Milestone: OpenDungeons 0.4.9

[Akien]

Hi there,

As pointed it out by Bertram in this somewhat-gone-off-topic topic (but is there a topic in the OD forum that does not go off-topic after 3 posts? ), we should discuss the features we want for the upcoming 0.4.9 release.

I'm an advocate of "release early, release often" in this case, especially since there has not been any "official" release (save for Bertram's Win32 builds) for months (years?).

There have been awesome improvements to OD lately, so I think it could be good to release 0.4.9 soon, and show to the world that we have a game, not just ideas and an engine :-)
If we keep with the current pace, we could probably have a 0.5.0 release in a couple of months with some nice new improvements.

Here is the list of issues that have been appointed to the 0.4.9 milestone on github: https://github.com/OpenDungeons/OpenDun ... ones/0.4.9
Edit: See also an ordered list here: https://github.com/OpenDungeons/OpenDungeons/issues/9 (some recent issues might be missing though)

I'd rather ask this question to everyone involved in the project: (Please all answer it!!)
--> What is the feature/bugfix you would absolutely want to see (in a reasonnable fashion) before the 0.4.9 release to happen and why?

Speak now, or never :-)

[Akien]

Another way to see this the question would be: is the game's current state good enough for players to:
- have fun in singleplayer or in a LAN
- find it promising and think they'll definitely check out the next releases
- give us feedback and possibly want to contribute to the project

If we consider those points are already good, we can release 0.4.9 in the coming weeks. If not then we can decide upon which features and bugfixes are needed to make those three statements true, and release 0.4.9 in a couple of months when those are implemented.

[Danimal]

- Normal and specular maps working
- Small update of already existing sounds (more background music tracks, new pickaxe, attack, room build sounds) this should be an easy matter since i found replacements for most

If we consider those points are already good, we can release 0.4.9 in the coming weeks. If not then we can decide upon which features and bugfixes are needed to make those three statements true, and release 0.4.9 in a couple of months when those are implemented.

On that sense, i would add:
- Win/Loose possible on map after destroying/getting destroyed Dungeon Temple
-A smaller one player map that feels like a DK level

[hwoarangmy]

For me, the key feature to make OD look like a game is fighting. I think we should start creatures' definitions so that better creatures... are better. Even if they just spawn randomly, it will be great.

- Win/Loose possible on map after destroying/getting destroyed Dungeon Temple

+1

[Bertram]

Hi,

Excellent topic Akien,

- Win/Loose possible on map after destroying/getting destroyed Dungeon Temple

+1 (Makes +2 now)

- Normal and specular maps working

-1. Sorry to sound like the old killjoy, but the problem is a bit more tricky than that:
-> Normals are to be fixed so they're applied to every model instances, not only the first.
-> Currently, those first instances look more weird than great and this has to be fined tuned.
-> The normal appliance is hardcoded and I'm working on dehardcoding it with a more streamlined solution. (The entities catalog file.)
-> The current state of GL drivers between windows/linux & nvidia/AMD makes it very sensitive to weird results or potential crashes.
For all those reasons, I beg more time on that one. I'd rather even disable the rtsstest() function for now, so we have no more the random golden walls problem.
Would you be ok with those two points?

- A smaller one player map that feels like a DK level

--> Yes! This is what we all have secretly wished for, more or less. +1 Ready to create one, Danimal?

- Small update of already existing sounds (more background music tracks, new pickaxe, attack, room build sounds) this should be an easy matter since i found replacements for most.

Could you open an issue about this one with the relevant links? If it's a matter of replacing files and add new ones read by the music player, I can handle it.

- I think we should start creatures' definitions so that better creatures... are better.

IMHO, depends how deep you want to go there. If it's a matter of tweaking the currently available stats, +1, if it's about upgrading the stats system, it depends on when we'll be able to add support for that.
I'd request to remove the fact that Workers can go over lava, for now, at least. (In fact, they should go over water only.)

but is there a topic in the OD forum that does not go off-topic after 3 posts?

