Deliver fmod/directplay dlls with your game?

[hosch]

Hi,

I love to come back to Blitz3D, despite having so many alternatives on the market. So when I found out it's open source, I decided to dive back in after many years and downloaded the version from itch.io. So now I am really committed to finish my project, which works fine in the IDE. Yesterday I compiled a test build to try out on my TV over Steam Link - it fails due to missing directplay and fmod. Sure thing, I stuck them in the folder with the .exe and it ran fine.

But what, if I want to distribute my game? Either free or sold? It can't be legal to stick those .dlls in the folder, right? Does anyone have more information on this? I don't recall this was necessary on the non open source edition. I am aware of the non direct play edition, so primarily I am worried about fmod. Thanks in advance and for the awesome community keeping Blitz alive!

[RemiD]

But what, if I want to distribute my game? Either free or sold? It can't be legal to stick those .dlls in the folder, right? Does anyone have more information on this?

take a look at the entries of the competitions on this forum, several entries used blitz3d (with the fmod and directplay dlls) nothing bad happened ? 

[GrindalfGames]

Im not sure about using directplay(I think its legal to use but cant remember why I think that)
as for fmod you can just get permission if it really bothers you(I did, it took them a few weeks to respond but from what I can tell they always give permission) although seeing as how vanilla blitz3d is licensed to use fmod even if they were hunting for people illegally using it they probably would not realise you don't have permission(because original blitz3d was licensed to use it) Or you could just download vanilla blitz3D that has fmod built into it(there a couple of versions on Itch and Im guessing you have one of the branches like NG that has fmod removed due to the change in the license)

[hosch]

Im not sure about using directplay(I think its legal to use but cant remember why I think that)
as for fmod you can just get permission if it really bothers you(I did, it took them a few weeks to respond but from what I can tell they always give permission) although seeing as how vanilla blitz3d is licensed to use fmod even if they were hunting for people illegally using it they probably would not realise you don't have permission(because original blitz3d was licensed to use it) Or you could just download vanilla blitz3D that has fmod built into it(there a couple of versions on Itch and Im guessing you have one of the branches like NG that has fmod removed due to the change in the license)

Thanks for your reply. I guess I'll stick to the safe side then and use the non directplay edition, contact fmod (you don't have their reply lying around that you could forward me by chance?) and deliver their .dll with my build. I am using the version from blitzresearch's itch.io.

[GrindalfGames]

just go to fmod.com make a profile and then new project, tag it to earn less than 500k and wait for permission. it will come up with a green licensed tag when you have gotten your indie license.
As for directplay, it is a part of directx and anybody can download the dll if needed. I don't see that it would be an issue to distribute it with your game and I cant find any other information on it.
But if there is a directplay free version of Blitz then that would be fine seeing as how directplay is only for multiplayer functions anyway

[hosch]

Thanks for the tipps. Could you elaborate on what you meant by vanilla Blitz? As I've said, I know that fmod was baked in in the non open source version. But where would I get that and wasn't there an issue with Windows 10 below version 1.108?

[Steve Elliott]

Vanilla means the 'standard' version - that Mark Sibly created.  Because Blitz3D is now open source it breaks the agreement regards fmod so you must use another sound library - or use the original version.

I don't personally know where you might download, and I'm aware of vast slowdown on the latest version of Windows with Blitz3D.  I would also like to know what you need to do to run Blitz3D at full speed on modern systems.

[hosch]

I am familiar with the term, I just felt like I am missing out on an easier solution than contacting fmod and such. Thanks anway.

What do you mean by full speed? I am getting solid 60 FPS with my Blitz 2D and about 75 FPS with my 3D applications.

[Steve Elliott]

Last time I tried to run old code in Blitz3D the frame rate was very slow on a Windows 10 system, compared to running it on old hardware some years ago.  I seem to remember there was a fix, but I don't remember what it was.

[hosch]

Oh, it should be fixed in the current version. I have experienced the same problem with Win 10, FPS in the single digits, but the latest patch solved it for me. You can try and download it from Blitzresearch's itch.io, it should run fine now - if you are still interested that is. I am glad I rediscovered Blitz for me.

[Steve Elliott]

Thanks I'll try that.  I'm glad you rediscovered a programming language you like, Mark Sibly's finest hour I think.  I won't be using it, but sometimes old code is useful - but only if it runs properly.

[GrindalfGames]

I have no problem with speed unless debug mode is on in which case my game can drop into the single digits. There seems to be some issue with the debugger on win10

[RemiD]

if you don't include the direcplay dll, users of your app will have to download/install it on windows 8 and windows 10 (or see an error message)

see : https://www.syntaxbomb.com/index.php/topic,3888.0.html

[hosch]

Thanks, I've ready your post on this topic before (you were kind enough to post this in the german Blitz Forum as well where I am a user, too).