Author Topic: Empires of Eradia: The Cataclysm of Chaos - Alpha V48H3 (Read 137544 times)

lordpalandus · « **Reply #75 on:** June 25, 2018, 02:58:14 PM »

Released a Hotfix for Alpha V8.

Implements a better pathfind system for the "dumb" pathfind system (ie not the computationally expensive A*Star system); used by both the flee code and the move towards code. Also, added a message for when you hit a fleeing foe, removed debug items that I forgot to remove, and fixed a bug with Spellcasters not fleeing when hit.

lordpalandus · « **Reply #76 on:** July 01, 2018, 07:41:28 PM »

Released Alpha V9. Another huge release, possibly bigger than Alpha 7.

Binary and Uncompiled Build on first post. Enjoy.

Hooman · « **Reply #77 on:** July 01, 2018, 11:02:17 PM »

Huh, I'm getting behind on checking out these updates.

lordpalandus · « **Reply #78 on:** July 02, 2018, 05:52:52 PM »

At this point in development, with the lack of user feedback, I'm mostly just posting these updates for my own benefit. It keeps me on track, focused on my task list and disciplined in producing a stable build each week, which is very motivating. Though, if no one downloads this week's binary, I'm going to stop posting it and only give a link if someone ACTUALLY wants to play it.

The whole point of getting the binary build up was so that people wouldn't have to struggle with setting up the python interpreter, but as the only binary build that got ANY downloads was V7 (V6 got 1 from I think Vagabond who posted the graphical error), I just don't see the point of going to the hassle of compiling a build that literally no one is going to play.

I'll continue to post the uncompiled one, that requires the python interpreter on one's system, for anyone who wants to try compiling it for their host system, that isn't Windows. But, if the Binary this week gets no downloads I'm going to stop building the binary unless someone actually wants to play it.

Then again, if I do get accepted into GOG's in-development program, they may stipulate that I have to stop releasing free builds here on OPU, if I'm going to have others on GOG.com / GOG Galaxy paying for it. But, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

EDIT: Immediately after posting this, I checked the Mediafire page, and turns out 7 unique downloads of V9 has occurred. So at least that is a good thing.

lordpalandus · « **Reply #79 on:** July 04, 2018, 02:04:10 AM »

After months of fiddling with the code and experimenting with various approaches, I've finally eliminated the Double Window issue.

There are a few more things I wish to do for Alpha V10, and may release it early so that I can do a GOG submission during the week (as they appear to not count weekends as business days so I'd have to wait more than 5 business days for a response), and that also means a bug-free build will be available sooner for those that got hit by any one of the three runtime errors I discovered.

EDIT: I've accomplished all I want to for Alpha V10's submission to GOG. However, now I am going to thoroughly test out the code and make sure that I get rid of all of the obvious, easy to spot errors, typos, and bugs... and eliminate them. Once I've done so, I shall upload V10 here to OPU.

lordpalandus · « **Reply #80 on:** July 05, 2018, 08:06:48 PM »

Released Alpha V10, and have started the submission process to GOG.

If you encountered any errors or bugs in Alpha V9, I'm pretty sure I fixed all of them. (I hope so at least; I did spend about 2 hours thoroughly testing and gameplay testing)

Hooman · « **Reply #81 on:** July 10, 2018, 04:37:13 AM »

You really push through on this stuff. It's impressive.

I don't suppose there is a way you can think of to get more feedback?

lordpalandus · « **Reply #82 on:** July 10, 2018, 12:25:29 PM »

There are a couple ways I had considered, just haven't looked into it trying it yet. If the GOG submission doesn't succeed, I'll look into trying Plan B.

So, you are probably wondering what is Plan B?

Plan B is try to do a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign (like Thomas Biskup did for his Ancient Domains of Mystery) and acquire funding to give the game a graphical and audible makeover. In order for that to succeed, I'll likely work towards completing the game to a much greater degree, and then post the game in a few places. Namely:

1. There is a subreddit dedicated to Roguelikes, where I noticed some people have placed their free-to-play games there, for users to try out and get feedback.

2. The libtcod library is hosted on RogueBasin, a site dedicated to roguelikes, particularly ones that use libtcod library (which I am). Might be a good place to get feedback on the game.

