Gdash

CWS · Post by **CWS** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 4:50 pm

Another long-felt wish: Can you include the option "More than 1 bomb" in the cave settings (with a check mark box besides it). This is a whish I always had for Boulder Dash. At the moment I can only carry 1 bomb by a time. This feature even does not support CLCK 3.0 but it would be absolutely cool. But there must be this setting in the cave settings because of the compatibility to already made games which rely on the fact that it is only possible to carry one single bomb after another.

And please show in the status line if Rockford carries a bomb and how many.

By the way: the bug that I can not push boulders when I carry a bomb is really annoying.

And shouldn't the Chasing Stone chase Rockford? It's only waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting...

And in the cave data menu: There is a "Intermission" setting but I miss the additional "No scrolling" option (check box). There are cave size intermissions that do not scroll (inspite they are as large as a cave). Only one good question: How does GDash react if the window size is not 12 x 20 elements? Should it only scroll to maximum 12 x 20 and then stop scrolling? Or what if window size is bigger than 12 x 20? Mmmmmm. Good question.

And another idea: to be able to record demos (load/save; would fit also in the File menu. Would be nice to see how someone solves a cave/game!

CWS · Post by **CWS** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:51 pm

I noticed it only now but diamonds needed is still 1 in the new Unix version. Why? In all caves only 1 diamond is needed and not the number originally come from the game itself.

LogicDeLuxe · Post by **LogicDeLuxe** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 8:39 pm

CWS wrote:Can you please additionally add the four colors for the cave in the tool bar right besides the "Draw join" tool (like the pullup-menus for the elements)? It would be faster to see the result than with the cave settings.

Instant update in the editor window would do as well. Similar to the color menu in CLCK.

CWS wrote:Another long-felt wish: Can you include the option "More than 1 bomb" in the cave settings (with a check mark box besides it). This is a whish I always had for Boulder Dash. At the moment I can only carry 1 bomb by a time. This feature even does not support CLCK 3.0 but it would be absolutely cool.

This would be rather complicated due to the way the engine works. A Rockford carrying a bomb is a different element to a regular Rockford. It's not just a variable since every Rockford in the cave can collect a bomb. Sure, this isn't impossible to implement, but also not exactly a simple task.

cirix · Post by **cirix** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 9:52 pm

hi,

could you please send the requests and the bug reports in a private message or email? it would be easier for me to keep track of them

problem solved -> message deleted. like a to do list, but this way i don't have to collect the ideas from the text.

also, if you notice some bug, tell me the exact game and cave number, so i can see for myself.

opinion about scrolling intermissions and windows sizes:
personally i like the idea that the user can resize the window to any larger if he wishes. if i do non-scrolling intermissions, the window will be simply showing the upper left corner at any time, automatic scrolling turned off.
it can be resized: if you like it, bigger, if you are oldschool

, you just don't do this. same for the scrollbars: allows you to see the whole in pause mode, but if you want the challenge, you don't use it.

bye

cirix · Post by **cirix** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:04 pm

and ugh, chasing boulders don't do anything for now. neither LogicDeLuxe nor me don't know anything about how it is implemented in the original; maybe later i'll try to disassemble that part, if i find it at all. or play some chasing boulder caves for days and invent some similar rules of its movement

bye

LogicDeLuxe · Post by **LogicDeLuxe** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:03 pm

I'm currently updating my dash faq, and took a look at the Crazy Dream 3 extension for cave drawing:

The Crazy Dream 3 extension features the escape byte $0f for drawing a raster pattern:
param byte 1: object to draw
param byte 2: begin column
param byte 3: begin row
param byte 4: amount of rows
param byte 5: amount of columns
param byte 6: distance between rows
param byte 7: distance between columns

I will look at the effect settings as well.

CWS · Post by **CWS** » Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:42 pm

To all who also have this problem: "Diamonds: 1" and "Time: 600" is always at all caves if you have activated the option "Ease levels" in Preferences! And I wondered why all caves are that easy...

cirix · Post by **cirix** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:21 am

hi folks,

new version, usual download link.

changes:
- bug fixes (help window, pushing boulders with bomb in hand, plck hidden/visible exits)
- voodoo doll destroyable with bomb when destroyable flag set,
- scrolling can be disabled for intermissions (will extend this later),
- new graphics: rockford holding a bomb in his hand

he is a very dangerous rockford, so beware

- suicide supported,
- better handling of amoeba and magic wall timers,
- remembering theme setting,
- loading and saving cavesets in editor,
- freehand drawing tool,
- label in cave testing mode which shows some internal cave variables, so for example you can easily set up timers,
- correctly reading intermissions from available bdcff files,
- enhanced predictable random handling,
- and the last but not least, supported lineshifting when exiting one side of the cave, and entering the other. Arno's future dash caveset can be played now, for example! this setting can also be switched off for perfect borders. does not yet wait for scrolling, though.

bdcff saving is still alpha version. also i did not forget your other suggestions!

have fun,

CWS · Post by **CWS** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:51 pm

Woohooooo! Your latest version is really just great! Man, it's nearing perfection!

The new element window in editor is also wonderful!

Nice new graphic - Rockford is holding the bomb well...

If you ever include an option for carrying more than 1 bomb there should be also an indicatior in the status bar how much bombs he carries.

Thank you for including the correct lineshifting - it's good to be able to play all these games using this option. As you said - no waiting for scrolling. I hope you can manage this sometime. Without this typical waiting for scrolling some caves are not solveable or tremendously difficult.

I also think that "Load/Save snapshot" would fit better to "Files" and not "Play". At least in my opinion. By the way - can you add a divider above "Cave editor"? There is one below but it would be easier to spot if there would be one above, too.

I do not know if this is possible, LogicDeLuxe already wrote about it here - is it possible to instantly update the colors set in the cave properties without pressing ok first? If this is possible then it would be not necessary to include a separate additional color menu in the tool bar.

LogicDeLuxe · Post by **LogicDeLuxe** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:34 pm

DBCFF import: The warnings window should not be higher then the screen. The warnings should be listed in a scrollable list instead.

BDCFF import: Wrong colors. They are wrong in different ways for 3 and 5 names given, but still wrong in any case.

Entering the editor sometimes hangs the program. For instance, if you start Gdash, load Crazy Dream 3 and then enter the editor, the program hangs. But if you load several other games which don't hang before that, it sometimes works. Some other times, the program crashes.

Element-Menu: Player and Player with bomb in the list suggesting that carrying a bomb is the only difference, while in fact, your Player is actually the Inbox while Player with bomb is the internal element used for effects. Actually both should be there, Inbox and Player. One for setting the start during constructing, and the other for effect settings (can be used the other way around as well, but is less usefull)

I would give the chasing boulder an exclamation mark in the editor to distinguish it from a sleeping one. Similar things should also be done to the Falling wall falling and to the ticking bomb. And creatures should have direction arrows like the growing wall, diamonds and boulders, preferably placed on the edge they are currently moving along.

Magicwall animation: seems to be converted incorrectly. In BD1, BD2, PLCK it does only consists of 4 stages and only one lowres 4x8 tile. In 1stB and CrLi, prof. Knibble enlarged it to a full element graphic.

CWS wrote:Without this typical waiting for scrolling some caves are not solveable or tremendously difficult.

You can enlarge the window to fit the entire cave. It's not the intended way, of course, but it sure is playable that way.

is it possible to instantly update the colors set in the cave properties without pressing ok first? If this is possible then it would be not necessary to include a separate additional color menu in the tool bar.

Instant update should be there to all settings which affect appearance. Beside colors, this would be size, altdirt and random settings. Especially the random settings would be much easier to adjust that way.

CWS · Post by **CWS** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:52 pm

LogicDeLuxe wrote: Entering the editor sometimes hangs the program. For instance, if you start Gdash, load Crazy Dream 3 and then enter the editor, the program hangs. But if you load several other games which don't hang before that, it sometimes works. Some other times, the program crashes.

I can confirm this. Editor hangs in the Unix version, too.

LogicDeLuxe wrote:Element-Menu: Player and Player with bomb in the list suggesting that carrying a bomb is the only difference, while in fact, your Player is actually the Inbox while Player with bomb is the internal element used for effects. Actually both should be there, Inbox and Player. One for setting the start during constructing, and the other for effect settings (can be used the other way around as well, but is less usefull)

That's correct. It' a little bit confusing at the moment. At the moment a Player can not be placed as there are only Inboxes or Players with bombs. As said two different types are required: Inboxes and Player (and, of course, Players with bombs). The Player element is missing at the moment in the Element-box.

LogicDeLuxe wrote:Instant update should be there to all settings which affect appearance. Beside colors, this would be size, altdirt and random settings. Especially the random settings would be much easier to adjust that way.

Yes, that would be nice! I hope that this can be realized!

But all in all the new version seems a truely big leap forward to perfection!

CWS · Post by **CWS** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:51 pm

Another idea: At the moment you provide 16 colors. But what about the Atari version which use 256 colors? It would be nice if they could be converted in their native colors.

It would be very interesting if GDash can handle more than 16 colors. I do not know how much would be good. 256 is a good start. But how to handle this with the C64 caves? Should there be two different color menus - one for original C64 colors and one for more? Any ideas here?

cirix · Post by **cirix** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:34 pm

hi,

unfortunately i don't know anything about atari colors, which is i think not a problem, but rather that i haven't ever seen the atari version with my own eyes

but if you provide me with enough information or screenshots, i can give it a try. (or some atari games, so i can check it in an emulator? or anything for a start

)
other problems will be checked soon.

bye

CWS · Post by **CWS** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:20 pm

By the way - I encountered a crash when I opened the cave properties in the cave editor and clicked on a element so that the element-box opened. After that the program was dead. I could not click anything.

CWS · Post by **CWS** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:52 am

The color management is different in the Atari version. The amoeba is always green. I wonder how this could be done as the amoeba changes colors (in C64 manner) along with all othe colors at the moment.

Maybe a second theme set could be included where the colors of the amoeba is static or could be set with separate colors?

I think this or similar behavior should be supported in GDash in view of modern theme sets like it was done in Boulder Remake. With that separate theme set it would be possible to add an amoeba, brick walls, steel walls or anything else with allways the same color. Or maybe this theme sets could be drawn in that way that setting colors in cave properties effects only specific elements (like enemies or dirt) so that the modern theme sets must be drawn with specific colors which can be changed by the program itsef and others that are static.

Does anybody have an idea concerning this?