Release [Port] Slingshot

[gruso]

This is really cool, thanks for the port. Nice work adding sounds.


I'm not a huge fan of the particle sound, it sounds a bit like clinking a coffee cup. Or, a few dozen coffee cups. I threw together an alternate particle.wav that sounds more like a kick drum, or if you like, a scary planetary impact.


One suggestion on that: Is it possible to prevent a sound triggering until the previous instance of it has finished playing? When there are tons of particles landing (no matter which wav you're using) they all blend together into a kind of rattle, which doesn't sound quite right.


My version of particle.wav is attached if anyone wants to try it. Just drop it into /appdata/slingshot/slingshot/data (you need to create the latter two folders). If you like it Clop, you're welcome to use it.

particle.wav

 

[clop]

Thanks for feedback, Gruso!


I integrated your particle sound (much better) and added a channel system to sound player. That allows concurrent playing of particle sound and other ones, but only one particle sound will be played at any time.


PND is attached, please tell me what you think.

slingshot.pnd

 

[gruso]

Very nice. But it seems there is a downside to this approach which I should have anticipated. The sound is now very rhythmic - it lacks the chaotic effect of random impacts. I wonder if there is a way to get the best of both worlds? ie. Randomly timed impacts, with no sound overlap.


I can think of two approaches:


1. Two versions of the particle effect, one shorter than the other (and perhaps a little quieter)*. Sound triggering could alternate between the two versions randomly with each impact, or you could split particle sizes into two groups (large & small) and assign a sound to each type.


2. Keep a single particle.wav, but randomise play time in code.


I don't know what the code enables you to do, or if it's just too much messing around for such a small aspect of the game. I'd be keen to hear from anyone else on this - try the PND attached above and tell me if I'm being silly.


* Sound for small particle attached. This is only intended for use if you plan to use two particle sounds. It's shorter and a tiny bit quieter.

particle-small.wav

 

[clop]

Hi Gruso,


Thanks again for the feedback


I tried incorporating the first solution. What I did is the following:

• Define 3 playback channels: one interruptible for all non-particle sounds (this to avoid loosing fire sound when firing quickly), two non-interruptible, one for each particle sound (normal and small).
  
• When a particle is destroyed, one of normal or small particle sound is randomly played
  

This sould give more chaos in the particle sounds without cluttering it.


PND is attached, please test.

slingshot.pnd

 

[gruso]

And thank you for not tiring of me!


These changes are really good. I'm finding it a bit rattly again, but I think you have the code nailed, so I decided to look at the sound files themselves. I experimented with adding a bit of silence at the end of each sound, to give them some breathing room. 0.3sec seems to have done the trick. Files attached.

particle.wav

particle-small.wav

 

[clop]

Hop, new version. That's build 6.


Included:

• New particle sounds from Gruso (Thanks, Gruso!)
  
• Customize Help screen for Pandora control
  
• Enable modifiers for modifications (see help screen for more info):
  L-Trigger: big modifications
  
• R-Trigger: mid modifications
  
• Select: small modifications
  

PND attached. I hope this should be last revision.


If motivation keeps flowing, next step is making code AI friendly.

slingshot.pnd

 

[gruso]

It's good. I like the modifier keys.

 

[Mr_Loon]

Really enjoying this one Clop, it's a great choice of port for the Pandora.


Just a bit curious as to why select was chosen to clear paths & enable small modifications. Why not use a different key for each function?


Many thanks for all your hard work with this.

 

[clop]

Really enjoying this one Clop, it's a great choice of port for the Pandora.


Many thanks for all your hard work with this.

It's a pleasure

Just a bit curious as to why select was chosen to clear paths & enable small modifications. Why not use a different key for each function?

Hum... How to explain this.... I screwed up?


So.... A new update in the works! I think I'll go for the backspace key for the clear trails.


Thanks for testing Mr.Loon!

 

[Mr_Loon]

Hum... How to explain this.... I screwed up?

:lol:

So.... A new update in the works! I think I'll go for the backspace key for the clear trails.

That sounds great.

Thanks for testing Mr.Loon!

Now, that is a pleasure.


P.S. Really looking forward to seeing an AI opponent, though I do find it strangely enjoyable playing with against myself.

 

[clop]

Updated to build 7.


Please remove appdata/slingshot folder for this update.


The AI opponent is kind of a future dream, I'll try to make it possible but my AIs are always awfully dumbs


So I take Emnasut take to his words and hope he'll be able to deliver you with some diabolical space madness!


Edit: BTW, you can follow development (if that's your kind of thing) there: https://gitorious.org/slingshot


You can see I just added a very dumb AI