3. I could try to get it on Steam. The reason I haven't thus far attempted it, is because it is costly to do so, with no guarantee on return. As they have nuked their Greenlight system, (for good reason, yet screws me over) the only way you can get your first game onto their service now is to pay $5,000 + other fees (need to do various paperwork, have a business bank account, and have a legitimate company name which will cost somewhere in the range of $1,000 to $2,500). If you make $5,000, then they will give you back that money. It is basically their way of discouraging crappy developers as most won't be willing to pay 5k deposit fee to get their game up and thus the number of crappy games will decrease. However, for legitimate developers, who lack the 5k easily, this creates a major problem. If I had tons of money to burn, I could pay that cost... but, then again, if I had tons of money to burn, I probably wouldn't be trying to make a video game anyway, as video games are extremely risky endeavours. Catch 22 situation.

lordpalandus · « **Reply #83 on:** July 14, 2018, 02:19:56 PM »

Released Alpha V11. No word yet from GOG.

Added a major system, Profiles, which now allows progression across playthroughs. Otherwise, mostly a heavy refactoring and removing redundancy build.

Enjoy

lordpalandus · « **Reply #84 on:** July 18, 2018, 01:27:41 PM »

I may be unable to post updates for a while.

My computer froze, and when I hard restarted it, it booted and then died about 30 seconds later with debug code 6F (MSI X99s Gaming 7 Mobo). Online it suggested to reset the cmos, and I did that. Now it boots to debug code 67 and stays there indefinitely. not sure how to proceed, but until I get it fixed, I won't be able to work on the code.

If anyone has a suggestion, please post it. Otherwise sorry for the inconvenience.

Edit:

1. After thinking about it for a few hours, I realized my nonbinary build has the main file uncompiled, so if I had to, I could install Python onto my older laptop and work on it. This wouldn't be desirable as I'd still lack access to all the other files, but if needed I have this as an option. If GoG doesn't accept the game then it probably wouldn't matter much to not post updates, while I get my main rig up and running.

2. I've had odd issues over the past several months that I attributed to my gpu, but now I think it was the cpu all along. I think the cpu has failed, which is why it gets stuck on a cpu related debug code. I think I'm still under warranty, so, could have it replaced but wouldn't have the computer until I'd get the part in saw 1-2 weeks. It might just need fresh thermal paste so will look into that first before doing anything else.

Edit2:

Nope, can't for whatever reason launch the uncompiled build. Installed python 2.7, installed three different VC_Redists and still will not launch. I can code it, but I can't run it and thus can't be sure if my changes are being successfully applied. Keeps spewing the error about not finding a file "api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll" is missing. And most sites online state that it is commonly a problem of a bad VC_Redist install. I installed three different versions, and hit repair as well for each, but nothing. So, looks like I am FUBAR. So, yeah. Sorry. NOTE: Laptop was bought in 2010, is 64 bit Windows 7 and downloaded three 64 bit vc_redist builds off of Microsoft directly.

leeor_net · « **Reply #85 on:** July 19, 2018, 11:18:48 AM »

This is precisely the reason you should reconsider using source control. You can use GitLab if you want a private repository. But basically yeah, this I learned the hard way years ago when a hard drive crashed on me and I lost everything on it.

lordpalandus · « **Reply #86 on:** July 19, 2018, 04:34:23 PM »

Live and learn. In the future I'll ensure that I have access to my uncompiled files at anytime.

Anyway, today is the two week mark for when I sent in my game submission. According to the automated response sent on July 5th, it says that due to an increased interest in their Indie program, if a game is not replied to within 2 business weeks, then it should be assumed that they have denied the game.

So... unless something changes in the next few days, I've been ghosted by GOG. So... while I lack access to the code, I'll take the time to plan out my next few steps. I think the game could be something great, but it is possible it got lost in the sea of titles trying to get GOG's attention. I'm sure this is likely caused by Steam closing down Greenlight. I haven't fully decided on how to proceed... but the three options currently available to me are:
1. Work towards Plan B.
2. Look into learning OpenGL and rebuild the renderer to use the GPU over the CPU. Likely require a huge code rebuild and/or abandoning the libtcod library altogether.
3. Abandon the title, and start working on my next title... either a Shmup or my aforementioned Outpost 2-like game I hinted at.

