SoundRTS development log

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 8 released

2011-12-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The main changes since 1.1 alpha 7 are:

Gameplay:

bug fixed: now the mages tower can research meteors
bug fixed: the teleportation limit of 10 units could cause the first 10 mages to be teleported, leaving the other units unteleported, so I have completely removed this limit; I have kept the following limitation introduced in 1.1 alpha 7 though: if there is no space left at the destination then no more units are teleported there (it might prevent the game from slowing too much when too many units are teleported)

Map making:

map making manual: updated the part about the starting resources of each player

Game modding:

bug fixed: training, building or researching/upgrading something requiring 0 second (time cost of 0) won't cause an error anymore

Interface:

manual: added a note about activating TTS with Linux (speech dispatcher)

SoundRTS 1.1 and SoundRTS 1.0 should coexist in the same machine without any problem. The settings are also stored in different folders (respectively "SoundRTS unstable" and "SoundRTS 1.0").

About multiplayer games, this version is only compatible with itself. If you modify the rules.txt file or the ai.txt file, you need to send it to your friends if you want to play with them, or they won't find your server.

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 7 released

2011-12-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The main changes since 1.1 alpha 6 are:

doc:

the manual has been entirely updated
some parts have been automatically generated from rules.txt

interface:

added screen reader support for Windows (using ScreenReaderAPI)
added TTS support for Linux (uses Speech Dispatcher)

campaign:

removed or simplified hard maps
added very small maps demonstrating some units

AI:

the passive AI is more peaceful (similar to SoundRTS 1.0): it won't retaliate if one of its explorers is attacked

gameplay:

added necromancer, necropolis, deadly fog, raise dead, zombie, skeleton
added priest, temple, resurrection, exorcism, holy vision
now only the priest can heal (removed from mage and townhall)
teleportation stops if no space is left
teleportation has been limited to 10 units
moved conversion to the priest
added summon dragons and meteors to the mage
healing: the gain of hit points is now continuous instead of increasing by steps of 1 hit point every 7.5 seconds; it should work globally the same except for the first hit point which was gained instantly on the first healing of a unit
restored archer upgrade values to SoundRTS 1.0 values: weapon damage + 1.5 (instead of 15), armor + .5 (instead of 2)
when creating a building, now the construction site is set up as soon as the peasant enters the square (and not when the peasant reaches the meadow); this should avoid some cases where the peasant cannot reach the meadow

optimization:

the peasants AI might be less slow in large maps when gathering resources (faster shortest path implementation)

server:

now a game on a public server will require at least two human players
added a cleanup routine to the server (remove clients without socket and remove all games when no client)
in whatismyip.txt, replaced whatismyip.org (often down) with an automation-friendly URL provided by whatismyip.com

bugs fixed:

the completion of a repair is not notified anymore
when an order is given to a group and at least one unit knows what to do, there won't be any "order impossible" alert
when at least one unit has enough mana, no "not enough mana" alert will be emitted
after some time, the public server would allow less and less simultaneous games
minor fixes in maps JS11 and JS13 (Jason Symes)

keyboard bindings:

now SHIFT ALT A and SHIFT ALT G queue the previous order (while ALT A and ALT G just repeated it at once)
the keyboard bindings are defined in a hopefully more efficient way which will facilitate the creation of new units and races: the unit types mentioned in bindings.txt are generic: worker, building, soldier1, soldier2, ..., soldier7; these names are mentioned in style.txt for the units as a parameter called "keyboard"; this parameter can be inherited, so for example there is no need to define it for darkarcher since archer already mentions: "keyboard soldier2"
the modifiers SHIFT (queue_order) and CONTROL (imperative_order) work for the mouse left click too (when confirming a target)

game modding:

cleaned up rules.txt: removed unused parameters about multilevel tech upgrades ("levels", "cost_increment", "time_cost_increment", "requirements1", "requirements2")
added "food_cost 1" in rules.txt for some units
added effects: "summon_nearby" and "summon_anywhere"
added unit property: "decay"
about abilities (teleportation, conversion, ...), rules.txt mentions if the enemy have an alert too (like in teleportation) with the variable universal_notification set to 1 (default value is 0), in style.txt the alert sound is specified in the ability instead of in the unit

More thoughts about the project

2011-12-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

After reading your comments and working on SoundRTS today, here are some more thoughts (sometimes contradicting with the previous ones):

During the next two days, maybe one, I might be able to get some work done.
Releasing a new 1.1 alpha 7 would be quicker than creating a new stable version.
Even if the 1.1 alpha 7 is very wrong, there is always the possibility for the player to go back to 1.1 alpha 6 and ignore the "please update" message. The older versions are still there for download even if their links have disappeared.
There is no need to remove the recorded voices in 1.1 alpha 7.
Using SAPI by default (without having to press control + alt + F12 during a game) might be nice.
Using the screen reader might be even nicer. Unfortunately, using something else than SAPI or recorded text might require a change in the way messages are processed in SoundRTS because the screen readers don't tell if they are speaking or not. This causes problems to the current "message manager" of SoundRTS who is trying to make sure that every information is told sooner or later. Maybe this control is not really needed. I don't know.

[SoundRTS] project status

2011-12-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

Here is a summary of the current plans for SoundRTS. Feel free to comment, especially about the viability of 1.1 alpha 6 as a stable version.

The next evolutions might be more chaotic, so I will probably rename the current latest 1.1 alpha 6 to stable 1.1.0, since it's probably being used as a stable version by many players anyway. The next alpha would be 1.2 alpha 0. This way you would have something to try soon without losing the not so bad current version, and new players wouldn't be misguided to download 1.0.1 anymore.
I might also add an archive folder to the website so the current stable 1.0.1 would still be easily available, even if not recommended anymore.
In 1.2 alpha, I will try to solve a fundamental problem of SoundRTS: the world map lacks continuity: squares and paths to connect them. If I am successful, there would be only one space, even if I will try to keep the ease of play that squares provide. It would be possible to block a bottleneck by placing footmen accurately, and placing archers behind them. Building walls would make sense. The simulation would be probably simplified. The problem is to adapt the AI and make sure that the game interface is not too complex.
In 1.2 alpha, I might completely remove recorded text and use SAPI to allow more efficient and flexible messages, but it might cause (at least temporarily) the loss of some platforms (Linux, Mac) and of the languages for which I don't have the text. I apologize in advance for the inconveniences but it is the price to pay in order to limit the ever growing complexity of the SoundRTS beast. The positional text will be lost in the process too (at least temporarily).
Allowing several races is a priority, because sooner or later they will have to be implemented, and before that happens, balancing the new units in one race would be a lost effort.
There might be confusion when two competing players control the same race, but even in this case it might be possible to make the units sound different depending on their "ally" status (using the "if_me" keyword in style.txt). But it might not be necessary.
At the moment, I have added 2 units: the priest and the necromancer, and I have planned to move some of the abilities of the mage to the priest, and I have made more changes in the existing units. This won't be good, but with 1.1 alpha 6 still available, it might be OK to play with the stats again.
I have updated the manual and added automatic generation of the description of the units, buildings and abilities from the rules.txt file. I will try to keep the manual updated.

[SoundMUD] SoundMUD development log

2011-09-27T02:41:00.000-07:00

I used to post news about SoundMUD in SoundRTS development log, but from now on, I will post news about SoundMUD in a new blog: SoundMUD development log.

Another pygame example for audiogame programming

2011-08-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

Example 3: move an object to the left or to the right with the arrow keys

This is a basic game loop, at last. I might try to simplify it further.

You can download all the examples (with the sounds) here.

[SoundMUD] SoundMUD 0.13 released

2011-06-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

(July 19: warning: this is not the "very different" 0.13 version previously mentioned in the website. The "very different" 0.13 version, a CircleMud / SoundMud combination, was just an unreleased experiment and isn't planned any more. So this 0.13 version is the trunk that will continue to evolve, I hope.)

