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# Summary: Licar Installation and Critique on Windows #
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# procedure and the points of frustration with the game. #
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| INSTALLATION AND COMPILATION GUIDE FOR WINDOWS (TAS Version) |
============================================================================
This guide is the result of a complex debugging process and represents the
functional method for compiling the game Licar with its TAS mod on a modern
Windows system.
---
### PREREQUISITES
1. **Git for Windows**: To be installed from
https://git-scm.com/
2. **MSYS2**: To be installed from
https://www.msys2.org/
3. DON'T FORGET TO ADD sdl2.dll in the folder!!!!
---
### STEP 1: INSTALLING THE TOOLS (via MSYS2)
1. Launch the **"MSYS2 MinGW 64-bit"** terminal from your Start Menu.
2. In this terminal, run the following commands to update the system and
install the necessary tools (the GCC compiler and the SDL2 library).
Confirm the installations with 'Y' when prompted.
pacman -Syu
pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-gcc mingw-w64-x86_64-SDL2
3. Once the installations are complete, close the MSYS2 window.
---
### STEP 2: DOWNLOADING THE GAME (via Windows Command Prompt)
1. Launch the standard Windows **Command Prompt** (type `cmd` in the
Start Menu).
2. In the black window, run the following commands to create a working
folder and download the game's source code into it.
mkdir C:\dev
cd C:\dev
git clone
https://git.coom.tech/drummyfish/Licar.git
3. Once the download is complete, close the Command Prompt.
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### STEP 3: COMPILING THE GAME (back in MSYS2)
1. Relaunch the **"MSYS2 MinGW 64-bit"** terminal.
2. Navigate to the game folder you just downloaded.
cd /c/dev/Licar
3. Apply the patch for the TAS mod. The "whitespace errors" warnings can
be ignored.
git apply mods/tas.diff
4. Compile the project by specifically targeting the SDL frontend.
gcc frontend_sdl.c -o licar.exe -lmingw32 -lSDL2main -lSDL2 -lm
---
### STEP 4: RUNNING THE GAME
1. If the compilation is successful, it will not return any errors (only
a harmless warning might appear).
2. The game is now ready. Go to the `C:\dev\Licar` folder using the
Windows File Explorer.
3. Double-click on `licar.exe` to play.
============================================================================
| CRITIQUE AND POINTS OF FRUSTRATION |
============================================================================
The experience of installing and getting started with the game has several
major flaws attributable to the developer.
---
### 1. Near-Nonexistent and Confusing Documentation
The main grievance is the total lack of information. The game's controls,
the precise mechanics, and the use of the TAS mode are not documented
anywhere. This extends to basic menu navigation: while menus are moved with
the arrow keys, selecting modes (like "Play") requires other, unindicated
keyboard keys, leading to immediate confusion. The user is forced to guess
or, in the worst-case scenario, read the source code to understand how to
play, which is unacceptable.
---
### 2. Flawed and Complex Compilation Procedure
The compilation instructions provided by the developer are not only
Linux-specific but also incorrect. The suggested command references a
non-existent `src/` directory. Discovering the correct method required a
long and tedious debugging process that is beyond the scope of a typical
user.
---
### 3. Lack of a Precompiled Binary for the TAS Mode
The developer promotes the existence of a "TAS mod" but offers no easy way
for Windows users to access it. The executable available on itch.io is the
standard version. The only way to use the TAS mode is to go through the
arduous compilation procedure detailed above, a considerable barrier to
entry.
---
### 4. The "TAS Mod" is Incomplete and Lacks Critical Features
For a mod specifically advertised for "TASing" (Tool-Assisted Speedrunning),
it is missing fundamental features expected by the community.
* **No Input File System:** While the game speed can be adjusted in the
menus, the mod critically lacks the ability to save a sequence of
keypresses to a file and replay it later. This save/load input movie
feature is the core function of a TAS.
* **No On-Screen Input Display:** There is no display to show the current
inputs being pressed. This is an essential feature for creating,
debugging, and viewing a tool-assisted run.
* **No Status Indicator:** The game provides no clear visual indicator
(e.g., a visible icon or text) to confirm if an input movie is
currently being recorded or played back.
Without these features, the mod is, at best, a slow-motion practice tool, not
a proper tool-assisted speedrunning suite.
---
### 5. Lack of Professionalism in the Source Code
The presence of messages directly in the code, such as the compilation
warning `#warning "Your OS sucks, go fuck yourself."`, demonstrates a lack of
maturity and respect towards people trying to engage with the project.
Although technically harmless, this type of message is inappropriate and
harms the project's image.
---
### IN SUMMARY
Although the project is technically functional, accessing it on Windows is
made extremely difficult by incorrect instructions and a blatant lack of
documentation. Furthermore, the highly-touted "TAS mod" is functionally
incomplete, missing features considered standard and essential for its
stated purpose.
It's great that you're making the game free, with your state of mind, I understand, I've done plenty of demos for free), in the spirit of the 90s and all, but in the 90s we all read the manual in the toilet.
So I'm surprised that you don't give any information about the buttons in the menu, or how to choose a game mode, or how to choose TAS mode or anything else. (keyboard/arrow keys etc)