Tilematch V0.3

[miq01]

Here is a new version of Tilematch.

If you want to keep your hi-scores from the previous version, just copy "data/puntuacions.tlm" from your memory card and overwrite the new one.

What's new:

• Better diagonal handling. Prevents cursor from stopping after pressing diagonals.
• L+R during game goes back to main menu.
• Game didn't properly save hi-scores on "time trial" and "100 tiles" mode. Corrected.
• Wrong text in "insert name" screen corrected.

 

[garengarch]

nice - thanks mig

 

[codeninja]

Actually, the control is very much improved so that it feels way smoother. Only issue I have in terms of control now is that occationally if I switch direction or go from neutral to a direction, the game doesn't register the input. One more thing I noticed is that after I finished a game, the game showed gameover screen. A few seconds later, it took me to entering initial screen. It would be great if the game makes sure there is no controller input first and start taking input so that even if I happen to hold down a button, the game won't just skip initial entry screen and jump to the score list screen.

Little problems aside, this game is becoming my favorite GP2x game at the time. I may even call it Lumines for GP2x if you know what I mean.

I posted the above quote in the other thread, but I'm repeating it since it's my bug report to the author and I want mig01 to see it to make it perfect.

 

[miq01]

Only issue I have in terms of control now is that occationally if I switch direction or go from neutral to a direction, the game doesn't register the input.

Really? I didn't notice that. I'll check it.

One more thing I noticed is that after I finished a game, the game showed gameover screen. A few seconds later, it took me to entering initial screen. It would be great if the game makes sure there is no controller input first and start taking input so that even if I happen to hold down a button, the game won't just skip initial entry screen and jump to the score list screen.

Not sure if I understand you. Do you mean that after entering your initials (because of getting a high score) it goes back to the main menu instead of showing the high scores table?

 

[codeninja]

Not sure if I understand you. Do you mean that after entering your initials (because of getting a high score) it goes back to the main menu instead of showing the high scores table?

​

This goes into commercial quality issue, but it's one of those refinement issues that a lot of commercial makers even miss out. Ok, if you keep pressing Y button while in gameover screen, that makes you by-pass initial entry screen because of that. Simple check to prevent this from happening is that at the beginning of your initial entry screen, you take button input only if all the buttons are depressed first. I know, it's rather nitpicking, but collection of them sets the great games apart from good games.

 

[PSyMastR]

Not sure if I understand you. Do you mean that after entering your initials (because of getting a high score) it goes back to the main menu instead of showing the high scores table?

​

This goes into commercial quality issue, but it's one of those refinement issues that a lot of commercial makers even miss out. Ok, if you keep pressing Y button while in gameover screen, that makes you by-pass initial entry screen because of that. Simple check to prevent this from happening is that at the beginning of your initial entry screen, you take button input only if all the buttons are depressed first. I know, it's rather nitpicking, but collection of them sets the great games apart from good games.

​

why would you constantly be hitting a button? Spaz.

 

[codeninja]

This goes into commercial quality issue, but it's one of those refinement issues that a lot of commercial makers even miss out. Ok, if you keep pressing Y button while in gameover screen, that makes you by-pass initial entry screen because of that. Simple check to prevent this from happening is that at the beginning of your initial entry screen, you take button input only if all the buttons are depressed first. I know, it's rather nitpicking, but collection of them sets the great games apart from good games.

​

why would you constantly be hitting a button? Spaz.

​

[/quote]

I think a lot of impatient people, including myself, do tap on buttons if they want to get to the next screen (in this case the gameover screen that I wanted to get out fast so that I can come back to the game). This is one of the standard tests a game would go through nowadays.

 

[RiX0R]

Wow, control is much better now indeed.

There's one more thing I'd like to see fixed: there's no indication of when you've "grabbed" a tile to move.

Right now I assume you're supposed to press any button to select "move mode". My standard idiom is to press the button, hold it, then move in the direction I want to switch, then release the button. Think of it as a sort of drag 'n drop. I believe it's not the way the controls are meant to be used, but it works, which is great.

A problem I do have that sometimes, after I've hit the button, I want to change my mind and move another tile. The problem is I can't, because there's no way (as far as I can tell) to "unselect" a tile for moving.

In the drag-n-drop control, this would be releasing the button. That doesn't work, but the game doesn't tell me that it doesn't work. I can't tell from the little square whether the current tile has been "grabbed" or not. If I could visibly see that the current tile I have under the cursor has been grabbed, and there's no way to unselect it, that would be more intuitive.

And then there's the question of being able to "unselect" a tile, by pressing a different button or something.

(I hope I made my point clear, I get the feeling I've been rambling a bit... )

 

[PSyMastR]

Not sure if I understand you. Do you mean that after entering your initials (because of getting a high score) it goes back to the main menu instead of showing the high scores table?

​

This goes into commercial quality issue, but it's one of those refinement issues that a lot of commercial makers even miss out. Ok, if you keep pressing Y button while in gameover screen, that makes you by-pass initial entry screen because of that. Simple check to prevent this from happening is that at the beginning of your initial entry screen, you take button input only if all the buttons are depressed first. I know, it's rather nitpicking, but collection of them sets the great games apart from good games.

​

why would you constantly be hitting a button? Spaz.