(June 25: updated this post with a list of changes from 0.12)

SoundMUD 0.13 is available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundmud/soundmud_redux.htm

Download link:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundmud/soundmud-0.13-windows.zip

A manual is available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundmud/manual.html

List of changes from 0.12:
- the "client_data" folder has been renamed to "data"
- the "sounds" folder has been moved into the "data" folder
- fixed the hostile sound signal
- fixed the sound emitted when the creature is hit by a weapon
- now the creature's description mentions the equipped weapon
- now the weapons break after some use
- restored the player's id in the character's description
- now any creature emits an "attack" sound when attacking
- added a manual
- fixed the "e" key (to select equipment)
- added "unequip" action
- now the monsters take any object on the ground (can be noticed after the player character's death)
- the player character drops the equipped weapon on dying
- the "water drops" sounds in the corridors have been restored
- if an already connected user tries to connect again, the server will close the other connection and accept the new user connection (instead of rejecting the new connection)
- slightly edited some underground rooms so they are more connected (with cycles, not like tree branches)
- added a bigger underground crypt with monsters and a boss (probably too many monsters)

[SoundMUD] bug fixed in SoundMUD 0.12

2011-05-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

At last, the bug which has been preventing the server of SoundMUD 0.12 from working has been removed.

http://jlpo.free.fr/soundmud/soundmud_redux.htm

SoundMUD 0.12 is a minor and buggy evolution of 0.11, provided for comparison with 0.11 (both servers are running). It might be a dead-end, I don't know yet. the main changes are:

* a MMORPG-like gameplay: no need to hold Enter to move or attack any more, just press backspace once; special attacks or spells or actions are missing though, so the result might be unconvincing yet;
* after death, you can rest and observe the room until you press R to rez
* no more compass indications when the character rotates
* the monsters' AI is different: they go back home after a fight
* press I to select the next object in the inventory
* press Backspace to equip a weapon (selected it in the inventory)
* press E to select the next object in the equipment slots (only a held weapon slot at the moment)
* press D to drop the selected object
* change: press Insert (instead of backspace) to switch weapons

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 6 released

2011-01-29T11:58:00.000-08:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The main changes since 1.1 alpha 5 are:

Languages:
- added Brazilian Portuguese translation from Bgb Blind Games Brazil

Team play:
- the peasant can store gold or wood in a warehouse of an ally (the stored resource belongs to the gatherer, not to the owner of the warehouse)

Gameplay:
- when saying the name of the current square, a summary of the content is included
- added "invisible", "detector" and "cloaker" to the description of a unit (available with V status or Tab description and Control to repeat)
- the player won't have an alert for the following events concerning an enemy or an ally: "work complete", "OK order", "impossible order"
- the alert system is changing: the remaining units are mentioned for every conflict square
- the newly discovered resources are mentioned differently

Bugs fixed:
- bug fixed: too many meadows were created (2 * nb_meadows_by_square)
- bug fixed: when attacking a friendly unit, the attacker would try to go very near the attacked unit, instead of having the "attack range" distance
- bug fixed: units with splash damage (dragons for example) couldn't be forced to attack their own units
- bug fixed: sawmills and blacksmiths were included in the W menu even after all the upgrades and research have been done

Sounds:
- 3 new TTS sounds: 4289 invisible, 4290 detector, 4291 cloaker
- sounds: removed the indefinite article "a" from 80.ogg and 81.ogg ("wood" instead of "a wood", "goldmine" instead of "a goldmine")

Solo campaign:
- in the chapter 4, after 3 minutes, the mage in b3 teleports to a1

SoundRTS 1.1 and SoundRTS 1.0 should coexist in the same machine without any problem. The settings are also stored in different folders (respectively "SoundRTS unstable" and "SoundRTS 1.0").

About multiplayer games, this version is only compatible with itself. If you modify the rules.txt file or the ai.txt file, you need to send it to your friends if you want to play with them, or they won't find your server.

the conversion spell

2010-11-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

The conversion spell is a way to take the control of an enemy unit. The unit will be one of your units. Buildings can be converted too.

To convert an enemy unit:
1. select a mage for orders
2. select the conversion order
3. select an enemy unit or building as a target (warning: if you are selecting a mobile unit in a currently unobserved square, the unit might be actually elsewhere and the order will be canceled when the mage arrives in the square)
4. validate the order

Note: at the moment, the mage can use this spell after a research by the mages tower; but, later, conversion might be the ability of another unit (when the units, buildings and tech tree have been reorganized).

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 5 released

2010-10-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The main changes since 1.1 alpha 4 are:

Team play:
- allied players, including allied victory and allied vision
- available only in the server menu (use a private server for single player games with allied play; computers are not allied by default)
- the single player menu is the same than before (computers are allied by default)

Chat:
- only available in the server lobby and in the pre-game room (not available when selecting the map and the game speed though)
- to say something to everybody in the same room, press S, enter your message and press enter

Maps:
- multiplayer maps are sorted from the smallest one to the biggest (the number of units is taken into account too)
- added maps pm1 to pm6 by Peter Mahach

The AI might be a bit stronger:
- the AI will retaliate only if it is stronger than the attackers
- the AI builds additional townhalls automatically (no need to specify their number in ai.txt)
- the AI builds more than one production building automatically (barracks, workshop, dragons lair...)
- the AI builds where the peasants are
- the aggressive AI researches the upgrades and abilities
- the aggressive AI uses teleportation

Bugs fixed:
- bug fixed: when restoring a game just after the program's launch, the program would freeze
- bug fixed: sometimes when the sawmill was complete, not all the hit points were available

SoundRTS 1.1 and SoundRTS 1.0 should coexist in the same machine without any problem. The settings are also stored in different folders (respectively "SoundRTS unstable" and "SoundRTS 1.0").

About multiplayer games, this version is only compatible with itself. If you modify the rules.txt file or the ai.txt file, you need to send it to your friends if you want to play with them, or they won't find your server.

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 4 released

2010-10-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

Update: a bug, probably existing in the previous versions, prevents SoundRTS from restoring a game correctly if you have just started the program and directly chose to restore a saved game. This bug will be solved in the next version; in the meantime, try the following maneuver to avoid it: start a new game and close it (this will initialize important variables), then don't quit the program and restore the saved game.

The main changes since 1.1 alpha 3 are:

General:
- the aggressive AI is a bit stronger: catapults, dark archers, and flying machines (used as detectors, not as transports)
- added maps JS12 JS13 JS14 JS15 by Jason Symes
- fixed a small map error in JS11 which prevented the game from starting (since 1.1 alpha 3)
- bug fixed: the map checker didn't know the keywords "players" and "computers", preventing some correct maps from starting

Multi platform version:
- the multi platform version now includes pyc files for Python 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7 in separate directories; the default version is still 2.5
- to use a different version of Python, copy the pyc files from the corresponding directory to the main directory
- at the moment, clients using different Python's versions will be considered compatible (this will be changed if a synchronization error appears)

Map making and modding:
- the computer AIs' high-level plans are now stored in a file called ai.txt
- ai.txt is included in the compatibility signature to avoid synchro errors in multiplayer games
- now rules.txt and style.txt are reloaded before every game (ai.txt too)
- no more "args 0" or "args 1" in style.txt (it was used to decide if an order type required a target or not)

SoundRTS 1.1 and SoundRTS 1.0 should coexist in the same machine without any problem. The settings are also stored in different folders (respectively "SoundRTS unstable" and "SoundRTS 1.0").

About multiplayer games, this version is only compatible with itself. If you modify the rules.txt file or the ai.txt file, you need to send it to your friends if you want to play with them, or they won't find your server.

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 3 released

2010-10-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The main changes since 1.1 alpha 2 are:

SAPI 5 experimental support (activation and settings only during a game, but the configuration can be saved):

- SAPI on/off: during a game, Control Alt F12 (off by default)
- press Control F12 to select the next voice, press Control Shift F12 to select the previous voice
- SAPI change speed: Alt (Shift) F12
- press Control Alt Shift F12 to save SAPI configuration
- SAPI volume (same keys as voice volume)
- the buildvoices script has been replaced by a build_tts.exe file; no additional install is needed, and it converts to ogg automatically
- sounds.txt has been renamed to tts.txt

Gameplay:

- press Alt + PageUp/PageDown to select the previous/next unknown square
- press Shift + PageUp/PageDown to select the Previous/Next Square containing resources
- some trained units will not be announced after number 10 (like the announce for gold or wood)
- optimizations: this version is faster than 1.1 alpha 2, and probably almost as fast as 1.0
- new sound for conversion, different from the one used for teleportation
- scout towers, guard towers and cannon towers can see the adjacent squares
- aerial units (dragon, flying machine, offensive flying machine) can see the adjacent squares
- bug fixed: a catapult with an imperative attack order on a specific target would go to the target instead of attacking it
- on entering the multiplayer menu, the player will be asked to choose a login if the current login is the default one
- building a farm, barracks, a lumber mill or a blacksmith now requires having a town hall
- now Alt A does the same than Alt G: redo the previous command, immediately if no validation is required

Map making, modding:

- some map errors will be detected earlier (especially in maps involving triggers)
- added a map_error message when square names are expected and the item can't be a square name
- try to use SAPI if map error
- in rules.txt, "sight_range 1" means that the unit or building can see the adjacent squares
- in rules.txt, inheritance works (lines starting with "is_a")
- in rules.txt, requirements take inheritance into account (for example, a castle is also a townhall because castle "is_a keep" and keep "is_a townhall"; so if a townhall is required to build barracks, having a castle is OK too)
- added default single player game speed to SoundRTS.ini

Linux:

- in Linux, the log file is now stored in a "tmp" directory under the "$HOME/.SoundRTS unstable" directory
- in Linux, the "SoundRTS.cfg" configuration file is now "SoundRTS.ini" (like the other platforms)

Graphics (still not usable for visual play):

- graphics: now a line will be displayed when a unit hits another unit and the wounded unit will be temporarily highlighted
- graphics: hit points are displayed for damaged units
- graphics: draw a rectangle over units to select them for commands
- graphics: now the mouse cursor changes shape depending on the pointed object and depending on the game waiting for a target for the current command
- graphics: buildings are now displayed as squares (the rest are circles)
- graphics: inside your units: a dark green spot if not controlled, a light green spot if controlled
- graphics: inside enemy units: a red spot

SoundRTS 1.1 and SoundRTS 1.0 should coexist in the same machine without any problem. The settings are also stored in different folders (respectively "SoundRTS unstable" and "SoundRTS 1.0").

