Rockfighter

[Francesco]

9 levels requiring quick fingers and some memory...

http://www.zomis.net/rnd/download.php?id=425

Enjoy!

[Francesco]

Well, the poor introduction above is not so attractive, but if you have ever played Street Fighter, Tekken or other beat'em-up like these, you would find it interesting... there shouldn't be bugs, and all levels are solvable (tapes are included), I'd like to know your opinion.
Making a multiplayer level with those weapons would be nice, take a look

[Alan]

Nice one, I like the idea!

Why not have shield turn into a bullet if you walk on to it? It would be a bit easier then the L-R U-D trick (I'm a bit slow at it). If you did it that way you could also shoot these bullets next to walls.

[Francesco]

Well, Alan, I fear that you had only a quick look at it, if you go on through the levels you'll see that this is just one of the combos you can do... furthermore, it is coded to allow not-so-fast key sequences, the maximum gap allowed between keystrokes is 15 frames for 2/3-keys combos and 20 frames for 4-keys combos.
I was able to use them all with 10 frames gap, but I've increased it a bit just to be sure.
I could release a new version with a wider gap, but I think that with a little practice anyone accustomed to use such combos in other games will be able to finish my levelset, even if it's a bit challenging in some parts...

Forgot to say a thing: those combos are intended to be done using 2 or 3 fingers, it's really hard to insert them using just one finger, but it will be easier if I'll increase the gap.

[asiekierka]

I want to do the tricky Player Clone and the your RockFighter give me an inspiration.

Player clone do that which player does but sometimes in other direction

[Holger]

Wow, very tricky CEs... And VERY quick fingers required! But good fun indeed, although I must admit that I got some problems in the last few levels... :-o

Maybe the combos in the last levels were a bit too hard and tricky for me. :-)

[Francesco]

Thank you Holger!

Tomorrow I'll post a new version with longer intervals allowed (hope that half a second will be enough for anybody - well, for anybody mad enough to play such a levelset... I think it's pretty unusual for BD-like games )

If I'll have time enough, I'll add some levels and maybe some new combo.
Futhermore I was thinking that it would be nice if the up and down 3-bullets combos could be allowed in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

I'm just a bit frightened by the time that such mods will require...

I'm wishing for a program that will shorten that kind of repetitive changes... isn't any already available? I dislike belt-jobs

[Zomis]

Wow, I am truly amazed by the progress made here, especially by Francesco. I haven't been able to look at much of it yet though (too bad they don't have RND on the computers in school ), it does sound lovely.

I'm wishing for a program that will shorten that kind of repetitive changes... isn't any already available? I dislike belt-jobs

Well, I have been thinking about CE-programming/scripting stuff for RNDTool, but since I haven't worked with RNDTool for ages, it's on hold. But Alan will implement something like this in ConfEdit I think.

[Zomis]

I have now taken a look at it, and I gotta say that it is even better than I expected Very nice gameplay! Although I haven't looked at how the levels is put together (i.e. the CE techniques and stuff), I really enjoy playing it. And I hope there will come more levels of this kind

[Francesco]

Glad to hear it Zomis, and thank you for your rating on the FA!

About the CEs structure, I think it isn't so tricky as Holger said. Just be aware that all the levels have got the complete series of combos, but they are turned off in the changepages' checkboxes, to let work only the combos introduced from level to level.

I promised to upload a new version, but I missed the time to do any change.

Surely I will make new levels and new combos, but I've changed my mind about increasing the gaps: I will do that only if really needed, because it would result in an increased gap for the simplest action (turning off the aura) and it could negatively affect the actual gameplay.

Furthermore - little off-topic now - I'd like to have the mentioned scripting tool. I could make one if I knew the level file structure (records identifiers and lenghts), but I'm not able to figure it out from the souce code - for the obvious reason that I'm a C dummy.
I've seen from RnDtool that you are already using the original code to load the levels, maybe you can provide me something for the above task: even if you or Alan are going to make it, I'd like to try, just to practice.

[Zomis]

but I've changed my mind about increasing the gaps: I will do that only if really needed, because it would result in an increased gap for the simplest action (turning off the aura) and it could negatively affect the actual gameplay.

After having playing your levels, I agree that you shouldn't increase the gaps.

Furthermore - little off-topic now - I'd like to have the mentioned scripting tool. I could make one if I knew the level file structure (records identifiers and lenghts), but I'm not able to figure it out from the souce code - for the obvious reason that I'm a C dummy.
I've seen from RnDtool that you are already using the original code to load the levels, maybe you can provide me something for the above task: even if you or Alan are going to make it, I'd like to try, just to practice.

