with it I had a breakthrough today. Now I have an OS which is light on resources and has absolute minimal chance of some background task ever interfering while the emulators are running. Next step: add Launchbox.

I dare say this cabinet will be one of a kind

10

Coding Snacks / Custom WinPE build

« on: August 06, 2018, 07:08 AM »

Using the Win10PE SE tool (available here: http://win10se.cwcodes.net) I have been trying with frustratingly little success to create a custom WinPE build to act as a lightweight OS for an arcade cabinet.

I experimented a little with someone else's custom WinPE build called "Bob.Omb's Modified Win10PE" (available here: https://goo.gl/bs3rUA). Using that build and a few downloaded .dll files I was able to run frontend Launchbox (available here: www.launchbox-app.com) as well as a number of emulators.

The problem with using Bob.Omb's build is that it was intended to be used as recovery media and is loaded with a tonne of applications for recovery purposes; but it did show me that what I want to achieve IS possible. Seemingly though, I'm very out of my depth Which is why I am here. If anyone out there would be willing to take on this WinPE build for me I would pay for your efforts, if I'm able to match what you think it's worth.

11

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Borderlands and/or Borderlands 2 smallish mod

« on: December 23, 2013, 07:36 PM »

I don't think that he was posting to dissuade you- he was posting to give you ideas.  That's how the site works.  A lot of requests have been solved by the alternative routes, so don't take offense when someone attempts to help you perhaps not in the way that you were thinking.

-wraith808 (December 23, 2013, 07:29 PM)

Okay, yes you're right. My bad. Attitude adjusted accordingly. Thanks.

12

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Borderlands and/or Borderlands 2 smallish mod

« on: December 23, 2013, 06:03 PM »

You could also implement your own "honor system" rules. For example, you could say you're going to play a "hardcore" more where if you die, you will delete your character.

Or if you die, you will drop all your money and all of your items in your inventory.

Etc. There are lots of ways you can make the game more challenging on yourself without needing to actually mod the code.

-Deozaan (December 23, 2013, 05:55 PM)

XP is what I really want to see penalized.. to be more like the games of old. There is no way to reduce xp by way of honor system. If this idea were realized as a mod, servers could host games of this type. Other random players from the other side of the world could join in the fight experiencing the same rules; a feature that an honor system can not afford or enforce.

I understand that this isn't an essential project, but it's still one I'm hoping someone is interested in giving a go. Please don't post to dissuade me just because this isn't something that personally interests you.. Thanks.

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Post New Requests Here / IDEA: Borderlands and/or Borderlands 2 smallish mod

« on: December 23, 2013, 05:39 PM »

Hi guys,

This is my first post.  I love the concept of this site

If some of you guys are old enough to remember the golden era of video games then like me you may be grumbling that games these days are made to be too easy.  I get why they do it.. They want the game to be more accessible, and therefore sell more copies. It's a good business model but unfortunately can often make for hypo-ludic gameplay

My girlfriend and I played Borderlands together.  I thought it had potential to be a really great game but one thing absolutely spoiled the experience for me: Death incurs far too little penalty..  This bugged me to the point that when Borderlands 2 was released and my girlfriend asked me if I wanted to play it with her, the first thing I asked was "Have they changed the penalty for dying? Or is it still just a monetary percentage?" When she said "You still just lose money", I said "Sounds shit."

I am hoping someone here may have the know-how and the interest to create a small mod for Borderlands and/or Borderlands 2 to increase the penalty for dying by losing a percentage of acquired experience points, thereby making the game more challenging. I currently earn very little, but will donate what I can to the cause.

What say you, good people?