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[RustKnight]

I've been looking through threads on how to compile the latest version of LCS - followed several instructions, but failed miserably.

Would somebody be so kind as to just give me a brief step by step method on how to manage to compile the latest source code of LCS ?
I am really shocked on how easy it is to program and mod, but how abysmal  the difficulty to properly compile the damn thing is.
I must say thou, while I understand basic coding and what libraries are, I really have no idea how to properly set up the compiler, so a step by step would be greatly appreciated!

[IsaacG]

I've been looking through threads on how to compile the latest version of LCS - followed several instructions, but failed miserably.

Would somebody be so kind as to just give me a brief step by step method on how to manage to compile the latest source code of LCS ?
I am really shocked on how easy it is to program and mod, but how abysmal  the difficulty to properly compile the damn thing is.
I must say thou, while I understand basic coding and what libraries are, I really have no idea how to properly set up the compiler, so a step by step would be greatly appreciated!

I am interested in helping.  Unfortunately Liberal Crime Squad is... badly programmed.  The bulk of it is cobbled together by amateur programmers who learned how through other badly programmed parts of Liberal Crime Squad.
Worse, the programming language C++ has its origins 45 years ago when C was invented, and it's designed to still use much of the architecture and syntax from back then.
When I first got it to compile, I was using Visual Studio 2012, which was not compatible with the Visual Studio 2010 project file, and so I needed direct step by step directions on the conversion.
Then Visual Studio 2015 was released, and I had to figure that one out on my own, since Microsoft doesn't really allow downloads of older versions.
Microsoft recently released Visual Studio 2017, and dropped support for VS 2015.  I'm still using VS 2015 and the last person to try was unable to get the project file to compile with VS 2017.

tldr; it will take dedication to get it to compile.

[RustKnight]

Wow, didn't knew the things were so serious. Too bad thou - it's game design is quite unique.
Anyone feeling up for a total rewrite ? 
Joke aside, I wonder how much time would that take - if one was to work 8 hours per day 5/7 per week.

[Taberone]

Compiling is a serious pain that's not worth the stress (at least to me), honestly. I know because I used to struggle with that until I eventually gave up. There are versions of LCS that already come with an .exe so you don't have to compile. Unfortunately, if you want to make major modifications to LCS (Ex. anything other than editing the XML files in the Art folder), you're going to have to compile. IsaacG and Kamal-Sadek have more up to date versions of LCS. Use Jonathan S. Fox's if you like outdated versions of LCS.

[RustKnight]

But I don't get it really - why is all this so mystical ? If you got for a step by step instructions I guess you're bound to make it run, right? Right?
Anyway, I'll see what I can manage. Thanks for the info thou.

[IsaacG]

But I don't get it really - why is all this so mystical ? If you got for a step by step instructions I guess you're bound to make it run, right? Right?
Anyway, I'll see what I can manage. Thanks for the info thou.

Much of the issue is that, well, there isn't anyone to give step by step instructions.  Fox hasn't been on in years, so just about the only people still here I know who can even get it to compile are myself, Kamel-Sadek, and SlatersQuest.  I have a Windows machine, Kamel-Sadek has Linux, and SlatersQuest has a Mac, meaning each of us has a different set of instructions out of the gate.
Unfortunately I am the least experienced of the three, and am yet to successfully get it to compile for anyone other than myself.
C++ has quite a few different compilers that can be used, and every one of them has different instructions.  To port TerraVitae to Windows using Visual Studio 2015 I have to change four of the source files, and three of them would not have to be changed if I had Visual Studio 2010.
I'll try to cover more specifics in private chat.

[zaimoni]

I have gotten it to compile before; however my development environment is a tarball zoo of MingWin that I have to maintain a full backup of (as the *.exe installers for MingWin are Dead On Arrival on my systems).  Unfortunately, my ideas for new features were inconsistent with the game, so not worth releasing.

However, it's not that difficult.  Once you know you have a good C++ compiler install, you just add the files to the project until they're all there (no more missing includes warnings), then flush the errors out.

[Rolan7]

I just finished getting it working with Code::Blocks, thanks to some old advice from Sergius in another thread!  Here's what I did, copied from there so you might see:

Here's a summary of the process to build with Code::Blocks

• Install TDM-32 from first installer (second installer works too, you just choose 32-bit) http://tdm-gcc.tdragon.net/download
• Install Code::Blocks *without mingw*, or go into Settings->Compile->Toolchain Executables and point it at your TDM-32 directory.  The individual filenames still say mingw, but were fine as is for me.  It seemed to auto-detect TDM-32 correctly when installed without bundled mingw.
• Open the "workspaces" directory, open game.cbp in Code::Blocks.
• Go to Project->Build Options->Linker Settings.  Edit "-lncurses" to "-lpdcurses".
• Do the build (:
• Final bit of weirdness...  Hitting run, it will claim the project hasn't been built.  You have to decline to build it, then it will actually run.  If you say yes, it'll build, then ask again...  Which is bizarre but useful.

Good luck!!

[zaimoni]

Right, 64-bit TDM 5.1 is Dead On Arrival on my development system; I had to use TDM 5.1.

(That is two major version lagged GCC, but thoroughly adequate as long as you aren't messing with C++17.)

[Rolan7]

I'm very glad you're still here! (:
But 32-bit TDM worked, right?  I hope?

[zaimoni]

Yes, I am using TDM 5.1 for my C++ projects now.  It works fine.  It would be nice if there was a more recent TDM, but the later builds from MingW64 appear fragile.