More on this subject in this thread: viewtopic.php?t=764

[Jannik]

I was so proud to have found a peaceful, but still challenging and funny game with RnD. And now you transform this little rockpushing and emeraldcollecting boy to a heavily armed soldier ...

I like Rockfighter, because:
- it's again a fantastic use of CEs
- the levels are perfectly fitting to the characteristic of Rockfighter's new abilities

I don't like it, because:
- during gameplay you realize that it's not hardcoded but an ensemble of CEs with unfortunately some unexpected behaviour (e.g. the robots who can step inside the aura but don't kill Rockfighter)
- the key combinations for the special moves are not just tricky, they are - at least with my configuration - too difficult and unreliable. I grew up with computer games since my C64 and I think I'm a rather skilled player. But doing the moves exactly at the right time and position, without accidentally stepping forward, and do it repeatedly, like in your tape of level 8, is impossible here. I guess it's my (very cheap) keyboard, where the keys get sometimes a little bit stuck and don't work. For normal RnD gaming that's no problem, but the 4-key-combinations too often fail.
Here's my tape of level 8 which I could finally - after many many tries - solve, but you still see my trouble with the special moves ...

[Francesco]

Hi Jannik!

I was so proud to have found a peaceful, but still challenging and funny game with RnD. And now you transform this little rockpushing and emeraldcollecting boy to a heavily armed soldier ...

Oh, I am a pacifist too, but I think that games could be a sort of "catarsi" (cleaning) for the soul. To make an example, there are a lot of boys here in my town that like running with the cars: well, sometimes there's an accident, and the car isn't the only damaged thing... but I (that I spend hours on Need For Speed or other car games) don't run when driving a *real* car

I like Rockfighter, because:
- it's again a fantastic use of CEs
- the levels are perfectly fitting to the characteristic of Rockfighter's new abilities

Thank you

I don't like it, because:
- during gameplay you realize that it's not hardcoded but an ensemble of CEs with unfortunately some unexpected behaviour (e.g. the robots who can step inside the aura but don't kill Rockfighter)

I know, it's intended (otherwise you could not go against the falling bombs)
By the way, another thing is that bombs destroy the aura's corners, but I had to make them destructible to let work correctly the 'escaper' combo...

- the key combinations for the special moves are not just tricky, they are - at least with my configuration - too difficult and unreliable. I grew up with computer games since my C64 and I think I'm a rather skilled player. But doing the moves exactly at the right time and position, without accidentally stepping forward, and do it repeatedly, like in your tape of level 8, is impossible here.

I recorded the tape using save and load a lot of times, but I can assure you that is possible. I've loaded savepoints for the robots (trying to kill them within their cell, I destroyed some emeralds), when killing the bugs using rocks (sometimes one bug escapes before the stone falls) and finally in the 'escaper' zone (actived the aura instead of snapping the emeralds or combos too close so that unwanted bullets destroy some emerald). Well, at final, I wanted to make a decent "final level"

I guess it's my (very cheap) keyboard, where the keys get sometimes a little bit stuck and don't work. For normal RnD gaming that's no problem, but the 4-key-combinations too often fail.

Indeed you *need* a good keyboard for playing Rockfighter! I've done the combos for the "compact" arrowpad (that is, the kind that has L-D-R in sequence one beside the other). Of course you can also customize them and use the keyboard letters, in the scheme that you prefer. You could try to change the keys (before buying a new kb ) maybe letter keys respond better.

Here's my tape of level 8 which I could finally - after many many tries - solve, but you still see my trouble with the special moves ...

Thank you! Really! I wished for some tapes, I wanted to see how other people played my levels.

I'm going to play the tape, thanks again

[Francesco]

I've just realized a thing, reading again my post above. I can make it really better! Since I made it using the CEs in a dummy way, I can fix the aura joypad changing "pressed" to "switched", as just I did for Master-Rocks, after Holger's suggestion.

I plan to release the new version of RF in a week

...and be ready to use some bonus combos along the new levels...

[Edit: Just seen the tape...
I pasted your file (and posted my reply) thinking that it was the last level, then I've stared in front of "myself playing the 9th level"...
Anyway, with the new release all will be better

Another note: maybe you're trying to insert complex combos *too fast*, try slowing down *a little*, there is a slightly wider gap allowed for them.
/edit]

[Jannik]

I wished for some tapes, I wanted to see how other people played my levels.

Just in case you're interested in the other ones, too:
001.tape
002.tape
003.tape
004.tape
005.tape
006.tape
007.tape
009.tape