DBOS [Sokoban Game - Its a full installer now]

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dabooda
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DBOS [Sokoban Game - Its a full installer now]

Post by dabooda »

DBOS Dedicated Thread

I have finally completed my first DBOS (DaBooda OldSchool) game and am ready to release it upon the freebasic community. If you wish to see first some screenshots then here you go (click to view):

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If still interested simply download this link: Sokoban Setup

Now just run the installer, follow the directions and install. When your done installing you will be prompted to run the DBOS Configuration Utility. Do so, for if you don't you will end up playing the game with bare minimum settings. Not to mention you would want your controller to be set to something familiar right? After setting it up, simply run Sokoban. All this will be in your start menu along with the game manual, which you would probably be better off reading.

Many of you will be familiar with this game, for its a simple yet highly challenging transport puzzle game. I gave it an in-space theme and found some pretty groovy little music to go along with it. Included level pack has 104 levels for you to complete, that start at groovy and move into hair pulling nightmare rather quickly. I will warn you this game isn't for the faint of heart and will induce homicidal urges. I also implemented a built-in editor, so you can make and share your own level packs with others. It is a good first game in my opinion, for it shows some of the capability for the library and just fun enough to keep you puzzling for a little bit. Consider this game like the Mario game that got shipped with the Nintendo.

I will be continuing to make games with this Library and will keep you posted on my progress, for those who are interested in this Old School Action. For the developers who are interested in this Library I will be re-releasing it after making at least one more game. I felt that I released it to soon and hope to gain some interest with some actual games.

DaBooda out...peace and enjoy!!

P.S. Now what should I make next...?
Last edited by dabooda on Jan 11, 2008 19:53, edited 4 times in total.
mambazo
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Post by mambazo »

Wow. I like this a lot. Very old-school. It would be fantastic to create a sort of... Metal Slug type game :D
dabooda
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Post by dabooda »

Yeah I really want to do a 'run n' gun' type of game. This library could easily handle it. But I suck when it comes to pixel art and would probably end up ripping graphics...lol. I will probably stick to the puzzlers for a little longer though, until I build myself up some more. Maybe some puzzlers with an action element, now that sounds like a plan.

DaBooda out...
notthecheatr
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Post by notthecheatr »

Tip: streamline the process so we don't have to download the config manager :) Either put it inside a ZIP with every game, or else create an installer that downloads it if it's not already installed.
notthecheatr
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Post by notthecheatr »

Well I have to say it was worth it, although not the most exciting game ever the graphics are nice, the game overall has a very nice and professional feel, as well as old-school. Sweet!
Lachie Dazdarian
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Post by Lachie Dazdarian »

I agree with notthecheatr on this. Many people won't like the fact they need a utility to play your games. Please provide extra bigger download with all the files needed to run the game without installing DBOS.

Anyway, really like the work you have done. Excellent design. The way Sokoban game should be made. I’m not sure if new tilesets appear in later levels, but that would be even more cooler. Looking forward to add this to FBGD and play other DBOS games you make.

I only have a complaint on the controls. I know they are configurable, but their volume and the default are confusing.
dabooda
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Post by dabooda »

Putting the config utility with every game seems rather redundant, not to mention pointless. The size alone would be enough of a con not to do it.

Now I did think about adding this game with the config utility which is good now, but what about later. I am looking at the future and having more games. When compared to one game a separate config utility seems rather silly, but when compared to say 20 games? And yes I am being overly ambitious here...lol. But thats what I am looking at, not the now, but the later. I know its a bit unorthodox, but thats what I do.

Now the idea of having a simple installer check then download it is a great one. I think I will look into that, but honestly I wouldn't even know where to begin. Anything dealing with the internet seems to go over my head. But I could have the game installer do this and your right would streamline the process greatly...now that is a good idea.

[edit] I posted before lachie did and didn't catch the post. Thanks for the compliments. Unfortunately no, the tileset doesn't change. I was going to do this but honestly it took me so long to make that one...lol. Now I might create others later that people can download and install like themes. Now thats an idea.

Forgive me but I didn't understand what you meant about the controls. Did you mean they where hard to configure in the config utility, or the fact that they are referred to in the game as something besides your keys?

DaBooda out...
notthecheatr
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Post by notthecheatr »

In Sokoban I would prefer if Enter could be used to select menu items. It's much more logical. Also, the intro is perhaps a bit lengthy. I could understand it on the first time, but there should be a skip button so we can skip it and get to the game. After all, three screens are a lot to sit through, even if they are pretty cool, and you don't want people to be bored with it from the start.

Uh, one other thing I noticed is this: when I clear my file in Sokoban, then exit the game, it stays in the taskbar and doesn't close. The window and everything else is gone, but it's there in the taskbar, not using any processor but taking up memory. It only happens after Emptying the file, never any other time as far as I can tell. This is obviously a bug that probably should be fixed, it's not a serious bug but it does rather make things un-professional.
Lachie Dazdarian
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Post by Lachie Dazdarian »

The number of control keys and what each does by default I found confusing in this specific game.
dabooda
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Post by dabooda »

To notthecheater
What do you mean by clear your file? I've tried everything and it doesn't remain in my task bar, when I exit it all clears. How strange and bugs worry me. I might not be understanding your meaning of clearing a file.

As for the enter button being used. I was looking at it more along the lines of a video game console type. Where start usually is just used to start a game or pause. Using a trigger button keeps more in line with the theme I am going for.

To Lachie
Yeah I was kind of afraid of that, but I tried my best to make them as intuitive as possible. I did use a little to many considering the type of game it is and apologize for it. I will be honest I will gear my games toward joystick, which is a huge giant no-no I know. When using the joystick it makes a little more sense. I just refuse to change my ways and frankly 'PC' games isn't what I am making.

DaBooda out...
Last edited by dabooda on Jan 10, 2008 23:29, edited 1 time in total.
notthecheatr
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Post by notthecheatr »

You could use D.J. Peters net socket library, it works on windows or linux and he's given examples for downloading files with it. Then you could include a simple setup utility with every game that would download the big one if it needs to. You should probably use environment variables or registry settings so DBOS always knows exactly where it's installed, otherwise users would get confused when they install different things in different directories and are unable to use them (for example, I installed Sokoban in a subdirectory of the DBOS directory and got a "I can't find allegro.dll" error message - of course I knew what to do, but many people wouldn't. If you want it to go to the general public, you'll want to make the installation process as user-friendly and streamlined as possible).


edit: Another possibility is Inno Setup, though it's supposed to have a bit of a learning curve.
dabooda
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Post by dabooda »

To notthecheater
Thanks for the heads up on that. Your right, I keep assuming that I am making these for programmers only. Well you know what they say about assumptions. My next step will be an installer, it should be done before I continue on. Again, thanks for the heads up on this.

DaBooda out...
notthecheatr
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Post by notthecheatr »

Glad to give aid where I think it might be good. AFAIK the only major game written in FreeBASIC that has an installer is Lynn's Legacy. I guess if we want anyone outside of the community to play our games, we need to make installers and the rest for them :)

But in general, very nice game you got there, fix those complaints/bugs and it'll be pretty darn close to perfect!
dabooda
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Post by dabooda »

I really shouldn't post when I am tired for anyone who read the previously here rant I apologize. I have thought long and hard about this. What I am going to do is export the config utility with every game, I know this defeats the purpose but its easier for the end user. Not to mention they can have different controller settings per game. All other games have to be configured separately so I don't think this will be an issue. The nightmare I was running into wasn't just installing registry settings for 32bit and 64bit but the uninstall information was a nightmare. Your right, shipping the config utility with the game makes more sense. Of course people by the third or fourth game will be used to how the config utility works so it won't be an issue. This should also make it a non-issue to post on other pages(like the fb games directory w00t).

I will begin working on the installer now. BTW thanks for the heads up notthecheater on inno setup, this installer rocks. And notthecheater that error you experienced, can you give me more details. What did you mean by clear your file? Because I can't for the life of me get anything to do what you said it did, and I tried everything. It never ends up in my task bar.

DaBooda out...Peace
dabooda
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Post by dabooda »

Sokoban Installer is now ready. Basically its the whole thing, game and the config utility. For more details view first post or if you wish to download and install now, well here you go: Sokoban Setup

Sorry for inconvenience to anyone who has gotten into this. From now on this installer will be how all my games install. If you have gotten far into the game and wish not to reset all the data, simply copy \SOKOBAN\PACK\Sokoban__Main___.PACK and \SOKOBAN\PLAYER.DATA to the new directory...but be sure to copy both of those or it will reset all your current progress. Again I apologize for this and I hope this installer is sufficient.

DaBooda out...

P.S. To notthecheater, see above post towards end about that funky error you reported. Frankly I cannot get it to repeat, no matter what.
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