Monday, March 31, 2008

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10 e released (test version)

The only change from beta 10 d is:
- annoying bug fixed: when being attacked or when attacking enemy squares, several knights would always spill over to adjacent squares

Sunday, March 30, 2008

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10d released (test version)

The changes from beta 10c are:
- added a map (JS4)
- test version (instead of unstable)

Because of temporary problems of the version control system, this version is only available in English. When this version is stable enough, the other languages will be added, and a stable version of the beta 10 will be released. Until this happens, the version alert ("a new version is available") will be switched off.

Friday, March 28, 2008

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10c released (unstable version)

SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10c (unstable version) is available in English at the following URL:

Windows installer:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/soundrts-1.0-b10c-en.exe

Multi platform:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/soundrts-1.0-b10c-en.zip

The single player "save and restore" feature is broken, but the rest of the single player features should work.

The changes from the beta 10b version are:
- fixed intro sequence in mission chapters
- fixed version alert (must be read)
- now a standalone beta 10 server doesn't require pygame
- fixed bug: now registering too many players for a game isn't possible any more
- added 12 multiplayer maps
- removed "multiplayer" from the map names (faster menus)
- added a very fast speed (4 times) for multiplayer games (might not work that much, though; try it)
- the food provided by farms is 8 instead of 4
- the training time is divided by 2 (the research time stays the same)
- list players and games when login
- say the registered players list of a game when a player registers or unregisters for this game

If you find a server called JL, please use it, so I will be able to check if, for example, there are synchronization problems between the clients.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10b released (unstable version)

SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10b (unstable version) is available in English at the following URL:

Windows installer:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/soundrts-1.0-b10b-en.exe

Multi platform:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/soundrts-1.0-b10b-en.zip

This unstable version is only meant to test the new multiplayer architecture. The single player part is probably broken (essentially the "save and restore" feature).

The changes from the beta 10a version are:
- the server asks for the game speed before the game start
- sub menu for map choice in the server menu
- the delay between an order and its execution is computed at the game start
- now the player can set the voice relative volume from the menu (and not only from the game interface)
- the global food limit is not dynamically shared among the players anymore, but is simply the food limit for each player and for the entire game (for example, instead of having, in a map with 2 players and a global limit of 80 food, 80 divided by 2 equals 40 food for each player, now each player simply have a maximum of 80 food.) This will allow me to simplify the code which is not required anymore because of the higher network speed.
- tried to solve the blocking problems of collisions (more place between buildings, and lowered the radius of the units)
- the client quits when its server (previously opened from this client) quits
- bug fix: the game never started if aggressive AI
- fixed bug with menu updates: if a mage is trained, then if teleportation is researched next, the mage menu still don't have this power until he moves (even in the same square)

If you find a server called JL, please use it, so I will be able to
check if, for example, there are synchronization problems between the
clients.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

First results of the multiplayer tests

Thanks to the testers, I have fixed a bug that happened rarely when I tested the game, and happened all the time when the testers started a multiplayer game against the computer (the game never started). It happened all the time for the testers because they chose systematically the "aggressive" computer, because it's their favorite level, while I chose most of the time the "passive" one, because it's earlier in the menu list. In fact, due to a misspelling, the "aggressive" computer was not initialized correctly.

Most testers didn't find any player to play against, so I logged in once and played against the player called: "teleportation sound". Well, it was fun, at least for me, even if I didn't win. At a moment of the game, I would have said "wow" or "lol" to express a surprise. Maybe a limited chat with some classic expressions would be good: hi, gl, hf, gg, lol, bye. Or maybe a 3 letters chat.

In the next version the "create game" menu will start with a submenu to choose a map, so that the player can easily enter a game where he has just been invited to, without being overwhelmed by the maps list.

For the moment, no coordination error between game clients has been noticed.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10a released (unstable version)

SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10a (unstable version) is available in English at
the following URL:

Windows installer:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/soundrts-1.0-b10a-en.exe

Multi platform:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/soundrts-1.0-b10a-en.zip

This unstable version is only meant to test the new multiplayer architecture. The single player part is probably broken.