About multiplayer games, this version is only compatible with itself. If you modify the rules.txt file, you need to send it to your friends if you want to play with them or they won't find your server.

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 2 released

2010-09-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The main changes since 1.1 alpha 1 are:
- probably a bit faster during a game (saving and restoring a game didn't change though)
- restored queuing for "tech" upgrades
- improved game stability: some errors won't cause the entire game simulation to freeze (other errors might still slow the game down)
- bug fixed: chaining several scout towers on the same square caused the simulation to freeze
- bug fixed: in the case of a unit upgrading to another kind of unit, the cost indicated in the menu and the effective cost didn't match
- bug fixed: when upgrading a unit to another one, the food cost was too high
- bug fixed: dark archer selection now works
- bug fixed: the cheat mode works again
- bug fixed: units unloaded from a flying machine didn't attack or flee
- bug fixed: at the beginning of a game, mutually hostile units didn't attack
- bug fixed: when controlling several units, targeting a flying machine and pressing backspace only loaded one unit in the flying machine
- bug fixed: giving a "defensive mode" command to a unit caused it to forget its other commands
- bug fixed: every unit had a menace of 0 (wrong alerts, wrong AI reactions: no fleeing, probably wrong target choosing)
- bug fixed: a peasant building a farm was reported as "repairing" a construction site
- bug fixed: an evolving unit would accept the "go" command and cancel the upgrade in progress
- bug fixed: a unit without a "go" command in the menu could have this action by default
- slightly clearer sounds for the flying machine load and unload events
- graphics: added tps (turn per second) indication when ctrl-shift-f3 is active
- graphics: added color backgrounds for squares (detected, observed, observed before, unknown)

SoundRTS 1.1 and SoundRTS 1.0 should coexist in the same machine without any problem. The settings are also stored in different folders (respectively "SoundRTS unstable" and "SoundRTS 1.0").

About multiplayer games, this version is compatible with itself. Be careful, though, if you modify the rules.txt file, you need to send it to your friends if you want to play with them or they won't find your server.

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 1 released

2010-09-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

This is an experimental release. Don't expect this version to be really playable (a little more playable than 1.1 alpha 0 though). Lots of things are probably broken. The aim is to have some feedback about the new features.

SoundRTS 1.1 and SoundRTS 1.0 should coexist in the same machine without any problem. The settings are also stored in different folders (respectively "SoundRTS unstable" and "SoundRTS 1.0").

The main changes since 1.1 alpha 0 are:
- some blocking bugs have been fixed
- most upgrades are back
- multilevel upgrades have been temporarily removed (they will be back)
- farm food is back to 8 instead of 4
- old flying machines should appear as "offensive flying machines" in existing maps; they can be trained too now
- now units descriptions not only contain the hit points but also the upgrades affecting the unit (works with enemy units too)
- not yet available elements of the menus (units, buildings, upgrades) are now included in the menus with the indication of the missing requirements; if an element is omitted, it means that it is unavailable for this map or game
- research orders can't be queued, like in Starcraft (I can reactivate easily this feature, available in Warcraft 3, but I don't know if it is that much interesting; let me know; for example, if you queue the orders, many resources will be blocked over a long time; maybe do this in a "command and conquer" way, with orders waiting for resources and yet recorded in the queue? a different design)

About multiplayer games, this version is compatible with itself, at least I hope so. Be careful, though, if you modify the rules.txt file, you need to send it to your friends if you want to play with them or they won't find your server.

the flying machine (transport)

2010-08-31T05:05:00.000-07:00

The flying machine is now a transport unit.

To load units:
Method 1: control the unit(s) to carry, target the flying machine and press backspace.
Method 2: control the flying machine(s), target the unit to carry and press backspace.
Method 3: control the flying machine(s), target the square where the units are, select in the menu "load all the units from...", and press Enter.

To unload units: control the flying machine(s), select the action in the menu, target the destination and press Enter.

Units can't attack from a flying machine. If the transport is destroyed, the units inside are destroyed too.

towers and catapults

2010-08-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

The peasant can build scout towers. These towers basically do nothing, but they can quickly evolve on their own (without further help of the peasant) to a more useful tower: either the guard tower (requires a sawmill) or the cannon tower (requires a blacksmith). In the early game, the scout tower is sometimes built "just in case" of a rushed attack, with a smaller investment than the cost of a fully equipped tower.

The guard tower shoots arrows, like an archer, while the cannon tower only attacks ground units. Both don't require any food nor empty space (meadow).

A counter against towers is the catapult. The catapult is very fragile and cannot even defend itself against a unit in the same square. It moves very slowly too. On the other hand, it can strike units and buildings in an adjacent square, so towers are not a problem for a catapult.

Comment: at the moment, there are only 2 kinds of "interactive" distance: in the same square (sight and attack) or in an adjacent square (no sight, no attack, except for catapults). There could be an intermediate distance where units can see an intruder but doesn't attack. This might complicate the game too much, but it might be interesting.

how to create a portable version of SoundRTS

2010-08-29T02:41:00.000-07:00

Since SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10 p, it's possible to have all the game files (log, configuration, custom maps...) in the game folder, instead of "documents and settings\user_name\application data", etc.

Install SoundRTS with the installer, then copy the "SoundRTS 1.0" (or "SoundRTS unstable") folder from "Program files" to a writable folder (the desktop, a USB key, etc). In the new SoundRTS folder, create 2 folders: "tmp" and "user". "user" can be a copy of an existing "application data\SoundRTS" folder (the version must be the same, though). To launch the program, execute "soundrts.exe".

queuing commands

2010-08-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

Every unit has a list of commands. When the current command is complete, the unit forgets it and executes the next one.

To add a command at the end of the list, two methods:
Method 1 (using a default command): select the target, then press Shift + Backspace
Method 2 (using a command from the menu): select the command and the target, then press Shift + Enter

Here are some situations where it would be useful:
Example 1: you want a peasant to scout every starting square in the map (to know where the enemy is). Control the peasant, move the cursor to a starting square, then press Shift + Backspace. Repeat for each starting square.
Example 2: you want a peasant to exploit several resources. Target a resource, press Shift + Backspace. Repeat. When a resource is exhausted, the peasant will exploit the next one.

You can queue imperative commands too. Hold down Control + Shift instead of Shift.

imperative commands

2010-08-27T03:15:00.000-07:00

Imperative commands allow the player to bypass the unit's AI and force an action.

Two methods exists:
Method 1 (using a default command): select the target, then hold Control while you press Backspace.
Method 2 (using a command from the menu): select the command and the target, then hold Control while you press Enter.

Here are some situations where it would be useful:
Example 1: you want your units to attack a specific enemy building or unit and ignore the rest. Select the target and press Control + Backspace.
Example 2: you want your units to retreat from a place and ignore the enemy units. Select another square and press Control + Backspace.

Special case: you want to get rid of one of your units, so you force an attack on it. Select the target and press Control + Backspace.

Comment: this system is quite different from Warcraft/Starcraft, where 3 command types exist:
- "imperative" goto command (right-click on an empty place)
- "imperative" attack command (right-click on a unit/building)
- "smart" attack command (press "A" and left-click on an empty place)
I am still a bit worried about the differences in SoundRTS. The reason why I chose a different behavior is because the "imperative" commands are less efficient in most cases (unless you micromanage very quickly), so they shouldn't be the default behavior.

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 0 released

2010-08-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

This is an experimental release. Don't expect this version to be really playable. Lots of things are probably broken. The aim is to have some feedback about the new features.

