Here is the download for the Gunslinger Map Downloader. It’s the one from a couple of year back. I’m not done with the latest one yet. I also need some ideas for new features so send those in too.
lucious just released his latest build of the DarkXL engine. Since I don’t have Dark Forces I cannot test it but it’s available for download at his site . Based on forum replies and comments on his blog it’s getting good reviews.
This latest release means he’s getting closer to an Outlaws release. I think we’ll see some welcome changes (ie support for modern computers)
In order for me to play “classic outlaws” I am probably about to get a new ISP, since I’m likely going to be moving to where cable internet is available. I plan on piecing together an old pc out of spare parts (may have to buy some) that will run Windows 98. Just an idea. You can probably get a decent Windows 98 machine for $40-$50 off ebay. Unfortunately shipping will probably double that price. Luckily for me I have alot of spare parts laying around, even a couple of decent video cards that will work fine for Outlaws Direct3D mode. If not then I’ll see if I can find a Voodoo 3dfx card. But once DarkXL is released then none of that will matter 
I think I have the Gunslinger Map reviewer far enough to release people can start writing reviews.
This is a first partial release. Some functionality doesn’t work. For instance you cannot yet edit your reviews, view ones that you have submitted to the server, check if a map has already been reviewed, or view the main list. You can however, Add reviews, preview your reviews, submit all or some after double checking them, delete them before you send it in (then you can readd it if there were errors)
If you still have a copy of Gunslinger Map Downloader from a couple of years ago (wow if you do) then it still works. I hope for a rerelease of that soon but we need some more reviews. Included in the zip file for download is a zip file called maplist.db. It contains the latest database of map reviews, 507 of them. If you do not have the GMD from two years back and you must absolutely see what’s in there then you can open maplist.db with a file called SQLite Database Browser ( http://sqlitebrowser.sourceforge.net/ )
Also, your reviews, zip files, and screenshots are uploaded to my godaddy hosting account. Godaddy is slow so it will look the program locks up when you submit maps. It will eventually finish and come back
http://www.olhideout.net/gmd/GMD2.4-Reviewer.zip
Email me at admin@olhideout.net with a username and password (or i can generate one for you) to begin writing reviews. I’ll reply as soon as I add you. When you login once your username and password is saved so you dont have to login everytime.
I’ve gotten really far in the GMD Admin program for reviewers. I’d say that it’s about 80% done. I would have released the Map Downloader/Reader by now but I found some bugs and noticed some changes I need to make to it. Unfortunately the compiler I used will not compile the code as it is today. GMD is not written with any of your traditional programming languages but rather a very powerful scripting language called AutoIt. AutoIt is freeware, and really easy to use, and to help others learn how to use it I may release my source code soon after releasing the program. They make changes quite often in their compiler. Some of the function calls I use are no longer valid so I have to make quite a few changes in the original code before I can fix any bugs and write any new features.
I would rather wait and release a better version than one that you would have to remove anyway. However, if you still have a copy installed then it should be working with the exception of a few missing maps.
Soon I will be releasing a tool that allows you to write reviews. I have it about half way done. If I don’t slack off too much I should have it done this weekend, but I tend to like to slack.
It will work like this. When you first start the software you will get a login prompt. I will provide you with the login and password (which is stored in an encrypted string on the outlaws hideout so it can be all secure and safe and cool)
You get a menu of options. So take the Add a new map option and you get a screen to fill in the map data and review.
You will most likely type in the full authors name but I also have a handy list of authors to the right of that. Instead of fully typing in Molycoat you can type in Mol and press down arrow and the Author field will auto populate with Molycoat Not too useful but cool.
Here comes the important part. You can manually type in the maps filename or you can select the file from a file on your hard drive. And whether you type it in or select it does make a difference behind the scenes
If you select a file from your hard drive two things happen.
