Difference between revisions of "Flashpoint"
(Added Overview (may need to be reworked as I don't technically know the fine details of how Flashpoint works)) |
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|logo = | |logo = | ||
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− | |developer = BlueMaxima | + | |developer = BlueMaxima<br/>Flashpoint Team |
− | |version = 6.1 | + | |version = 6.1 "Preservationware" |
|active = Yes | |active = Yes | ||
− | |platform = Windows | + | |platform = Windows<br/>Linux <small>(experimental)</small><br/>macOS <small>(experimental)</small> |
|architecture = | |architecture = | ||
− | |target = Web | + | |target = Web game servers |
|compatibility = | |compatibility = | ||
|accuracy = | |accuracy = | ||
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|prog-lang = | |prog-lang = | ||
|support = | |support = | ||
− | |license = MIT | + | |license = MIT (Launcher) |
− | |source = [https://github.com/FlashpointProject/launcher GitHub] | + | |source = [https://github.com/FlashpointProject/launcher GitHub] (Launcher) |
}} | }} | ||
− | '''BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint''' is | + | '''BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint''' is an ongoing preservation effort for games designed in commercial web frameworks. Named after Flash (which Adobe says it will discontinue in 2020), the maintainers have preserved over 14,000 games since its inception. The full list of games is available via the [http://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/datahub/Game_Master_List "Game Master List"] on their wiki. Flashpoint covers games (and tools) developed in Adobe Flash, Adobe Shockwave, Unity Web Player, Java Applets, Microsoft Silverlight, ActiveX, 3DVIA Player, 3D Groove GX, PopCap Plugin, and HTML5. |
− | + | Flashpoint (and every game in it) was originally released as one gigantic download until a system was developed to download these games on-the-fly. The full download (which, upon completion, requires no further internet connection to use) has since been retroactively titled "Flashpoint Ultimate", and the "lite" version was given the name "Flashpoint Infinity". When the limitations of Launchbox started to show, a discrete launcher was developed. | |
− | |||
− | |||
==Download== | ==Download== | ||
+ | * [https://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/downloads/ '''Official Release'''] (May contain newer versions of Ultimate, Infinity, and Core) | ||
− | * [https://archive.org/details/Flashpoint6 Flashpoint 6.1 Ultimate] ([magnet:?xt=urn:btih:9dfc1b1c1f913533136be9462dca81d6b3159359&dn=Flashpoint%206.1%20Ultimate.7z&tr=udp%3a%2f%2ftracker.openbittorrent.com%3a80 Torrent Magnet]) - The full package, ready for use offline. 114GB download, 130GB extracted. You'll want to use a download manager and the latest version of 7-Zip. | + | :* [https://archive.org/details/Flashpoint6 Flashpoint 6.1 Ultimate] ([magnet:?xt=urn:btih:9dfc1b1c1f913533136be9462dca81d6b3159359&dn=Flashpoint%206.1%20Ultimate.7z&tr=udp%3a%2f%2ftracker.openbittorrent.com%3a80 Torrent Magnet]) - The full package, ready for use offline. 114GB download, 130GB extracted. You'll want to use a download manager and the latest version of 7-Zip. |
+ | :* [http://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/Flashpoint%206.1%20Infinity.zip Flashpoint 6.1 Infinity] - Games download as you choose to play them. A minimalist build - not all games are availalble, only Flash games will work to start, and low quality icons with no screenshots. Use the Upgrades on the home tab to add the other tech and better images. 450MB download to start. | ||
+ | :* [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qoQc32vQ7nnTmYMle1uCpluYenY61Biy Flashpoint Core 3] - A lightweight copy of Flashpoint with one game per platform. If you want to learn the platform / tinker with it. 575MB download. | ||
− | * [ | + | * [https://unstable.life/owncloud/s/HYpZ4O4JMAebfjR Experimental Linux version] - The maintainers are looking for Linux testers, see [https://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/datahub/Help_Wanted_List the second item on this wiki page] for more info. |
− | * [https://drive.google.com/ | + | * [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aimlroob9KdZWOKEWVLg1y0zFVxn6jnD Test builds of the Launcher], for non-Windows Launcher binaries (including Darwin, i.e. macOS). Requires users to manually point to the Infinity repository in the config files. |
− | |||
− | |||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
− | Flashpoint | + | Flashpoint began on December 26th, 2017, a little while after [https://theblog.adobe.com/adobe-flash-update/ Adobe announced] it was ending support for Flash at the end of 2020, as an attempt to preserve as many Flash games and applications from the early 2000s onward as possible before the cutoff point. The focus has since shifted to all proprietary plugins as they face the same risk of obsoletion. |
