What to do when your Android is dated

[UesugiKenshin]

My plan is to get this genuine Android 9.0 os tablet.
VANKYO Matrixpad S7 7 Inch Tablet Android 9.0 Pie 2gb RAM 32gb Storage 5mp
$65-75

Then try running Windows XP on a virtual machine on that tablet.
https://medium.com/@centerorbit/running ... efa44c33fc

Possibly using Wine or Bochs as a second back up plan. My understanding with Windows emulation is there are issues with Direct3D. If so, I certainly can run an older Windows building editor, but may or may not be able to run the Java editor in BotE for Android (Windows XP edition). You load either Windows XP or Vista as small virtual machines with small hard drives and just BotE. It wouldn't work for many windows programs even old ones.
https://www.techradar.com/news/wine-30- ... on-android

This means I can load unknown sources from the internet as I lack a pc. If it works I'll run BotE for Android in standard and beta and the beta multiplayer plus my new Balancer mod.
https://www.techradar.com/how-to/what-i ... nstall-one

It's my understanding the Android editor isn't working...yet. I'm wondering if I can run BotE for Windows XP, do the changes and save it as a version 1.0 as it's just some building editing, then load that new buildings.txt or buildings.data file in the BotE Android directory. If so, then I can release it for both platforms, but need beta testers.

If this plan works, it's very inexpensive and you run both versions and maybe Civ3?

The thing is BotE for Android in either Windows XP or Vista, 7, 8, and 10 isn't a windows installation but actually a Java program.

[UesugiKenshin]

Particularly if Wine works, Linux emulation is supposed to run, so I could make the Balancer mod version 1.0 available for Linux as well.

Apparently most people do it the other way. They have a Windows labtop and run Android emulation through Bluestacks. Or they use Noxplayer.
https://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-10/5-b ... ws-10-pcs/

This is an expensive option unless you already have a laptop.

[UesugiKenshin]

I don't have any time for it as I'm committed to documentation for BotE including the English wiki, beta testing, doing the Balancer mod by Christmas...

...plus creating a bonafide BotE six empires multiplayer advanced turn#600+ save game (this will take me months and months as that is 3600 turns). Playing one empire probably takes a minimum of a month, so six months of work. If somehow 5 other players or a mod team would take that on seperately, then I could do the Balancer version 2.0 out maybe by Spring 2021?

In a single month's time, six advanced players could configure 600 turns, and that would be an awesome gift to the community. BotE for Android would be fully realized as the AI would have huge armies, fleets, infrastructure, research completed, large treasuries, etc. The advanced turn#600 save game would rock! True intragalactic war could take place.

[UesugiKenshin]

Years ago (2011), someone proved you could run GalCiv2 on an Android tablet. I really want to do that and mod it too.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GySM_uxI7NI

What that means is a visual display of animated battles, but has no bearing on the outcome as it's predetermined by calculations. So BotE is brilliant and elegant as it wasn't pursued in any complex fashion. It looks great, but is not an RTS, and I don't think you can even do it successfully in the manner of Medieval 2 Total War Kingdoms.

[UesugiKenshin]

So an Android tablet under ExaGear emulation, then will run GalCiv 2. And while it seems like there are more features like a dynamic ship designer, preconfigured weaponry and armor in the tech tree, and scaled AI as each empire can be moronic to godlike...

That was accomplished with an Android six years ago (2014). ExaGear was discontinued and so it only works up to Android 9.0 os.

...BotE for Android is better and can handle far more advanced ships and on a much larger galaxy, with far better minor alien races, better buildings, and far larger fleets. It just doesn't show the animations.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IQENCT-_1 ... s&index=23

Now if BotE for Android had this dynamic ship designer and scalable AI, well BotE would be played by millions.

[UesugiKenshin]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VwBueyqGZHk
Homeworld running on an Android tablet under ExaGear 3.0. It's a little laggy.

[UesugiKenshin]

https://liquidsky.en.uptodown.com/android
LiquidSky is a pc emulator for Android tablets and designed for gaming. I just know it exists.

Somehow a modder has to find a way to facilitate modding BotE for Android, and that may be the best solution to run the WindowsXP or Vista versions, run the editors, make changes, save it, then load these in BotE for Android and so have mods for all three platforms.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OokMIKNwHxo

What would happen is BotE for Android (Windows XP and Vista, 7, 8, and 10) would be on Steam. And load to your Android tablet. Maybs mods would load too?

[UesugiKenshin]

This kind of app is called "cloud gaming". They have run beta tests but who knows it ever will be a commercial product with adds? So the downside is lag from being connected to the internet and will be free for some of it, you have ads playing, so it's akin to a television commercials model as they have a captive audience.

The point millions would discover BotE for Android by yet another method.

