2013-11-20 21:13:53

Hello everyone,
I have just completed the port of Daniel Zingaro's hack game, originally written for Blazy notetakers, to windows using the BGT game engine.  Your objective is to beat all 5 levels of note takers, and win the game.  The link is:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3235616/hack.zip
It contains a compiled executable that can be run without the BGT engine, but also contains the source for those interested in modifying it.
Hope you enjoy!

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2013-11-20 21:21:28

Hi, you bring back my memoryes, when I played this on my braille'n speak. Well, the BNS itself is working but I don't use it anymore.

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2013-11-21 00:56:47

found an embarrassing bug that wouldn't let the game play to level 5.  It would stop you after level 4.  Fixed and reuploaded.

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2013-11-21 01:26:44

Hi,
I'll give this a shot soon. I think though, you should create a sort of successor to this, using more modern tech and conventions, as in, perhaps not just battling but having to go through a story, even if it was text based. I think for now though just an updated hack, like Hack XL or something, with windows or mac systems.

2013-11-21 02:12:27

That's a great idea.  All I would really have to do is change the models and weapons and things.  The internal game code would be the same.  I guess I wanted to just push out this port for nostalgia's sake.  I wanted to make it as faithful to the original as I could.

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2013-11-21 03:55:14

Wow, there's tons of ways you could expand this. One thing you could do would be have a random event where your unit breaks and you have to send it in. They fix it and send it back, but maybe they weren't able to save everything you had. You know how these things go. Another possibility would be to implement a command to write a program for your note taker. Maybe you could get more experience with programming somehow. Many different things could happen, from big advances (you figured out how to increase your money supply!) to minor things (you got a few more fights) to minor annoyances (the speech chip went crazy, you had to restart) to major disasters (you trashed the whole system and had to send it in. They reloaded the firmware but you lost everything!)

2013-11-21 05:54:48

What is this game about?

2013-11-21 06:20:59

those sounds like excellent features for Hack XL.  This is not something i will write, but the hack source is there for anyone who wants to.
This would be a separate game, of course.

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2013-11-21 06:59:47

I can't seem to figure out how to make nvda speak this game.  It remains silent.  Same goes for sapi.

2013-11-21 07:28:44 (edited by harrylst 2013-11-21 07:34:37)

well sapi is silent because nvda is running.  try disabling NVDA.  As far as getting NVDA to work, I need to figure that out.  Give me a day or two and I'll release something to make it right again.

edit: well actually NVDA seems to be working on my machine.  The only thing I can think of is the nvda controller client is not present in the directory (unlikely since I shipped it with the game.)  Did you unzip the file into a single directory before running?  And are you using a 32 or 64 bit machine?

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2013-11-21 07:37:06

Erm never mind, I found what was wrong.

j   I'm curious, what are the desks you get sometimes are for?

2013-11-21 09:39:19

Wow. quick development dude. smile
I haven't tried it yet, but here is a suggestion: If you or someone else wanna make a more modern game out of this, this modern version could be unlocked when completing the old school version.

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2013-11-21 12:33:58

I have one simple idea. After level 5 it says probably that you win but it exit immediatelly, so mostly nvda will say the name of folder or desktop. Should there be some timer or whatever to wait until it stops speaking? Maybe 5 seconds is fine, not sure.

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2013-11-21 16:51:22

OK.
I have published a new version.  This version has the following enhancements:
made the program wait to exit upon winning because of certain screen readers.
fixed a small bug that created one extra inn visit
finally found a way to do away with the dll files, you will no longer need them in the directory for nvda and system access to function propperly. They can be safely deleted in this version.
Next I will add a level (level 6) where you are a type light fighting against windows 2000 machines, with the iPhone as the level master.

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2013-11-22 13:25:07

haha, this was a fun little game. I beat it in about 30 minutes, was really enjoyable. Thanks for taking the time to port it.

The universe is a rain storm. We are droplets sent to quench the problems of the world, yet we are blown sideways by the winds of distractions.

2013-11-22 13:32:41

Someone here said that it doesn't work with NVDA. Possible problem here should be that NVDA starts with the introduction messsage, but this is interrupted by announcing of title bar of hack window. So you should press s for stats and program will tel you the shortcuts again.

check out my instrumental music at http://ondrosik.bandcamp.com

2013-11-22 15:00:47

Hi,

Hmm sound's interesting, gonna check it out though.

thanks!