As I currently cannot test my code, (as windows/python refuses to compile the .py files on my laptop), I will be missing this week's release (unless my brother in-law, who is a computer technician by trade, can figure out what is wrong with the computer before Saturday/sunday)

lordpalandus · « **Reply #87 on:** July 19, 2018, 11:58:23 PM »

Actually, quick question:

I noticed with my Alpha V10 build, released on July 5th, that there was a single download of the binary build. Anyone here download it?

Vagabond · « **Reply #88 on:** July 20, 2018, 02:56:36 AM »

Sorry to hear about your computer crash. How many days of development are you going to lose if you cannot access the hard drive?

I would encourage you to consider taking the game to completion over abandoning it to start a new title. Even if GOG doesn't take it, there would be a lot of good experience gained from the process. Nothing wrong with releasing it free of charge just to get your work out there if it doesn't seem marketable.

I downloaded it a while back and toyed with it some, but don't remember which version it was.

-Brett

lordpalandus · « **Reply #89 on:** July 20, 2018, 09:37:31 AM »

Well, it depends on the problem. If the cpu somehow got unseated, it is likely an easy fix. if the cpu is completely borked, then dunno. I'm currently using this time to give my code a hard personal look and focus on designing or redesigning certain aspects of it.

For example the 26 item limit in the inventory is particularly frustrating. So I'm looking at designing a junk bag to store excess stuff while only the best stuff is in your inventory and still allows you to keep collecting loot, as scavenging useless items is a good source of runic shards.

I may not have considered it if I hadn't been forced to take a break from development. So I'm taking the time to think hard on various parts of the game and address them. So despite not been able to code, I'm still trying to at least work on design and implementation of the codebase at the present time.

Yes you are right. Completing something can be its own reward or a stepping stone to something else. Plus there is still things I feel I can learn from a Roguelike so, I'll work towards Plan B, whether it will be successful or not. Garnering an audience with a free title I supoo could be useful as well for when I do the next project... A group of potential testers if you will.

Well, the only version you posted any feedback on was BinaryV5, the first Binary build. Current Binary is V11.

EDIT:

Got an official response from GOG that simply states "I'm afraid that we will stand by our previous decision and pass on the game." An entirely useless response, but at least I didn't get ghosted. Regardless, I'll now start to work towards Plan B.

I'll work on fixing up a few of my implementation details and systems, for a release or two, and then I'll start submitting builds to the Roguelike subreddit and Roguebasin (where the tutorial author and libtcod library originate from) and look for feedback there. If there is interest, I'll see about working towards a kickstarter or indiegogo. If there isn't interest, I'll complete the title and just release it as freeware, before moving onto my next project.

Hooman · « **Reply #90 on:** July 22, 2018, 09:14:37 AM »

Quote

So, you are probably wondering what is Plan B?

It's a birth control pill

Agreed with Leeor about using source control. It can be a pain to learn it at first, but it's actually quite quick to pick up, and incredibly useful. It also turns out to be strangely fun. There has been research that's found programmer happiness is positively correlated with the number of version control commits they do in a day.

And in the case of computer repairs, or visiting somewhere else, it can let you access code and move development to a new computer quite easily.

As for the C Run-Time (CRT) problem, that is usually solved by installing the appropriate Visual C Redistributable Package (VC_Redist), however, you need to install the correct version to get the correct DLL. My googling on that DLL came back with a reference to Visual C++ 2015 (x64).

lordpalandus · « **Reply #91 on:** July 22, 2018, 10:30:13 AM »

Birth Control = An exterminatus for your vagina. Or is that an abortion?

As far as the research goes, I think that it is related to how much proof of progress a programmer has done in day rather than just SVN commits, as I feel that way whenever I update my changelog and can see what I accomplished in a day.

Well, I tried 2015, 2012, and 2008, redistributable packages, all 64 bit, and they all spouted the same error, so dunno.

leeor_net · « **Reply #92 on:** July 22, 2018, 11:36:46 AM »

Quote from: lordpalandus on July 22, 2018, 10:30:13 AM

Birth Control = An exterminatus for your vagina. Or is that an abortion?

Plan B is a brand name of a 'morning after pill'.

Quote from: lordpalandus on July 22, 2018, 10:30:13 AM

Well, I tried 2015, 2012, and 2008, redistributable packages, all 64 bit, and they all spouted the same error, so dunno.

Is the code compiled as 64 bit or 32 bit? If 64bit isn't working, try 32bit. They are not interchangeable.

