Installer

[PyTom]

My experience with Moonlight Walks is that people seem to like using a Windows installer, rather than simply unzipping the files on disk and playing from there. It might be that an installer is more professional, or perhaps it's because the download is a bit smaller.

Either way, I think it's about time (before NaNoRenO is over) to release a simplfied and updated version of the script that was used to generate the installer for Moonlight Walks (and, AFAIK, Amgine Park).

You can grab the script from:

http://www.bishoujo.us/tmp/installer.nsi

(Updated versions of the installer will be distributed with future versions of Ren'Py.)

To use it:

• Build a cross-platform zip file containing your game, using the instructions found in this post.
• Make sure you have NSIS installed on your system.
• Unpack your zip file. The directory containing the exe file for your game is the game's root directory.
• Copy installer.nsi into your game's root directory.
• Edit installer.nsi to fit your game. Right now, the settings it has are specific to Moonlight Walks.
• Right click on installer.nsi, and compile it. NSIS will automatically exclude files that aren't needed on Windows. The installer will show up in the directory above the game's root directory.

I do ask that if you release a game, you release a cross-platform zip along with the installer. The CPZ is the only way for Linux users (such as myself) to play your game. And Linux users do play these games. (People have emailed me to say so.)

Plus, the CPZ might be necessary when Ren'Py gets Mac support. (Which will probably be sometime after I get MacOS X up and running on my Athlon...)

[rioka]

A little more info on the "edit installer .nsi into your game's root directory".
Aside from changing all the "Moonlight Walks" to "Your game/file name", there's this you have watch out for:

Section "!Moonlight Walks" SEC01
SetOutPath "$INSTDIR"
SetOverwrite ifnewer
File "${SOURCE}\moonlight.exe"
File "${SOURCE}\python23.dll"
File "README.txt" <--1
File "${SOURCE}\LICENSE.txt" <--2
File /r "${SOURCE}\common"
File /r "${SOURCE}\lib"
File /r "${SOURCE}\moonlight"

1) You either have to move your README file where your nsi file is located or add "{SOURCE}\" in front so it becomes: File "${SOURCE}\README.txt"

2) If you don't have a LICENSE file, erase this line and you're good to go.

[PyTom]

I actually changed the installer a bit, so that advice won't quite work anymore. The new one is a bit smarter about it.

I do recommend supplying a README.txt and a LICENSE.txt. (If you want, you can steal the README from MW.)

If you don't want a LICENSE.txt, you can comment out the one line in the new program that mentions it. But you probably want to license your game under your own licensing terms... one of the Creative Commons licenses is probably appropriate for free games.

[rioka]

I actually changed the installer a bit, so that advice won't quite work anymore. The new one is a bit smarter about it.

Cool! That'll make things a lot easier.

[Grey]

I much prefer just the zip, no installers that decide I want shortcuts plastered all over the desktop, start menu, add remove programs window etc...