2013-11-22 20:22:57

Hey could you provide a copy of library.dat? The source won't compile without it. Also, I've found a few bugs.

1. You only get a disk for a super hack attempt if you took your opponent down with that attack, if you super hack earlier during a fight but not at the end, even if you win, you don't get a disk.

2. If you're using the Macros weapon to fight, if you use Macros on your last attack, win or lose, you end up starting to fight the level master without having any say in the matter. I think the keystroke grabber is somehow seeing the m you pressed for Macros and thinking you wanna fight the level master.

2013-11-23 01:03:16

hay guys.
i! heard! a! lot! of! this! cool! game! but, i just fund a painful or is this is the obgective, error?
well. i dun no, what i do. after entering in the hinn, it says o order a drink s search internet and other thing i dun remember at this time.
i press s, and says some good, related fine text information. after that, i wana give the bartender the discs ive ganed, but the power runs out, and i will be forced to exit the poor shop! is this normal? can you guys give me more strategies to avoid this bug?
thanks!
a!
l
o
t!

I, am, a real terminator! representing DARK studios!
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no matter what you do, alwais, ghosts will be there. Demonic spirits waiting for you. Charlie Charlie are you here? suddenly, charlie appears with a knife. He killed me! charlie charlie are you here? tell me if it's yes. Are you gonna persew me or you're leaving me in peaze? oh my gosh charlie is indeed here! he's about to kill me!
:D

2013-11-23 02:37:40

You only get a few visits to the inn. Once the power starts going out, you're not getting back in there until you beat the current level master. Once that happens, you'll get a few more visits. For this reason, I strongly suggest not wasting inn visits on searching or talking. Only visit the inn when you have several disks to give the bartender.

2013-11-23 06:49:42

OK. there is an uploaded and fixed version at the same link.  I included libraries.dat for those who want to run from source.  That was an oversight on my part, because I have it in my working directory.  sorry about that.
I wanted to make it so that there didn't need to be worries about dll files being in the same directory.  I found a way to make it so that the program can run on it's own as a single .exe file under any of the screen readers, but i forgot that uploading that version would break the source.
As far as the bugs, #1 is not a bug.  In Dan's version you had to superhack in the last round to get a disc.
Bug #2 was fixed.  You're right it was the keystroke grabber.  It looped back into the main function, but it saw the m in the variable I use for keystrokes, and interpretted it as level master.  I fixed it by flushing out the keystroke grabber every time i finish a fight.  Thanks for pointing this out.  You should now be able to compile the source, maybe.  I am not sure if you need pro single to compile the source because of what I did with the .exe files and packing them in, I believe this is only a pro feature, but you can always try.  Anyway at this point people with the pro version will be able to use my source fine at least.

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2013-11-23 07:38:19

harrylst, I haven't tried your updated version yet, but I am enjoying the game so far.  If I might make a suggestion it would be nice if I could press a key to repeat the keyboard options, because I sometimes forget what key does what, and I am unable to find out what key does what without just pressing the keys I do remember.

Sincerely,
Thomas Ward
USA Games Interactive
http://www.usagamesinteractive.com

2013-11-23 08:28:22

the way i did it it is almost impossible for me to do it with the fight menu, but i implemented it for main menu and store and inn.

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2013-11-24 02:32:31

Harrylst, what about this? I know it would take a lot of work, but what about adding a real menu that the end user can simply scroll up and down through using the up and down arrow keys. That would certainly make it easier to select the right option as it would not rely on remembering that w is for warm reset or m is for macros etc. The end user could simply up or down arrow to the correct option.

Another issue I have with the game is there is no way to quit the game during a fight. If I have to go somewhere, quit the game suddenly, I can't. I have to simply play the fight out to its conclusion. It would be nice if I could press escape to go back to the main menu and then x to exit.

Sincerely,
Thomas Ward
USA Games Interactive
http://www.usagamesinteractive.com

2013-11-24 03:15:33

you can just hold down the key of the attack you wat to use until the fight is over and hope you win.

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