Optical beam would actually be quite easy to implement. It would work like this. Add a new kind of wire that is a "transciever"; when it receives a pulse, it sends it across thin air (same things that allow lasers to travel) in the appropriate direction to another transciever, which passes the pulse on. Then, your security beam could just be a button that you need to press in order to trigger a light via the transciever to get to the exit. |
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2607. Max (pcp0010478666pcs.hamden01.ct.comcast.net) –
15 Jul 2005 14:59:43
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
I don't really care about the specifics, as long as there can be a way to make sure you have to move blocks out of the path of something in order to solve a level -- but there is currently no way to do this without using a really complex system as in "Collapses". [At the moment, there is only a simple way to make sure you have to move blocks INTO the path of something (i.e. lasers that block exit)].
So yeah, I was envisioning something that fired in one direction only. I'm not quite sure what you mean by '"optical beam" for wires' but whatever is the easiest way to implement this I guess. I realize it would probably be a pain, but I figured I might as well suggest it! |
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2606. mjn (pool-68-161-213-167.ny325.east.verizon.net) –
15 Jul 2005 06:21:48
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
Actually, come to think of it, the ray could also just work like a panel. You wouldn't need a target that way, either, because only the "edge effect" of pushing a block in or out of its view would do anything.
(Actually, come to think of it some more, the blue block itself could be the target, or the stop sign or arrows...) |
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2605. mjn (pool-68-161-213-167.ny325.east.verizon.net) –
15 Jul 2005 06:09:18
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
Hey, that sounds pretty cool.
If it only fired in one direction, then you wouldn't need a target--you could just use pairs of rays.
A more general restriction than barring the exit would be to have a laser that only fires if a ray is blocked (or better yet, if a ray connected to it with wires is blocked). You could place one next to the exit to get the same effect as before, but you could also lock and unlock different sections of the level, protect individual panels/buttons, have people move wires to turn off the ray, etc. |
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2604. Tom 7 (h-68-166-177-68.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) –
15 Jul 2005 00:14:17
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
OMG complex!
I prefer to provide smaller concepts that can be connected to achieve those kinds of results. What would be the simplest thing that would allow you to achieve this? An "optical beam" for wires, perhaps? |
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2603. Max (pcp0010478666pcs.hamden01.ct.comcast.net) –
14 Jul 2005 23:08:28
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
P.S. there would also need to be a corresponding "target" tile that ends or receives the ray, otherwise it would always be "blocked", duh! |
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2602. Max (pcp0010478666pcs.hamden01.ct.comcast.net) –
14 Jul 2005 23:07:13
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
Here's an idea for a new type of tile, "Security Laser" (or whatever). This may be complicated to implement, but I think it would be cool if there were tile that sent out a "ray" like a laser, but the ray doesn't kill you. Rather, as long as the ray is not blocked by anything, the exit remains open, but while it is blocked by any solid tile (i.e. anything that blocks a laser) the exit is "barred" (similar to asleep) and cannot be entered. I went to extremely great lengths to implement a mechanism that results in the same effect in "Collapses" and I often wish there were something like this when creating levels. |
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Thank you Hock. That is a flattering perspective. Yes, this is part of my slow maturation, which will no doubt make me less mythological, but I don't mind that right now. |
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I'm unqualified to say this, and it will undoubtedly sound a little patronizing, but I will say it anyway. I think your intense laziness is what makes you such a lovable rascal. That, and your propensity to dig yourself out of jams at the last minute with your overwhelming intellect. The juxtaposition of the two makes you mythical, so extreme that you seem almost literary, like a tragic hero. But I think you are learning how to take a more balanced approach to life, thus avoiding tragedy, but inevitably making you a little less interesting. Good luck with everything. |
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2599. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-120.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) –
13 Jul 2005 00:56:58
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
Dorothy: It's not a bug; there are a few "secret" keys for playing levels, meant to discourage the use of hidden information. Y toggles layers like in the editor, [ and ] zoom in and out, S saves state, R restores it, U is undo, and there are even some other advanced ones that you should probably avoid... |
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2598. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-120.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) –
13 Jul 2005 00:55:45
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
Markus: the display on the level browser is based on the last time the collection was updated. This happens when someone uploads a new level (and I plan to have it update at regular intervals, but have not implemented that yet). The same is true for ratings. I admit this is a little confusing, so I may change it some day, but that would require more communication with the server, so it's not at all trivial to do.
However, the solution manager is instant, so you should be able to see your speedrun there. If it's not there, it may be because it was beaten by someone else.
The reason you couldn't upload anything yesterday was that the server was out of space (it's an old computer and sometimes fills itself up), but that's fixed now.
Thanks for the tip on the keyboard. I am indeed using unicode, but still baroquely doing a case on SDLK_ values, which is a bad idea for punctuation since it varies so much from country to country. |
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2597. Dorothy (pool-71-111-5-193.ptldor.dsl-w.verizon.net) –
12 Jul 2005 22:34:35
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
Hi Tom, I think I found a bug...???
I was just playing one of the levels and pressed the "y" key...and it switched to the alternate world. I thought maybe it was just that level only, so I tried it on a few others and it worked also. |
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Hi!
I have some problems with the display of the level record in the level browser. It doesn't always show the record, no matter if I or someone else broke the record.
