NEW july30th! Spelunky Labyrinth Explorer (A2) Options room!

[kinnik]

TOC:  Nice!  I'd be soo thankful for some help in this regard. I looked a bit at the link you posted and I still don't really understand threading...  I look around for a simpler explanation.

I tried simply changing my code to save the data string 'clusters' into a ds_grid array stored in ram (i assumed).  It seemed to run faster at first but after < 5 min of play the fps drop from 40 slowly, over time, down to < 10    Perhaps there is a memory leak or something?


One piece of evidence that may give you a hint about what is wrong is that:

When I made the code that saves the level and only loads around the player, it ran 'ok' but quite slow/chunky on older computers.  I found that if I restarted the game and loaded the level again, the speed was DRASTICALLY improved.  I didn't really understand this but as a quick cheep solution, I just made the game restart itself after every new level creation and immediately skip into the level (ie, skips the intro, ect..)

I'll try adding this cheep fix back into the version that saves to ram and see if it helps...  but the ram version boggs over time and the HD version bogged at the beginning, so I don't know if it will help.

Anyway... I'll be sure to post the most recent code asap for you to look at.  Maybe I'll try and do some cleaning up as well as my coding can get very messy :L

Thanks again for helping!!


Funky:
Wow. 3 hours straight of exploring!! That is hardcore.  I'm glad you like..ish  the mod that much!  I defiantly can use play testers with your addictive personality!

The lack of progression is indeed that game killer for any new folks interested in trying the game.  Up to this point I have really focused all my time on creating the engine, so I think this is why the game have very little substance.  (esp compared to vanilla)

 I will be happy to make the changes that you suggested a I feel that having more people playing my mod will encourage me to keep developing. Not to mention increasing the chance of attracting people to 'join my team' or at least lend a hand.

SO... changes I will make today

-more maps.
-more ropes to start
-no reloads / at least on level 1
-raise vamps chance to KO and lower KO time
-fix compass and add 1 level version??

eventually I hope to see more interesting encounters, but I'd kinda like to have the engine real solid before I start adding more complex 'fun' things.   :S
I donno,  maybe not.

SPOILERS TIME:
-bat get to be level 3, but no more... that was really a quickly added thing and it needs working on.
 
-start and finish are completely random right now. and there is a rare chance that the passage to the end will be blocked by one of two bricks... needs fixing  

-right now key + chest gives you one random 'good' item (such as jump boots, climb gloves, shotgun, jetpack, 12bombs...)  not all that great.. :/  I'll make it give a disposable compass or map  AND one item perhaps.

-as for no 'world' (level type) changes.. I really want to make it so you randomly encounter special doors to new 'worlds'.  This is high on my priority but... adding a whole new 'world' back into the game, I think, will be alot of work. ie, re-add the new enemies, new traps, all new room shapes ( >90 shapes in world 1), and figuring out trees...  If you like making room shapes, and are willing to help?  I'll add that ALOT sooner. ;P  Maybe < a week.  I can of coarse teach you how. It's easy.

[Moloch]

I really like the LOS. You know how most games that use LOS you can still see a dim view of areas that you've already discovered but aren't currently lit? That would be nice too, especially for helping know where you've been already.

Otherwise I haven't played it much because the room design seems so random and it sort of annoys me. I'll download the source and see if i can help in some way, maybe with room templates.

As for adding variety or other 'worlds' you could maybe have 'pockets' of other worlds in the cave (a series of 2-4 connected rooms for example). Say you are exploring the caves and suddenly you come across a temple with an altar and some cultists, or an underground lush lake, or have there be a chance that the bottom of the level is lava (i'm drawing inspiration from Dwarf Fortess here..). 

[kinnik]

Hay Moloch!  I had that complaint from someone else already.. personaly, I really like the organic curves of the caves and would like to keep that for the most part.  I'm not very fawnd of the straight/boxy templates of the origonal.  But, of coarse I'd be very happy if you'd like to add new templates of any style, that you can use in your own version and I will likely find an aproprate place for in my own.  Perhaps some levels use diferent templates... would be good for adding variety.

Do you know how to make room templaits already?


I have thought of the 'pocket' worlds idea and think it would be keen!  That would make alot of magic added to simple exploring.  I think a combination of doors to other worlds and pockets would be the best.  and, like DF, lava that bubbles up to underground caverns would be the best I thinks!  Yup, DF is king.

[DialFforFunky]

news from the trenches:

- I found a gnome for sale outside of shop. I didn't note until I picked him up, and a shopkeeper shouted from out of nowhere that I was a thief.
- usefull item from chest can become something you already have perhaps a mechanic like sacrificing might work.
- a dropped gnome disappeared into thin air. no slidable blocks or anything. edit: see below.
- i found a scroll sticking partially out of ground, yet it was not pick-upable. is that ok?
- 2 health bats are too strong. without a ranged weapon they are a near auto-lose 1 health, as you fall through them on the 2nd air jump, and you can't whip em quick enough. perhaps just make them 1 health and quicker? or make them 2 health but slower? edit: After more testing, I found they just need some getting used to. They are manageable. Just hard. Always carry around throwable stuff. Always.
- rescuing 2 gnomes work, though there's only one gnome kissing you in the passage shot (yuck...)
- my start is regularly blocked. not much of a problem, but it looks a bit... unpolished...

speedrun! 6 minutes! woot!

I still havn't managed to get past lvl 2 though. I was doing quite good, 42 bombs, 23 ropes, cape and climbing gloves. I used a bomb to kill a vampire on the other side of a block, but then a block fell upon me from outside the screen in mid air.

I suddenly got an idea for a great upgrade: a helmet. It moves you one space sidewarsd if a block ould fall on your head. If the space is not available, you still die. god, I'd love to have one of those. The times I got killed by those stupid blocks...


F

edit: I think I found another bug, which is related to the gnomes diappearing and the scroll stuck in the ground. The following is in the same category:


I've found this on several things, such as crates and mushrooms. Apparently things tend to enter the ground when falling inappropriatly or from large distances. I also think this causes gnomes to die without leaving a body.

Oh, and I hated being in a darkness level . No lamps, no golden bugs, just a box of flares to deperatly hold on to. gah. Still, I managed to hold out for a good 45 minutes. Untill I met a vampire. Vampires are ugly. 

Speaking of flares, that was in idea that I got while playing: infinite flares, possibly without giving any light. Alternatively, you could use tiny-diamond-sized stones or something to represent an out of the ordinary rock picked up from the caves. As long as there's something to mark places you've been.

[kinnik]

YEAH!  I think you play the game more than I do!!  I've only been to level 3 maybe 4 times.  AND... I've NEVER had a dark level.  I thought I took those out!  WOW! 45Min in the dark! that's core.

I'd REALLY love to have 'dynamic' lighting if I can ever get the game to run fast enf.  That would be lights that cast shadows, using the LOS code. (better LOS code obviously)

I'll fix the big chest as you said. + add map/compass as always in it.

I also noticed the stuck in ground error... I'm not sure how to fix it.  I only ever load 2 rooms away from the player ('s view window) and objects 'deactivate' 1.5 rooms away. ??  I hope that TOC's help may sort some of that.

The $ above items *near* shops has been a bug for a really long time!  I've tried REALLY hard to fix it and am still clueless.    Sometimes leaving more than 3-5 rooms away and coming back can fix it, but not all the time.

I like the helmet idea.  I think I'd make it look really dorky to balance it out!    Like a big orange lightning bolt on the side.


Do you like the look of the caverns? Do you think they would benefit from a less random appearance? 

[DialFforFunky]

level 2

57 sticky bombs
62 ropes
8 health
jetpack
shotgun
climbing gloves
jumpy shoes
spiked shoes
glasses

and this.



98% of the caves are cleared already. Will I make it though?
Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets.

(Don't this to me again. Its seriously bad for my health. )


F


edit:

the cake is a lie...

[kinnik]

F*ck.      yeah, you have unbelieveable patience.  huge props. 

Maybe a temporary fix could be a button that will restart and regenerate the level.
Just untill I figure out for sure that this won't happen again.  ??

I've only seen that afew times in the last 6 months... But, I think I fixed it in the most recent build.  I believe it had to do with the maze creation code finishing but not making an end door.  I'm not positive tho.

I've been procrastinating on releasing the new stuff because I wanted to fix up the LOS to be better running (for a friend of mine with a slow computer)  but...  You definatly deserve an update to play with.  I'll do my best to make the changes you wanted and post before I go to bed tonight.  Maybe alot sooner.

Also,  would you like a version with ALOT less rooms, so you can test the end door/level change code?  Say 32-64 rooms instead of 256?  or somthing like this.
I'll even give you a map and compass for level 1 from the start.

Name it and you got it buddy!  If you have anything else you'd like, write it!

[DialFforFunky]

  that's sweet! I'll be away for a couple of days though, so you can take it easy. Smaller maps probably won't be necessary, though a map or compass would be good. I like to play the whole package though . Anyways, thanks for all the effort! See you in a few days.

F

[kinnik]

Update has been made!

If you go into the tunnel room you'l see the new 'options' area.  
Here you can set 'line of sight' level:
green = no LOS
yellow = LOS
red = strict LOS (only see in the direction your looking)

Also set Level Size from here!
green = 64 rooms (aprox 4 seconds to load)
yellow = 256 rooms (~20 sec)
red = 512 rooms ( > 1-2  min! to load)


TOC: I tried switching over to Ram but failed my first try..  As I said, I think I've a memory leak or somthing.  So, I reverted back to the old version.  I'll try it again soon.  If you want my atempt for any reason, just write.  But I'm sure you'll do better to write your own.

[grieck]

After finally deciphering the map I now have a level one completed in 3:36.

[kinnik]

YOW!  256 size?

I forgot to take out the 'you get a map for first level' that i use while testing stuff...  I'll leave it for now and in next release I'm gonna have an option for 'starting suplies' dificulty. 

green = 15hp/16bomb/18rope/map(temp)/compass(full)
yellow = 10hp/12bomb/14rope/map(temp)
red = 8hp/10bomb/12rope

(default yellow)

any segestions?

[TyrOvC]

Yeah, sorry about not being very active with this so far! I don't have anything planned for tomorrow so I'll sit down and multithread'n buffer the current level system and start working on a method for handling it completely in memory.

[Patrick]

I was playing the latest version, and after finishing level one for the first time (3:41) there was an error... I forgot to copy the details. It crashed, in any case.

Great mod.

[kinnik]

I'll likely be around. You can ask question and I'll help out with whatever you like. 

[grieck]

After finally deciphering the map I now have a level one completed in 3:36.

It was the 500-something room.