This is the Fall'18 Update release of Metropolis Launcher v1.2.0
Prerequisites
Metropolis Launcher is based on the extended .NET Framework 4.0.
For Windows 8 and newer: please activate .NET Framework 4.x in your Windows Features (Control Panel | Programs and Features | Turn Windows features on or off | tick the appropriate options)
For Windows XP, Vista and 7: download and install .NET Framework 4.0
Documentation
Metropolis Launcher ships with a documentation (ml.chm) where you can find infos for installation and initial setup. You can also read it online at https://documentation.metropolis-launcher.net
Website
Visit the website at https://metropolis-launcher.net
Important: If you already use a previous build of Metropolis Launcher and update it with this one, go to Settings and click the Refresh Caches Now! button.
New Features
RetroAchievements Support and Challenge Mode
https://retroachievements.org is a set of modified emulators (including RetroArch) and an online database allowing you to unlock and track achievements in emulated games.
Metropolis Launcher helps you keeping track of (un)locked achievements for the supported games.
On top of that, Metropolis Launcher lets you create challenges:
- define multiple tiers per challenge having multiple achievements
- when all achievements in a tier are unlocked, the next tier is visible
- in multi-user mode a user may be bound to a challenge, so that only games of the current challenge/tier are visible to the user
Challenges can contain RetroAchievements and additionally runtime-based achievements. You can use runtime-based achievements for games which are not supported by RetroAchievements.
Total DOS Launcher Support
The Total DOS Launcher by Trixter is a DOS native launcher, easily capable of handling thousands of files on vintage hardware.
Metropolis Launcher ships and supports Total DOS Launcher in the following scenarios:
- Export your zipped DOS games as a Total DOS Launcher Collection, ready to be copied to your vintage hardware.
- Create a Total DOS Launcher start menu for games having multiple executables (e.g. Ultima Collection, id Anthology, Duke Nukum Episode 1 - 3)
Total DOS Launcher Export dialog in Metropolis Launcher
Total DOS Launcher running in DOS
Pre- and Post-Launch Commands
For any emulator you can now define commands that are launched before and after the actual emulator is launched.
Enhanced Scripting Support
Metropolis Launcher now supports enhanced scripting with AutoIt and AutoHotKey. You'll be provided with a template script containing the variables which will be filled upon launch. Use it as the starting point for developing your own script.
Instead of directly launching the emulator, your script will be executed.
Global Default Emulators defined per-user
In Multi User Mode, each user may now define their global default emulator for each platform in the Emulator Settings dialog. This feature has been introduced in order to have emulators set up with different RetroAchievement credentials for each user.
Main Window State, Location and Size
The Main Window state (maximized, minimized, normal), location and size are now saved when Metropolis Launcher is closed.
These properties are restored with the next start of Metropolis Launcher. Hold down the SHIFT key when starting up and Metropolis Launcher will be shown in the default (maximized) state.
Merged "Edit Game" and "Edit Multiple Games"
Instead of having two menu items for editing a single game and multiple games, we now have one menu item reacting according to the current selection of either a single or a multiple selection of games.
Downloader Fallback to Archive.org
The downloader for extras (screenshots etc.) falls back to archive.org's wayback machine if mobygames.com is detected as being down.
Database Updates
-
every licensed SEGA - Genesis / Mega Drive game now has complete multiplayer metadata (Number of Players, Multiplayer Options and Multiplayer Game Modes)
Important: if you already have games added for this platform, perform a rescan in the Rom Manager -
All information from MobyGames.com has been updated
Bugfixes
- (re-)scanning ScummVM games didn't identify duplicates properly
- launching a random game didn't take unavailability into account
- Closing the DOSBox - Choose Exe dialog did the same as using the Just Mount button (launch DOSBox into the command prompt), now closing the dialog actually cancels the whole launch procedure and reverts back to Games & Emulation Main Screen
- Display of DOS executables now include their relative paths (you could have PRINCE\START.BAT and PRINCE2\START.BAT shown as just START.BAT and START.BAT which was misleading)