Eh eh. To me, it only means we're cool and open to discussion.

Best regards,

[Danimal]

For all those reasons, I beg more time on that one. I'd rather even disable the rtsstest() function for now, so we have no more the random golden walls problem.
Would you be ok with those two points?

Fine

- A smaller one player map that feels like a DK level

--> Yes! This is what we all have secretly wished for, more or less. +1 Ready to create one, Danimal?

Sure but i need tips on how to place dungeon hearts and setting total size of map, after that i can use the ingame editor to fill out everything else

Could you open an issue about this one with the relevant links? If it's a matter of replacing files and add new ones read by the music player, I can handle it.

Ill open it

[hwoarangmy]

IMHO, depends how deep you want to go there. If it's a matter of tweaking the currently available stats, +1, if it's about upgrading the stats system, it depends on when we'll be able to add support for that.

I was talking about the most basic features that comes to your mind. Just to make sure that when the fight, trolls are better than flies

I'd request to remove the fact that Workers can go over lava, for now, at least. (In fact, they should go over water only.)

I had not seen that. I'm gonna have a look.

[Bertram]

@Danimal

Sure but i need tips on how to place dungeon hearts and setting total size of map, after that i can use the ingame editor to fill out everything else

Hwoarangmy may have more tricks than I do, but usually, I duplicate an existing level file, remove what's between [Tiles] & [/Tiles]. (Same for rooms & creatures tags), while taking care to let the tags in place,
and I change the map size parameters.

Then, I rename it as 'Test.level' (case sensitive on linux at least). and start the editor.
If all goes well, you end up in the editor with only dirt tiles and you can start with it.

Click on the tile button to add them and push T to change their fullness. If The fullness is 0, you'll create ground tiles.

To save push the F8 key.
Once you have your main map shape, seats, rooms and creatures will have to be tweaked/added by hand, I fear.
I know all this is still very basic but it's already good to be able to create some stuff there.

@Hwoarangmy:

I had not seen that. I'm gonna have a look.

It comes from the tile passability set in the creatures.def file for workers. Atm, it is set to flyableTile. This means that the engine believes the workers can fly.
This was done by Danimal to make workers go over water, at a time where lava was looking like water.
The temp solution would be to set the tile passability of those to walkableTile, and the definite solution would be to separate the water, lava and flyabletile passabilities in the code and in the configuration.

Best regards,

[hwoarangmy]

Hwoarangmy may have more tricks than I do

Not really. I used a script to make the tiles and just copy/paste the rest. I did not used the editor at all.
Concerning the Editor, I don't know where Paul is with using images. I think this tool would be cool to make the tiles (use different colors for gold, dirt, lava, water, ...). But I believe it is all what the tool should do. The rest would make the image too complex. Even claimed with a color seems too complex.

It comes from the tile passability set in the creatures.def file for workers. Atm, it is set to flyableTile. This means that the engine believes the workers can fly.
This was done by Danimal to make workers go over water, at a time where lava was looking like water.
The temp solution would be to set the tile passability of those to walkableTile, and the definite solution would be to separate the water, lava and flyabletile passabilities in the code and in the configuration.

Ok. Is there some issue about that ? If not, I will create one and have a look.

[Bertram]

Hi hwoarangmy,

Concerning the Editor, I don't know where Paul is with using images. I think this tool would be cool to make the tiles (use different colors for gold, dirt, lava, water, ...). But I believe it is all what the tool should do. The rest would make the image too complex. Even claimed with a color seems too complex.

Half-finished feature unfortunately. In the MapLoader files, you'll find the corresponding function to load from an image and create an image from a map.
Yet, the GUI and options to import a map from an image are yet to be done and maybe clarified if something in the code is unclear.
(This shouldn't be part of 0.4.9 anyway IMHO.)

Ok. Is there some issue about that ? If not, I will create one and have a look.

This was documented as part of the following issue:
https://github.com/OpenDungeons/OpenDungeons/issues/7

You can always open a new more precise issue about that point, and remove the corresponding line in #7 if you want.

Regards,