palito-dev
[Top][All Lists]
Advanced

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [palito-dev] Some questions about Palito


From: zed
Subject: Re: [palito-dev] Some questions about Palito
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 20:31:26 -0300
User-agent: Mutt/1.4i

On Thu, Jun 26, 2003 at 10:35:45PM +0100, Tom Barnes-Lawrence wrote:
> Hi, I emailed the contact address a few days ago about this bug,
> but as this list doesn't seem to have much traffic, I decided to
> subscribe to it instead.
> Don't know if the points I raised can be answered while Barrett is on
> holiday (if not, I don't mind waiting).

i will try to answer the better i can now,
but barrett must be coming soon...
...he probably will have better answers for your questions.

> 
>  Well, I tried mucking about a bit more with the code, to try to see what
> difference the choice between x11 and sdl would make to this bug. Couldn't
> find anything. Tried putting -DHEIGHTMAP in the x11 makefile, and it didn't
> work (IIRC the heightmap stuff expected SDL). Tried removing -DHEIGHTMAP
> from the sdl makefile, and IIRC it didn't make a difference.
> The X11 version didn't seem to crash if I made it skip the intro.

at the intro all units and flush code is tested to avoid crashes during 
the game for code malformation. it maybe related.

> 
>  But presumably this bug will happen to anybody who tries the x11 version
> right now, so you guys who know your own code will be able to find it
> without problems when (if?) you start working on the x11 version again.
> So I'll stop worrying about it!

i am working on the win32 sdl setup, probably we will stay with sdl-only 
for a while.. there will still be the flush abstraction for other drivers
in future.

> 
>  There's also a little bug where the program is compiled to expect libflush
> to be at ../flush, as though it will be run from the src directory, but it
> has the "data" path set as though it'll be run from the main directory. So
> I have to make a symlink to "data" to make it happy!
> But I expect you all know that one too.

we been kinda weak at this release problems.. often there are versions that 
does not work on a platform.. we need a better testing/releasing procedure.

> 
>  Here are some questions I have:
> 
> -Palito clearly isn't meant to be an exact clone of Total Annihilation, as
> it looks so different. And it looks like the units are meant to be different
> to TAs, too. But is the actual engine of Palito meant to be exactly the
> same as TA, or just similar? I would quite like it if I could make it
> exactly like TA by using the stats of TA's units.

we are mimicking only the game design.. but i see little problem in copy
the stats as well, at least for a game mod ("TA Classic" or something)

> 
> -Flush is a pretty cool system, it reminds me of a LOGO-like program I
> wrote a while back (but much better!). I'd like to understand it much
> better (the documentation for it is pretty short...). But as this display
> shows units from directly above (unlike TA), won't this make it hard to
> clearly show units like radar? I'm sure many such things could be very
> hard to recognise from such a view.

we are aiming for 2d initially (for simplicity), but 3d improvements are 
starting to show up (the height field, for example, also the aircrafts).
maybe there will be a opengl version with some TA-like perspective.

> 
> -What things are stopping the client-server code from being finished?

real-life or something like it ;)
besides that, we were discussing possibilities of how to implement it,
some maybe-too-complex-for-now ... but seems that barrett already found
his path on it.. he were advancing considerably just before he leave.

> 
> -As you want to implement maps with pictures and heightmaps, do you plan
> on using the method that TA used (maybe it was only for the Core Prime maps,
> I don't remember) of having lots of preset tiles that each have a picture
> and heightmap, that then get put together into one big map? It sounds like
> a good way to help lots of maps to be made.

we are aiming to one-big-picture maps.. no tiles yet, and i dont know if
ever be any.. there is enough memory for that today.. what you think?

ah.. there's other possibility been explored.. fractal/procedural maps..
..its a low-memory high-cpu alternative for one-big-picture maps.

> 
> -If a construction unit or factory can build lots of other things, can
> palito deal with that- eg, by scrolling the list, or showing different
> pages of them?

i think its not implemented yet, but would be very simple to do, i think.

..as i see on the TODO.txt barrett wants to generalize the interface, 
and probably describe it with flush code.. then, he will probably do this
scrolling/folding menus when he implements the generic-user-interface.

> 
> -Are there any things you need done, or would find useful (such as more
> units or something)?

Mike is designing some units, most (if not all)  units there are his.
we are planing to do quite some races, about six, i think that was what
barrett said last time we talked about it. maybe you can try with the units..

as for other things its better to talk with barrett before.

> 
> 
> OK, I think that's all for now. Sorry to have gone on a lot.
> 
;) no problem, comments are always welcome.




reply via email to

[Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread]