Beta testing - installer needed?

[Conan]

[Ohayden]

We've done it both ways, but now we always do it with an installer. Like it or not, the installer is part of the product. Meaning, if you're going to test, you should test the whole product. Nothing worst than thinking you're all done testing and then to have a few people complaining about troubles with installing. I say, if you can spare the time then go ahead and release with the installer. IMHO.

[Conan]

ok, thanks, I take the point. The installer has to be done anyway so I may as well get that done before asking for testers. I'm not in a hurry to release the final game though hoping for 21 July, my birthday.

[fzammetti]

Conan, if you want to save yourself some time, I'd be happy to give you my installer to use...

[Conan]

[fzammetti]

[Presto]

I just wrote the installer for my new game, <a href="http://www.pocketadventures.com/travel.asp">The Travel Collection</a>, yesterday. It only took an hour or so to convert the one I had been using with Dr. Pocket. It's another ezsetup installer, so really it's just 5 files.
- readme
- eula
- ini
- inf
- and a batch file that makes the .exe

And I just want to say "Thanks" again Conan for writing the tutorial that I used to make my first ezsetup installer.

-John

[Conan]

Delighted to be of help John, I want to help others get things done quicker without the pain of having to waste hours of time on trial & error.

I must update that tutorial and add it to my PF tutorials page. I'm also doing one on Hekkus which I'm just finished implementing in my game.

(as a first step I have added the EZSetup tutorial as it stands onto my PF resources page. I will get it updated in the next 2 weeks or so.