Tim
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1979
Registered: 08-07-2004
IP: Logged

Sorry for replaying this late, but I've been very busy lately.

skell wrote:

Tim wrote:
* story

I am against forcing a story everywhere which is very common in games nowadays. I think no story is better than a crappy store but, at worst, I can add a small wall of text at the start of the game, perhaps the preloader?

If you're going to make a casual game for normal people you will need a story. If you're going to make a game for dedicated drod fans, you don't need it.

Tim wrote: Oh, it's looks clumsy when a monster is walking back and forth when it can't reach the friendly units because a wall is between them.

Can you give possible suggestions what to do in that case? I assume you are thinking specifically of Goblins?

I must say I've only played the game once and i did the last 2/3? levels pretty quickly so i have no idea how they moved internally.

Anyway, I must say I didn't expected goblins moved differently than normal monsters (at least, not in a tactical game). But if they actually do, then perhaps its better not to let them wander around needlessly, at least not without an appropriate level design for it.

____________________________
The best way to lose customers is to let little kids running loose on a forum with too many mod points.

silver
Level: Smitemaster
Rank Points: 915
Registered: 01-18-2005
IP: Logged

When restarting the game by reloading the page, my "deaths" count goes to 0

When restarting the game from the pause menu, my "deaths" count does not go to 0

(which is to say, I got 0 deaths in levels 1 and 2 because I hadn't discovered the pause menu yet, but I got some deaths in level 3, even though my last and only not-restarted play-through had 0 deaths)

It seems un-ideal that the version that uses less server-load is the one that "punishes" the user. So I'd request that it only send a deaths count to the high score table if you "win" a level, and only count the number of deaths in the winning play-through so that the less-server-loading-down restart solution matches behavior with the server-abusing restart solution.

(Also, I'd document the restart thing, but you have open tasks already for documentation)

____________________________

skell
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3757
Registered: 12-28-2004
IP: Logged

Okay, first beta release . Play it here!

A lot has changed. The most important changes are:
- No unit can walk through any other unit (FS#265)
- Undo has been implemented in the scope of one turn (FS#237, FS#218)
- It is possible to repeatedly move your units until all moves are used (FS#241) and unit is marked as moved only it either attacks or you press the end-move button. You don't have to use up all moves of a unit before moving another!
- There is an animated blue border around player units when they haven't yet moved (FS#224)
- You can fast forward enemy movement phase (FS#238)
- Three new levels, very simple and with little thought put into them
- Stats of all units have changed! (more info below)

Other changes:
- You can now attack units without having to move/wait first (FS#240)
- Walls and friendly units are no longer marked as attackable (FS#239)
- You can disable the wait-for-tap-when-enemy-attacks from options menu (FS#235)
- Slider in options which controls game speed - as of now it only affects unit movement animation (FS#233)
- Enemies will now stop moving as soon as they stand next to their target (FS#219 and this topic)
- Enemies will now break ties for closest enemy according to (more or less) DROD's brained movement preference - N > W > E > S > NW > NE > SW > SE > Wait. In all honesty I don't remember if I've referenced the actual DROD code so if it is incorrect it should be changed (FS#220)
- Enemies will use the same preferences to determine which enemy to attack (FS#221)
- Slayer movement preferences have changed - he will always prefer killing Beethro if he is in range. If not, he will try to move to a tile which 1) allows him to attack a unit 2) can be reached by least number of player units (FS#222)
- "Return to title screen" button was added to the pause menu (FS#226)
- An ugly and very simple title screen has been added which allows you select levels. It will be obviously improved in the ages to come (FS#225)

What was not done:
- The issue which TripleM has encountered and has been moved to next iteration for being fixed (FS#223)

What now:
- First and foremost I'd like your input on the current version, bugs and stuff. Please post everything in this topic, I'll make tasks for any issues in my bugtrack.
- I've changed stats of all the units but I am not convinced the change was for the best. If you think the stats should be changed/improved, bring it on
- I haven't tested if, after the above changes, any of the existing levels are completable!