Hooman · « **Reply #93 on:** July 22, 2018, 01:33:13 PM »

You're probably right about the changelog updates. That's pretty close to writing commit messages.

Good point about the 32-bit/64-bit differences. It might help to install 32-bit versions of the redistributables as well, or change which version you're using.

lordpalandus · « **Reply #94 on:** July 22, 2018, 03:54:09 PM »

Only problem with that is that my original python code was built for 64-bit, as the Python Interpreter and the Libtcod Library have 32/64 bit versions. So I do not know what will happen if I try using a 32 bit redistributable with python code, interpreter, and libtcod library that is all 64 bit. It might work without a problem, or it might crash my machine.

Honestly, I'm okay with not being able to code on this laptop. It has two odd quirks, that would drive me crazy with programming. For some reason after typing text for a while, there is like a hiccup with my CPU and the cursor jumps to a previous section in the text file and text starts appearing there. Also, sometimes when saving a plain-text file, the laptop screws with the paragraphs and deletes some. If you do CTRL+Z, it restores them, but yah, if you didn't notice it and closed the file, the paragraphs would be lost forever.

Truthfully though, not feeling like I have to code is actually letting me catch up on some things in my life that I've been neglecting, that brought joy to my life. Things like writing short-stories or drawing stuff on my sketch pad and of course getting some exercise.

Plus, I'm using the time to take a critical look at my code and gameplay systems, and I'm already realizing areas of possible improvement, where I could reduce unnecessary complexity in some areas and build depth into others. So, this "forced break" from the coding has actually been quite beneficial... surprisingly. As for the computer itself, my brother-in-law thinks it will be a simple repair, but as he does most of the house chores and takes care of the baby, while my sister works as an Oncologist (proly butchered the word; Cancer-Specialist Doctor, basically), he doesn't quite know when he will be able to get it done.

Hooman · « **Reply #95 on:** July 24, 2018, 04:19:05 AM »

The 32-bit and 64-bit files are independent. They don't overwrite each other. You can install both if you want to be able to run both 32-bit code and 64-bit code.

I had similar problems with the mouse cursor on my laptop. It was because I was accidentally leaning on the touchpad for the mouse as I typed. It would register clicks, and move the cursor somewhere seemingly random, or click and drag, which would select text, and then cause me to overwrite it. There is usually a hotkey to disable the touchpad, which should prevent accidentally clicking on it. The exact key varies by model, but it's usually something like <Fn> + <F7>.

leeor_net · « **Reply #96 on:** July 24, 2018, 07:12:46 AM »

Was gonna say, that has nothing to do with the CPU.

lordpalandus · « **Reply #97 on:** July 24, 2018, 09:14:42 AM »

That I didn't know about. I thought it was either 32 bit or 64 bit VC_Redist, not both. I'll try downloading the 32bit VC_Redist and see if it solves anything.

Also good to know about the laptop. That probably is what is happening.

lordpalandus · « **Reply #98 on:** July 27, 2018, 10:24:19 PM »

An update this week is looking unlikely. I haven't been idle however, and have a large list of actionable work that I'll get to doing the moment I have the rig available again. When I've completed the work in the list, then I'll look into releasing the build on the Roguelike Subreddit and Roguebasin and see what feedback I can get.

lordpalandus · « **Reply #99 on:** July 29, 2018, 04:31:39 PM »

Question: If this roguelike is crap, or you simply didn't like it (because you don't like roguelikes), would you hesitate in telling me so? It would be useful to know why people are downloading builds, but never mention something as simple as: it is bad or it is good. Thoughts?

I ask because I've had basically the complete absence of feedback. That can mean people are liking it (as people who like something will rarely post good things) or it might be so bad that people try it for 5 minutes and immediately lose hope on it and don't bother to leave even a bad review, as no one is paying for it thus no one loses something for downloading it.

EDIT: I ended up releasing V11 onto a subreddit for actively developed roguelikes and got some feedback on it. All three people who tried it stated that the font size was too small and that was why they couldn't get into the game. So, my next build will feature larger font size. If I hadn't gotten feedback from reddit about it, I'd have continued to work with the tiny font size that I have been using for 5 months. It is really good to know what the problem is so that I can work on fixing it. Well, one of the problems at least.

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Author Topic: Empires of Eradia: The Cataclysm of Chaos - Alpha V48H3 (Read 137544 times)