[UesugiKenshin]

If there was a campaign editor, rather than six months by playing 3600 turns by a brute force method in the beta multiplayer, it would take a week to configure as you clone the colony's infrastructure and set the treasuries and units. Once you figure out one colony for each empire, then you just replicate it, or scale it. Doing maybe 200 for each empire.

[UesugiKenshin]

VANKYO Matrixpad S7 7 Inch Tablet Android 9.0 Pie 2gb RAM 32gb Storage 5mp
$65-75
If you are looking for a bargain, this is comparable to the latest Kindle Fire 8 (10th generation) but it has full Android OS, so doesn't need to be rooted, thus saving you money. It doesn't have bloatware on it either.

It's arguably the best deal that exists for Android tablets, has great reviews, and the price may fall before Christmas. It would a fine entry level Android tablet for BotE. And I have been reading lots of reviews and I'm forced to be a skinflint now.

My tablet is 8 years old without a bit of issues. I want something just as reliable.

https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/onn-8-inc ... _variant=b
The onn has a 8" screen but a worse front camera and slightly less battery life, so while this helps people with presbyopia, it's got an average review.

[UesugiKenshin]

The onn is $65 and 8".

The Vankyo S7 is $75 with an outstanding rating everywhere but 7".

The Vankyo S8 is $85 with an outstanding rating everywhere but 8".
https://www.reviews-tablet.com/2020-van ... ablet/amp/

Any of these 3 are better than a Kindle 8 (10th generation) with is far cheaper @$50, but loaded with bloatware and not a true Android os. They make a Kindle with a true Android os too. If you are modding, I think you will run into trouble taking this last route. The reason people are doing it is for Christmas, they are throwing in a model with 64 gb too...so for some people, it's quite a bargain too good to pass up. A modder will end up rooting it and it being a pain in the butt. You'll be sorry. Save a little now, and be upset later. I bet you have trouble doing windows emulation too.

[UesugiKenshin]

The more people modding BotE for Android and offering private and public content the better. I know people make mods for themselves that never get a public release. Just be careful sharing it as it would cause you grief.

BotE with modding could have lots of major aliens (but only choosing six) and minor aliens where colonization is limited. You could fill up the galaxy with them, but make it very tough to grow.

In the seventies, there were some really wild martial arts schools where the total number of black belts was limited and you had to beat a black belt in a sparring match to get a black belt and it humilated the other. You could essentially make it so double the minor aliens existed (300 of them...then) and have lots of pitched battles.

You could eliminate starting minor alien fleets and then they only happen later. The six empires would be essentially progenitors and the first to gain spaceflight and make it practical as a world government policy.

You could turn medior on and these minor aliens spread. I don't think it's working yet though.
http://birth-of-the-empires.de/wiki/ind ... tle=Medior

[UesugiKenshin]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X2yPfLoCZVI
The only good working RTS for Android is Rome Total War which is a port by Feral. Now they are working on Barbarian Invasion and maybe Alexander Total War? It's too expensive, but I have to admit that if Barbarian Invasion comes out, and somehow mods work like Europa Barbarum, well, I might have to buy it.

You probably need an 8" screen to play it.

Roma Surrectum 2 is arguably the finest Roman wargame ever made and it's a mod.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VpKjzOp184s

https://support.feralinteractive.com/en ... uirements/
The vast bulk of folks can't run it on an Android tablet as you need a minimum of 3 gb so realistically 4 gb.

[UesugiKenshin]

So especially with Amazon and say the Vankyo, do a search for a coupon code. Then it sends you straight to Amazon and populates the code and you might get 10-20% off plus free shipping. They use that niche marketing to see where the customers heard about the deal like Business Insider and an advertisement inside. Your email address and address and telephone number are all sold to phone marketers. So $85 -17 = $68.

Walmart is sneakier. What they do is have a coupon code since it's back to school for universities, but they put clearance items on that list to get it out of inventory as no savvy tech person would buy it, and the os is old like 6.0 and it looks like a heck of a deal until you scan through the specs. So they offer an off brand and maybe the tablet screen is 11+ inches, going for $100, but with an old operating system.

[UesugiKenshin]

It's odd as the 8 year old Nook HD with a 7 inch screen has a 1440x900 resolution.
The Vankyo S7 has a 1024x600 resolution. Weird.
The Vankyo S8 has a 1280x800 resolution.

Good thing the NookHD still works except for the battery. Maybe eventualy I root it just to have a backup if the price of doing so falls? Still works fine for watching streaming video. I wish I could mod and push the mod to it to test alternate ways to do things.

Originally before the firmware update, you could load any apk. The concept was using Google Drive and loading through it, though it never materialized that I know of. That would have been ideal as a modder could create a Google Drive so people could download the mod's apk. Blotunga's beta BotE for Android multiplayer is that way.