If I broke the record it is displayed in green as my personal best, but the level record doesn't get updated. Even uploading the solution, downloading new solutions, updating the levels or restarting the game didn't help.
In one level it shows the correct record, but yesterday it didn't. Is there some delay somewhere?
Yesterday I couldn't upload faster solutions to several levels, I got the message "Upload failed: fail (bug) bad solution". (I couldn't check if the bug is still there because meanwhile other players got the same number of moves, so I don't have a record anymore :(
One hour ago or so I successfully uploaded a new speed record but it is not shown as speed record in the solution browser and not as record in the level browser. Even downloading solutions / levels / restarting the game didn't help.
Oh and for the question-mark-bug in SDL: this is not a bug (but I thought the same when learning SDL a few weeks ago) since SDL doesn't report the character entered but the key pressed. For example when checking for a press of "A" you get SDLK_a and have to check for the shift key yourself. You can get the character from the unicode field of the key event (instead of sym or scancode) but before you have to enable unicode support in SDL. Code example is here: http://www.libsdl.org/cgi/docwiki.cgi/Handling_20the_20Keyboard#eventsmoredetailed
This will work for all keyboards, not just us-keyboards!
Oh and by the way: Great game! |
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omg radar is totally livejournal now |
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2593. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-120.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) –
10 Jul 2005 23:49:31
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
It was intentional. I thought I had some reason for only allowing dragging in this direction (one minor one is that it gives you an easy way to remove the selection, by dragging in the opposite way), but I can't remember right now what that is. If I can't justify it, I'll put it on the to-do list to allow dragging in any direction.
I'm glad you like the pattern tool! |
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MUSHROOM NIGHTMARES
We bought our house 3 1/2 years ago--had a pre-purchase inspection done and everything, looked fine.
Then, 1 year age we noticed overnight that mushrooms were growing beside the basement shower stall.
Bottom line: We've done the bleach route numerous times and it now looks like the half the floor has growth under it (judging by the discoloration of the tile in the bathroom).
We haven't done anything yet--money, but are now thinking we better pull off the tile and maybe other stuff as well before the problem spreads beyond control.
Does anyone know:1) what could be causing this?, & 2) If one has to wear a protective face/breathing apparatus when cleaning out this problem? -- I've heard talk about black mold, air-born spores affecting breathing, etc.
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2591. Max (pcp0010478666pcs.hamden01.ct.comcast.net) –
10 Jul 2005 18:01:40
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
BUG (I think): At least in the OSX version, you can apple-click and drag from top to bottom and left to right only. This means that you have to start at the top left of an area and drag to the bottom right whenever you want to capture more than a single line of tiles.
By the way, the panel pattern reproducer is very cool and saves tons of time on automated levels -- thanks! |
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2590. Dorothy (pool-71-111-5-193.ptldor.dsl-w.verizon.net) –
09 Jul 2005 11:57:10
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
Tom, that's just what I was looking for. Thanks. :) |
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2589. Tom 7 (h-72-244-70-120.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) –
09 Jul 2005 08:38:22
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
You mean the coordinates? Yeah, I guess that's probably a good idea. If you're just trying to make sure that something has the same position in normal/alternate worlds, you can use 'y' instead of clicking the button to switch between them, and then leave your mouse in the same place. If you're trying to coordinate the destinations of transporters and panels, then showing destinations with 'd' might help. |
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2588. Dorothy (pool-71-111-5-193.ptldor.dsl-w.verizon.net) –
09 Jul 2005 01:38:22
[ NEW: Escape Beta 2! ]
In the editor, is there a way to find out the tile position? I haven't been able to see it if there is.
I think a good suggestion would be, maybe if when you put your mouse over a tile, hugbot.. etc. it would be to nice have it show the position in the bottom left hand corner of the screen, if that isn't already implemented. I think it would be an easy tool in creating both the alternate and normal worlds with the transports and panels.
Thanks |
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2587. Karthik (cpe-069-134-215-228.nc.res.rr.com) –
08 Jul 2005 18:40:24
[ July, July!! ]
on read: "infinite jest" is great, but i'm not sure about wallace as a person, despite his claims above of greatness. only eggers i know is "a heartbreaking work of staggering genius", which i thought was good, but sub-wallace in terms of a read. "infinite jest" also doubles well as a pillow on long flights/bus rides.
here's some hear:
hella "church gone wild/chirpin' hard"
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2586. Anonymous (hidden16.reimanpublications.com) –
07 Jul 2005 15:06:52
[ Bathroom? Mushroom! ]
I cannot believe others have this. I felt like we had reached the depths of slovelyness or something. My husband had told me we had mushrooms in the shower and that he saved one for me to see. It was a perfect specimen, a few inches tall. I scraped it up with a piece of cardboard and threw it away. Sounds like we can expect more to come back. I'll certainly take a picture next time, but I was in a hurry to get to work and the cleaning lady was coming this morning and I didn't want her to see it. I couldn't help telling her, though. She was appalled and said we better start spraying Tilex on after each shower. But sometimes the cat likes to get in the stall and drink water. I do think our tile needs redone. |
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2584. Tom 7 (h-68-166-177-96.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net) –
06 Jul 2005 23:32:10
[ Pathetic Scum Moron ]
Yeah, I did figure that out after posting this, but it's funnier if it is just out of nowhere. ;) |
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