​

I think a lot of impatient people, including myself, do tap on buttons if they want to get to the next screen (in this case the gameover screen that I wanted to get out fast so that I can come back to the game). This is one of the standard tests a game would go through nowadays.

​

O. I see. (I fixed the quote for you)

 

[miq01]

I think a lot of impatient people, including myself, do tap on buttons if they want to get to the next screen (in this case the gameover screen that I wanted to get out fast so that I can come back to the game). This is one of the standard tests a game would go through nowadays.

Now I think I understand you. Sorry, but my english is not good enough sometimes... What you suggest is to have a button to quit (let's call them) "informative screens" such as "GAME OVER" or "NO MORE LINES". Am I right? Hope I am...

There's one more thing I'd like to see fixed: there's no indication of when you've "grabbed" a tile to move.

Right now I assume you're supposed to press any button to select "move mode". My standard idiom is to press the button, hold it, then move in the direction I want to switch, then release the button. Think of it as a sort of drag 'n drop. I believe it's not the way the controls are meant to be used, but it works, which is great.

No sound means no feedback sometimes. I mean, there is visual feedback (as wrong movements make the tile go back to its original position and right ones delete a line, etc.) but I understand that's not enough. My version for Windows or Linux does have sound, and when you press a button plays something. Then, if you move to a surrounding tile, it plays something else (one sound for "right move" and another one for "wrong move"). Then, it's much easier to "understand" what's happening.

Btw, you just have to press the button (A, B, X, Y), release it, and then move the stick. No need to keep the button pressed.

A problem I do have that sometimes, after I've hit the button, I want to change my mind and move another tile. The problem is I can't, because there's no way (as far as I can tell) to "unselect" a tile for moving.

I'll take this into account, even though, for now, you just have to move the cursor to be able to select another tile.

If I could visibly see that the current tile I have under the cursor has been grabbed, and there's no way to unselect it, that would be more intuitive.

Good idea. I thought about it sometime ago, but I forgot...

 

[miq01]

If anyone is interested, there's a Futurama skin by LaichZeit for this game. It includes main menu screen and sprites. Get it here.

To install, unzip and overwrite the BMP files into "data" folder in your SD card. Of course, if you want to keep the original ones, make a backup before overwriting. Not planned a skin selector for now...

 

[codeninja]

What you suggest is to have a button to quit (let's call them) "informative screens" such as "GAME OVER" or "NO MORE LINES". Am I right? Hope I am...

​

I'm sorry, but what I meant was that in initial entry screen, make sure no button is pressed. And, then start taking button input to accept initials. While it's a common practice among commercial games, it's nitpicking for others. You may ignore this, since it's no biggy. I'd rather hear sound effects and select/de-select to work, first. In my GP2x world, TileMatch and DrMD are having serious neck to neck competition for playtime. I don't play any other consoles, anymore, although MarioKart and Mario and Luigi 2 deserve their attention.

 

[codeninja]

There's one more thing I'd like to see fixed: there's no indication of when you've "grabbed" a tile to move.

Right now I assume you're supposed to press any button to select "move mode". My standard idiom is to press the button, hold it, then move in the direction I want to switch, then release the button. Think of it as a sort of drag 'n drop. I believe it's not the way the controls are meant to be used, but it works, which is great.

A problem I do have that sometimes, after I've hit the button, I want to change my mind and move another tile. The problem is I can't, because there's no way (as far as I can tell) to "unselect" a tile for moving.

​

I thought about it a bit and came up with a simple idea, which is a sign of good idea. Now, we have the cursor to indicate current position, how about once you press a button, switch the color of the cursor or flicker the cursor? At that point, if you move your joystick, you'll show both tiles to be selected with the cursor for a split second, and then clear. Or, if you press a button on top of currently selected tile without moving joystick, the cursor changes back to normal mode and you unselect the tile. How about this idea?

BTW I just noticed that at the beginning, the cursor starts out at the top left corner. How about at the center?

 

[RiX0R]

BTW I just noticed that at the beginning, the cursor starts out at the top left corner. How about at the center?

​

Also, maybe it can wrap around the edges of the field like in the GBA version...

 

[miq01]

I thought about it a bit and came up with a simple idea, which is a sign of good idea. Now, we have the cursor to indicate current position, how about once you press a button, switch the color of the cursor or flicker the cursor? At that point, if you move your joystick, you'll show both tiles to be selected with the cursor for a split second, and then clear. Or, if you press a button on top of currently selected tile without moving joystick, the cursor changes back to normal mode and you unselect the tile. How about this idea?

Good idea. That's something that will be implemented sooner or later.

BTW I just noticed that at the beginning, the cursor starts out at the top left corner. How about at the center?

There is no exact center as the table size is 8x8. Maybe it could begin at (3,3).

RiX0R, about wrapping around the edges, I planned to do it that way, but it was easier to code it the way it is now. Besides, I'm not sure people will like seeing the cursor "disappear" from one side and "appear" on the opposite one. I'll do some tests when I can, but I will probably leave it the way it is now.

 

[codeninja]

I'm not sure people will like seeing the cursor "disappear" from one side and "appear" on the opposite one. I'll do some tests when I can, but I will probably leave it the way it is now.

​

I agree, I think, it could be as annoying as useful feature.