First post, by kahuna
- Rank
- Newbie
Hello everyone,
I’d like to share a project I’ve been working on for my retro build. It is called G.R.O.G. (Game Runner Organized Grid).
It is a text-mode, CSV-driven game frontend for MS-DOS (386+).
The Motivation
Like probably some of you, I have a sizeable collection of games on my DOS PC, but I hate navigating 8-character directory trees manually. I also dislike heavy GUI launchers that sit resident in memory, eating up precious conventional RAM that games need.
I built G.R.O.G. to be fast, simple, and completely invisible when the game starts.
How It Works (The "Zero-Overhead" Strategy)
G.R.O.G. uses a C executable (compiled with DJGPP) for the menu interface and a Batch wrapper for execution.
1. You select a game in the menu.
2. The menu generates a temporary `_RUN.BAT` script and completely terminates (exit code).
3. The batch wrapper executes the game.
4. When the game quits, the wrapper loops back to the menu.
Result: Your game gets 100% of available system resources. The launcher uses 0KB of RAM while you are playing.
Key Features
- CSV Database: No proprietary database formats. Your library is just a `GAMES.CSV` file you can edit. You can also open the provided `GAMES.XLSX` in any spreadsheet software and export it to CSV later.
- Throttle Integration: If you have a fast machine - based on metadata in the CSV file - G.R.O.G. can automatically call slowdown scripts (using tools like CPUSPD or SETMUL) before launching a speed-sensitive game, and reset speed afterward.
- Safety Interlocks based on metadata:
- Warns if a game requires a CD and the drive is empty.
- Pauses for Copy Protection checks (Code wheels/Manuals).
- Checks memory requirements (warns if you need EMS/XMS). - Bare Metal Speed: Writes directly to VGA video memory (0xB8000) for instant scrolling.
Download & Source
This is open source (GPLv3). The release archive includes `CWSDPMI.EXE`, example throttle scripts, and a template database.
Codeberg Repo & Releases: https://codeberg.org/jjmarcos/grog
Please, take the time to go through the README file.
Direct Download (v1.0): https://codeberg.org/jjmarcos/grog/releases/d … 1.0/grog-v1.zip
Disclaimer: This is a hobbyist project. Unlike the drink served at the SCUMM Bar, this G.R.O.G. contains 0% kerosene and 0% battery acid. However, use at your own discretion!
Feedback and bug reports are welcome!
Be free!