Saturday, October 23, 2010

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 5 released

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.

Friday, October 15, 2010

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 4 released

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.

Monday, October 4, 2010

[log] SoundRTS 1.1 alpha 3 released

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.