2011-10-24 01:21:28

I am in the process of writing a storyline for this game.
It's almost finished, so I should be uploading it in about 15 minutes. Or less. Lol who knows.

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2011-10-24 01:24:03

my copy of the game still will not start, I get the following message in the debug.txt file

Starting program
Creating DirectSound...
Setting Coop level
Sound finished.
Version is 0.4b
Sapi is set to 0
Loading settings/progress
First 'sayit'
First sound test.
error in setsound: Automation error
C:\Documents and Settings\NikosDaley\My Documents\Downloads\Swamp(2)/sounds/wail.wav

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2011-10-24 01:42:27

Well, I actually did much better than before in the new version, to the extent that I want to keep playing rather than write about how social status affects relationships in Heian Japan... but... I'm sure the zombie apocalypse won't get out of hand if I take a few hours away from shooting to beat my head against a computer screen. XD

I got to a point where I was running around the swamp and actually couldn't find any zombies to kill. Even the ones that I could occasionally hear I couldn't get close to. I think I was just off toward the east/west edges of the map. Eventually shooting enough lured enough of htem to me to get things escalating.

看過來!
"If you want utopia but reality gives you Lovecraft, you don't give up, you carve your utopia out of the corpses of dead gods."
MaxAngor wrote:
    George... Don't do that.

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2011-10-24 02:09:15

Omar, I'm looking forward to reading it!  big_smile

Nikos, you seem to be suffering from a problem that I noticed right after posting version 0.4b. To make a long story short, 5 of the game's sounds were downloaded from a website that apparently used a very odd audio codec on their files. If your computer doesn't have that specific codec the game crashes when it tries to play any of those 5 files. Turns out I was wasting a lot of time checking code when it was a problem with the sound files themselves, lol.  When I post the next update I'll have replaced those 5 files, but in the mean time you can download this zip which contains the 5 repaired sounds. Just put them into the game's sounds folder and overwrite the old ones. That should fix your error.
www.kaldobsky.com/audiogames/soundfix.zip

CAE_Jones, depending on how new zombies randomly enter the map they probably all ended up on the other side of the map or something.

I'm not quite ready to upload the next update yet but I've been adding in quests, and here's what I have working so far. 

Possible spoiler, though I don't think this gives anything important away.
The game begins the same where your injured friend tells you to go out and check out the area.  Your mission is to kill at least 12 zombies.  Once you've killed them, the mission updates telling you to go back to check on your friend.  He tells you to go for help, but he needs something to prop up against the inside of the door since the lock is broken.  You are told to go check the other shack, and once inside you find a chair and take it to him.  Your friend has figured out your location on his field map, and he gives you instructions that will lead you to a road and into the town your squad was supposed to meet up at.  He tells you to go there to find help.

I am almost done with code that will transform 1 map into another.  Basically I want to avoid loading new maps because that will break the atmosphere of the game.  When you are told to go to the road, a new map is loaded but the old placement of items and zombies are moved to new locations on the new map.  In the end you still seem to be in the same map, except there are now new places to travel.  I want it to feel like you're playing on just a single giant map, rather than playing a new smaller map for each mission.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

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2011-10-24 02:22:31

I've gotten nowhere near Robla's kill count of fifty, but twelve will be easy.
The element of needing to get around will certainly add more challenge to the game, though. I find that after I've done enough running around the swamp, I have no idea where I've gotten to relative to the shacks. My general strategy for the time being is to find that one large section of water toward the center of the swamp and orient myself from there, though naturally this only works if I find the right one. smile

看過來!
"If you want utopia but reality gives you Lovecraft, you don't give up, you carve your utopia out of the corpses of dead gods."
MaxAngor wrote:
    George... Don't do that.

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2011-10-24 02:50:29

Has anyone tried using the beacons yet?  Pressing numbers 1 or 2 will activate beacons for finding the North or South shacks.  My plan is to have each mission automatically add or remove locations of interest from the top number bar.  That way I can always have up to 9 important locations marked to help people get around.  When moving between marked zones on the map, or by pressing V, you will hear it announce your general location.  Sometimes this can be helpful when you get turned around and aren't sure where you are.  The swamp is divided into 9 large sections.  Central at the middle, North, East, West, South, and the diagonals like North west.  This helps you at least know which of the 9 sections you are in.  Then there are zones specific to the area around the 2 shacks.  You may be told that you are behind the North shack, for example.  I'm still trying to find a good balance between providing useful information, and overloading people with stuff they don't really need to know.

I would also like to add that when aiming and steering are turned on, I have fallen in love with the long range forward radar!  While inside of either shack, I can pan right and left and easily envision the shape of the room and the doorways.  Each shack is composed of 2 rooms with a doorway between them.  If you haven't tried that combination of controls while in the shack, I recommend it.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

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2011-10-24 03:07:46

I completely forgot that the beacons were actually in... now that you mention it, I did try them briefly, but wound up forgetting about them pretty quickly. : oops :.

(Forget what I said about twelve being easy. lol. I can get in the twenties, but usually I'm hovering just below twelve.)

看過來!
"If you want utopia but reality gives you Lovecraft, you don't give up, you carve your utopia out of the corpses of dead gods."
MaxAngor wrote:
    George... Don't do that.

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2011-10-24 03:19:48

I'm toying with the idea of limited ammo.  Do you guys think that would add to the game, or cause it to be too difficult?

