2673. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-115.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 26 Jul 2005 00:30:03 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Really? I was pretty sure I released an OSX update, but I guess I screwed it up somehow. I'm doing another release right now to make crossover wires pushable, so I'll make sure that OSX is updated.

2672. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-115.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 26 Jul 2005 00:25:22 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Oops, it's not?

2671. Stephan (fl-71-3-46-127.dyn.sprint-hsd.net) – 25 Jul 2005 22:21:36 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Should the new cross-over wire block be pushable?

2670. John Lewis (h170.32.255.206.cable.lngv.cablelynx.com) – 25 Jul 2005 22:09:59 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

I can't update on OSX either...:-(

I want TRANSPONDERS!!! :-)

2669. Ken (ca01-ch01-bl03.in-indianap0.sa.earthlink.net) – 25 Jul 2005 21:59:26 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Sorry, that sounds too much like a complaint. Thanks for releasing the Windows build. It makes my workday more bearable

2668. Ken (ca01-ch01-bl03.in-indianap0.sa.earthlink.net) – 25 Jul 2005 21:57:49 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Argh, Tom, you are torturing me. You released a new windows build but not one for OSX. I only get about 15 minutes to play at work (on Windows). I really looked forward to trying the transponders at home (on OSX). Boo, hoo.

2667. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-115.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 25 Jul 2005 17:15:43 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

That sounds doable, but having the explosion extend doesn't seem to make much sense if the bomb is already on top of the wall. Or are you saying that it would explode in the position that it's already in, instead of the position that it would be if the push were successful?

2666. mjn (pool-68-161-213-167.ny325.east.verizon.net) – 25 Jul 2005 14:51:44 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Hmm, one last attempt for the pushing-things-into variety:

Have the bombs explode outward in straight lines, like in Bomberman, except not in the direction they're pushed from. The player couldn't be killed by a bomb he's pushing, but he could be killed by a chain reaction, or by a robot pushing a bomb.

2665. Tom 7 (gs82.sp.cs.cmu.edu) – 25 Jul 2005 13:03:55 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

It seems to me that making the player invulnerable to the explosion would make bombs too powerful. It's important that tiles have both menacing and useful aspects.

2664. mjn (pool-68-161-213-167.ny325.east.verizon.net) – 25 Jul 2005 12:09:37 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

If the player is invulnerable to explosions, then there could be a blast radius with pushing-into-things type bombs. (Hey, how about a couple of different bomb sizes, even?)

Maybe they could also be triggered by electrical pulses, for variety? (like if they're positioned next to a dangling wire)

2663. WRR (219.90.82.42) – 25 Jul 2005 00:42:51 [ trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and alone ]

Bummer, indeed! Hang in there. It sounds like you have enough to build on and survive all this crap and hopefully be able to clear up all this emotional debris to start anew. Here's affirming both your fulfillment, and so it is.

Sorry i'll be pasting the content of my email to you as it bounced when I sent it over to your email addy. I thought a gratitude/ fan mail of sorts would cheer you up somehow. Anyway, here it is:

I thought I'd take the time to email you a thank you for all the
wonderful stuff your sharing in your sites. I've uploaded most of y our links on my class e-groups. I thought my art students (Fine Arts & Design college in Manila) would benefit from your infinite creativity. I have this visual journal exercise module for my art studies courses (History of arts, Aesthetics) where they make visual/ conceptual journal entries of what we've taken up in class every week.

It's been years since I last checked out your website and I see you've been productive despite your pursuance of your PHD. You we're still in undergrad when I first downloaded your fonts. Its amazing how you've been able to churn out creative output despite the neckbreaking pace that grad school demands. Kudos to you!

I still can't believe your not an art student! Anyway, thank you.
You've inspired me immensely and now that i've uploaded links to your
websites in my e-groups I know you'll inspire my students as well.

WRR
http://winniedstitchwitch.net

2662. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-115.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 25 Jul 2005 00:40:50 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Well, the pushing-bombs-into-things solution assumes that there's no blast radius. But I'd like to have a blast radius. (Otherwise it's impossible to have chain reactions, or situations in which one is trying to delicately avoid collateral damage.) The timer solution requires that I look at every tile on every move, which I want to avoid.

I have throught about the blaster (triggered by an electricity pulse). That would be pretty easy to implement; the main problem seems to be that I would need four of them, one for each direction (something I've also tried to avoid as much as possible). Anyway, I don't think it's really a substitute for bombs, but it's something that might come.

2661. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-115.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 25 Jul 2005 00:36:46 [ trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and alone ]

That's okay, I don't expect my friends to read my web page in order to make up for my own inability to breach difficult subjects in person. That would be pretty lame of me...

