Sunday 22 November 2015

Alpha 2.0.30


Major changes:
  • Bgfx renderer now uses mipmaps (should boost performance & graphic quality)
  • Bgfx renderer now uses hardware instancing where available
  • Editor: Zoom (bgfx only)
  • Editor: Pan with arrow keys
  • Editor now saves your work automatically
  • Editor: Now places walls automatically
  • Added crash reporter! If the game crashes, it will send me a report about why so I can fix it.
Bgfx renderer doesn't have an options screen yet BUT you can turn features on and off using the number keys:
  • Press 2 to toggle shadows
  • Press 3 to toggle glow (this can have a big effect on performance)
  • Press 9 to put everything back to normal
How smoothly is the game running for you guys?

48 comments:

  1. Just tried your new game, when I die, and often (he he), I don't go back to start. Have to exit out. I can hit R to reset but can't quit. Can't get it to run on my Lenovo win7 machine and methinks this is my problem as DirectX is fooched. Will have my IT guru fix it soon. Bgfx works fine but you need to stretch it out to make it look good (Hmmm, might even work on Ipod or Android). Lookin' good Rob!

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  2. Gave it a quick try. I don't have troubles with the bgfx renderer anymore (clicking and mouse-pointing didn't really work before).
    Zoom is really helpful, I wish I had the time to use it right now :D
    Panning with arrow keys might be nice, but if I'm not careful I'll find myself drawing followers suddenly, since the right key is a shortcut for that.

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  4. The new menu had me a bit confused but, have figured it out.

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  5. Your sorry assed up date crashed! Buahahaha!

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    1. sorry i am not good with computers
      please reinstall
      thank you for your forbearance

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  6. Replies
    1. Damn. OK, I'll investigate. Until I sort it, Ogre might still work — you can reset your prefs by deleting %APPDATA%\Blackshift\Preferences

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  8. Did a clean download and it now works - You can't use your old installer. Thanks man, I was getting the shakes! ha ha ha ha

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  9. Started on impossible city - may take a week!

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    1. There is a laser bug that's stopping the intended solution for that level from working. Will fix in next update.

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  10. Still getting the flicker screen and you can't make levels. When it happens, the level crashes while building.

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    1. Haven't had any crash reports.

      As for the flicker screen, when does it happen? Always in the editor? Does it ever not happen? Does pressing 6 affect it?

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  11. I will that next time I see it - happens in both editor and game and it might just be this computer.

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  12. Yep, it is my Win8.1 Acer that is the problem, this Win7 works fine. I'll have my IT tech fix it.

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    1. OK! If it does happen again, would you press 1 and take a screenshot? Pressing 1 puts renderer info on the screen.

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    2. When it does, I will do that but it seems stable tonight except for this keyboard. Do me a favour and make your next upgrade without Ogre or defaulted to bgfx. I might be able to get it to run in my Lenovo Win7 laptop because it fails on Ogre.You gotta figure that not everyone has a gaming computer at hand to play this thing.

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  13. Had the flicker problem again but because I was in the editor, pressing 1 didn't work. It will show up again.

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  14. Rob - Try my Duplication Trix - Kinda neat methinks...

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    1. Very neat!

      I had an idea re. cloning yourself, that it would make an enemy that copies your movements. Lots of bugs to fix before I add anything like that though.

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  15. You had it once before where we could put two guys or more on the map. People made some ridiculous levels where you couldn't see anything and were suppose to figure it out. If one guy died, you lost. Now with the cloned guy, he would be right beside you (although people could move it away with sliders). That clone could open doors for you etc. Once you are done with it, put it in an inescapable trap and move on to the next challenge. All kinds of options like, they can combine and be one or blow-up when they combine.

