VCThunder 0.3

Download VCThunder-0.3-windows.zip, unzip it somewhere you can write to, run VCThunder.exe, and import your own CHDs. No game is included. README.txt in the zip has the details.

Each file's SHA-256 is in VCThunder-0.3-SHA256SUMS.txt.

Download and play

• A ready-to-run download. Unzip the release and run VCThunder.exe; nothing to compile.
• CHD Import: press Import..., drop chd files onto VCThunder.exe, or leave them beside it.
• Building from source no longer needs the games: the address tables are in the repository.

Graphics

• 60 fps. frame_rate = 60 draws a picture between each two of the game's own.
• A tenth of the processor time. The game sleeps between ticks instead of spinning.
• Sharper scaling: HUD and menus are drawn at 1x and scaled up in one pass (upscale_2d),
  and stretched 3D textures are sharper (texmag).
• Bezel art. The Graphics page's Bezel box takes a PNG with a transparent screen opening.
• The widescreen HUD can sit at the screen's edges (widescreen_hud = edges).
• The window opens at the largest size that fits the screen.
• Hydro's race map shows the land, where only the boats drew.
• With the CPU renderer, aspect = 4:3 keeps the window 4:3.

Sound

• output = front is gone: the balance slider does it.

Launcher

• Five pages in plain words: the rest appear with Show advanced settings.
• Sliders for volume, balance, force-feedback strength and the rumble trims.
• Each game's Play card says "Ready to play." or says why it's not.
• Help has Restore default settings, Show the log files and an About box.
• Settings that can stop a game working are now advanced mode

Controllers

• Two slots per control instead of Add and Clear: click a slot and press, and only that slot
  changes. Reset to defaults puts every control back.
• A different controller for each game: tick Separate controller per game.
• Started from a console window, VCThunder no longer takes the console for the game window.