V2.6 is crap and tSB is nonwilling to fix it. However Delyn stated that he would try to fix many of the bugs. You might as well, since you're starting out, use v2.7 mostly because it would probably be easier if you are a casual programmer. I warn you though, Winmaped is really really bad.

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I'm not an expert about the many versions of VERGE, but I know the main advantages and disadvantages. The best (as in most good features with the least incompatibilities) DOS VERGE is V2K+J. Problem with DOS VERGE is that it may give undesirable effects in the newer Windows (being 2K and ME). In Windows VERGE, it depends on what you want or what you can do. If you want to decide on Windows VERGE, I have summarized the versions below. As for your question about WinMapEd, yes. WinMapEd works with 2.5 and up. VERGE 2.7 has a different version of WinMapEd. I think this special version is only for 2.7.

V 2.6 (first Windows V2) - Uses standard VC. High color support is good (at least for my 2 computers). If your code stops at a point with no UpdateControls(); being called, you usually have to restart your computer. (not with CTRL + ALT + DELETE, but by turning your comp off)

V 2.7 beta 7 - Uses a slightly modified VC and you need to do VCC all and VASM all to compile. I don't know if anyone still has the documentation for it still as it was erased when beta 10 came out. no 256 color setting

V 2.7 beta 10 (a.k.a. Python VERGE) - Does NOT use VC. Uses Pyton instead. no 256 color setting

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Fmod is used by Sphere;
v2.6 uses Midas' libraries.

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Failure is not an option, Windows is built with it!

v1 is the original. It's very old, and purely DOS based. 256 colour only, and you don't have much flexibility with palettes. It is, however, the easiest version to use at present, until you find yourself wanting a combat system.

v2k+j is the last DOS verge, and it's all based on proven code. You can rely on this one. It uses a fairly decent scripting engine with which it is possible to code all of your stuff. (not easy, but very, very possible) Much harder to start out, but once you reach the point where you need a combat system, it becomes easier than v1. This happens to be the most commonly used version at the moment.

v2.6 is essentially v2k+j, but ported to windows. It's also highly unstable, and I can't reccomend it unless you absolutely need the more powerful sound engine, or run win2k. (which can handle v2.6 without too many problems)

v2.7 is experimental and unproven as of yet. It's based on newer technology, and uses Python instead of VC for scripting. It's also the most stable VERGE out there, to my knowledge. v2.7 is too new to have very strong community support, so if you have questions, answers are a little harder to find. (I will still try to help with any problems, however) Coding the basics is easier than ever before, however, there's no example code to use as a template yet. (the 'yet' is very important. ^_~) v2.7 is also very unfinished. There are many features left to implement before it's capable of all that v2k+j and v2.6 are.

As of this writing, v2 and up all use the same map files. So you can use winmaped with any of those. v1 has its own map editor, and I'm unaware of any others.

So, in short, the decision is yours. :)

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"I can't wait for this latest pile of melodrama to disappear, so that the VERGE community can once again concentrate on games rather than on itself." -- Joe Lee

I meant that the user.cfg did not have an 8 bit setting.

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