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Main forum => Beta Tests => Topic started by: MrPlow on 2013-Aug-29

Title: Viking Raiders - beta 1.6.3
Post by: MrPlow on 2013-Aug-29
Here is my UPDATED beta version [updated with version 1.6.3]

1.6.3 Updates:
-       Added option to turn on a grid when 'G' is pressed when human viking is first highlighted

1.6.2 Features / Updates

-   Added horns / treasure chests
-   Catapults can be destroyed by enemy vikings
-   Fixed collison issues
-   Boats dont ram
-   Boats dont need full water access to move
-   Boats can only be destroyed by Catapults
-   Drunks fight and attack randomly
-   Enemy drunks can be recruited when collided with
-   Boats can be stacked to form bridges
-   Castles can be attacked from the sea
-       CPU (AI) buying decisions more cautious
-       CPU gold depleats but they can collect gold also



1.2 updates/fixes:

- hanging screens resolved
- "men falling out of boats" fixed
- victory screen added
- prices of units added
- bottom panel graphic {still to be completed}


Gameplay features:

- 1-4 player hotseat or cpu
- better CPU player AI
- longboats are better than original (not as restricted)
- more gold at start (may revise this)
- true retro graphic style
- only keyboard version for now

Still to do:
- fix some windows alt-tab issues. (mostly)
- add more sound and music ?
- mouse controls
- plus any other bugs you might spot...


FROM THE ORIGINAL INLAY CARD
------------------------------------------
TACTICS
The following are some tactics that can be tried, and the names of the
people who use them:
The Admiral                        Buys lots of boats ...
Captain Birdbrain               Gets them stuck in the ice!
The Alcoholic                      Seems to encounter a lot of drinking horns and has
                                          more drunken army than sober ...
Temperance                       Uses the catapults to destroy the drinking horns.
Whizz-Kid                          Buys lots of catapults ...
The Traditionalist              Never buys a catapult (too new-fangled!).
The Peace Lover               Keeps out of fights, builds up an enormous army
                                         and waits until the other players have virtually
                                         eliminated each other.
The Miser                          Keeps on bringing back treasure to build up the
                                         Gold hoard ...
The Spoiler                        Stops the Miser by catapulting at the treasure box.
The Bridge Builder            Places boats to make a static bridge, to move
                                        armies across the Fjord.
The Hero                          A drunken Viking who attacks and destroys an enemy
                                        castle ...
The Thinker                      A drunken Viking who gets sobered-up by the enemy,
                                        and joins them.
The Optimist                    Attacks ALL the other players in the same turn.
Three Blind Mice              Three HUMAN players who fight and destroy each
                                        other so that the final winner is the COMPUTER.


Hope you like it...;-)

Any annoying bugs please let me know...

Gary

Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: Ian Price on 2013-Aug-29
Excellent. Now all I need is some time :)
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: bigsofty on 2013-Aug-29
Vikings and plundering... what's not to like!  =D

I like the retro feel, reminds me of an old computer I used to have, an Oric 1.

The gameplay can slow down a little when you have to move so many units about individually, maybe an option to create a group of units and then move them as one?

It's quite fun to watch the AI fighting each other too.

Well done!  :good:
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: MrPlow on 2013-Aug-29
Cheers Guys,

I have spotted at least 1 bug so far...but nothing that will stop the plundering!

Grouping units hmmm??...noted...but could be a "version 2" feature...

I am thinking of "Rise of the Valkeries" as a theme tune? Yes - No?

This is my first GLB game project.

I notice some wav files dont send a handle back as quick as other wav files...is this a GLB issue? Or wav format issue?



Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: Ian Price on 2013-Aug-29
It's coming along brilliantly. There are only two issues that I think could be sorted in nano-seconds.

1. Offer the chance of not moving a character immediately (rather than pressing S or N, say press Zero or something). It's annoying to go through the movement routine for say a boat that you only want to load up and not move).

2. Show the cost of items in the buying option rather than the instructions screen.

Also - WTF are you doing with the game window (in Windowed mode)? It's nigh on impossible to exit without going through Task Manager. What's the correct procedure to exit? ESC doesn't exit. I presume you've used ALLOWESC FALSE - well, please put in a quick way to exit.