− | + | Flashpoint is not a conventional emulator; none of the frameworks it targets is being emulated which is why it requires users to have the original platforms these frameworks were on. (It's also why Linux doesn't have a lot of the frameworks that Windows does.) Many games also use some form of copy protection by connecting to a server to test if a game can be played, thus requiring an internet connection for it to work. Flashpoint is a server emulator that repeats and relays the responses and files that were originally captured at the time the game was preserved. This causes problems for Avast and AVG [https://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/datahub/Troubleshooting_Antivirus_Interference as they've detailed on the Datahub]. | |
− | == | + | ==Resources== |
− | *BlueMaxima's | + | *BlueMaxima's articles: |
**[https://medium.com/@bluemaximax011/how-we-saved-flashs-gaming-legacy-and-started-a-web-game-preservation-revolution-51c2e5098209 How We Saved Flash's Gaming Legacy] | **[https://medium.com/@bluemaximax011/how-we-saved-flashs-gaming-legacy-and-started-a-web-game-preservation-revolution-51c2e5098209 How We Saved Flash's Gaming Legacy] | ||
**[https://blog.usejournal.com/adobe-flashs-gaming-legacy-thousands-upon-thousands-of-titles-and-my-efforts-to-save-it-58c14811558a Efforts to Save Flash's Gaming Legacy] | **[https://blog.usejournal.com/adobe-flashs-gaming-legacy-thousands-upon-thousands-of-titles-and-my-efforts-to-save-it-58c14811558a Efforts to Save Flash's Gaming Legacy] | ||
* [http://discord.gg/S9uJ794 Discord] | * [http://discord.gg/S9uJ794 Discord] | ||
* [http://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/changelog.txt Changelog] | * [http://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/changelog.txt Changelog] | ||
− | * [https://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/datahub/Main_Page | + | * [https://bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/datahub/Main_Page The Datahub], their wiki |
Revision as of 05:58, 13 June 2019
Developer(s) | BlueMaxima Flashpoint Team |
---|---|
Latest version | 6.1 "Preservationware" |
Active | Yes |
Platform(s) | Windows Linux (experimental) macOS (experimental) |
Emulates | Web game servers |
Website | bluemaxima.org/flashpoint/ |
License | MIT (Launcher) |
Source code | GitHub (Launcher) |
BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint is an ongoing preservation effort for games designed in commercial web frameworks. Named after Flash (which Adobe says it will discontinue in 2020), the maintainers have preserved over 14,000 games since its inception. The full list of games is available via the "Game Master List" on their wiki. Flashpoint covers games (and tools) developed in Adobe Flash, Adobe Shockwave, Unity Web Player, Java Applets, Microsoft Silverlight, ActiveX, 3DVIA Player, 3D Groove GX, PopCap Plugin, and HTML5.
Flashpoint (and every game in it) was originally released as one gigantic download until a system was developed to download these games on-the-fly. The full download (which, upon completion, requires no further internet connection to use) has since been retroactively titled "Flashpoint Ultimate", and the "lite" version was given the name "Flashpoint Infinity". When the limitations of Launchbox started to show, a discrete launcher was developed.
Download
- Official Release (May contain newer versions of Ultimate, Infinity, and Core)
- Flashpoint 6.1 Ultimate (Torrent Magnet) - The full package, ready for use offline. 114GB download, 130GB extracted. You'll want to use a download manager and the latest version of 7-Zip.
- Flashpoint 6.1 Infinity - Games download as you choose to play them. A minimalist build - not all games are availalble, only Flash games will work to start, and low quality icons with no screenshots. Use the Upgrades on the home tab to add the other tech and better images. 450MB download to start.
- Flashpoint Core 3 - A lightweight copy of Flashpoint with one game per platform. If you want to learn the platform / tinker with it. 575MB download.
- Experimental Linux version - The maintainers are looking for Linux testers, see the second item on this wiki page for more info.
- Test builds of the Launcher, for non-Windows Launcher binaries (including Darwin, i.e. macOS). Requires users to manually point to the Infinity repository in the config files.
Overview
Flashpoint began on December 26th, 2017, a little while after Adobe announced it was ending support for Flash at the end of 2020, as an attempt to preserve as many Flash games and applications from the early 2000s onward as possible before the cutoff point. The focus has since shifted to all proprietary plugins as they face the same risk of obsoletion.
Flashpoint is not a conventional emulator; none of the frameworks it targets is being emulated which is why it requires users to have the original platforms these frameworks were on. (It's also why Linux doesn't have a lot of the frameworks that Windows does.) Many games also use some form of copy protection by connecting to a server to test if a game can be played, thus requiring an internet connection for it to work. Flashpoint is a server emulator that repeats and relays the responses and files that were originally captured at the time the game was preserved. This causes problems for Avast and AVG as they've detailed on the Datahub.
Resources
- BlueMaxima's articles:
- Discord
- Changelog
- The Datahub, their wiki