The main change is the way the clients and the server communicate in multiplayer games: only the orders are sent to the server, and each client simulates the game. This way the game should be faster and allow more units. New bugs might appear, though.

Other changes:
- now the player can invite the aggressive computer even if he has not completed the single player campaign
- map making: removed old single player example map
- map making: single player campaigns (victory unlocks the next chapter)
- map making: mission chapters (in a campaign)
- map making: custom sounds (in a campaign)
- map making: cut scene chapters (in a campaign)
- map making: introduction cut scene (in a mission) (for example: a briefing)
- map making: cut_scene (play a cut scene during a mission)
- added a "victory, do you want to continue?" menu and a "defeat, do you want to restart?" menu after a single player chapter of a campaign
- change: press F9 instead of F12 to check the objectives
- change: press F11 instead of F9 to check the players (in a multiplayer game)
- new: press control + tab to cycle through woods, gold mines and meadows
- map making: several objectives (in a mission); can be added during a mission
- map making: new trigger condition: has_entered (example: "has_entered b2" is true when the player enters b2)
- removed the "Ctrl + F6: wait for combat sounds" option
- fixed a bug where the player couldn't always build after a game is restored
- map making: new trigger action: add units in a square (for example: reinforcements)

Known bugs:
- sometimes, the multiplayer game doesn't start (check this by
pressing control shift f3: you should hear the heartbeat of the game);
if you have this problem, ask to quit twice (the second time will
work) and start a new game; feel free to report this problem, though.
- if you start a server and stop it, and start it again without
closing the program, the server will not start the second time; close
the program if you have to restart the server.

About the speed of the game, you will find that there is a fixed delay between the moment where you give an order and the moment where you have the confirmation. This delay is necessary when there is latency, so every player plays in the same conditions even if some of them have higher latency delays. Later, I will make this delay adjustable, probably automatically, so the delay is near zero in a LAN game, while it will be higher in an Internet game, depending on the actual
latency.

If you find a server called JL, please use it, so I will be able to check if, for example, there are synchronization problems between the clients.

Monday, March 10, 2008

[planning] future SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10a (unstable)

The main change of the beta 10a will be:
- improved population limit and faster multiplayer games; requires a big architecture change

The following changes, initially included in the beta 9i, will be in the beta 10a:
- now the player can invite the aggressive computer even if he has not completed the single player campaign
- map making: removed old single player example map
- map making: single player campaigns (victory unlocks the next chapter)
- map making: mission chapters (in a campaign)
- map making: custom sounds (in a campaign)
- map making: cut scene chapters (in a campaign)
- map making: introduction cut scene (in a mission) (for example: a briefing)
- map making: cut_scene (play a cut scene during a mission)
- added a "victory, do you want to continue?" menu and a "defeat, do you want to restart?" menu after a single player chapter of a campaign
- change: press F9 instead of F12 to check the objectives
- change: press F11 instead of F9 to check the players (in a multiplayer game)
- new: press control + tab to cycle through woods, gold mines and meadows
- map making: several objectives (in a mission); can be added during a mission
- map making: new trigger condition: has_entered (example: "has_entered b2" is true when the player enters b2)
- removed the "Ctrl + F6: wait for combat sounds" option
- fixed a bug where the player couldn't always build after a game is restored
- map making: new trigger action: add units in a square (for example: reinforcements)

The following changes will probably be in the beta 10b or later:
- easier way to start multiplayer games
- a new single player map illustrating the new map making features
- map making: custom units (for example: a hero unit, or special units)

The following changes are planned for after the beta 10:
- add lesson 1 of a very easy in-game tutorial (doing many things in the same square first)
- add scout towers, mutable to arrow-throwing towers or to cannon towers
- catapults can attack units in adjacent squares but only if the unit is seen, but cannot attack units in the same square
- add limited persistence of enemy units in fog of war
- add lessons for the tutorial
- the player can select allied computers or not
- the players can ally during a multiplayer game
- the player can choose between more than one race
- a player can replay and examine a recorded multiplayer game
- an observer can examine a multiplayer game being played
- difficulty levels?