ddlc-heroku

A (not so convenient) way to run DDLC/MAS (Monika After Story mod) on Heroku cloud platform based on dreamscached's HerokuDE.

How to

What to expect

First of, let me start with a list of things that might disappoint you either in process of getting things done or during the usage of DDLC with things you're going to set up yourself now, so you can decide whether you really want to go the hard way or not.

Here we go:

• This is a workaround. Yes, the only actual valid way to play DDLC is to have your own computer and install DDLC (and any desired mods) on it as any other regular application and not using a free cloud service. I have to say that because that's basically the root of all the other inconveniences you're about to face.
• You most likely will not get any support on the official Discord server of DDLC/MAS. It's not always easy to trace an error in regular install, and the very special case like yours will be a nearly impossible task nobody would really wish to deal with.
• You're expected to be familiar with command line interface. Unfortunately, there isn't any other way around, this guide heavily relies on your acquaintance with CLI as tools you're going to use are only available as command line applications.
• It is not going to be a usual desktop experience. You're going to run an application on a remote server, and control it remotely, too (however, here's the benefit — you can use any device, as long as it can access the web.) You should also bear in mind that you will receive no sound and it will be problematic enough to push and pull files to and from the remote server.

That being said, if you're still willing to proceed and are prepared for possible troubles — I welcome you in the next section.

Getting things ready

Gathering tools

You'll need a few tools to prepare everything. Assuming you're running something Debian-based (Debian, Ubuntu, or Termux which also has apt command), you'll need to run the following commands:

apt install git
curl https://cli-assets.heroku.com/install-ubuntu.sh | sh

Cloning this repo

Inspired by this very task of running DDLC on any device, I created HerokuDE — a small project aimed to provide minimal desktop environment running in cloud (I chose Heroku for its free tier that is enough for running DDLC.)

Let's clone it:

git clone https://github.com/dreamscached/herokude ddlc-heroku

Configuring the image

Now, we need to set up a few things on HerokuDE.

Copy existing DDLC folder into HerokuDE folder (so that it is located next to Dockerfile) and name it ddlc. Make sure you don't create a double-nested folder! Folder with DDLC must actually have DDLC.exe and not another folder.

Launching

Registering in Heroku

Ready to launch! If you don't have a Heroku account yet, create it at https://heroku.com. Fill in your first and last names, e-mail and country, pick role 'Hobbyist' and set primary development language to 'I'm not a developer'.

Creating application

Once you reached the dashboard, hit 'create new app' button and make up a name for Heroku application. It can be anything you like, but you better make it somewhat random and keep it in secret, because if someone knows it, they will be able to use your instance and possibly interfere with you controlling the remote display. You should also pick a region that suits you the most, because you would certainly like least latency possible.

Deploying

Now that your app is created, back to command line again. Authorize using the following command:

heroku login

Then run the following commands to deploy image to Heroku:

heroku container:push -a <name-of-application> web
heroku container:release -a <name-of-application> web

Starting

All set! Now head back to application dashboard and wait for a bit while Heroku processes freshly deployed image. Switch to 'Resources' tab and make sure you have 'web' dyno switched on.

Now open browser and type <name-of-application>.herokuapp.com and here's where magic begins. Once you're there, tap on vnc.html link, tap 'connect' and here you go!

NOTE: There are some caveats! Read this guide in full, up to the very last section!

Pulling files

The only way to push files is to pack them up during the build — when you add ddlc folder and persistent folder. However, thanks to few additions to launch.sh you made, you can access persistent folder and game folder by opening <name-of-application>.herokuapp.com and clicking persistent@ or ddlc@ instead of clicking vnc.html. Then, you can click on any file to download it as usual.

Caveats

While Free tier is free, it is not unlimited! It (currently) has a limitation of 512 MB of RAM (and will most probably kill your dyno with no mercy if it exceeds the limit for too long), and only 600 free dyno hours per month — meaning you cannot leave the dyno (a thing under 'Resources' tab that has a switch next to it) running forever. Once you're done, save your persistent and switch the dyno off by clicking on the pencil button to the right and toggling the switch.

However, if you add a credit card to Heroku account, you may earn more dyno hours that will allow you leaving it running forever (note that you're still on Free tier and no funds will be deducted.)