2660. Stephan (fl-71-3-46-127.dyn.sprint-hsd.net) – 24 Jul 2005 23:20:01 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

In terms of level flexibility, a timed bomb (three moves of no contact after initial touch?) would be interesting from a level design perspective. This presumes a blast radius. Alternatively, simply pushing the bomb into another tile could trigger it.

Bombs making holes could be fun, though probably less useful.

Instead of bombs and timing complications, how about a controllable (movable?) laser that destroyed tiles in its path?

2659. John Lewis (h170.32.255.206.cable.lngv.cablelynx.com) – 24 Jul 2005 23:07:12 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Hmmm...perhaps the bombs should be "timed." Instead of pushing them and making them blow up objects when they make contact with them, you could push them somewhere and then hit a special switch that will set off a timer. Then, after a set number of moves, it'll go off...

Just a thought.

2658. mjn (dialn-async401.dial.net.nyu.edu) – 24 Jul 2005 21:07:19 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

These things sound like a lot of fun.

I think having bombs explode when you push them into things makes a little more sense than activating/stepping away, mostly because of all those potentially confusing scenarios you listed. Perhaps it could act like a red block normally, but if you pushed it into something that would stop a red, it'd blow up and take the other thing with it (the same way grays remove holes)?

Although I don't know what would happen if you pushed it into electricity--would it disappear, or would it take out the electricity, too? (Hell, maybe you could clear out a region of electricity by pushing a bomb into it.)

Not sure about holes, either. Doesn't seem like a bomb should be able to "blow up" a hole--maybe it could just fall in.

Inactivity could be done with sleeping bombs/heart framers.

Chain reactions would be fun. I'd vote for panel activation, too, and for bot-killing.

2657. Brian (potetz.dsl.telerama.com) – 24 Jul 2005 19:17:19 [ trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and alone ]

Crap. I'm going to have to start checking this journal much more often. I can't believe you were in my office last week while I was acting like an idiot. At least my intentions for calling were good.

Crap. You guys were a great couple. I hope its alright if I'm still optimistic. I'm pretty fond of both of you, and it was nice seeing both of you happy, and that when things were working out, they seemed to be working out really well. I hope things work out.

2656. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-115.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 23 Jul 2005 23:50:31 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Discussion welcome, of course.
1. Nothing except bots should require looking at the whole level every turn -- so nothing can be activated "automatically." This would include timers on bombs. Instead, they have to be activated by the player being near them or pushing them.

2. Bombs shouldn't be bots, because we should be able to have lots of them in a level. (??)

3. I thought that there could be a few states for bombs:
(a) inactive
(b) after pushed or touched by the player, they become active
(c) after the player steps away, they explode

.. but stepping away is tough to define. the player should be able to switch directions while pushing it, so that would mean that we'd need to include at least the diagonal directions. what about transports? what if the bomb is swapped into bizarro world when it's active? if bots activate bombs too, would a bot standing next to an active bomb prevent it from exploding? what if the player steps away but a bot steps in his place? what if a bot activates a bomb but then the player steps away from it?

4. do bombs activate panels? set off chain reactions with other bombs?

errr

2655. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-115.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 23 Jul 2005 22:38:52 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

I have been thinking about bombs, but they are tricky. So, I'm not sure the right way to do them yet.

2654. John Lewis (h170.32.255.206.cable.lngv.cablelynx.com) – 23 Jul 2005 22:24:51 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

When will we see bombs? :-)

2653. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-115.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) – 23 Jul 2005 15:44:00 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Transponders implemented! Also a new wire present.

2652. Anonymous (69.251.236.177) – 23 Jul 2005 14:30:01 [ Quake 3 Done! ]

Thanks to all of your guys help, I have finally beaten Xaero on nightmare. Just 6 stages left on nightmare and I will have done them all. Exquisite!

2651. FARINA00 (host226-98.pool8536.interbusiness.it) – 23 Jul 2005 12:52:18 [ trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and alone ]

Tom, of course this won't soothe at all your "pain", if conventional pain it is - but let me just tell you that I can understand perfectly because some minor details aside (paying for dinners etc., little things you mentioned in the beginning just to cast them away before the "serious core") - I just lived your same *exact* situation for the same *exact* reasons, with my last girlfriend. Who now isn't my girlfriend anymore, after a 2 years and half story, and a full year of cohabitation [possibly this has been my most important relationship ever]

Now go out and win her back as I am trying to do: we went through this two times already and unexpectedly enough each time our bound grew stronger... on a geometric progression :D Hey, btw we need the female touch on the ugif messageboard. Go Tom go!

2650. Max (pcp0010478666pcs.hamden01.ct.comcast.net) – 23 Jul 2005 00:47:57 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

Okay cool.

2649. Tom 7 (gs82.sp.cs.cmu.edu) – 22 Jul 2005 14:32:34 [ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]

It's the OS that sends 'em, not me. ;) OK, well, I'll get around to fixing that bug soon enough. It won't quit from places where you have data to save (editing/playing), though.