Beta Pandora Pool Panic Beta

[Unfathomable Depths]

*edit* Pandora .pnd
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/27/1978308//PoolPanic.pnd



Anyone fancy testing this little pool game for me? Windows version of my first Pandora game (a Gp2X conversion) and the precursor to a internet multiplayer pool game.

Q=up, A=dw, O=lf, P=rg, M=shoot, I=start, Y=y button(!), P=pause.


DOWNLOAD
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/27/1978308/PandoraPool%20beta.zip<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->

Graphics arent final - it still has Gp2X stuff for title pages etc.

 

[Butterman]

That's pretty cool.

A few notes, the balls lose energy way too fast, they slow down before making it across the table, with an almost full power hit.

Also, shouldn't you only be able to shoot the ball along the circumfrance of a circle projected out from it?

Kind of like that? So you place the (whatever you call the stick) down behind the ball and move it around? Otherwise it's too easy. Apart from that it's pretty cool. I meant to try it a while back but I couldn't get past the menu screen, (lack of reading this post) then I had to go out.

 

[gruso]

Cool! I'd already played this on the '2X, and I think it's going to work even better on Pandora's screen.

I did get an error the first time, it was missing zlib1.dll. I got it here:
CODE
http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?zlib1
...and just dropped it in with the .exe (I'm using Vista for the record).

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

That''s pretty cool.

A few notes, the balls lose energy way too fast, they slow down before making it across the table, with an almost full power hit.

Also, shouldn''t you only be able to shoot the ball along the circumfrance of a circle projected out from it?

Kind of like that? So you place the (whatever you call the stick) down behind the ball and move it around? Otherwise it''s too easy. Apart from that it''s pretty cool. I meant to try it a while back but I couldn''t get past the menu screen, (lack of reading this post) then I had to go out.

Yes - the shots are slow. They were set up for the Gp2X screen. Fixed.

Im keeping the aiming the same as the Gp2X version although a few people have mentioned they preferred aiming the way youre talking about. Probably will change it for the multiplayer version.

Cool! I'd already played this on the '2X, and I think it's going to work even better on Pandora's screen.

I did get an error the first time, it was missing zlib1.dll. I got it here:
CODE
http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?zlib1
...and just dropped it in with the .exe (I'm using Vista for the record).

Cheers for that Gruso. I'll include it in the latest build

Here is the latest version (almost finished - just some graphics to tidy up).

CODE
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/27/1978308/PandoraPool%20beta.zip

Thanks for having a go guys, much appreciated.

 

[Butterman]

QUOTE
Thanks for having a go guys, much appreciated.


No problem, always happy to help out another dev.

I know you're keeping it as close to the GP2X as possible, but have you thought about the touch screen? Implementing it with your current aiming system would be no trouble at all.

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

Yes, definitely will have touchscreen with a shoulder button for shoot (think Alex. suggested this for the Gp2X version). On the Angstrom demo vids it looks pretty accurate.

 

[Butterman]

Better yet, you drag it to the position you want, then you drag the power bar along to set the power you want? That would be very, very cool.

I've only just started thinking about the game opportunities of the touch screen now, when I get my Panda I'm going to definetly make a few prototype games based around it.

 

[Username]

Thanks for this, it's coming out great.

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

Finished. Well, got to add touchscreen support and do some better graphics.

CODE
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/27/1978308/PandoraPool%20beta.zip

 

[Qtpandora]

When will you release a linux version ?
did you use Box2d for physics ?
good work

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

Not planning a linux version (I don't have linux box).

Ball physics were converted from a Silverlight bouncing balls demo that seems to have disappeared from the internets! Cant find it anywhere although admittedly I havent looked that hard...

Thanks for the comments : )

 

[fusion_power]

I've played it onto the GP2X, nice little game.

Would it be possible to add a "serious" mode for the Pandora version, so we can play a "real" billard/snooker game with all the right rules (Single Player against AI too)? I would prefer a straight billard (and snooker) game over this nuke-drum-version

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

Im going to code an online multi-player pool game next. This was just me geting the ball collision right (although Ive noticed a couple of pocket collision bugs but they are easy to fix).

Ive never written any online games before so Im reading up on sockets and stuff.

Im thinking simple IP to IP at first then perhaps a web page you can log into to find games. I doubt there would be enough players on at any one time to really justify the web page but it will be a good exercise for me.

*edit* Just realised the keys Ive given are wrong.

Q=up, A=dw, O=lf, P=rg, M=shoot, I=start, Y=y button, U=pause and U+I=quit.

 

[Username]

The controls could be much better, and the aiming system is a bit weird.

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

Does the cursor move too fast, too slow?

Yes, the aiming system is a bit crap to say the least. Very simplistic. For the multi-player I'll go with a more traditional cue stick and line.

Thanks for your comments Username

 

[fusion_power]

Im going to code an online multi-player pool game next. This was just me geting the ball collision right (although Ive noticed a couple of pocket collision bugs but they are easy to fix)....

I would also like to see a Offline Mode, there is not much "Online Multiplayer" with just a 56K Modem and no Flatrate.
I know, AI is a main problem like in every other Game with Computer Enemies but maybe there is a solution in the future. \^_\^

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

Practice mode will be in for sure but the math for the CPU AI might be beyond my limited abilities

Been working on the UDP socket programming tonight and think Ive got it licked The way Im doing it is also platform independent (using #IF DEFINED _WIN32, UNIX) so a windows client for the game should be no problem.

 

[Butterman]

I would use TCP on this project.

An AI won't be hard for this at all. You just have to work out if any of his balls lie between an ray between the white ball and the pocket. If so, just put the crosshair on them and fire. If not, just shoot a random one .

 

[fusion_power]

Practice mode will be in for sure but the math for the CPU AI might be beyond my limited abilities

Been working on the UDP socket programming tonight and think Ive got it licked The way Im doing it is also platform independent (using #IF DEFINED _WIN32, UNIX) so a windows client for the game should be no problem.

Practise Mode sounds good too.
Is there something like an flexible "Open Source AI" out there, that coders can include in their projects? Could help many Games where a AI is needed. \^_\^

 

[Unfathomable Depths]

I would use TCP on this project.

An AI won't be hard for this at all. You just have to work out if any of his balls lie between an ray between the white ball and the pocket. If so, just put the crosshair on them and fire. If not, just shoot a random one .

I understand what your saying about TCP for this game as its turn based. The reason I'm using UDP is I want to write a general purpose sockets class that I can use in other real time projects and also I want the other player to watch their opponents shot as its made.

That would work as a stop gap solution. Line of sight and ball selection look deceptively simple but to be convincing is really difficult - stopping the CPU going for and getting impossible shots at the expense of a simpler better one. Maybe at a later stage.

Practise Mode sounds good too.
Is there something like an flexible "Open Source AI" out there, that coders can include in their projects? Could help many Games where a AI is needed. \^_\^

Thats a possibility, Ill have a look into that. Someone is bound to have but to be honest Im more interested in getting it working as a multiplayer game. sorry.