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

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2011-10-24 03:24:20

I do not have an actual mouse, can I use the mousepad on my laptop or what is the best way to aim?

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2011-10-24 04:06:25

The touchpad with the laptop should work just fine (that's what I've been using, anyway).

看過來!
"If you want utopia but reality gives you Lovecraft, you don't give up, you carve your utopia out of the corpses of dead gods."
MaxAngor wrote:
    George... Don't do that.

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2011-10-24 04:09:55

Yes, the laptop's track pad will work.  Just make sure it is turned on, since most laptops have the ability to turn the track pad on and off.

You have 3 options for shooting enemies.  I believe when the game starts aiming and steering modes are both turned off.  This means you can only rotate your character by using the A and D keys.  The problem is that the rotations are at 45 degree angles and that would be very hard to line up a shot that way.  The recommended option is to turn Aiming on.  Press Z to activate it.  Once aiming is on, moving your finger over the track pad will move your person's gun left and right, up to 30 degrees in either direction.  This allows you to smoothly adjust your angle until the zombie can be heard right in the center.  Keep in mind that aiming does not affect your movement, so if you are traveling perfectly south and you tilt yourself left and right to aim, you will still be walking in a perfectly straight line south.  Your other option is more advanced, but also more useful as a result.  Pressing G turns on Steering mode.  Steering is like an advanced aiming mode, where moving left and right on the trackpad smoothly rotates your person.  Instead of just the gun moving, your entire body rotates so you actually steer your person.  This is the easiest way to navigate through doorways because you aren't held to rigid angles.  When steering mode is activated you can center yourself to shoot zombies exactly as you could with aiming alone.  The other benefit is that you aren't limited to only 30 degrees in each direction.  You can keep sliding to the side to rotate your person around in circles if you wish.  When steering is turned on, there really isn't any need to use the A and D buttons to rotate anymore.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

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2011-10-24 04:10:05

yeah, i use a touch pad and can basicly get on quite well!
50 was my best score,
most atempts are around 30 to 35
aprone the update sounds great, i've been waiting for a game like this for a long time!

2011-10-24 04:18:55

I've been able to find the problem with the ghosts. It seems that the code that rewrites the zombies is strange. For when I kill a zombie and do an about face, I hear about 3 or 4 zombies. I shoot and there is nothing. I try and turn back in the direction I was heading originally, and continue walking. So it seems like the sound buffers are still giving you issues.

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2011-10-24 04:25:55

or, that you're not aiming propperly, lol

2011-10-24 04:34:42

No I've got a pretty good sense of center. So I know my aiming isn't off. Lol, I'll get that recording off of my recorder now. What a sentence. Well, how about you? How do you like to do things in the game? Maybe you can set a recording here as well so we may see how good you really are with a rifle, lol. Speaking of shooting, I have fired a few myself. A 223, and a .22 rifle. My next rifle I want to fire would be a 30 30. Could easily go right through glass, and a bullet proof vest.

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2011-10-24 04:48:45

alright!
had to switch to crappy soundcard to do this, for the stereo mix!
25 killls!
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4559915/swamp.mp3

2011-10-24 04:53:24

Here is my recording.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/23324710/swamp.mp3
It's uploading as I type this. My sound card does sound a bit strange, and there is an odd studder at the start.

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2011-10-24 05:00:08

oh, i apologize for it being  in mono, hit the wrong key, although you still get a good idea, lol

2011-10-24 05:01:58

I was just about to tell you that lol... Seems like a bit off at times, but it's a bit difficult when you have several things going on at the same time. What about my aiming?

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2011-10-24 05:06:42

Omar, other than that mix up I had with shooting at the shack, I haven't had any more problems with the sounds.  I'll keep an eye out for the bug you've described though.  I won't be the tiniest bit surprised if I missed another mistake in my sound buffer code.

I noticed Omar's file was still uploading so I'll have to check in a few minutes, but I've listened to your recording Robla.  I must say I'm impressed, and you take down the undead much faster than I can!

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

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2011-10-24 05:06:43

still getting a 404 unfortunately

2011-10-24 05:16:11

When did you try it? Lol. Looks like I'll have to turn the laptop back on.

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2011-10-24 05:58:18

well hey, i  had a lot of practice!
it's 5  AM and i'm still playing,
proof you're doing a good job i guess

2011-10-24 06:12:51

I've just uploaded version 0.5b which has some changes.  I've fixed a few more sound buffer issues that I think were the cause of the "ghostly" sounds Omar was hearing.  I've also laid the ground work for missions in the game, though they are only partially complete.  I still need to hear back from you guys about the idea of limited ammo.  Should you have infinite ammo clips to reload with, or should you only have a certain amount and have to find new ones?  Depending on how much people need to shoot their gun, limited ammo could end up being a problem.  Unlimited ammo isn't as realistic, but lets also remember that it is alright for a game to do some things unrealistically if it improves the fun.  Just let me know what you guys think.

You can now press the Q button to hear your current mission.
The game has a few missions just to test the system out, but currently once you reach the gas station the rest of the mission hasn't been built yet.  Actually, once you leave the swamp just consider everything else to be unfinished.  You can run around in the parts of the map I didn't complete yet, but there will be a lot of open empty space, and very few zombies to fight.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

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2011-10-24 06:21:56

to bad there is not way to gain health or is there?

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