Jump to content

Roguelike?


25 replies to this topic

#1  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 11:11 AM

Keith and Codex have been talking about doing a Roguelike game on the TI. The concept, as I understand it, is to write a game with little to no graphics that has a plot, a game/scoring engine, etc.... Often dungeon crawlers work here.... Here is the link provided by Codex to a 7 day roguelike game building challenge. I think this would be fun, but Keith and Codex know alot more about it than I do. :)

http://roguebasin.ro...title=Main_Page

anyone feel like going Rogue?

#2  

    7800 Developer

  • 5,453 posts
  • Joined: 20-November 08
  • Busy bee!
  • Location:North, England

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 11:27 AM

Sounds like a challenge and a half to get it all done in 168 hours starting from zero. Its probably not so bad if you aren't starting from scratch though.

#3  

    Dragonstomper

  • 573 posts
  • Joined: 02-February 10
  • Location:Richmond, VA

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 11:30 AM

Sounds good to me! Maybe a competition for next month?

I'm willing to share my RL engine source code if anyone wants, though it's Java. I doesn't do much, but it does handle two of the worst programming tasks in roguelikes - pathfinding and lightcasting. Given the memory constraints of the TI however, it may make sense to go with the older style of roguelike that use simpler visibility and tracking models. I'm referring to games like Larn and Moria in this case, though the earliest releases of Hack apply as well.

#4  

    Dragonstomper

  • 573 posts
  • Joined: 02-February 10
  • Location:Richmond, VA

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 11:32 AM

View PostGroovyBee, on Tue Feb 9, 2010 11:27 AM, said:

Sounds like a challenge and a half to get it all done in 168 hours starting from zero. Its probably not so bad if you aren't starting from scratch though.

The 7 Day compo allows you to use any existing engine you've written, only the game itself has to be new. Otherwise I'd never consider it. :)

I want to get the basic of generic character handling into my engine before the compo starts, but the RL I have in mind will be different enough that even with that done it'll be tough to get the game finished in the timeframe.

#5  

    Moonsweeper

  • 420 posts
  • Joined: 01-February 08

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 12:20 PM

I've considered writing a Roguelike myself for the TI. The main reason I haven't as of now is that with my CRPG work, I found myself borrowing and re-using a lot of the same concepts. So I've put it on the shelf for the moment. Also, the game I have in mind is real-time, like Sword of Fargoal, while Roguelikes are turn-based. (The better to minimize when the boss comes by...)

Regarding the TI's 40-column mode, it is only viewable in 2 colors, foreground and background. The only way to simulate a colored 40-column mode is by using bitmap mode with the full display (13k of video RAM required), and it would not be able to display each character in a distinct color. And it wouldn't be fast.

If you stick with a 32-column screen, you have a lot more power and flexibility. If you really want to be able to display any ASCII character in any color at any time, though, you'd still need to use bitmap mode with the full display.

Adamantyr

#6  

    Dragonstomper

  • 573 posts
  • Joined: 02-February 10
  • Location:Richmond, VA

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 1:34 PM

Hmm, I can see I need to read up on TI display modes and write some test code. Thanks for the info!

#7  

    Moonsweeper

  • 384 posts
  • Joined: 21-September 08
  • Location:Toledo, OH

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 1:54 PM

I don't know much about it at all, I'm just learning a little bit myself, having heard of the term and seen some work being done on a couple games over on the vic-20 forum. If a contest is held too soon after the current one, I won't be able to play -- I've gotta get some other projects wrapped up, and I really want to get started on my Downward game soon. And one of these days, because I'm insane, I want to get up to speed on Vic-20 BASIC so I can start converting my games to that platform too.

If only I could get someone to pay me to retro-code full time... :)

#8  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 2:03 PM

Well if someone would pay me to retro-code full time, I would certainly be ecstatic. :). You know, we should have a "homebrew haven" online somewhere where we charge a buck a download for all our retro games.... It IS possible to make a TI game windows executable, as in non-emulator..... :) I have a windows .exe version of Lemonade Stand.... User NEVER sees the TI environment.... Could be TI, could be VIC-20, could be anything..... But the user never knows--- double click on the icon, and the Lemonade Stand title screen pops up. :)

#9  

    Stargunner

  • 1,756 posts
  • Joined: 25-October 06

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 3:08 PM

View PostOpry99er, on Tue Feb 9, 2010 2:03 PM, said:

It IS possible to make a TI game windows executable, as in non-emulator..... :) I have a windows .exe version of Lemonade Stand.... User NEVER sees the TI environment.... Could be TI, could be VIC-20, could be anything..... But the user never knows--- double click on the icon, and the Lemonade Stand title screen pops up. :)
Eh, what ? How do you do that ?

:)

#10  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 3:20 PM

Send me a private email.

