Colony Game Pack!

[spirit1flyer]

http://www.outpost2.net/files/old/ColonyGamePack1.zip
Note there are small errors in this pack. but they will not affect gameplay. They are mostly just bad names and a jungle to find the colony missions I've been told.
Version 2 is going to be coming out soon!

The pack has two colony games in it. 1 for Eden and 1 for plymouth. Please remember! these are easy colony games.

and after you play them give me some feedback please. so I might be able to make better ones for the next pack.

I hope you like it    After all it is my first gift to the community  B)

I have the uncompiled files with the pack so if anyone wants they can take the files and make their own colony games out of them   :op2: 

I would like to thank everyone who did not get erataded with all my questions   
and Eddy-B and CK9 for beta testing the colony games.

You may put this anywere on the web just give me credit please and add a link to the OPU forums 


Spirit


EDIT (leeor_net): fixing broken links.

[leeor_net]

I need to rewrite this post

I was kind of tactless... to say the least
 

[lordly_dragon]

Conclusion: Deleted

(wow, I think I've officially entered the realm of asshole with this one)

you do are rude with him and with yourself tho at some point your are right. but i tested it and its a good time but need a little finish touch to it

[leeor_net]

Hence the edited post. I think I edited it a little too late though... I wasn't trying to offend anyone (although clearly I did).

So, to be more objective, the maps are a great of example of finished released (a refreshing change to the various unfinished projects floating around).

However, there is definatly room for improvement, namely in the naming convention of both the mission's names as well as the file names.

cEden and cPlymouth are easily confused with something else and anybody can choose those names,.... so that wouldn't be my first choice of a name. The colony mission names I think should probably be something more than just "easy colony eden".

The ZIP's structure isn't what I would have chosen as it is somewhat arduous to go through. I would have probably stuck all of the playable files into a VOL file of sorts (e.g., sb_pack1.vol) and then put the source files into another directory like 'source' or 'src'. It makes it easier to browse. Actually, it might even be easier to just leave the source files in a different archive altogether so that those who want to view it can download it and those who don't care for the source and just want the maps can download those.

Anyway, long story short: clean finished maps. Distribution and naming could use some work.

[Betaray]

I would say that these are sandbox maps, cause even on Hard, there are no attacks, and the ore is the same

btw good work

[spirit1flyer]

Hence the edited post. I think I edited it a little too late though... I wasn't trying to offend anyone (although clearly I did).

I never saw your first post I was watching a movie so I did not take offence at anything  

So, to be more objective, the maps are a great of example of finished released (a refreshing change to the various unfinished projects floating around).

Thank you thats exactly what I was trying to do. Make something and finish it

However, there is definatly room for improvement, namely in the naming convention of both the mission's names as well as the file names.

cEden and cPlymouth are easily confused with something else and anybody can choose those names,.... so that wouldn't be my first choice of a name. The colony mission names I think should probably be something more than just "easy colony eden".

I had not really thought the name was important but that can be changed without to much trouble if people think its that important to do. Besides I have never been good with names.

The ZIP's structure isn't what I would have chosen as it is somewhat arduous to go through. I would have probably stuck all of the playable files into a VOL file of sorts (e.g., sb_pack1.vol) and then put the source files into another directory like 'source' or 'src'. It makes it easier to browse. Actually, it might even be easier to just leave the source files in a different archive altogether so that those who want to view it can download it and those who don't care for the source and just want the maps can download those.

I thought it would be nice to allow everyone to be able to edit the missions themselfs to make the small changes they wanted or to use the files to make a new colony mission. And this is the first time I have ever used Zip the other way around so I did not really know what I was doing.

Anyway, long story short: clean finished maps. Distribution and naming could use some work.

Well when I guess I could upload them again with some changes. But I would need to know how to stick the files into a VOL file. And I would need some names that would be more ideal for them.

I would say that these are sandbox maps, cause even on Hard, there are no attacks, and the ore is the same

thats right. They are meant to be very easy and the colony game should not change if it is on hard or easy. I don't even know how to do that in code.


Edit,
I found out how to put files into the VOL files. but it will not play the missions if they are in a VOL file. So I am doing it wrong or it can't be done I will go with the first guess though  

Spirit

[leeor_net]

As a note, dll's packed into a VOL file will not load. Those must be packaged independantly. However, MAP files can be packaged into VOL files. Generally the reason I would use VOL files are to package several maps together so that if I were to release a map pack with 5 maps in it, I'd only be distributing a ZIP with 6 files in it (the DLL files plus the one VOL file containing the maps).

As far as the ZIP structure, it's not that it's bad: it's just more complex than it needs to be.

For instance, the structure I would have recommended is this:


+ ZIP FILE
| + SOURCE
| | + EDEN
| | | <source files>
| |
| | + PLYMOUTH
| | | <source files>
|
| cEden.dll
| cPlymouth.dll
| cow.map


But then, that's just me.

[spirit1flyer]

As a note, dll's packed into a VOL file will not load. Those must be packaged independantly. However, MAP files can be packaged into VOL files. Generally the reason I would use VOL files are to package several maps together so that if I were to release a map pack with 5 maps in it, I'd only be distributing a ZIP with 6 files in it (the DLL files plus the one VOL file containing the maps).

Having only one map for both colony games I don't think I will do it for this pack but when I make a pack later that has more colony missions in it I will be sure to do that

As far as the ZIP structure, it's not that it's bad: it's just more complex than it needs to be.

For instance, the structure I would have recommended is this:


+ ZIP FILE
| + SOURCE
| | + EDEN
| | | <source files>
| |
| | + PLYMOUTH
| | | <source files>
|
| cEden.dll
| cPlymouth.dll
| cow.map

I like that layout. But I took your statment about having the source files in another zip and applied it so now I have two zips.  it will save some download time for those on dialup too.


Do you have any ideas for the names of the two colony games?

spirit

[Leviathan]

Good work.

They are just population games currently, so there not that special so they wouldnt realy have a special names imo.

and yes we need to sort out the names and file system.
 

[spirit1flyer]

okay I have had at least two people tell me that my names suck so I need new names.  So give me some suggestions please.


spirit

[Mez]

Spiritflyers population colony game for Eden - easy mode

Spiritflyers population colony game for Plymouth - easy mode

Spiritplym.dll
SpiritEden.dll

I think they are very original names, as the coders anme is in the files names

and spiriteden.map

etc

[spirit1flyer]

Spiritflyers population colony game for Eden - easy mode

Spiritflyers population colony game for Plymouth - easy mode

Spiritplym.dll
SpiritEden.dll

I think they are very original names, as the coders anme is in the files names

and spiriteden.map

the only two problems with those names are: When the DLL file name is longer then 7 letters long it will make two colony games show up in the menu instead of one. And to make it show up you need to have the letter C at the start of any colony game.

spirit
 

[leeor_net]

And to make it show up you need to have the letter C at the start of any colony game.

The 'C' in the beginning is not so that it shows up in the menu. It's a naming convention so that users can easily distinguish between different mission DLL's.

The engine looks at the internal map type within the DLL's exports. To be more specific:

Code: [Select]

SDescBlock DescBlock = { Colony, 1, 12, 0 }; // Important level details
                          ^^^^^^

It's in that part of the code that the game determines what type of map the mission DLL is and where to place it.

As far as the 7 character names, hacker/hooman are probably the experts as to exactly why OP2 does what it does. If you ask me, the game's engine wasn't written as well as it could have been. It seems like the developers at Dynamix were a bunch of amatuers who started a software firm that eventually went down the tubes.

Anyway, the coders name in a file (or abreviation, you'll see mine setup in the following form: c_ld001.dll) makes it rather unique especially in the small community we have. So for Spirit1Flyer, I would name them something like c_sp001.dll or cspe001/cspp001 )... while the names of the files are obscure the names of the games would be unmistakable if you named it for what it was:

e.g., Colony Builder, Eden - LD 001 - Pie Chart IV v1.1

I use numbers to indicate how many maps I have created... it's easy for me to find and identify and it also shows the potential experience level of the designer/coder when the map was created and published. I would only put the version number in there if there was some sort of bug identified after the intial release that warranted a rebuild and republication.

(you know... it just occured to me that I'm beginning to lay the foundations for the standards of OP2 map naming/publication conventions...)

[spirit1flyer]

sounds like that way could be the easy way of doing it. Short and simple  

[spirit1flyer]

I am going to release a version 2 with all of the changes suggested. It should be out tonight or whenever Lev gets to it.


spirit

[Eddy-B]

let us know, and i'll beta test it too.
also take a look at the source if ya want

[spirit1flyer]

as far as I know there is nothing wrong with the source code. It was just some names and file sorting that I needed to change. But I am working on a new pack and you can test the ones in it for me as soon as I am done with them.


spriti

[Hooman]

And to make it show up you need to have the letter C at the start of any colony game.

The 'C' in the beginning is not so that it shows up in the menu. It's a naming convention so that users can easily distinguish between different mission DLL's.

The engine looks at the internal map type within the DLL's exports. To be more specific:

Code: [Select]

SDescBlock DescBlock = { Colony, 1, 12, 0 }; // Important level details

                        ^^^^^^



It's in that part of the code that the game determines what type of map the mission DLL is and where to place it.

Actually, the "c" prefix to the level name IS required. The game only checks DLLs that start with the correct letter. It won't ever list a colony game in the colony game list box if you don't prefix the DLL name with a "c". It basically does this to save time when populating the list box. It only needs to open the DLLs that start with the right letter, and check for the required exports. If it finds them, then it reads in the level details and will display the game in the list box. So in short, you need both the DLL name prefix AND the DescBlock settings to agree for the level to appear in a list.

With that said, you can always test levels through the debug menu no matter what the DLL is named. It'll just list all the DLLs there.

 

[spirit1flyer]

Actually, the "c" prefix to the level name IS required. The game only checks DLLs that start with the correct letter. It won't ever list a colony game in the colony game list box if you don't prefix the DLL name with a "c". It basically does this to save time when populating the list box. It only needs to open the DLLs that start with the right letter, and check for the required exports. If it finds them, then it reads in the level details and will display the game in the list box. So in short, you need both the DLL name prefix AND the DescBlock settings to agree for the level to appear in a list.

good thing I left it on then  

With that said, you can always test levels through the debug menu no matter what the DLL is named. It'll just list all the DLLs there.

I have heard about this Debug menu but I have never found out how to get to it. But for my current DLL files I always have the "C" prefix before the name. So it really doesn't matter

spirit
 

[Hooman]

Hit "d" at the main Outpost2 menu screen. It'll pop up. Looks kinda sick. They'd taken it out of the release version, but Hacker found a way to reactivate it. It's VERY useful for testing levels. You just have to watch out for victory/failure conditions. They tend to make the level end right away when run from this menu, so it's often convenient to leave those disabled while testing.