SoundRTS 1.1 and SoundRTS 1.0 should coexist in the same machine without any problem. The settings are also stored in different folders (respectively "SoundRTS unstable" and "SoundRTS 1.0").

The main changes since 1.0 are:
- imperative commands, to force the attacking of your own units, or to ignore enemy units and focus on an objective (hold control while validating the order)
- queuing commands: "do this, then do this..." (hold shift while validating every order)
- units, buildings, techs, abilities (and more) are defined in a text file called rules.txt
- in a map, the author can add a tech to a player, and forbid specific training, building or researching (useful for tutorial or campaign missions, for example)
- scout towers, guard towers, and cannon towers (these special buildings don't require a meadow, allowing many of them in the same square)
- "direct" fly: now the dragons fly straight to the objective, ignoring the land path
- the keyboard layout is defined in a file called bindings.txt
- the view mode (control F2) now uses the mouse too; it might be somewhat usable even without sight
- invisibility and detectors
- transport (now the flying machines behave like zeppelins in Warcraft or dropships in Starcraft)

A Polish translation by Pawel Masarczyk has been added. It is also available with the 1.0 version.

About multiplayer games, this version is compatible with itself, at least I hope so.

Python 2.6 patch for Linux users

2010-08-05T03:54:00.000-07:00

(just in case you missed the comments in the previous post)

If you have trouble installing Python 2.4 on Linux, here is a patch for the multi-platform version, compiled for Python2.6:
http://jlpo.free.fr/tmp/soundrts1.0.1-python2.6.zip

[log] SoundRTS 1.0.1 released (stable version)

2009-09-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The main changes since 1.0 are:
- new: Chinese translation, by James Chen (game) and Harrison Tu (web page)
- the main volume is now at 50% instead of 100% by default
- bug (Windows Vista): the client couldn't connect to a server hosted on the same computer
- bug: pressing alt + tab launched unnecessary sounds

About multiplayer games, this version is compatible with:
- 1.0 beta 10 p
- 1.0 release candidate 1
- 1.0

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 released (stable version)

2009-04-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

This version is identical to 1.0 release candidate 1, with the exception of a few sounds in the English version ("campaign", "prologue"...).

About multiplayer games, this version is compatible with 1.0 beta 10 p and 1.0 release candidate 1.

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 release candidate 1 released (stable version)

2009-03-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The main changes since 1.0 beta 10 p are:
- stable version
- added "1.0" to the folder names
- the frequency of the ambient sounds now stays the same whatever the game speed is

About multiplayer games, this version is compatible with 1.0 beta 10 p.

Some news about SoundRTS

2009-03-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

I will release a 1.0 release candidate version, in order to have a
stable version with a simple version number.

Then, I will release an alpha version of the 1.1. It's a bit broken, but with the following changes:
- imperative orders, to force the attacking of your own units, or to ignore enemy units and focus on an objective (hold control while validating the order)
- stacking orders: "do this, then do this..." (hold shift while validating every order)
- units, buildings, techs, abilities (and more) are defined in a text file called rules.txt
- in a map, the author can add a tech to a player, and forbid specific training, building or researching (useful for tutorial or campaign missions, for example)
- scout towers, guard towers, and cannon towers (these special buildings don't require a meadow, allowing many of them in the same square)
- "direct" fly: now the dragons fly straight to the objective, ignoring the land path
... and more changes not implemented yet.

I will probably continue to add as many valuable features as I can until the program collapses under its own bloat. The code is more a prototype anyway, with its limits in terms of flexibility.

[log]multiplatform version of SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10 p

2009-02-03T13:26:00.001-08:00

The multi-platform version of SoundRTS 1.0 beta 10 p was compiled for Python 2.5 instead of Python 2.4. This problem has been fixed and the Python 2.4 version is the default one again. The multi-platform version with Python 2.5 can still be downloaded at the following place:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/py25

[SoundMUD] SoundMUD 0.11 experimental release

2009-02-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

A. Introduction

A simplified version of SoundMUD 0.9 is available. It contains the action-roleplay game only, and automatically connects to a server. The server won't probably last more than a month. I will probably rewrite the next prototype from scratch, but I wished to have some feedback about this version.

Here are some new features:
- the monsters re-spawn after 1 minute;
- the character's stats and weapons are remembered as long as the server is not restarted.

Warning: the characters will probably be forgotten after some time. It's just an experiment.

B. Installation

For Windows:
1. download the following file:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundmud/soundmud-0.11-windows.zip
2. Unzip it, for example to the desktop.
3. Double-click on soundmud.exe to start the game.

For another platform:
1. download the following file:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundmud/soundmud-0.11-multiplatform.zip
2. Unzip it to any folder.
3. install Python 2.4 (or Python 2.5; a "py25" folder with the corresponding compiled files is included; replace the 2.4 compiled default files if you use Python 2.5)
4. install pygame 1.7.1 (or 1.8.1)
5. if you use a Mac, you may have to install PyObjC too
6. run soundmud.pyc to start the game (in Windows, double-click on this file)

C. Short manual

- press F1 for help
- press Tab to select an object
- press and hold Enter to reach and use or attack the selected object
- press the arrow keys to move or turn
- press Control to examine the selected object
- press F5 to repeat
- press Space for a summary (location, hit points, level)
- press Escape to quit
- press Del to drop your weapon
- press backspace to use another weapon
- press Control + F11 to change the point of view (in the "from above" mode, you are always facing north and Tab selects every object, in front of you or not, and the arrow keys make you move in the 4 directions instead of turning).

Note: The player is authenticated using a file called id.txt, automatically created in the game folder at the first connection. Delete or rename this file if you want to play another character.

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

2009-01-27T15:22:00.000-08:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

This is a maintenance release with some bug fixes, new maps, and very few changes. About multiplayer games, this version is not compatible with the previous ones.

This version might become the feature-frozen, stable, 1.0 branch. New features would be added in the development 1.1 branch only.

The main changes since beta 10 o are:
- added maps CW1 SWK2A SWK2B SWK2C;
- bug fixed: in some maps (CE2 for example) some units were located at the same place and couldn't move;
- added the map making guide;
- added the files for a metaserver (just in case the current one disappeared for good);
- if a server fails to get its IP address from a what-is-my-ip website (no Internet, or what-is-my-ip website down), it won't stop anymore: it will just log a warning and send an empty address to the metaserver, letting the metaserver guess the IP address;
- the URL of the what-is-my-ip website is now stored in a text file;
- the URL of the metaserver is now stored in a text file;
- if, on startup, a server fails to register to the metaserver (no Internet, or metaserver down), it won't stop anymore: it will just log a warning and try again later;
- if a client fails to get the servers list from the metaserver (metaserver down), it will fall back on a static list stored in a text file provided with the client; this list will contain the public servers
- if the main folder contains a folder called "tmp", this folder will be used for temporary files (logs for example) instead of the user's temporary folder;
- if the main folder contains a folder called "user", this folder will be used for user-specific files (user configuration, custom maps...) instead of the user's "application data" folder.

The last 2 changes allow having all the game files in one folder, useful for a USB flash drive configuration, for example. Just copy the SoundRTS folder from the "Program files" and create 2 folders in the SoundRTS folder: "tmp" and "user". "user" can be a copy of an existing "application data\SoundRTS test" folder.

01/26/09 (working on the future beta 10 p, test version)

2009-01-26T08:05:00.000-08:00

Done:
- automatically include the map making guide into the packages;
- if the main folder contains a folder called "tmp", this folder will be used for temporary files (logs for example) instead of the user's temporary folder;
- if the main folder contains a folder called "user", this folder will be used for user-specific files (user configuration, custom maps...) instead of the user's "application data" folder;

The last 2 changes will allow having all the game files in one folder, useful for a USB flash drive configuration, for example. Just copy the SoundRTS folder from the "Program files" and create 2 folders: "tmp" and "user". "user" can be a copy of an existing "application data\SoundRTS test" folder.

01/23/09 (working on the future beta 10 p, test version)

2009-01-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

Done:
- if, on startup, a server fails to register to the metaserver (no Internet or metaserver down), it won't stop anymore: it will just log a warning and try again later;
- if a client fails to get the servers list from the metaserver (metaserver down), it will fall back on a static list stored in a text file provided with the client; this list will contain the public servers

To do:
- automatically include the map making guide into the packages
- update the map making guide
- fix some bugs or warnings

Possibly:
- rename folders "SoundRTS test" to "SoundRTS 1.0"; "SoundRTS unstable" would become "SoundRTS 1.1"; not sure yet

01/22/09 (working on the future beta 10 p, test version)

2009-01-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

Done:
- added the files for a metaserver
- if a server fails to get its IP address from a what-is-my-ip website (no Internet or what-is-my-ip website down), it won't stop anymore: it will just log a warning and send an empty address to the metaserver, letting the metaserver guess the IP address
- the URL of the what-is-my-ip website is stored in a text file
- the URL of the metaserver is stored in a text file

To do:
- if, on startup, a server fails to register to the metaserver (no Internet or metaserver down), it won't stop anymore: it will just log a warning and try again later;
- if a client fails to get the servers list from the metaserver (metaserver down), it will fall back on a static list stored in a text file provided with the client; this list will contain the public servers;
- add the map making guide

01/21/09 (working on the future beta 10 p, test version)

2009-01-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a summary of some of the changes planned for the next test release, concerning the servers.