#11  

    Stargunner

  • 1,756 posts
  • Joined: 25-October 06

Posted Tue Feb 9, 2010 4:17 PM

Done.

#12  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:34 PM

Roguelikes..... I've been doing a little BBSing lately via Telnet and I've developed a love for these games!!! We've talked about doing one for the TI, so I've decided to build a Beryl Reichardt Roguelike in console BASIC alongside my XB game. It will teach me some things and keep me motivated. Talking about Wilhelms compiler got me excited to try scrolling in console BASIC run through the compiler. Essentially it will be a complete screen redraw each time the player moves, but in a compiled BASIC game, that whole screen draw takes less than half a second. It's Assembly for gosh sakes. :). Anyway, it'll be fun and a cool experiment as I move forward with my actual Beryl Reichardt game. This will certainly test this compiler--- and my wits. :)

#13  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:39 PM

Wait--- just thought of something-- o don't think the compiler does disk access.... That puts a big damper on things....

#14  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Thu Apr 29, 2010 10:40 PM

XB Mockup of Beryl Reichardt "Roguelike edition". I did this in Magellan and then used the LOADMAP sub to create a datafile and the DRAWMAP routine to do it up in Classic99, and here's the pic. Hope you like it... if there's interest, I'll continue to build the concept and post some demos here. :cool:



Posted Image

#15  

    Dragonstomper

  • 573 posts
  • Joined: 02-February 10
  • Location:Richmond, VA

Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 6:41 AM

Cool deal! I keep meaning to revive my roguelike, and the TI would be a great place to do it. Note that roguelike purists would say you've broken one rule (using graphics instead of characters), but many roguelikes support graphical tiles as well so it's not a huge violation.

As a learning project this could be a good one for you. Though you'll likely also discover that graphics are the easier half of a game, it's the gameplay engine that'll wear you down. ;)

#16  

    Moonsweeper

  • 431 posts
  • Joined: 04-March 10
  • Location:St. Paul, MN, USA

Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 6:59 AM

You RPG nuts should get the book "Dungeons and Desktops" by Matt Barton which was suggested by Adamtyr on his CRPG development blog a while back. It's a fantastic read and really gives you a great overview of the evolution of RPG's from their very humble beginnings including Rogue and Rogue-like early efforts. Highly recommended.

#17  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:24 AM

Thanks for the suggestion, Vorticon. And Codex--- Those Roguelike purists can kiss my.... Well, anyway... :) The entire landscape will be ASCII, but quest items will be defined... I guess it's not a roguelike then.... :(

#18  

    Dragonstomper

  • 573 posts
  • Joined: 02-February 10
  • Location:Richmond, VA

Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:50 AM

Nah, it still is. And you can easily silence all criticism by offering a "purist mode", which replaces any graphics with a character (since the graphics are already taken from characters anyway, the mode would just not redefine them as images). Not that any of this is crucial. The important thing is that the game be fun. :P

#19  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:55 AM

That's a great idea--- purist mode. :) Keith has suggested that we as a group come up with a standardized roguelike engine and build a giant universe where we all build a section... You could master Castle Owen, enter Keith-ylvania, and onto the ghost town of Codex... Basically we build our own roguelikes and the next segment could be loaded from diskette. :) What say you? I think it's a brilliant idea---Thanks Keith!

#20  

    Dragonstomper

  • 573 posts
  • Joined: 02-February 10
  • Location:Richmond, VA

Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:00 AM

Heh, that would make a good competition too - download the rogue engine and create a world for the game. :thumbsup:

#21  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:24 AM

So let's talk about a rogue engine!!!  BASIC?  XB?  Assembly?  Modern PC application?  This whole thing has me jazzed up!!!  Yeeeeeeee hawww!!!!

That was my redneck-roguelike battlecry.  :cool:

#22  

    Dragonstomper

  • 573 posts
  • Joined: 02-February 10
  • Location:Richmond, VA

Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:45 AM

I can certainly suggested ideas and do some work in XB, but it would be great to have the final version in assembly. Especially if we use some of the more intensive-but-clever coding concepts like line-of-sight and a* pathfinding. I'll post my Java roguelike framework if folks are interested in seeing a simple implementation of these ideas.

#23  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:45 AM

I'm certainly interested in seeing what you've got!!!! I'd love to see the roguelike engine in assembly... Maybe even a cart? :)

#24  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Sat May 1, 2010 8:24 AM

For those of you with a telnet client on your PC/iPhone/mac...

telnet://nethack.alt.org

depending on your client, you may need to remove the "telnet://" from the front of that address. CLASSIC Roguelike. Wow.

#25  

    River Patroller

  • 3,019 posts
  • Joined: 18-November 09
  • Location:Elizabethtown, KY

Posted Sun May 2, 2010 9:44 PM

Playing NetHack on my iPhone via TelNet client!!!


Posted Image

Edited by Opry99er, Sun May 2, 2010 9:46 PM.






1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users