Norbert wrote:The main reason to suggest SDLPoP over PoP1 for DOS is that it delivers the same experience but adds features. In my opinion, this would justify my choice to urge visitors to go try SDLPoP instead of PoP1 for DOS.
Another reason which would justify that in my opinion is that (unlike PoP1 for DOS) SDLPoP is free software.
Norbert wrote:I could generalize such a statement to include MININIM. What should I tell visitors about MININIM, is what I'm currently thinking about. I don't want to write that it is "another implementation", because from a visitor's perspective that's not informative enough; too vague. It's difficult for me to 'sell' MININIM in this context. [...] I could mention specific features, such as the multi-room option, but that's not general enough. Something subjective, like "MININIM is an improvement over PoP1 for DOS", also won't work.
I tend to see this from an artistic point of view. From my perspective, if the original game were a piece of music composed by Jordan Mechner, MININIM would be my interpretation of it --- the way I, oitofelix, think Prince of Persia should be ideally experienced (constrained to the extent of my skills in objectifying such intent); how I myself feel it when I think abstractly about its concept.
Technically, however, I don't know how to best describe it rather than a "free software implementation of PoP 1 (based on PoP 1 for DOS) written from scratch by myself having the goal of surpassing the original in every technical aspect".
Norbert wrote:The main reason I even feel like mentioning it on the website - in this context; not in general - is that I don't want you to feel left out.
I'm grateful for that.
Norbert wrote:Most of the website visitors are probably looking for PoP1 for DOS, not something that modifies battle and movement behavior.
Of course, most people don't know MININIM yet. Probably the thought that things may be different and potentially better might never have occurred to them. I know people who like me, think MININIM is a better implementation of Prince of Persia than the PoP1 for DOS or SDLPoP. From time to time I receive their thankful mails from all around the globe.
Norbert wrote:The mods' packages, if I'd want to add SDLPoP in them as an option, how should MININIM fit in the picture? Should these packages only include the modified files, and should the mods overview page then explain how to add these files to a user-selected implementation? (PoP1 for DOS with DOSBox, SDLPoP, or MININIM.) With Total Pack automating that process? Of course, most of these mods were never meant to be used with MININIM.
I would offer MININIM as an alternative for playing those mods from a different (MININIM's, that's oitofelix's) perspective. Furthermore soon MININIM will have a very user-friendly interface surrounding all of its features, including its advanced level editor which will support saving to the legacy format. People may want to explore/modify those levels using such a tool for a variety of reasons.
Regarding legacy mods, for MININIM you should only include the LEVELS.DAT file, because (for MININIM's standards) graphics are orthogonal to level design. Graphics and sound set mods are not yet supported by MININIM, but that's planned. From MININIM's perspective support to these features doesn't equate to people distributing portions of the data directory. Those sets should be explicitly and conveniently supported by the engine as individual non-conflitant packages. What I have in mind is that MININIM will allow for people to have multiple graphics/sound sets installed in parallel and then they'll be able to easily switch among them on the fly, whatever level sets they are using, for any possible combination.
Although there isn't any yet, I'm sure mods (that is a non-exclusive combination of level, graphics and sound sets) for MININIM will emerge as soon as it gathers critical mass. Then their authors may hint on a specific combination of level/graphics/sounds --- they may as well point to some of the components from other published mods --- but ultimately that choice is left rightfully to the user.