A public server should require less maintenance:
- if a server fails to get its IP address from a what-is-my-ip website (no Internet or what-is-my-ip website down), it won't stop anymore: it will just log a warning and send an empty address to the metaserver, letting the metaserver guess the IP address;
- if, on startup, a server fails to register to the metaserver (no Internet or metaserver down), it won't stop anymore: it will just log a warning and try again later;
This way, the server will have the priority to stay up. The admin will be informed by the log or by users anyway.

In the long term, the system should be maintainable without me if something breaks, by repackaging the client and providing a new metaserver:
- the URL of the what-is-my-ip website and the URL of the metaserver will be stored in a text file;
- the files for a metaserver will be provided (at least a simple metaserver)

The system should be up as often as possible (avoid downtime):
- if a client fails to get the servers list from the metaserver (metaserver down), it will fall back on a static list stored in a text file provided with the client; this list will contain the public servers;

These changes should be small enough to keep the stability of the previous release.

Some news about SoundRTS

2008-12-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

A new test version might be released before February:
- It would include the files for a metaserver (just in case the
current one disappeared for good).
- The URL of the metaserver and of the what-is-my-ip server would be
defined in a text file.

A new unstable version might be released before April:
- The rules of the game would be defined in text files (and the AI
probably too).

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

2008-08-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The main changes since beta 9 are:

Optimizations:
- in multiplayer games, the clients and the server communicate in a more efficient way: only the orders are sent to the server, and each client simulates the game, so the multiplayer games are much faster and allow much more units.
- in solo and multiplayer games, important speed improvements, especially for big maps or games with many units

Interface:
- new: press control + tab to cycle through woods, gold mines and meadows
- now the units emit a signal when they are given an impossible order or when the order is no longer possible
- change: press F9 instead of F12 to check the objectives
- change: press F11 instead of F9 to check the players (in a multiplayer game)

Game rules:
- the food provided by farms is 8 instead of 4
- the training time is divided by 2 (the research time stays the same)
- 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.)
- now a mage don't try to teleport to his current square (useful to save mana when giving the same teleportation order to many mages)
- removed HP auto-regeneration (instead of 1 HP every 15 seconds)
- added a cost to repairing; repairing a building costs less resources than building a new one but takes more time
- improved wood gathering (lumber mill): now a peasant brings back 3 wood instead of 2.5 wood

Multiplayer:
- about 50 multiplayer maps (thanks to the contributors!)
- added a very fast speed (4 times) for multiplayer games
- list players and games when login
- say the players list of a game when a player registers or unregisters for this game
- the server will disconnect players who pause or timeout for too long (20 s), so the other players can continue to play

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

2008-07-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

Warning: if you have edited the file style.txt, make a backup copy of it before updating.

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The changes from beta 10 m are:
- bug fix: an error could occur when the unit's menu changed during the sending of an order
- bug fix: the save option could appear in the multiplayer game menu (when the game had only one human player)
- now the default square_width is 12 (previously, the maps would not work without defining it)
- bug fix: problem if a player tried to register to an already started multiplayer game
- bug fix: problem if a player tried to register to a full multiplayer game
- bug fix: the game probably stopped when a unit was given a "patrol" order to an object that didn't exist anymore

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

2008-07-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

Warning: if you have edited the file style.txt, make a backup copy of it before updating.

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The changes from beta 10 l are:
- bug fix: the game could stop when air units arrived in an enemy base (for example in map Z1)

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

2008-07-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

Warning: if you have edited the file style.txt, make a backup copy of it before updating.

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The changes from beta 10 k are:
- bug fix: knights would flee dragons even if they were protected by archers; this caused the units to unnecessarily scatter over several squares, leading to a weaker defence
- change: in the official maps, the title is automatically deduced from the file name ("title" is ignored)
- updated readme.txt from the multi platform version (added installation instructions for Debian GNU/Linux)
- updated the game's manual (updated the food amount provided by farms; removed the time needed to train a unit)
- feature temporarily removed : the client will not automatically update the maps (this feature is not mature enough for the imminent stable version; it will be back in the unstable version when the stable version is released)

About maps:
- removed "multi" from the map file names
- renamed maps 1 to 3 to JL1 to JL3
- renamed maps 101 and 102 to BS1 and BS2
- updated maps KEL1 to KEL4
- updated SG2 map (now the computer-only units must be destroyed too)

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

2008-07-23T08:07:00.000-07:00

Warning: if you have edited the file style.txt, make a backup copy of it before upgrading.

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The changes from beta 10 j are:
- the client plays an "upgrade" sound when it is checking for map updates or is updating maps
- bug fix: on maps where square_width is not 12, some movements with the arrow keys on the map were incorrectly allowed
- bug fix: sometimes the AI wouldn't complete a building and would start a new one

About maps:
- added 1 map by Onj: ONJ1
- added 3 maps by Jason Symes: JS8 to JS10
- added 3 maps by Steady Goh: SG2 to SG4 (warning: SG3 and SG4 are still slow with the current beta 10 version; I will improve the speed in the beta 11)
- updated CE1 to CE5 (essentially the number of farms)
- minor update of KEL6 (converted to DOS mode instead of UNIX mode)

[maps] 07/22/2008

2008-07-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

- added 3 maps by Steady Goh: SG2 to SG4 (warning: SG3 and SG4 are still slow with the current beta 10 version; I will improve the speed in the beta 11)

More information available at http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/maps.htm (or in each map file, of course).

[maps] 07/21/2008

2008-07-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

- added 2 maps by Jason Symes: JS9 (Death's Doorstep) and JS10 (Shifting Alliances)

More information available at http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/maps.htm (or in each map file, of course).

[maps] 07/20/2008

2008-07-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

- updated CE1 to CE5 (essentially the number of farms)
- minor update of KEL6 (converted to DOS mode instead of UNIX mode)
- added 1 map by Jason Symes: JS8 (Mage Menagerie)
- added 1 map by Onj: ONJ1 (4000)

More informations are available at http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/maps.htm (or in the comments of each map file, of course).

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

2008-07-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

Warning: if you have edited the file style.txt, make a backup copy of it before upgrading.

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The changes from beta 10 i are:
- bug fix: the game could stop in some circumstances during the training of a unit
- feature fixed: the town hall, the keep and the castle have different sounds
- optimization: the initialization of a game will be faster, especially for maps where several computer_only opponents are defined
- bug fix: the peasants would always return the resources to the same town hall or lumber mill

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

2008-07-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Warning: if you have edited the file style.txt, make a backup copy of it before upgrading the program.

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The changes from beta 10 h are:
- bug fix: the sword started whistling in the fight after it was upgraded
- bug fix: in maps like CE2 (without a town hall available from the start), having to return the gold caused the game to freeze
- bug fix: in a multiplayer game, if the map requires more than 20 seconds of initialization, the clients with the slowest computers (even with only a 5 seconds difference) would be disconnected by the server
- added 2 maps by QuentinC : QC2 and QC3
- renamed the map 8QC (now QC1)
- added 1 map by Kelvin Tan: KEL6
- added 5 maps by Valentin: Z1 to Z5 (zombie planet)

[maps] 07/19/2008

2008-07-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

- added 1 map by Kelvin Tan: KEL6
- added 5 maps by Valentin: Z1 to Z5 (zombie planet)

More informations are available at http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts/maps.htm (or in the comments of each map file, of course).

