can you ship a version that does not need RTP
Viewing post in Caliross, The Shapeshifter's Legacy comments
In theory I could, but in practice it would be a hassle, since the game would exceed 1Gb in size, which is usually the limit for what itch allows. I could ask itch to consider granting me the ability to go over that size, or I could host that version externally (which is probably the easiest thing to do).
Is there any reason in particular that makes the RTP a problem for you?
Edit: wait, I just saw your other message. XD
That's true, although I don't think it's a very high barrier to entry. Now that the game isn't in active development anymore, I could probably put out a "full" version. I still want to wait a while in case there are some other bugs to fix (I don't want to fiddle with two versions while there are still things to address), but if there are no other reports, I might upload the version without requirements.
In theory, you just need to check a box to add the RTP files when you run the program to "package" a release, but in practice it takes time to package and upload the version (and then to extract it from the exe and then back into an archive to have that version also available). It's not a huge amount of time, but since I still want the version that doesn't include the RTP, I'd be doubling the time needed, and that adds up.
Plus, there is always the chance that a bug exists in one version but not the other (from random stuff like a corrupted file or error when creating the package, to some mistake when I copy rename the files or an issue with the upload). Even if it's a low chance, I really don't want to bother with the extra hassle, until I am sure it won't be a recurring commitment.