That'd be all for now I think

____________________________
My website

slimm tom
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1235
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

skell wrote:
- Slayer movement preferences have changed - he will always prefer killing Beethro if he is in range. If not, he will try to move to a tile which 1) allows him to attack a unit 2) can be reached by least number of player units (FS#222)

The only way I was able to kill the slayer in the original levels was by exploiting that he would not always attack Beethro, so I could get multiple attacks in. I'm not sure if he can still be killed in the new version.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 5106
Registered: 02-04-2003
IP: Logged

Excellent!

slimm tom wrote:

skell wrote:
- Slayer movement preferences have changed - he will always prefer killing Beethro if he is in range. If not, he will try to move to a tile which 1) allows him to attack a unit 2) can be reached by least number of player units (FS#222)

The only way I was able to kill the slayer in the original levels was by exploiting that he would not always attack Beethro, so I could get multiple attacks in. I'm not sure if he can still be killed in the new version.

I'm certain it's still possible:

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

---

[Last edited by mrimer at 04-29-2013 06:07 PM]

Bombadil
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 522
Registered: 06-01-2005
IP: Logged

I like the changes

- Trying to play "Horizontal Tar (Original Lvl 3)" the game freezes.

- I don't think scrolling adds much to the game and feels weird. Currently only the slayer level needs it and making it a bit smaller (4 tiles vertically I think) will make it fit on the screen so it can be static. Then putting the menu buttons on one of the sides (vertically).
Unless in the future bigger rooms are put inside the game, I think it's not something needed now.
Other solutions: smaller sprites or increase window size (currently 800x600, I believe most browsers/computers can go over that) probably not an option.

---

[Last edited by Bombadil at 04-29-2013 06:10 PM]

stigant
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1182
Registered: 08-19-2004
IP: Logged

I'm certain it's still possible:

Click here to view the secret text

×I didn't even get Beethro involved in killing the slayer when I played through level 5. I used 2-4 citizens or stalwarts to fight him and keep him distracted on the south end of the level while I mopped up the rest of the level, then gathered up a gang of 3-5 men and took him down somewhere in the center. Beethro stayed at the north end of the level the whole time.

That's interesting. I


____________________________
Progress Quest Progress

skell
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3757
Registered: 12-28-2004
IP: Logged

stigant wrote:

I'm certain it's still possible:

Click here to view the secret text

×I didn't even get Beethro involved in killing the slayer when I played through level 5. I used 2-4 citizens or stalwarts to fight him and keep him distracted on the south end of the level while I mopped up the rest of the level, then gathered up a gang of 3-5 men and took him down somewhere in the center. Beethro stayed at the north end of the level the whole time.

That's interesting. I

Click here to view the secret text

× managed to use a few townies to lock down all monsters except the slayer at the beginning. Meanwhile, I organized an ambush of about 7-8 units on the right side, keeping Beethro well out of the way until Slayer had less than 10 hp. Then Beethro swept in for the final hit (mostly to reduce the final number of casualties... I could probably have killed him without Beethro). Finally, I mopped up the locked down monsters.

____________________________
My website

skell
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3757
Registered: 12-28-2004
IP: Logged

Bombadil wrote:
I like the changes

Yay

- Trying to play "Horizontal Tar (Original Lvl 3)" the game freezes.

Noted, I will try to fix it and update with the fix today.

- I don't think scrolling adds much to the game and feels weird. [...]

In the next iteration I will port a zoom-in/out buttons. Not to mention that for mobile release scaling and scrolling will be necessary . I can make some kind of a shortcut which will reset the level position to center if that will make anything better.



____________________________
My website

skell
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3757
Registered: 12-28-2004
IP: Logged

skell wrote:

Bombadil wrote: - Trying to play "Horizontal Tar (Original Lvl 3)" the game freezes.

Noted, I will try to fix it and update with the fix today.

And fixed . The updated file is under the same link.

____________________________
My website