[maps] 07/18/2008

2008-07-18T06:24:00.000-07:00

- added 2 maps from QuentinC : QC2 and QC3
- renamed 8QC (now QC1)
- fixed: the maps MB1 to MB9 didn't appear in the list

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

2008-07-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

Available at:
http://jlpo.free.fr/soundrts

The main changes from beta 10 g are:
- fixed feature: save and restore a game
- new feature: the multiplayer maps are automatically updated
- new feature: the sound effects are now declared in a file called style.txt
- new maps: 9 maps from Martin Blythe (note to map makers: more maps will be added or updated soon, using the auto-update feature)

Other changes:
- bug fix: the computer AI wasted resources since the beta 10g
- fixed feature: the attacks make a different sound after a weapon upgrade
- bug fix: now the server inserts silences between the names when listing the players
- bug fix: in multiplayer maps with monsters, the winner had a defeat message
- bug fix: when hitting F3, the time was incorrect
- bug fix: the minute bell rang too often (control + F3 to set it)
- minor change: when a player quits a game by using the F10 menu twice (useful in the rare case where the server doesn't reply), the full score will be given (instead of a laconic "defeat" message)

07/15/2008 (working on the future beta h version)

2008-07-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

Here are the changes since the previous post:
- fixed feature: the attacks make a different sound after a weapon upgrade
- new feature: the sound effects are now formally described in a file called style.txt ; this file is not only useful as a documentation about the use of each sound effect: it can also be edited to change the level of detail of the client and add new sounds (for example: different sounds to reply to an order, depending on the unit type)
- bug fix: the computer AI wasted resources since the change of the peasant's resource gathering behavior that appeared in the beta 10g, leading to a very slow development (for example in map 2); now, the peasant's cargo is remembered, so it will be rarely wasted; for example, when a peasant who is transporting gold is given the order to build a farm, he will start to build it immediately, but he will not forget to go to a townhall as soon as he is ordered to gather gold or wood again

07/05/2008 (working on the future beta h version)

2008-07-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the changes since the previous post:
- new feature: every time a client or a server is started, the multiplayer maps are automatically updated if needed; the latest maps are still available by default in the installation packages, so Internet access is not mandatory
- bug fix: in multiplayer maps with monsters, the winner had a defeat message
- bug fix: now the server inserts silences between the names when listing the players

06/23/2008 (working on the future beta h version)

2008-06-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

These 3 days, I have fixed the save and restore feature. At the moment, it won't be possible to restore from within a game: restoring will be done only from the single player menu. At least this feature is back.

06/20/2008 (working on the future beta 10 h version)

2008-06-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today, I have started to refactor the code, with the aim of restoring... the save and restore game feature! At the moment, the only external change is:
- minor change: when a player quits a game by using the F10 menu twice (useful in the rare case where the server doesn't reply), the full score will be given (instead of a laconic "defeat" message)

06/18/2008

2008-06-18T00:17:00.000-07:00

Today I have fixed the following bugs:
- bugfix: when hitting F3, the time was incorrect
- bugfix: the minute bell rang too often (control + F3 to set it)

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

2008-05-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

The main changes from beta 10 f are:
- optimization: important speed improvements, especially for big maps or games with many units; will have an effect in solo and multiplayer games
- the server will disconnect players who pause or timeout for too long (20 s), so the other players can continue to play
- in the world simulation, replaced floating point numbers with integers, necessary to guarantee the synchronization between the clients (for example: x, y, gold, wood, HP, mana)
- fixed a synchronization error that sometimes appeared during a fight, when a unit must choose a target
- more detailed checking of the synchronization between clients in multiplayer games
- better logging of the synchronization errors
- added multiplayer map SG1

Other changes:
- fixed bug: some Russian TTS sounds were missing
- now the units emit a signal when they are given an impossible order or when the order is no longer possible
- now mages don't try to teleport to the same place (useful to save mana when giving the same teleportation order to many mages)
- removed HP auto-regeneration (instead of 1 HP every 15 seconds)
- now the units stop after 5 seconds even if they have not reached the center of the square or the object that they were told to go to
- now the peasants that are mining gold and are told to chop wood will immediately stop mining gold
- when a building order is given, the resources are reserved, until the construction site is set or canceled
- now the building time and the maximum number of hit points of a building are 2 independent parameters (useful later)
- now the buildings are placed exactly where the meadow was
- added a cost to repairing; repairing a building costs less resources than building a new one but takes more time
- improved wood gathering (lumber mill): now a peasant brings back 3 wood instead of 2.5 wood

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

2008-04-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

The changes from beta 10 e are:
- this version is unstable again, in order to allow users to play in multiplayer games with beta 9 if they find too many problems with the beta 10 versions
- bug fixed: synchronization errors in multiplayer games were not written on the server log

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

2008-03-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

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

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

2008-03-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2008-03-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2008-03-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

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.

First results of the multiplayer tests

2008-03-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2008-03-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2008-03-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

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?

Some pygame examples for audiogame programming

2008-01-04T12:04:00.000-08:00

While there are tutorials for pygame, they often contain graphic examples. So I have started to write some very simple examples focused on audiogames programming.

To use this tutorial, you should already know Python. The Python tutorial is a good start; there is Dive into Python too. To run the examples, you must have Python and pygame installed.

You can download all the examples (with the sounds) here.

Example 1: play a sound and change its stereo position

The example 1 shows how to play a sound and pan it. To go further:

# example1.py
# play a sound to the left, to the right and to the center

# import the time standard module
import time

# import the pygame module
import pygame


# start pygame
pygame.init()

# load a sound file into memory
sound = pygame.mixer.Sound("bird.ogg")

# start playing the sound
# and remember on which channel it is being played
channel = sound.play()
# set the volume of the channel
# so the sound is only heard to the left
channel.set_volume(1, 0)
# wait for 1 second
time.sleep(1)

# do the same to the right
channel = sound.play()
channel.set_volume(0, 1)
time.sleep(1)

# do the same to the center
channel = sound.play()
channel.set_volume(1, 1)
time.sleep(1)

Example 2: read keyboard events

The example 2 shows how to read events from the keyboard. To go further:

# example2.py
# start playing a sound when a key is pressed
# exit if the letter "q" or the "escape" key is pressed

# import the pygame module
import pygame


# start pygame
pygame.init()

# load a sound file into memory
sound = pygame.mixer.Sound("bird.ogg")

# start the display (required by the event loop)
pygame.display.set_mode((320, 200))

# loop forever (until a break occurs)
while True:
  # wait for an event
  event = pygame.event.wait()
  # if the event is about a keyboard button that have been pressed...
  if event.type == pygame.KEYDOWN:
      # ... then start playing the sound
      sound.play()
      # and if the button is the "q" letter or the "escape" key...
      if event.unicode == "q" or event.key == pygame.K_ESCAPE:
          # ... then exit from the while loop
          break

That's all for the moment!

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9h released (test version)

2007-12-05T09:12:00.000-08:00

- added 4 multiplayer maps by Christoff Eilers (details here)
- added 1 single player map by Christoff Eilers

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9g released (test version)

2007-12-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

- fixed a bug where the single player menu is not updated when a victory unlocks the next mission
- removed space between letters when spelling a word
- 16 sound channels by default (instead of 8)
- added num_channels to SoundRTS.ini (number of sound channels)
- better build order for the AI (knights earlier)
- bug fixed: now the aggressive AI attacks with knights too
- maps: added #random_choice preprocessor directive
- units turn better when trying to avoid each other (slightly increased CPU cost, probably; I'll wait for your feedback)
- fixed a bug where the menus of the units or buildings were not updated
- fixed a bug where when an AI completes a farm some peasants sometimes stay idle instead of mining gold

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9f released (test version)

2007-11-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

Warning: this version is a test version. A more stable version called SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9 will be released.

Changes:
- 2 new multiplayer maps by Sebastian Dellit
- 1 new multiplayer map by Bryan Smart
- 1 new multiplayer map by QuentinC
- 3 new multiplayer maps by Jason Symes
- added teleport sound by Bryan Smart
- fixed exploitable bug with food limit
- the AI now knows how to recruit knights
- the 2 example maps (provided for map makers) are not included in the menu anymore

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9e released (test version)

2007-10-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

Warning: this version is a test version. Before November, a more
stable version called SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9 will be released.

Changes in the beta 9e:
- new multiplayer map: frontier by Bryan Smart
- archers now have 10 hit points instead of 8
- AI players are now allied in multiplayer maps
- added global_food_limit to the map language (set the maximum food of a map)
- if title isn't found in the map, the title of the map is the name of the map file
- when a battle ends in a square, a summary is sent to each concerned player
- the message telling that a player has quit a game cannot be missed now
- fixed bug with unit recruiting cancellation and food
- fixed bug with save game and big maps
- fix sound volume bug with compass directions in first person mode
- fixed bug where the server doesn't stop when it cannot register on the servers list
- fixed bug where the food limit was not updated in the client when a player quit the game

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9d released (test version)

2007-10-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

Warning: this version is a test version. Before November, a more
stable version called SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9 will be released.