Obviously a SAVE GAME option would be lovely, but not pushing for it just yet ;) :P

But other than that, it's doing a really good job of replicating the original game. keep up the good work :)
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: MrPlow on 2013-Aug-30
Thanks Ian

Yes, I must be doing something mad for that mode!
:doubt:

I forgot to mention (space bar) skips units ... Doh!


Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: okee on 2013-Aug-31
Never played the original but this is interesting
Just a few notes

1. A grid would be nice just to easily calculate the distance you want to move a unit
even just a very feint coloured one.
2. the game doesn't end after you defeat last enemy
3. had a section of land on left that was 2 squares wide, the enemy pulled onto it in a boat
once i defeated the enemy i couldn't get past the empty boat
4 also sometimes when i put a unit on a boat and the boat pulls away the unit is left in the sea

Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: MrPlow on 2013-Aug-31
Quote from: okee on 2013-Aug-31
Never played the original but this is interesting
Just a few notes

1. A grid would be nice just to easily calculate the distance you want to move a unit
even just a very feint coloured one.
2. the game doesn't end after you defeat last enemy
3. had a section of land on left that was 2 squares wide, the enemy pulled onto it in a boat
once i defeated the enemy i couldn't get past the empty boat
4 also sometimes when i put a unit on a boat and the boat pulls away the unit is left in the sea

Thanks for testing it Okee...

On the grid request - i recall the calculation of the squares was part of the in-game fun.
I actually have a grid that I setup in the development version I could add in but dont know if that adds or takes away from playability....(especially when humans get it very wrong...hotseat games are fun when humans miscalculate)

Item 2 - game not ending .... will add something for that now.

Item 3 - boats - i think are meant to block other players - but others believe they shouldnt I could change that.

Item 4 - strange one, I have to look to see whats causing that...? Did you come in contact with other obstacles when this happened?

Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: Ian Price on 2013-Aug-31
Yeah, I had the boat leave a man in the water too - see attached screenie. It was the middle man in the boat - I don't know if this will help identify the cause. All I did was move the boat down from it's original position by 9 blocks straight down.

Can you also make the NORMAL/SPECIAL bar light up when you've selected them?

I also like the idea of a grid. Perhaps they could be optional?


[EDIT] Enemy viking (CPU controlled) moved into water. This isn't a legal move is it? See attachment #2

In the second game I destroyed TWO of my own catapults by hitting 0 fire distance. LOL. You'd think I would have learned after my first loss!! :P

Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: MrPlow on 2013-Aug-31
Thanks Ian,

Must check out the dodgy CPU swimmer...should not have happened...

On the boats leaving behind men I think I might have solved that one... I allocate seats to each viking...but dont think I was emptying them correctly after the vikings left the boat. So the boat thought it was still full...

Also boats should collide with each other in my current version, as per the original.

I will update the exe later on with fixes.

G




Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: Ian Price on 2013-Aug-31
But I hadn't vacated any seats on my boat - I'd only just filled an empty boat...

Anyway, I hope this gets sorted. It's probably something really simple like an array not being updated properly.

BTW I'm not totally against the CPU sending his guys swimming ;) :P
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: MrPlow on 2013-Aug-31
I discovered that my while wend loops for keypress events are causing the hang due to no Showscreen activity...
is there an alternative to this?

I dont want to run through hoops and re-create screen refreshes on every loop if i can avoid it...

"Sleep" within the loop doesnt seem to help either...
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: Ian Price on 2013-Aug-31
Yep. Just ensure that you are using a SHOWSCREEN :P

GLB is fast enough to refresh the screen 60+ frames per second on an average pc - there's no reason at all not to use SHOWSCREEN. If this is slowing your game down then you've got more pressing problems.

If you want to reduce keypresses tehn use something like this

Code (glbasic) Select

WHILE TRUE
draw stuff etc.

IF KEY(XX) AND press=0
  do something
  press=20
ENDIF

IF press>0 THEN DEC press

SHOWSCREEN
WEND


This will prevent key repeat, preventing you from going through the key options in one frame or even pressing the same key twice in succession.


Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: MrPlow on 2013-Aug-31
The showscreen creates a blank black screen when done within my loop?
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: Ian Price on 2013-Aug-31
SHOWSCREEN will only display whatever is happening within that loop, if it's not displaying anything then whatever you're drawing is not in that loop.

Can you share the bit of code to show us what you are doing?
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: kanonet on 2013-Aug-31
CLEARSCREEN -1 and you wanto get black screen.
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: MrPlow on 2013-Aug-31
Quote from: Ian Price on 2013-Aug-31
SHOWSCREEN will only display whatever is happening within that loop, if it's not displaying anything then whatever you're drawing is not in that loop.

Can you share the bit of code to show us what you are doing?

Ahh, I see ... Within current loop ... Making sense now what was happening
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: MrPlow on 2013-Sep-01
NEW VERSION up above 1.2

Some fixes and updates

Enjoy
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: Ian Price on 2013-Sep-08
Finally had a chance to have a go with this beta.

It seems to play much more fluidly now; it all seems smoother and faster. The addition of the extra text (skip, prices etc.) helps the game immensely. Is it me or have you made the enemy harder? I had half a dozen battles and didn't win any. Also I'm sure that my catapults weren't in a valid direction when they all got pumelled. I know the computer has unlimited firing range, but only to the standard 8 directions. Hmmmmm...

Boats don't seem to leave vikings swimming and the enemy doesn't go skinny-dipping either (shame! :P).

And I can exit without using Task Manager! ;) :P

Excellent. Just need the treasure chests and drinking horns now.  :booze:  :good:
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta
Post by: MrPlow on 2013-Oct-16
Hope you like the most recent changes!

Quote from: Ian Price on 2013-Sep-08
Finally had a chance to have a go with this beta.

It seems to play much more fluidly now; it all seems smoother and faster. The addition of the extra text (skip, prices etc.) helps the game immensely. Is it me or have you made the enemy harder? I had half a dozen battles and didn't win any. Also I'm sure that my catapults weren't in a valid direction when they all got pumelled. I know the computer has unlimited firing range, but only to the standard 8 directions. Hmmmmm...

Boats don't seem to leave vikings swimming and the enemy doesn't go skinny-dipping either (shame! :P).

And I can exit without using Task Manager! ;) :P

Excellent. Just need the treasure chests and drinking horns now.  :booze:  :good:
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta 1.6.3
Post by: Ian Price on 2013-Oct-16
Grabbed, but Lord knows when I'll have a chance to test it. Cheers though :)
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta 1.6.3
Post by: Jonás Perusquía on 2013-Dec-21
I LOVE IT :D

A more flexible menu would be nice, for example, using the mouse to select options, but really impressive!
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta 1.6.3
Post by: MrPlow on 2014-Jan-14
Thanks Jonas,

I am in the process of converting the control system to FULL point and click!
Then I am looking at an Android version

:)

Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta 1.6.3
Post by: Ian Price on 2014-Jan-15
Still haven't played the last version yet. :(

Must get around to it soon.
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta 1.6.3
Post by: MrPlow on 2014-Jan-15
Hoping to add some new gameplay features down the line...
:booze:
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta 1.6.3
Post by: MrPlow on 2014-May-10
Its come along way since the start....

New graphics / music / UI controls / menus etc...

Out on itch.io and should be on indiecity in a day or two...

Android version ... finishing touches... should be on Android any day too...

Many thanks to Ian, Space Fractal, and the rest of you guys for testing and giving feedback!!  :good:

Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta 1.6.3
Post by: spacefractal on 2014-May-22
please do not turn of the mouse when its in windowed mode. The music seen missing in windows version, but fun to see the AI playing with its self hehe. Sound sound like Atari 2600, but its well selected and defined sound. Cool.
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta 1.6.3
Post by: MrPlow on 2014-May-22
Thanks SF!

There is music in the most recent versions - I think that version has very quiet music (low volume) in background of me on guitar...loL!

The most recent version using beatscribes music.

I will send you a DL code.

G.
Title: Re: Viking Raiders - beta 1.6.3
Post by: spacefractal on 2014-May-23
Im would like to hear the music (either windows or macos). Just don't remove mouse point if not full screen, it's quite annoying.