Adapt RP412's pack-dist.ps1 for BattleTech. Assembles dist\ from a Release
Steam build (build-steam\Release\btl4.exe -- Release so it runs on a machine
without VS's non-redistributable debug CRT) plus steam_api.dll + OpenAL32.dll,
the content\ data (AUDIO/GAUGE/VIDEO, BTL4.RES, BTDPL.INI, the VREND
manifests, bindings.txt, DEV/MP/MP1 eggs), oalinst.exe (OpenAL fallback),
tools\btconsole.py, a TEST-only steam_appid.txt=480, a self-documenting
environ.ini (BT412STEAM=1 + the L4MFDSPLIT cockpit), start.bat, and a README
that states the multiplayer status plainly (lobby works; the host->member
mission feed is deferred; classic btconsole.py TCP path works today). -Zip
emits BattleTech-4.12.zip (~46 MB).
Verified: the Release exe boots a live DEV.EGG mission (optimizer-clean), and
the packaged exe run from dist\ brings the Steam transport up (FakeIP
allocated, lobby available) -- self-contained. dist/ + the zip are gitignored.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
"Race" is Red Planet's term (it's a racing game) and rode in with the
RPL4LOBBY port. In BattleTech the gameplay unit is a MISSION. Sweep it out
of the front-end / lobby / marshal code + the roadmap and steamification
digest: rename the public API BTLobby_Push/PullRaceResults ->
Push/PullMissionResults, the internal PrimeHostedRace -> PrimeHostedMission,
the deferred marshal InstallNetworkRace -> InstallNetworkMission, and the
user-facing strings ("STEAM MISSION LOBBY", "L A U N C H M I S S I O N",
"HOST/JOIN STEAM MISSION"). Comments follow. No behavior change; both gates
(default + BT412_STEAM) still build + link clean.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Port RP412's RPL4LOBBY to BT: an ISteamMatchmaking room stands in for the
arcade Site-Management screen. Compiled both gates -- stubs without
BT412_STEAM, the full room under it (both configs build + link clean).
Lobby (game/reconstructed/btl4lobby.*):
- Room screen (green-on-black, like the menu), owner = console.
- Member data: FakeIP + fake console/game ports + persona + mech/color/badge
(ip/cp/gp/nm/vh/cl/bd keys).
- Nonced "go" launch roster -> SteamNetTransport_RegisterPeer for every peer.
- Push/PullRaceResults over lobby data rebuild the shared score sheet.
Front end (btl4fe.*): HOST/JOIN buttons when BTLobby_Available() (Steam
transport up); the menu loop exits on a steam action and BTFrontEnd_Run
routes the lobby outcome -- host builds the egg with every member as a
[pilots] mesh entry (BTFrontEnd_SetHostedPilots), member returns launch
mode 2. Results screen prefers the marshal's collated result names.
Marshal (btl4console.*): add GetResultName / ClearResults / InjectResult so
the lobby owner can refill the sheet from the collated wire scores; Result
gains a name field.
WinMain (btl4main.cpp): install the Steam transport on BT412STEAM env
(before the front end, so the lobby is offered); branch on
BTFrontEnd_LastLaunchMode() -- host owns the marshal clock + joins the mesh,
member enters as a network pod on :1501 (SetNetworkCommonFlatAddress +
gConsoleLossEndsMission); Push (host) / Pull (member) results, then relaunch.
CMake: btl4lobby.cpp joins bt410_l4; that lib gets BT412_STEAM + the
Steamworks include under the gate. build-steam/ gitignored.
Deferred (untestable here -- needs Steam + multiple machines): the
host->member wire egg-feed marshal (InstallNetworkRace); a member currently
waits for a console connection nothing supplies, so a live host+member race
is blocked on it. The lobby object does not survive the per-mission
relaunch. docs/STEAM-3-MACHINE-TEST.md for BT not yet authored.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
The wire moves behind NetTransport (L4NETTRANSPORT): L4NET.CPP taken
from RP412 post-seam -- all ~24 Winsock call sites route through
NetTransport_Get() -- with BT's 3 BT_NET_TRACE blocks re-sited onto
their code anchors (they read message/packet metadata, not sockets, so
no collision). Default WinsockNetTransport = the arcade/LAN TCP wire.
SteamNetTransport (L4STEAMTRANSPORT, ISteamNetworkingSockets + FakeIP/
SDR) compiles under option(BT412_STEAM) (default OFF); Steamworks SDK
1.64 vendored at extern/steamworks_sdk_164. steam_appid.txt gitignored
(Spacewar 480 by hand until a real AppID). Ported gConsoleLossEndsMission
from RP412's APPMGR (default False = arcade re-listen).
Verified: default TCP build passes full loopback MP through the seam
(console -> egg msgID-3 chunks -> mesh complete -> both instances tick,
net-tx/net-rx traces fire through NetTransport_Get()); BT412_STEAM=ON
compiles + links against the SDK + boots solo. Live Steam session
deferred to Phase 6. (Phase 4 of docs/BT412-ROADMAP.md)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Renders BT's 128x32 plasma display into a desktop window instead of
streaming to serial hardware. L4PLASMASCREEN.* copied verbatim from
RP412; the L4GREND.cpp selector diff applied (BT's only divergence
there is a comment -- no collision).
Verified: a 'Plasma Display' window opens and the game ticks normally
beside it (L4GAUGE=640x480x16 L4PLASMA=SCREEN).
Phase 3b (single-window MFD-split cockpit) is DEFERRED -- blocked on
the missing BT cockpit-layout geometry and BT's unfinished upstream MFD
dev-composite; the L4VB16 hand-merge is HIGH-risk (BT's dev-gauge
docking overlaps RP412's split rewrite). See context/steamification.md
and docs/BT412-ROADMAP.md. (Phase 3 of the roadmap)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Identity pass (README/CLAUDE.md/CMake project bt412), the steamification
roadmap (docs/BT412-ROADMAP.md), and the living context topic
(context/steamification.md). Forked at BT411 4e72f0c; origin is
VWE/BT412.git only -- this repo never touches the BT411 remote.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
CydandClaude Opus 4.8