    A few items on the wish list include:

    1. A block that turns the grille on and off (as in Blackshift Level 100) when you fire at it.
    2. Key operated Door
    3. Purple diamond blocker with a counter that works
    4. Movable 4 way gun where you shoot into one and bullets come out of the other three.
    5. One time use movable laser
    6. Time bomb
    7. The evil red blob/or sausage that goes up/down and sideways

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    1. Yeah, I remember that. Must have been the netshift beta.
      There were some timing levels where the second guy went on sliders and you had to survive / reach the finish first ^^

      If you're done with the red sausages obie keeps requesting, there's another thing I miss: The sticky floor which prevents you from pushing boxes off it. I think there was an item-sticky floor as well.
      Also, something to be activated, triggered or changed by lasers. They are way to cool to just zap enemies (and me) and that's it.
      Of course working gem-counters would be nice, but I'm pretty sure they weren't going to stay display-less anyway (and at least they open when they're supposed to). Maybe there will be an enemy-counter, too?
      By the way, I remember some talk about magnets or magnetic boxes, but nothing specific. Do you have any ideas about how they should work, or if you want to add something like that in the first place?

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    2. There is a sticky block that you can push things on but not off. It's black on the menu.

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    3. By the way, on that sticky block, you can push the blocks through but you can go through so you can push at least one in the clear if you have two

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    4. Obie:

      > 1. A block that turns the grille on and off (as in Blackshift Level 100) when you fire at it.

      Planned

      > 2. Key operated Door

      Exists already, unless you mean something else?

      > 3. Purple diamond blocker with a counter that works

      Planned, but graphics are taking a back seat at the moment

      > 4. Movable 4 way gun where you shoot into one and bullets come out of the other three.

      I'll add this soon I think; pretty easy to add.

      > 5. One time use movable laser

      Explain!

      > 6. Time bomb

      Planned, probably asa block

      > 7. The evil red blob/or sausage that goes up/down and sideways

      I'll probably just do another roller that goes sideways.

      Stechus:

      > The sticky floor which prevents you from pushing boxes off it.

      Yes! That was another function of the bullet-slow-down square. Thanks for reminding me, will add.

      > I think there was an item-sticky floor as well.

      Yeah... though I'm not crazy about it TBH.

      > Also, something to be activated, triggered or changed by lasers. They are way to cool to just zap enemies (and me) and that's it.

      Good idea! But what? Something that heats up, maybe, when lasers are on it?

      > Of course working gem-counters would be nice, but I'm pretty sure they weren't going to stay display-less anyway

      FACT

      > Maybe there will be an enemy-counter, too?

      Yeah, I can add this. I'm wary of adding too many new items because it will only be adding to the number of placeholder graphics I need to replace. Want to get all the placeholders gone before beta.

      > By the way, I remember some talk about magnets or magnetic boxes, but nothing specific. Do you have any ideas about how they should work, or if you want to add something like that in the first place?

      Yeah, there's a good item in that concept for sure. Less-sticky lego? Attractors that pull stuff across the room to them? Blocks that stick to you? I think the pulling idea is my favourite. Perhaps they attract everything that can move. And the magnetic field could extend outwards like a laser so opaque items would block it. And if you touched the magnet you could also die.

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    5. Also Obie I think that's the pit tile you're talking about. If so I haven't decided what blocks should do if you push them onto pits, but the current behaviour is definitely wrong!

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  16. I haven't exactly testet very thoroughly, but there's one thing:
    Sometimes when I start the game, I don't get the title menu but instantly start in a level that consists of 1 floor tile (so I can't do anything). After closing the game window and trying again it usually works, still strange.

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    1. Thanks! That level is always loaded behind the GUI because I'm lazy... so I guess the GUI isn't loading for some reason.

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  17. I just crashed the program on my Acer Win8.1 about 8 times. Ha ha ha, no more testing tonite. Methinks I might need a new computer but this one is less than a year old.

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  18. Sorry about all the crash reports Rob, just trying to figure out why my last level kept crashing. "Save S" - shoulda been "Save Tile is a Bug". After the shooter with the deflectors, I put a save tile so you had to hit it. Program crashed every time. I moved it to an upper hole and never touched it. A bunch of my levels with "Save Tiles" appear not to be beaten but I am sure they have and as well, you have to exit the game to get out of the level. When you do that, the score is not saved.

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    1. Now you see that Conveyor Belt is "Done" because I didn't use a Save Tile.

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    2. Just did Save S and used the Save Tile, got killed and it crashed right away.

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    3. Imminent crash fix should fix this crash.

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  19. Several consistent issues are prevalent albeit, not sure what the status of their importance:

    All the levels in the game (except 20) work and when you die, it goes back to start. Or when you win, it goes to the next game. In the level pit, a number of things are happening including:

    1. The Save Tile issue
    2. If you die too many times in a game, even if you win, it does not go back to the pit and you have to exit the game completely (because quit doesn't work) of which, it does not say that level was beaten. I did beat Wunk's "Save Me" game but had to X out and reload.
    3. Lately, been getting a message that the game has crashed on both the desktop Win7 and the Acer Win8.1 - You will probably get a few Crash Reports Rob.

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    1. Found a juicy bullet bug, a fix for which is going out in the next update. Might fix those crashes.

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  20. Is there a trick to naming a level? I screw up all the time! The last one was supposed to be called Clone Yourself :) I click on untitled, put up the name, hit enter and then publish the level!

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    1. No trick, I just need to fix it. Hang in there.

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  21. Two things were evident on "Teleport Enigma". One, though the same distance apart, the receiver on the left side always, got the bug. (BTW, we gotta find a cool name for the bug). Secondly, you can put a teleporter in front of dynamite and the bug will not explode but hit the nearest receiver. You can test No. 1 by pushing the block aside and go back down the sliders and still win.

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    1. > One, though the same distance apart, the receiver on the left side always, got the bug.

      Yep. The only other things that would make sense would be to randomize it or split you in half, and I think this is the least surprising option.

      > Secondly, you can put a teleporter in front of dynamite and the bug will not explode but hit the nearest receiver.

      Neat! Didn't know that but I'm leaving it.

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  22. Well, it took me a couple of Wunk's games before I finally figured out what the purple gate does! Doh! :) Have to play around with that.

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  23. I still get locked after playing a game and have to X out. Scores are then not saved. And in many cases, it looks like the game has not been beaten.

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  25. Nice to see we have some new guys in the mix including yurri and Mills. I know Fepe has been lurking so, he is new too! Glad to have you aboard friends. If you played the old Netshift game, it would be nice to see your gamer handles. Stechus is Wunk and Rob of course is Czar of Explosions. AnTz She has got a key but, her Mac is fooched so, it is an incentive to get it fixed - eh? BTW Wunk, who are you, Peter Moser or Domenic? Need Domna from Greece involved and Ernie and Sabik. Start building friends and let's see how we can damage this game so Rob can fix it. He is the master of imperfection with exploding robots in his office and the floor lined with laser beams! Not so many updates lately so, methinks he has either fallen asleep or is working at his actual job. BTW, I can pull my unfinished testing levels from my computer, and email them to you via mrcarbonbusiness(burp)@gmail.com - just get rid of the (burp). I know where they are in the computer.

    BTW Rob, I once again defeated your level 16 by hiding in a corner by the down arrow whilst the dynamite floors exploded around me. I would suggest you just leave it as is because it is kind of a kewl glitch! It can be used for effect! I think I know what the glitch is because it happened in Netshift.

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    1. > Not so many updates lately so, methinks he has either fallen asleep or is working at his actual job.

      Neither of those things! I'm just trying to fix these crashes people are getting. It takes ages because it's boring.

      (I'm actually taking a couple months out from real work to focus on Blackshift full time -- so enjoy it while you can! I'll be back to my normal glacial pace before long)

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  26. There's a bug in the editor, when I place too much "normal" ground - I can't see anything anymore, it's all blending together. Mixing in some other stuff (like the darker, bullet slowing ground) usually helps, but that's not very stable.
    And I really need some way to fix the levels obie broke!
    I'm Peter btw. And you're right, we'll need the other guys back, too.
    And I need to stop accidentally clicking the "Sign out" button down here instead of "Publish" >.<

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    1. Can you post a screenshot of that problem in the editor? Not sure what you mean.

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    2. Editing levels is definitely planned! I need it myself because Impossible City is harder than I meant it to be. So, it'll get added at some point. It's tricky though, and easy to do wrong, so I need to think about it some more.

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