Zany Blocks -- Compatibility Test

[gmcbay]

I've created a small game to use as the proof of concept test of my 2D vector graphics based engine.

I'd love to get feedback from anyone willing to give it a run.

Although I'd be glad to get any type feedback (well, please no feedback about the website -- I haven't even begun to build the website), right now I am primarily interested in getting compatibility feedback. The engine should run (in theory) on any 32 bit version of Windows, from Windows 95 on up to the latest Windows XP service pack. The engine doesn't use DirectX at all, so there is no dependency on any specific DX version.

One thing that the game somewhat depends upon is a web browser, because the manual is in HTML and the Buy Now button brings up a webpage. (If a web browser isn't available for some reason the game still runs fine anyway, though).

The game also expects a 16bit or higher desktop resolution. It'll run in lower color modes, but it'll look very ugly (and give a warning on startup) because the engine uses 32 bit color internally and doesn't try to do anything fancy with palettes (yet -- I may add this in the future, particularly if I port the engine to PocketPC, etc).

Anyway you can see some screenshots of the engine here:

http://www.mischief.com/screenshots.htm

You can download the demo installer here:

http://www.mischief.com/ZanyBlocksDemoSetup.exe

The game is best described as a casual puzzle game, and I have to admit up front that it involves 'match 3' gameplay. However, having said that, it is not very much like Bewjewled or Collapsed or the endless variations of 'the same game'. If anything, it is 'like' Tetris Attack, though it is not a clone of that game.

Even if the thought of running a match 3 style game makes you uneasy, please check it out anyway just to see a pure 2D engine (no 3D HW acceleration required) that is resizable to different resolutions without pixel artifacting... pretty cool, if I do say so myself.

[papillon]

Well, it *ran* fine... other than a slightly larger-than-expected loading lag after clicking 'Easy' and the fact that I had no idea how to play. :) (Guess I'm just dumb, but this is why I actually read directions .... when there ARE some!)

[Jason Colman]

Is it a duck ? Is is a monkey ? What a strange animal! :) Sorry I can't try it at work, but your vector engine sounds cool. Did you investigate gameswf ? I am dipping my toe into flash, so I'd be interested to hear your take on it.

[gmcbay]

Is it a duck ? Is is a monkey ? What a strange animal!

PR Answer: It is "Mister Fancypants" and he prefers not to identify his exact origins :)

'Real' Answer: Everything you see in this game is programmer art by yours truly. Sorry :)


Did you investigate gameswf ?


gameswf is an amazingly cool library and the game actually uses it. I was first exposed to gameswf a while ago and ported it to the Nebula2 3D engine (though I haven't worked on this port in a while and someone else took it over). It was during this period that I got the idea to take gameswf and make it work in 2D, by way of integrating it to a nice drawing library (the Cario graphics library). The engine I'm seeking feedback on here is the result of that.

(If you take a look at the FAQ on the main gamesf page, particularly, "What projects have used gameswf?", you can see a reference to this game & engine).

Of course, my version throws away one of the cooler aspects of gameswf -- the ability to run hardware accelerated. The flip side of that is it should run on anything. And, at some point, I do plan to add the hardware acceleration back, but to have it be optional and to link to the hardware API dynamically at runtime so it isn't required to exist on the system before the game will run. When that happens, people with 3D hardware should be able to run the games at ridiculously high resolutions with good framerates but people on slower systems or with no 3D accelerators can run the games too, just in lower resolutions.

Well, it *ran* fine... other than a slightly larger-than-expected loading lag after clicking 'Easy' and the fact that I had no idea how to play. (Guess I'm just dumb, but this is why I actually read directions .... when there ARE some!)


There is a manual that is installed that can be accessed via the group of icons installed to the Programs menu but:

A) It is written too formally and needs rewriting (working on this)

B) If you run from the desktop icon or just from the installer itself, you'll never know this. I should have a link to it from inside the game. I'll add this.

and

C) There should also be some short and sweet "How to play" integrated into the game. Working on this, too.

