Revamp build instructions

[Jayman2000]

Pull Request Type

• [ ] GitHub Workflow changes
• [x] Documentation or Wiki changes
• [x] Build and Dependency changes
• [ ] Runtime changes
  • [ ] Render changes
  • [ ] Audio changes
  • [ ] Input changes
  • [ ] Network changes
  • [ ] Other changes

Description

Before I made this PR, I had tried building Descent 3 on Windows for the first time. The instructions for building Descent 3 on Windows were unclear, inaccurate and they messed up my installation of Windows. I started working on this PR in order to prevent that situation from happening again. I ended up revamping the entire build instructions section.

Related Issues

Resolves problems from #332.

Checklist

• [x] I have tested my changes locally and verified that they work as intended.
• [x] I have documented any new or modified functionality.
• [x] I have reviewed the changes to ensure they do not introduce any unnecessary complexity or duplicate code.
• [x] I understand that by submitting this pull request, I am agreeing to license my contributions under the project's license.

Additional Comments

I have tested this PR on the following:

• Fedora 40 64-bit
• Ubuntu 24.04 64-bit
• Windows 11
• Windows 10 64-bit

I tried to test it on macOS, but I couldn’t get macOS to install. If someone else could test this out on macOS, that would be greatly appreciated.

[JeodC]

At first glance this appears wholly unnecessary, as building in windows using visual studio, cmake and vcpkg is nowhere near challenging. Can you describe what happened to prompt this in more detail?

[Jayman2000]

At first glance this appears wholly unnecessary, as building in windows using visual studio, cmake and vcpkg is nowhere near challenging. Can you describe what happened to prompt this in more detail?

As I wrote in the commit message:

(See #332 for details).

Also, I don’t think whether or not the process is challenging really matters. The problem with the current instructions is not that they’re challenging. You need to already know how to build Descent 3 on Windows in order to successfully follow the current instructions for building Descent 3 on Windows. The problem is that the current instructions is that they don’t teach unfamiliar users what they need to know.

[Jayman2000]

From a user standpoint, I find this version harder to follow. In the current README version, a developer looking for build instructions has to 1) Find the build header 2) Find their OS 3) Copy and run the commands.

In your version: 1) Find the "building" header 2) Expand the subheader corresponding to the prerequisites of their OS 3) Read the next step, and skip it because it is not for their OS 4) Copy commands one by one, skipping the ones not for them.

I don't know if my explanation is clear but I feel like it's adding friction to the simple "copy 3 commands and done".

OK. I’ll submit a new version that splits everything back into separate headings after we wrap up the Visual Studio discussion.

[Jayman2000]

OK. I’ll submit a new version that splits everything back into separate headings after we wrap up the Visual Studio discussion.

I just force pushed a new version that splits everything back into separate headings.

[Lgt2x]

tag me when you're ready for review :)

[Jayman2000]

@Lgt2x I’m ready for review.