1. The filesize field is automatically populated for you.
2. The map will be uploaded via FTP to my site when you submit the review.
All fields are required. And in order for the FTP uploads (map and screenshot) to work properly you must not move, rename, or delete your zip and jpg (they must be jpg) files until after you’ve submitted the review
Once you have all your data selected you click on Save and it will save it to your pending list and clear the contents on the screen so that you can immediately begin writing your next review
When you are done writing the reviews you can go back to the main menu and view your list of pending reviews. You can edit anything you need here. Click save and then the program will connect to FTP and send your data, the screenshot, and zip file of map if you selected it from your hard drive.
From there I will check it for errors and then add it to the next release.
Most of the maps have been uploaded to the server. I kind of cheated and wrote a script that automatically downloaded all maps from olmaps.com. So whatever he has I have. There are a few 0 byte size maps because apparently some are missing from his archive even though they are in his list. I will try to get these missing maps from Paleface.net. Since TheOutlawDad’s site wont let you browse the maps directory anymore I have no idea of knowing what he has and doesn’t have.
Below as an attachment is a screenshot of the admin interface I started creating. For those that will be contributing to writing reviews I’m trying to make it as easy as possible
You can get a good idea on how it will work. Before you get this screen you get a prompt to login. For those that will be writing reviews I will get you a username and password setup.
Here is the future site of the Gunslinger Map Downloader, or GMD. Download will come soon. Screenshots have been uploaded, next I need to upload all the maps and then I will make the EXE available.
The plan is to select a few individuals as map reviewers that can login to this site and add reviews which I can then review and release as an update.
Reviewers will be responsible to take their own screenshots, provide the zip file name, and their review will be limited to a certain amount of characters (cant remember how many at the moment).
The system will prevent duplicates by warning you whether or not the map as already been reviewed. This will be done by searching the zip filenames.
If you want to write reviews email me with your Outlaws nickname at admin@olhideout.net
I’ve been saying it for a while that I was going to bring the site back up. Here is the beginnings of that promise. When I stopped maintaining the site a couple of years ago The Outlaws Hideout served as an archive of maps. I have never been the goto site for maps but one thing that I had that TheOutlawDad and Paleface didn’t was The Gunslinger Map Downloader (GMD). With the help of Dog_Holliday we had a database of over 500 maps! GMD was a stand alone app that would allow you to view a written review either by myself or Dog_Holliday that contained a download link and a screenshot. Additionally you could come to the website and rate the map on a 5 star system like you would see on Amazon.
So will I bring it back?
I hope to. I have the code and hopefully the latest map database on a failed hard drive. This hard drive is hit and miss when I try to start it up. Obviously I wanted my most important and valuable files off there as quickly as possible. Thankfully I was able to recover hundreds of dollars worth of MP3s and source code to projects that I have earned me much more. I just forgot about some of the files, such as the GMD, while I was in a panic recovering my data.
If I cannot recover the files I *might* start a new version but I will not go back through all of those maps again. 
The Future of this Site
Well hopefully there will be a really cool development soon. I just heard about DarkXL
This sounds like a really cool development, that may be several years too late. But, what this is is a modernized Dark Forces engine. The author plans to support Outlaws as well!
http://outlawsgame.50.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=59
This means that the game should run properly on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Linux, and Mac. It should support modern networking which means router problems will probably be a thing of the past. There will also be more exciting features such as a more modern level designer and scripting.
If this is as good as I’m hoping then it could possibly breathe some new life into this game. Maybe bring some older players back for a game or two. But it will definitely allow those of us that still like to play every once-in-a-while a more enjoyable experience, since it’s supposed to support modern hardware and modern operating systems.
Once I figure out how to use this CMS I will start adding some content.
Update on Gunslinger Map Downloader: Good news, I found it on my hard drive and was able to extract it. It’s an older maplist, last edited on July 6, 2007. Number of maps in the database is 507. This is the latest I’m going to be able to recover. Better than nothing
