Portable Freelancer: Some Thoughts

Ok so I recently posted up an alpha version of my portable framework for Freelancer, you may or may not have seen it.

It’s part of some broader plans, but my time can be somewhat limited on occassion. Multiple different projects on the go.

I just wanted to keep you guys up to date with my plans, and if any of you feel like helping out, you’d be more than welcome.

Stage 1 - Proof of concept (complete)
Create the framework so that Freelancer can be launched and keeps it’s save files and user configuration separate, and that the framework can be copied and or moved as much as needed and still works, anywhere on a users drive/s. This is what you can find when you download PortableFL from my other thread right now, it has no GUI to it, it’s just a bunch of scripts that handle the game and “import” it from your installed version.

Stage 2 - Work the platform into a more robust package with a launcher GUI (I would like to base this around the design of The Starport and pull news etc from it if possible to be given permission/help in doing so). Once the code has been refined to be able to extract the game from the retail install CD and/or local installation, and there is a fully working GUI to be able to control it, play the game, and pull in web data, then this stage will be complete.

Stage 3 - Refine the vanilla install to have all our basic advancements - namely widescreen, updated textures, effects, starspheres, maybe reshade, the quickfix, and the other minor improvements (zlib, mp3 audio fix etc etc) and package this into the platform itself along with it’s auto updater (for the platform itself)

Stage 4 - Create a customised and refined game server package for the platform, for those who want to run a server, will have a web based control GUI built into the launcher itself.

Stage 5 - Based on Arghs XML toolkit create a scripting API for folk to use with the platform, allowing them to quickly and easily script in new ships etc.

That’s the plan anyways, I am going to need some help with some of it. Stage 1 and 2 I am constantly working on and refining piece by piece when I have time. I can also handle stage 3 myself but stage 4 is probably what I would need the most help with, and stage 5 I could also work on. But it would make sense to work on these stages simultaneously thats all.

If anyones game send me a PM, I realise it’s late in the game, but I would like to make it easier for folk to just pick up and play the game and for it to be more up to date and flexible. Before it is consigned to oblivion.

Here is a small taste, WIP of the launcher interface: