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Program Announcements / The first ever 5 simultaneous players in real time Wintel game?

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heartbone
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Posted: 13th Feb 2007 16:35
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I doubt it.

But you never know.

Here are a couple of earlier threads about TWO FLAGS.
http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=22002&b=5
http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=98890&b=8

Here is the link to the demo version.

This is the original TWO FLAGS game with an added MULTIPLAYER demo mode which can only be accessed if you have at least one joystick attached to your system before TWO FLAGS is run. The MULTIPLAYER mode supports from two to five players.

Place everything from the zip into a folder and then double click on the TwoFlagsDemo.exe icon to start the game. All of the game documentation can be accessed from the RULES button on the first interactive menu. I have included a full set of sample user avatars so you don't have to mess with the avatar creation, unless you want to.

I think this will be an excellent party game since the rules are straightforward and the controls are simple. I have designed this so that a 4 year old child will be comfortable understanding the game and enjoy playing it, and even have a decent chance to win. Game strategy can be simple or complex, depending on your mindset.

I am now looking for bugs and I'm not finding them.
I'd appreciate a description of any problems that you may encounter using this demo build.

While you find them I must learn how to make Midi music.
Then I'm going to translate this into Play Basic and see which version I like the best as a final release.

My dream is some company will turn this into a 3D networked game.

I'm unique, just like everybody else.
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heartbone
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Posted: 23rd Feb 2007 18:31
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I've added a KID MODE in practice where you are faster than the AI but no records are kept.
I've also made a few slight graphicsl changes.
Version 2 is almost ready, all I need is music and to change an avatar or two.
However I don't know how long that music creation will take.

There is a chance that I am a miserable composer.
Or I may be unable to figure out how to create MIDI files from my Yamaha keyboard.

So perhaps Fallout, Benjamin or some other talented soul has some unused original tunes for me to evaluate for inclusion in the game.

1) I figure I'll need one to start, a minute or two.
2) A snippet between rounds, few to a dozen second fanfare.
3) An end of game song.

Does anyone know of any other five or more simultaneous (non turn based) player games for Windows?

If this is the first, I'd love to make that claim.

Any game experts?

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heartbone
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Posted: 27th Feb 2007 01:31 Edited at: 27th Feb 2007 01:46
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Are single-player games doomed?
(Answer in article.)

I still have not found any other 4 or 5 multiple joystick/jopypad games to download for Windows.

Perhaps they are all on Linux?

But there are hacks to run the old software!
http://www.mameworld.net/tigerheli/encoder/ppjoy/Gamepad%20Emulator%20why%20not.htm
It seems that we are all thinking the same thing.
Sweet.

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heartbone
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Posted: 7th Mar 2007 21:31
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MIDI is not easy.
I've always had respect for those musicians.
Even more now.
I find that creating suitable music is very difficult.

I have uploaded a beta of the TWO FLAGS game (version 2) to share with those of you who might like to play it while I learn to make decent MIDI music.
I've included other folks music as placeholders until I make my own.
There may be a bug in the MULTIPLAYER setup where the players are selecting their board positions and you can have the system automatically assign the positions. However I am having a zero success in replicating that problem, so it must be extremely minor. So minor that I'd release the program to the download as it is, except I still need to make my own music.

Before the official release the only changes that would be made
1) fixing that obscure setup bug
2) perhaps changing an avatar or two
3) replacing the music with my own productions

I'm confident that the program is better now than it will be after I add my music.

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heartbone
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Posted: 8th Mar 2007 18:47
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The program can generate a
Error 6 = Not Enough Memory (DarkBASIC Classic)
exception when changing to full screen on my XP systems.

It does not appear to be related to graphics memory or system memory size though.
All images, sprites and bitmaps are deleted before changing from the window mode to fullscreen and the exact same window swap routines have worked for years.
It bombs after the fullscreen has been setup, during the reloading of the graphics.

Weirdly the problem appears to be related to the length of the path name to the execution folder in XP SP2.
The swap to full screen fails if I increase the folder name length, the very same executable runs fine when I shorten it.
But on XP Media Center Edition the window resize fails even when running from C:\ However that may be a function of it only hjaving aan 8MB graphics card. (DELL ughly)

This problem has not shown up on my development system, a 98SE installation.

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heartbone
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Posted: 12th Mar 2007 06:15
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I think that I've "fixed" that weird runtime error 6 condition that was happening on many XP systems. Perhaps I'm pushing things a bit too far, but I am learning the system limits.

Therefore this should be the final beta of version 2 of this unique and totally ground breaking game which fits on a floppy.

I've decided that it may be OK to use other folks MIDIs in this release.
I hope I have covered my behind well enough with the in game disclaimer.
Maybe not.
I'm still making my decision of whether to include them.
What do you think?
I'd appreciate any quality feedback that I get here.

By the time that TWO FLAGS version 3 is finished (download 784KB flythrough here), I should have my own MIDI tunes ready to replace these most excellent songs.

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Darth Vader
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Posted: 12th Mar 2007 06:30
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What exactly is this game?


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heartbone
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Posted: 12th Mar 2007 14:21
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The vanguard of a new way to play on your PC , old school style.
Think compact, no frills, get the job done getting the maximum from the minimum.
Does the number 6502 mean anything to you?
Perhaps this will help in the understanding.


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heartbone
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Posted: 19th Mar 2007 19:53
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Allrighty then.

With no other comments on record ,
I suppose this puppy is baked.

It's time to release it to the general public.

This looks to be the first native Windows® game which supports more than two real time simultaneous players.

That's how I plan to promote it unless there are objections from this audience.

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David R
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Posted: 19th Mar 2007 23:51
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Quote: "This looks to be the first native Windows® game which supports more than two real time simultaneous players."


Nope, Rag Doll Kung Fu can support up to 8 via additional USB mice


"History shall be kind to me, for I intend to write it" - Winston Churchill
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Inspire
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Location: Rochester, NY
Posted: 20th Mar 2007 01:16
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Quote: "I suppose this puppy is baked."


Ahh! Noo!

6502. I read the thing and its still not meaning anything.

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heartbone
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Posted: 20th Mar 2007 02:57
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Quote: "Nope, Rag Doll Kung Fu can support up to 8 via additional USB mice"

Thanks David R, that's just what I needed to know.

USB mouse 8 way multiplayer?
Cool.

XP only?
Bummer.

Inspire, that was the number of a popular 8-bit microprocessor.
If the game rules don't mean anything to you,
then watch the AI play for a while.

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heartbone
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Posted: 20th Mar 2007 14:39
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How about?

This is the first Windows® game that supports more than two simultaneously active joysticks/joypads.

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heartbone
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Posted: 22nd Mar 2007 07:05
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I've had enough, the remaining bugs will have to stay put for a while.

http://heartbone.com/TF/tf.html

Have a happy Spring!

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heartbone
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Posted: 2nd Apr 2007 17:09
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2.00 to 2.02

1) Fixed multiplayer AI activation after 2xAI practice session.
2) Tweaked initial flag positions.
3) Cleaned up winner avatar special effects glitches.
4) Eliminated a few unnecessary IF conditionals in multiplayer mode.

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Ron Erickson
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Posted: 2nd Apr 2007 17:32
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Heartbone,
I downloaded this a while back but never got the chance to give it a play. I forgot all about it

I'll see if I get some time later this week to try it out.

-Ron

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heartbone
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Posted: 3rd Apr 2007 05:42
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If you actually have another person to play with and a joystick or joypad, then I guarantee that you'll have a unique experience.

I hope that you have at least one PC joystick WOLF.

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