Spark is a graphical application that provides additional options when launching Dark Ages clients. These options include redirecting the client to a custom server hostname/port, skipping the intro video, allowing multiple instances, and hiding foreground walls.
The latest Spark binaries are available for download via DropBox. Please keep in mind that they may not reflect the latest code changes here.
You will need the .NET Framework 4.5.1 to run Spark.
Spark is a WPF application written in C# using Visual Studio 2013 (Community Edition). It targets version 4.5.1 of the .NET Framework and implements a simple MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) architecture.
Spark currently supports version 7.41 of the official Dark Ages game client. Other clients may also be supported, though their support is not guaranteed. You may edit the generated Versions.xml file to support additional client versions.
Spark is designed to be both a useful application as well as an example codebase for numerous .NET topics:
- Writing a WPF application.
- Implementing the MVVM pattern in a WPF application.
- Showing modal dialogs using the MVVM pattern.
- Creating custom value converters for data bindings.
- Theming an application via custom control templates and styles.
- Using LINQ to simplify business logic within an application.
- Using LINQ to serialize and deserialize XML files.
- Calling native Win32 APIs from Managed (C#) code.