Problems with native EM engine?
Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 2:07 pm
In thread viewtopic.php?t=1810 , dave wrote:
> the rocks'n'diamonds version of my emerald mine engine has problems
> with playability (especially with a joystick) because it seems my old
> program (circa 2001) was butchered and my input stuff removed. i guess
> Holger didn't realise how important it was to keep the same input type
> method.
You're right that I mainly took the game engine, but used the input device code (joystick and keyboard input) and output device code (graphics and other artwork and display code) from R'n'D (although the EM engine still can use two different artwork engines, but this is still limited in the current release version).
About your main point here: Yes, I have changed the input device code from your approach to R'n'D's input device code, and indeed this is a little change away from original Emerald Mine behaviour. Interestingly, I did that change to improve playability, especially with a joystick! Some explanation: The original Emerald Mine joystick code only allows for horizontal *or* vertical movement when both directions are involved (that is, if the joystick is pressed diagonally). In R'n'D (and in the EM engine in R'n'D), the R'n'D behavior is used, which is a pseudo-diagonal movement (subsequent steps in vertical and horizontal direction).
I agree that this makes some EM levels a little bit easier to play, as the required level of physical or "artistic" control of the joystick is quite a bit reduced. (For example, try to escape from an enemy in a maze -- this is a bit easier with the R'n'D joystick code than with the EM joystick code, as you can't get "stuck" at wall corners when not 100% making sure that only horizontal or vertical directions are pressed at the joystick at all times.)
In my opinion, this is an advantage, although things are a little bit easier to play than with the original game.
I would like to hear if this is what you thought about regarding playability, or if there are other things that I oversaw or that I maybe messed up.
> also the graphics are screwed up in r'n'd when playing EMC caves from the
> huge archive.
Yep, right. This problem will be fixed with the next version of R'n'D and the next version of the huge EM collection. Sorry for not having it released yet! :-o
> my program is open source but i dont know when or if the latest engine will
> end up in rocks'n'diamonds.
As the incorporation of the older EM engine into R'n'D took quite a while, I cannot say when I will be able to update the engine to your new version. (Especially as there are some changes I made to accomplish compatibility with existing EMC disks, while your version of the game engine aims for a more "clean" version that does not contain each and every quick to assure total compatibility with EMC disks that may have misused engine bugs as "game features", like the walkable acid pool thingie in some sets.)
> the rocks'n'diamonds version of my emerald mine engine has problems
> with playability (especially with a joystick) because it seems my old
> program (circa 2001) was butchered and my input stuff removed. i guess
> Holger didn't realise how important it was to keep the same input type
> method.
You're right that I mainly took the game engine, but used the input device code (joystick and keyboard input) and output device code (graphics and other artwork and display code) from R'n'D (although the EM engine still can use two different artwork engines, but this is still limited in the current release version).
About your main point here: Yes, I have changed the input device code from your approach to R'n'D's input device code, and indeed this is a little change away from original Emerald Mine behaviour. Interestingly, I did that change to improve playability, especially with a joystick! Some explanation: The original Emerald Mine joystick code only allows for horizontal *or* vertical movement when both directions are involved (that is, if the joystick is pressed diagonally). In R'n'D (and in the EM engine in R'n'D), the R'n'D behavior is used, which is a pseudo-diagonal movement (subsequent steps in vertical and horizontal direction).
I agree that this makes some EM levels a little bit easier to play, as the required level of physical or "artistic" control of the joystick is quite a bit reduced. (For example, try to escape from an enemy in a maze -- this is a bit easier with the R'n'D joystick code than with the EM joystick code, as you can't get "stuck" at wall corners when not 100% making sure that only horizontal or vertical directions are pressed at the joystick at all times.)
In my opinion, this is an advantage, although things are a little bit easier to play than with the original game.
I would like to hear if this is what you thought about regarding playability, or if there are other things that I oversaw or that I maybe messed up.
> also the graphics are screwed up in r'n'd when playing EMC caves from the
> huge archive.
Yep, right. This problem will be fixed with the next version of R'n'D and the next version of the huge EM collection. Sorry for not having it released yet! :-o
> my program is open source but i dont know when or if the latest engine will
> end up in rocks'n'diamonds.
As the incorporation of the older EM engine into R'n'D took quite a while, I cannot say when I will be able to update the engine to your new version. (Especially as there are some changes I made to accomplish compatibility with existing EMC disks, while your version of the game engine aims for a more "clean" version that does not contain each and every quick to assure total compatibility with EMC disks that may have misused engine bugs as "game features", like the walkable acid pool thingie in some sets.)