Rocks'n'Diamonds

Hi All and Holger,
Build these 5 rows (with a bug and spaceship in a small empty space).

SSSS (S)and
SE>S (E)mpty space, > is Spaceship go right)
SEBS (B)ug go up
SESS
SSSS

In R&D engine the critters can get stuck in each other as you know.
(Only an example above.)
If you switch to Emerald Mine Engine they don't.
Can you describe very shortly what's the main difference in this case.
(It seems the bug turns the 'wrong way', cause it thinks
it's an empty space but when finished turning it's occupied or?)
Do you plan for a compability option for this in R&D engine
(so critters won't get stuck this way).


By using maybe the same kind of 'bug' or feature as above (in R&D engine)
you can have the critter BELOW running in a circle without harming
the player with some proper timing.
Test and step left towards it as it passes a couple of times with slight different timing.

When the Bug's head has passed into the empty space horisontially to player (2 tiles to the left) go left one step.
You don't need to go back (right) except when the Bug comes back.
A kind of Bug(bull)fighting.
When you get hold of it, it can be abused and has saved me more than once.
Not sure if this needs fixing though, has become kind of a sport I practise
and is only really useful in crosses.

SSSSSSS (S)and
SEEESSS (E)mpty
SESESSS
SESEEPS (P)layer
SEBESSS (B)ug go right
SSSSSSS

-

Yam query.
What's the main difference between the two engines (yam).
It seems the R&D yam has longer delays and gets stuck more 'where it currently is'.
Does the yam know anything about player if not in it's current paths.
Yam's sight of player, is this 'infinite' or does it have a limit.

Thanks

CEEL

Reviving topic, wondering Holger's missed input here.

I think this R&D time fraction 'occupied or not' is one of the main
differences between the engines effecting compability (and breaking)
when critters move, objects fall, explosions, amoeba grows and so on.
Ain't suggesting any fix for this, just noticing. Can go well with it.
In most 'standard' levels the effect won't effect playability overall.


Had some simple (but interesting to me..) questions about the yam also ABOVE.
(Maybe a topic split.)
I noticed a major difference between R&D and EM yam, the EM mine eats
diamonds by snapping while the R&D yam moves through them.
The EM yam stops up while eating and can therefore take other routes
(than the R&D yam) as it interacts in other way with the enviroment
and is more efficient at eating diamonds overall.
For engine compability important (Compability Option?).


Some other small freakish details about the EM yam
(Tested in EM engine Version 3.2.0-6, so any bugs effecting.)

- EM yam won't move as long as it has diamonds top, below, left, right of it.
- EM yam can't move upwards as long it has a diamond overhead.
- EM yam moving downwards through diamonds won't stop until the bottom (slower than R&D)
- EM yam moving sidewards through diamonds can stop and move another direction
when another stacked diamond fall in front of it.
- EM yam stops and snaps diamonds when passing beside them but continues on route then.
- EM yam if surrounded by diamonds snaps the right first then clockwise the other.
(this will 'sync off' as stacked diamonds/objects fall in the engine)
- EM yam is mean.

You can study your little pet by putting it at different places in a box of diamonds.

---
Testing time fraction quirks (just for fun..)
Put a EM Yam free in the air and just beside it diamonds free in the air falling, right,left & below.
The EM Yam will snap the diamond to the right always but can never snap the left one.
The below diamond can only be snapped if no diamond to the right as it takes some
time for the Yam to eat it.

DYD
D

Reviving topic and adding illustrations...

CEEL wrote:Hi All and Holger,
Build these 5 rows (with a bug and spaceship in a small empty space).

CEEL wrote:In R&D engine the critters can get stuck in each other as you know.
(Only an example above.)
If you switch to Emerald Mine Engine they don't.
Can you describe very shortly what's the main difference in this case.
(It seems the bug turns the 'wrong way', cause it thinks
it's an empty space but when finished turning it's occupied or?)
Do you plan for a compability option for this in R&D engine
(so critters won't get stuck this way).


By using maybe the same kind of 'bug' or feature as above (in R&D engine)
you can have the critter BELOW running in a circle without harming
the player with some proper timing.
Test and step left towards it as it passes a couple of times with slight different timing.

When the Bug's head has passed into the empty space horisontially to player (2 tiles to the left) go left one step.
You don't need to go back (right) except when the Bug comes back.
A kind of Bug(bull)fighting.
When you get hold of it, it can be abused and has saved me more than once.
Not sure if this needs fixing though, has become kind of a sport I practise
and is only really useful in crosses.

CEEL wrote:Yam query.
What's the main difference between the two engines (yam).
It seems the R&D yam has longer delays and gets stuck more 'where it currently is'.
Does the yam know anything about player if not in it's current paths.
Yam's sight of player, is this 'infinite' or does it have a limit.

Thanks

CEEL

Level Sketch V2 by Alan Bond was used to add the illustrations to this post.