show stats of to-be-replaced tape

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filbo
Posts: 647
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:06 am

show stats of to-be-replaced tape

Post by filbo »

(mockups, no code is proposed)

Stats are presented in the same vertical order as while playing:

1. Emeralds remaining to solution (partial only)
2. Score
3. Date of recording (tape-to-replace only; current tape is in tape controls below)
4. Tape length

rnd-solved.png
rnd-solved.png (40.83 KiB) Viewed 4217 times
rnd-solved-partial.png
rnd-solved-partial.png (41.04 KiB) Viewed 4217 times
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Holger
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Re: show stats of to-be-replaced tape

Post by Holger »

I definitely see how this can be useful.

One problem when implementing something like this would be the fact that the request dialog can be freely redefined in "graphicsinfo.conf" (especially regarding its size).

Regarding the two different variants with "replace partial" or "replaced solved" tape, another problem is that R'n'D does not know if a given tape solves a given level or not -- to find this out, it would have to replay it and look what happens.

Maybe the second problem could be solved by adding a flag to a saved tape file if that tape is expected to solve the level or not...
Anonycat
Posts: 47
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:45 am

Re: show stats of to-be-replaced tape

Post by Anonycat »

Those mockups also seem to indicate that this feature would retrieve the score of the old playthrough, which would also need to be stored as a variable in the new header version, or again simulate the whole tape in the background, or simply drop any attempt to retrieve the old score value.
filbo
Posts: 647
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:06 am

Re: show stats of to-be-replaced tape

Post by filbo »

These are good points; I hadn't quite realized the tapes don't store the score & solve states, as I was sort of vaguely conflating the 'hall of fame' record of scores with the tapes. But on a moment's thought, of course these things are entirely separate.

But yeah, R'n'D's various file formats have format-version stamps and IFF-style tagged chunking. Future tapes could certainly contain a new chunk meaning 'this tape solved the level, with xyz score [on abc game engine version -- except this info is already in a different chunk]'. Or 'this tape did not solve the level, xyz score, # emeralds needed'. How many other 'needed to solve' items are there? Lightbulbs to light, Sokoban objects to place, penguins to bring home, what else? Would it make sense to inventory all of those?

It would violate the overall artistic integrity of a skinned game, but the question could be asked in a generic popup...

In any case, I think it could at least state the duration of the to-be-replaced tape. It's somewhat informative, already available, and might fit into current layouts...
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