Changes:
- fixed bug freezing the server in the find-the-shortest-path algorithm
- fixed bug freezing the server in the find-the-nearest-resource algorithm
- fixed bug with paths and maps with 10 lines or more

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9c released (test version)

2007-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Warning: this version is a test version. Before November, a more
stable version called SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9 will be released.

The following changes are in the beta 9c:
- the servers list uses now a database, more reliable
- fixed bug where the game cannot read map files in Linux
- servers don't need Pygame anymore, only Python
- probably fixed bug where the server doesn't close
- fixed bug in the maps language where nb_rows is used instead of nb_columns (nb_rows is now deprecated but kept for compatibility)
- fixed bug with maps with 10 lines or more

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9b released (test version)

2007-10-09T18:06:00.001-07:00

Bug fix: the game freezes when a player recruits a dragon.

Warning: this version is a test version. Before November, a more
stable version called SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9 will be released.

[log] SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9a released (test version)

2007-10-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

Warning: this version is a test version. Before November, a more stable version called SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9 will be released.

Here are the changes in SoundRTS 1.0 beta 9a:
- I extracted the maps from the code to allow people to write multiplayer maps (trigger maps have been extracted too but may change and will not be documented for now);
- I boosted the archers (the damage will be 2.5/4 be instead of 1.5/2.5);
- bug or balance problem: the time needed for training units and researching tech or building upgrades was 3 times to fast;
- bug: when there is no goldmine left and the computer needs gold, the game hangs;
- bug: map 1 and map 2 are imbalanced, because of the goldmine distance;
- bug: incomplete summary of enemy units (ex: mages and dragons are forgotten);
- bug: to many alert messages during fights;
- I added a keyboard shortcut: control pageup/pagedown to go to the previous/next conflict zone;
- bug: interactivity slowdown during a combat;
- added F3: say time
- added control F3: minute bell on/off (off by default)
- Control Home/End, control +/- of the numeric keyboard: increase/decrease the voice relative volume
- now the computer AI in aggressive mode knows the starting squares and attacks them first, instead of attacking the opposite square only
- bug: a running server is not removed from the servers list after 12 hours anymore
- bug: the servers list guesses wrongly the IP address of the servers in some rare cases (solved by using www.whatismyip.org)
- I added a save-game feature for single player games, with one save slot
- I added the ability to invite 1 or more computer AI of various strength in a multiplayer game, or in a single player game on a multiplayer map (now it works the same as multiplayer games)
- bug fixed: the training sounds and the researching sounds caused the game to slowdown, because of the combat slowdown mode; the combat sounds slowdown mode is now off by default (press control F6 to enable it)
- bug fixed: When a player has more than one barracks, the food limit is near maxed, and the barracks recruits a queued unit, the food limit is not always respected. In some cases, the player will be able to recruit a group of units that have a higher food requirement than the player's food limit.
- I wrote a map making guide.

[log] invite 1 or more computer AI for multiplayer maps

2007-10-06T05:30:00.001-07:00

I added the ability to invite 1 or more computer AI of various strength in a multiplayer game, or in a single player game on a multiplayer map (now it works the same as multiplayer games).

Bug fixed: the training sounds and the researching sounds caused the game to slowdown, because of the combat slowdown mode; the combat sounds slowdown mode is now off by default (press control F6 to enable it).

[log] savegame

2007-10-04T04:13:00.000-07:00

- bug: a running server is not removed from the servers list after 12 hours anymore
- bug: the servers list guesses wrongly the IP address of the servers in some rare cases (solved by using www.whatismyip.org)
- I added a save-game feature for single player games, with one save slot

[log] bell on/off and voice volume

2007-09-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

- added F3: say time
- added control F3: minute bell on/off (off by default)
- added Control Home/End, control +/- of the numeric keyboard: increase/decrease the voice relative volume.

[log] new keyboard shotcut: go to the next conflict zone

2007-09-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

I have just added a new keyboard shortcut: control pageup/pagedown to go to the previous/next conflict zone.
Another modification done: the game will talk less during fights.
Other bug fixed: interactivity slowdown during a combat.

[feature] persistence of enemy units in unknown squares

2007-09-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

About the knowledge of the enemy units in a square after retreating or
being defeated, I am thinking about keeping "ghosts" of the enemy
units in the square that is now unknown again. These "ghosts" would
remain there until one of the player's units enters the square again, or after
some time (for example one minute for mobile units, and never for
buildings). This way the player would know who was there, and with which
upgrades, and would be able to tell a catapult to attack a building from a remote square.

[bug] incomplete summary of enemy units

2007-09-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Description: During a combat, the list of the enemy units ignores the higher level units, for example knights, dragons or mages.

Status: solved in beta 9.

[bug] interactivity slowdown during a combat

2007-09-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

Description: When a combat takes place and the player is on the square where the combat is, the sounds are played one after another (this is normal), but the interactivity slows down too. "For example: I look on the square with the fight and press tabulator, it takes a moment before happens anything. -- Sebastian"

Status: solved in beta 9.

[log] Triggers (continued)

2007-09-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

The triggers for solo map 2 and 3 are working.
The triggers for solo map 1 are working too.
The maps are now almost totally described in the map files.
I will add more trigger features when I need them. For the tutorial, for example.

[log] design of the map language

2007-09-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

The language for the map files is not fully designed yet.

Using Python to describe maps is not really an option, because the eval function and the exec statement, used to interpret easily Python code, are dangerous when applied to an untrusted source. There will be custom maps, and they should not be dangerous to use.

If possible, the language should be safe, powerful enough, easy to learn and concise.

The first examples I designed are very concise (even if I didn't use abbreviations in keywords). They are easy to learn if you start from the examples and don't go too far from them. But they may not be powerful enough, and, worse, become complex if additional features are needed (for example, testing more than one condition in a trigger, or doing more than one action in a trigger; use parenthesis?).

To be powerful enough, the language should allow, sooner or later, at least the following possibilities (annotated excerpt from a suggestion in the audiogames.net forum):

A few basic scenario types you might want to consider:

1. Survive for thirty minutes till reinforcements arrive (have waves of attackers at, say, four minutes, nine minutes, fifteen minutes, twenty-two minutes, and then a huge one at twenty-eight minutes...the kind that's so big that you're going to, as a player, simply hunker down and take it and hope you're not dead by the time thirty minutes hits).

Comment:

The triggers to send the waves of attackers are the same than for solo map 2 or 3.

A trigger must be added to activate victory after 30 minutes. No problem:
trigger player1 timer 30 victory

Another trigger should send messages like "5 minutes left". Maybe we only need some triggers like (not perfect but maybe enough):
trigger player1 timer 25 play_sound 5_minutes_left.mp3

2. Kill such-and-such a special unit (sa the enemy has a high priest that, for some reason or other in your storyline, you're being ordered to kill).

Comment:

Not sure yet. Maybe this trigger:
trigger computer 1 has_not special_unit1 defeat

Instead of has_not, something with a not operator would be more powerful, for example:
trigger computer 1 (not (has special_unit1)) defeat
But I don't like this example. A more Python-like language would be better then. Or a LISP-like one, but it may not be easy to learn and use for many people, even if it may be easier to implement. So these complications should be avoided if possible.

The special unit will have to be defined. I must add a command named "special_unit" or "custom_unit" for example.

3. Capture an enemy building (a unique building, and have it so that your warriors don't automatically go and destroy it).

Comment:

A new style of unit will be added: the neutral units that can be saved/captured and will be part of your units. Then the following trigger should be enough:
trigger player 1 has special_unit1 victory

4. Establish a safe trade route across a map. To explain: let's say you've got a base at a1 and a2 and b1. There's a friendly outpost down at d7, e7, d6 and e6. The only available path between those bases is blocked by little camps of enemy troops that it periodically re-establishes if you wait too long. You'd have to force your way through them, kill them, then set up a patrol between the two bases perhaps.

Comment: This example is not that easy, or maybe... Maybe a timer to give time to prepare before the convoy starts, then a series of triggers to make the convoy slowly move to destination. A trigger to activate defeat if it is destroyed. A trigger to activate victory: the condition would be a timer or a test of the square of the convoy. The convoy would be neutral for the player, vulnerable to the computer.

5. A simple "destroy the enemy" scenario, with a catch. Give the player one unique unit, or one group of them, and add the stipulation that all such units must survive. If you want to be nasty, make the units great at attacking so the player is perhaps goaded to use them.

Comment: Nothing more is needed.

6. Ensure that all resources are stopped from reaching the enemy encampment. This one would be hard, and probably for a later scenario, but the idea is this: the enemy base itself is fairly passive, but rather large and extremely well-fortified. You yourself are given fair resources and a bit of room to play with, but perhaps your tech tree is limited or your food is. Either way, you're slightly crippled, so a full-out assault on the enemy base is basically suicide. What yo u'd have to do, therefore, is to find all the unexplored mines and woods on the map and ensure that the enemy did not control them. Essentially, the match would end in success if the enemy had its base, you had yours, and all the resources were depleted without you dead; it would end in failure if you were killed/rendered helpless in the attempt.

