Hi Aaron,

I am myself developing such a tool entitled Game Release Studio 2.0 - it packs files, changes the icon, the window title, gives you a customisable splash screen and progress bar and so on and so forth.

It is entirely legal to use this software, so don't worry. JCL himself - the lead developer of A6 and head honcho - has said on several occasions that he has no objections to third-party software that covers up the default splash screen and changes the window title and so forth.

You should beware, however, that none of this software is a real substitute for the Pro edition. All freeware packers (my own included, and GS-Tools too as far as I know) temporarily extract files while the game runs, so they are not as safe as the Pro version. (The only packer that doesn't extract files - Thinstall - is more expensive than the Pro version). Also, the splash screens provided by such software only covers up the default splash screen - they do not remove it.

Nonetheless, such software is a real bonus if you don't have the money to buy the Pro version, and the average user won't notice the difference. GRS2 should be out sometime this month, but GS-Tools is an excellent option too - its programmer is always very helpful and has been supporting the software for years, so I would recommend trying out all the software and use the one that you prefer.

Cheers,
Keith