MiDs continues it's years long downhill slide

[Snarky]

6 hours ago, Jacke said:

Welp, @Snarky, no versions from you.  I'll just give you the best but briefest instructions.

 

Alas, brief means a bunch of instructions, but I'll make every one of them simple.

 

And testing it on my own machine.  Which is taking a while because it's being a bit too "baroque".  Sigh.

 

When I get it done, I'll post it here. in a new reply.

 

 

Hey, Donations take time to get to the proper charities!  

 

Windows 10 (Old comp I keep to the side for Wiki, Discord, MRB, etc...)

MRB 3.7.11 rev 2

I do not know how to check HCDB, isnt that just Homecoming, which I keep updated to newest?

[tidge]

While I recognize that some of the suggested methods to help @Snarky diagnose the issue... I've lost track of all the extra software pieces suggested along the way... on top of connecting to Discord for help and updates. I'm trying to recall the last time I encountered a 'user-level' piece of software that required as much effort... I don't recall setting up old USENET newservers taking up as much effort, and even things like MUD/MUSH weren't as complicated.

[Maelwys]

The main problem is that the App has changed prerequisites a LOT over the years, and the updater has gone through some very buggy iterations.

If you have a clean Win10 or Win11 PC with the three prerequisites (DotNet 8.0 Desktop Runtime and DotNet Framework 4.8 and the latest Visual C++ redistributable) then it'll install just fine and update just fine - I've done that recently on two laptops.

If however you've got a PC that isn't clean there could be other software/configuration bits blocking it (like Firewalls/Antivirus/etc).

And if you've got an older version of Mids which predates the Bootloader changes, then it's quite possible that you'll likely only get the notification that a patch is available but pressing the update button does nothing (because the bootloader is the thing that actually performs the newer updates; so if it can't run properly then nothing happens). In that case the only way to fix it is to install the Visual C++ Redistributable and manually replace the existing "MRBBootstrap.exe" file within your Mids installation folder with an up-to-date copy (the patcher will try to do this; but it often fails to extract the zip file containing the new exe).

In most cases, ensuring you have the three prerequisite DotNet and Visual C++ bits and then downloading a working copy of the software (NOT just the latest database, but the whole installation folder) e.g. "mids_3.7.14.3+db_25.6.1082.zip" from https://updates.midsreborn.com/full_updates/ works and will let you run the update successfully.

[Skyhawke]

I think Snarky's ghouls are mucking with his machine when he's not around. 

[tidge]

Since I don't use MIDS, my comments are more along the lines of wondering why spend the effort sustaining this and not refactoring it? I've worked with industrial solutions where the 'fear of $$ investment' that kept us supporting/maintaining/updating old code bases... but not to the extent it looks like is happening here. This is obviously a hobby software, but there are other pieces of software that fall into a similar category that have been maintained as 'one-person efforts' for long periods of time, and require far less overhead (in terms of external reliance, both in terms of software and network).

 

I'm not unaware of the complications, but for what it does: it shouldn't need to be more complicated than a GUI, a database, and 'calculations/rules enforcing' module.

[lemming]

1 hour ago, tidge said:

While I recognize that some of the suggested methods to help @Snarky diagnose the issue... I've lost track of all the extra software pieces suggested along the way... on top of connecting to Discord for help and updates. I'm trying to recall the last time I encountered a 'user-level' piece of software that required as much effort... I don't recall setting up old USENET newservers taking up as much effort, and even things like MUD/MUSH weren't as complicated.

Hey, at least we're not sitting in an office feeding 40 floppy disks into a system to install an OS.  (And then setting up uucp to be able to upload the rest of the SW so you could go to bed while it chugged away)

[Snarky]

1 minute ago, lemming said:

Hey, at least we're not sitting in an office feeding 40 floppy disks into a system to install an OS.  (And then setting up uucp to be able to upload the rest of the SW so you could go to bed while it chugged away)

No, we are using high speed internet to fail to get this MiDs thing to work for two years…

[lemming]

11 minutes ago, Snarky said:

No, we are using high speed internet to fail to get this MiDs thing to work for two years…

See! We're failing much faster now!

[Derek Icelord]

2 hours ago, tidge said:

Since I don't use MIDS, my comments are more along the lines of wondering why spend the effort sustaining this and not refactoring it? I've worked with industrial solutions where the 'fear of $$ investment' that kept us supporting/maintaining/updating old code bases... but not to the extent it looks like is happening here. This is obviously a hobby software, but there are other pieces of software that fall into a similar category that have been maintained as 'one-person efforts' for long periods of time, and require far less overhead (in terms of external reliance, both in terms of software and network).

 

I'm not unaware of the complications, but for what it does: it shouldn't need to be more complicated than a GUI, a database, and 'calculations/rules enforcing' module.

 

As I understand it this point, refactoring would be more work than burning it down and rebuilding from scratch. As to why that hasn't been done yet, I can only assume it's actually a lot more complicated than just a GUI, database, and rules enforcing. A wish for a new builder program goes all the way back to the retail days and people wanting a web based version. No one's made anything comparable yet.

[Ghost]

I’m thinking that some people are just not worthy.

 

There is something so egregious in their past, that the gods looked down upon them and said “No Mids for you!!!”

 

[RandoHero]

Mids? I still can't get HeroStats to work 😔

[Jacke]

My highlight.

 

6 hours ago, Snarky said:

Windows 10 (Old comp I keep to the side for Wiki, Discord, MRB, etc...)

MRB 3.7.11 rev 2

I do not know how to check HCDB, isnt that just Homecoming, which I keep updated to newest?

 

The HCDB version is in the MRB Window Title Bar, the one that starts "2025....".

 

Both versions are in the About Window, which you can bring up via the Help Menu:

• Help > About....

That App version should be able to update to the new release today..

• Help > Check for Updates > Click the Update button

If that doesn't work, it'll take a while for me to write a good install script for you.

 

 

5 minutes ago, RandoHero said:

Mids? I still can't get HeroStats to work 😔

 

@ineffablebob, last maintainer of HeroStats, hasn't been on Homecoming since 2024 January.  And as I remember it, he last said it wasn't possible to make a HeroStats for current City without an API to get the information from the game client in a robust and stable manner.

 

 

[Championess]

Anyone having troubles with mids I've got just the program for you...

 

[tidge]

2 hours ago, Derek Icelord said:

 I can only assume it's actually a lot more complicated than just a GUI, database, and rules enforcing. 

 

Without a GUI, and and minimal rules-enfocing, I think it could be done in Excel. It would be HIGHLY painful, but possible... at least for something like a single AT.

 

With an actual database, many programs run SQL under-the-hood, there can't possible be anything more complicated that have a GUI to present the possible choices (starting with ATs, then primary/secondary/pools/epics, then powers) enforced by rules.

 

I almost started this as a proof-of-concept... what stopped me was that I simply don't use/need MIDS.... I am comfortable checking City of Data and/or in game for power details. I 'know' the ED scales. I know the sets and their bonuses... and then there is my personal iconoclasm,,, it is really hard to get me to care about 'set bonuses' and stats, especially once certain personal 'point of diminishing returns' is past. This point varies depending on AT (and power picks).

[lemming]

My main use of Mids was to look at other people's builds.

[Skyhawke]

1 hour ago, Championess said:

Anyone having troubles with mids I've got just the program for you...