It boils down to: Use the mouse to select a colored block with the left mouse button. After you do this you should get visual feedback as to which directions (up, down, left, right) you can move this block (including the ability to swap it with an adjacent block). Select one of the newly highlighted squares and the block will move there, swapping places with any block that is previously there, if any. Match any 3 colors in a row or column and it clears from the board. Rinse, repeat.

Thanks for the feedback on the lag when starting the game. There is little to no lag on my system, but the game *is* loading a decently sized Ogg music file (written by Mark @ Cornutopia, who sometimes posts to these boards) and also rasterizing a fair number of vector graphics to bitmaps and the only systems I have around for testing are all pretty new & beefy. I suspected there were places that might require some sort of loading feedback... a progress bar or at least turning the cursor to an hourglass. Now you've confirmed it... Thanks.

Glad to hear it ran, though, I've been bending over backwards trying to make sure it'll run on just about any 32bit Windows version regardless of what else is installed (or not) on the system.

[gmcbay]

I think the control scheme would benefit from several refinements, including support for dragging tiles, and cancelling moves.


Thanks. I think you are absolutely right.

As an aside, you can actually control the game with the keyboard (even the menus are keyboard controllable, just hit the letter underlined in a button and it will be as if you clicked the button).

The keyboard controls use the arrow keys up/down/left/right to move the selection cursor, and the space bar to 'lock' a block. When the block is locked, use the arrow keys again to move it in the desired direction.

But the keyboard control scheme feels off right now too. I am still investigating ways to make the movement not feel so sucky, especially when (as you mentioned) moving a block several tiles.

As far as the graphics issues you mentioned... There isn't much I can do right now about occasional 'tearing' considering I am giving up vblank control to make the game run on 'anything'. This will change when I go back and add in 3D support. I'll make vsync optional if user is using 3D rendering... but that is a ways off.

However, the stuttering (which I think makes the tearing look worse & more obvious) *is* something I can/will fix soon.

Thanks for the feedback.

[robleong]

Guess I'm a bit late at trying this, but it works well on my XP. However, the program takes an inordinately long time (5 seconds?) to respond when I click on any button, e.g. on the menu screen. The gameplay itself is fun enough. What I'm not sure is whether, say, red pieces that are adjacent to three red pieces arranged in a row should clear as well as the row (e.g. in a T or L formation)? Sometimes it seems to do so, most times not.

BTW George, didn't know that you're from San Diego as well as a few others here. You'll have to join us in a meet-up next time! Good luck.

[Mithril Studios]

When I try to unpack the download, I get an NSIS error indicating the installer is corrupted.

*shrugs*

Wouldn't surprise me if the problem was with my OS.
Anthony

[gmcbay]

The problem is probably not your OS but that the link above is no longer really functional... The game has been released. The download link to the "real" demo is now here:

http://dl.filekicker.com/send/file/147990-3W22/ZanyBlocksDemoSetup.exe

Or you can just go to http://www.mischief.com and download it from the link on the front page...

As far as the time it takes after pressing a button, basically the game is "loading" at that point. In reality the thing it is really spending its time on is rasterizing the vector graphics, not so much disk activity, but in broad strokes its "loading".

The release version will show you an hourglass cursor while this is happening, but in the not too distant future I'll probably add in something more obvious to let the player know what is going on, and I may just go and precache graphics from other screens in the background so they're ready when you click the button.

If you've only seen the old pre v1.0 demo, try out the newest v1.1, it is much improved with bug fixes and such.

As far as the clearing goes, you don't clear adjacent colors when you complete a row or column, if those blocks aren't part of the row/column.
The one exception to this is if you're using a wildcard block, it will clear every block of the color that was wildcarded anywhere on the board.

Also (again, since I don't know exactly what version people got from this thread anymore), if you have the pre-v1.0 version, you might want to try the newer one since it includes a tutorial.

I'd be happy to come to the next San Diego meetup if I'm available. Are they generally announced on these forums? I'll keep an eye out...

[robleong]

I'd be happy to come to the next San Diego meetup if I'm available. Are they generally announced on these forums? I'll keep an eye out...

A small group of us (four) met up recently in the UTC area for the first time - it's posted in the Indie Life section of this forum. Hope to see you around at our next meeting!