Comment:

Maybe here we need more than one conditions, maybe not (but there might be to many specialized functions). For example:
trigger player1 no_resources_in a1 f3 d5 victory

7.Another scenario idea, and there's a lot of potential for this one, you can make it easy, moderate, or murderous, depending on your mood, and you could probably do it with the current level of AI and programming that RTS already has:
You are sent down to an area where a battle has taken place and your troops have been decimated and scattered. The enemy did not totally destroy either the base or the troops that manned it, but will regroup eventually and scour the area for all threats in due time. Your mission, in the meantime, is to take a couple of troops (maybe two footmen, two archers and a peasant, or two peasants and two knights) down to the field of battle and sniff out what's left. On different squares of the map, you'll find abandoned buildings that may or may not be damaged, and a few remaining troops (maybe a total of three peasants, four footmen and a couple of archers or something...perhaps most of them will be wounded, too). Your goal would be to muster as much of this stuff as you can/as much as you wish (perhaps make the finding of all things a must for the completion of the mission), then build a base with what you have and wipe out the enemy presence. In easier scenarios using this method, the base you are already given (damaged though it might be) might be fairly advanced, requiring little upgrade, and you might have a fair bit of resources on hand, so the real challenge is just finding everything; in harder scenarios, the base itself might be minimal. The aggressiveness/placement of the enemy would depend upon the difficulty of the scenario too. In an easier scenario, the enemy would be fairly quiet. They'd attack you if you got too close to them in your explorations, and would definitely come forth to sniff things out from time to time, but wouldn't launch full-out assaults...they're hutring from the battle, too. On harder scenarios, it would be nothing at all to have small enemy placementsscattered on the mapawaiting the chance to spring ambushes should you wander across them, and the AI would attack you quite mercilessly once they realized where the rest of your base was and that the threat was once again being established.

Comment: Nothing more is needed for this example.

To this list I would add (if it isn't already implied by the above list):

for tutorials, triggers to wait for a key to be pressed;
play sound files (for cinematic scenes or instructions, for example);

The next step will be to refine these requirements to deduce the minimal list of triggers and features the language should allow.

Another possibility of language is a verbose language that doesn't need parenthesis. For example:
trigger for player1 if has 2 farm 1 barracks then victory
I'm not sure it would be a good idea. The "then" keyword might be useful though.

[feature] A better control on battles

2007-09-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

This may require lots of thinking, so it's time to continue thinking in how to have a better control on battles.

To be compatible with real-time strategy games, it will have to be quick enough (a quick way to select targets and to attack them), or to be prepared before a battle (a priority list or a choice of standard behaviours; there is something like this in Dominion 3, even if it is a turn-based game).

About the way to know who attacks and who is attacked, maybe the game should tell in 3D mode the name of the attacker, then play the sound of the weapon, then tell the name of the defender?

Another idea is to automatically slow down the game when a fight is taking place (I have partially removed this feature from beta 8, but it may be interesting later).

Another thing: scouting persistence, and Control backspace to avoid attacking during the travel to a square.

[log] Triggers and starting menus

2007-09-06T00:54:00.000-07:00

Started to think about triggers for solo maps (or even multiplayer missions, why not?). An example of trigger (from solo map 2) is:

trigger computer 1 timer 1 order a2 1 footman go a1

It means: add a trigger for computer 1 so after 1 * time_coeficient seconds, order 1 footman situated in a2 to go to a1.

Another trigger (from solo map 1):

trigger player 1 if_has 2 farm 1 barracks then victory

It means: add a trigger for player 1: if he has 2 farms and 1 barracks then he wins.

Started to think about the way games should be started in beta 9. Here is a draft of the menus:

Single player:
    Tutorial:
    Campaign:
        Choose chapter in list: play!
    Custom games:
        Choose solo map in list: play!
        Choose campaign in list:
            Choose chapter in list: play!
        Choose multiplayer map in list:
            add calm computer:
                select position:
            add agressive computer:
                select position:
            start game: play!
Multiplayer:
    Create game:
        Official map:
        Custom map:
            Choose map in list:
                invite player:
                    select position:
                add calm computer:
                    select position:
                add agressive computer:
                    select position:
                start game: play!

[log] some clean up

2007-09-05T03:06:00.000-07:00

I have cleaned up some code to prepare the addition of the ability for the player to add 1 or more computers of various strength to multiplayer games.

Next I will add this ability, or translate the triggers for the existing solo maps in the map files.

[feature] a better way to know who is hurt

2007-09-04T01:52:00.000-07:00

A feature I am starting to think about is a better way to know which units are hurt. Maybe a key (alt V for example) would give a summary of the units in the current square (or all the units if you press control alt V): average health, number of "almost dead" units and number of "not ok" units. Not sure yet, nor convinced.

[log] Map files (continued)

2007-09-04T01:47:00.000-07:00

I added an alternate way to define the starting units in a game. Here is an example from solo map 2:

player 10 10 b1 townhall farm peasant 2 footman archer c1 farm

This line will add a starting slot for one player (human or computer) with 10 gold and 10 wood, and, at b1, 1 town hall, 1 farm, 1 peasant, 2 footmen, 1 archer, and, at c1, 1 farm.

The map files for solo maps are complete, except for the triggers and timers, which is the next step.

[planning] Current plans

2007-09-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

Plans may change but I intend to include this in the beta 9:
- add the first lessons of a very easy ingame tutorial (probably doing many things in the same square first), so beginners wouldn't need to read the manual anymore to start playing;
- extract the maps from the code and allow custom maps;
- boost the archers (I delayed this boost only because a competition was planned and I didn't want the game to be changed just before the competition; unfortunately, the multiplayer game is not optimized enough to allow the competition and the better way to solve the optimization problem will probably take a long time, maybe forever, so I want to add the most wanted features before wandering into the unknown for probably one month or two);
- fix the current metaserver so it will be less buggy and give more informations through a web page; in the future, when the multiplayer optimization is complete, if it succeeds, a better system for organizing games will be designed, I hope;
- add a savegame feature;
- add defensive buildings (a scout tower which can be mutated to an arrow-throwing tower or to a cannon tower).

[log] Map files

2007-09-02T04:13:00.000-07:00

Now that the multiplayer maps have been extracted from the code, the same thing must be done for solo maps. Translating the maps will be easy, except for the triggers.

Here is an example of map file: multiplayer map 3. Some keywords may change in the future. I hope you will find the map language simple and concise but powerful enough.

; multiplayer map 3
;
;  ***************
; 7*   *     *   *
;  * *** *** * * *
; 6*   *       * *
;  *** * * *******
; 5*   *         *
;  * * * * * * * *
; 4* *    x    * *
;  * * * * * * * *
; 3*         *   *
;  ******* * * ***
; 2*x*       *   *
;  * * * *** *** *
; 1*   *x   x*   *
;  ***************
;   A B C D E F G

title 4018 3003
objective 145 88


; map size

square_width 12

nb_rows 7
nb_lines 7


; paths (give only the starting square)

west_east_paths a1 c1 d1 f1
west_east_paths b2 c2 d2 f2
west_east_paths b3 c3 d3
west_east_paths c4 b4 d4 e4
west_east_paths c5 d5 e5
west_east_paths a6 c6 d6 e6
west_east_paths a7 c7 d7 f7

west_east_bridges a3 f3
west_east_bridges a5 f5

south_north_paths a1 a3 a4 a6
south_north_paths b1 b3 b4 b5
south_north_paths c3 c4 c5
south_north_paths d2 d3 d4 d5
south_north_paths e2 e3 e4
south_north_paths f2 f3 f4 f6
south_north_paths g1 g3 g4 g6

south_north_bridges c1 c6
south_north_bridges e1 e6


; resources
goldmines 150 a2 b7 g6 f1
goldmines 150 c1 a5 e7 g3
goldmines 150 e1 a3 c7 g5
goldmines 750 d4

;woods 75 a2 b7 g6 f1
woods 75 a1 a7 g7 g1
woods 75 e1 c7 a3 g5
woods 75 e2 c6 b3 f5
woods 75 e2 c6 b3 f5
woods 75 c1 a5 e7 g3
woods 150 d4 d4

minimal_space 2
additional_meadows a2 b7 g6 f1


; players

nb_players_min 2
nb_players_max 4

starting_squares a2 b7 g6 f1
starting_units townhall farm peasant
starting_resources 10 10