Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Bugs, new features and anything relating to future work.

Moderator: Moderators

Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby peterstock » Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:48 pm

After far too long, version 2 of Armadillo Run is about ready for release.

I have tried to test it thoroughly, but I totally missed the dark force bugs in the first version so I think it's wise to do a beta test release before announcing that all the bugs have been fixed - to allow for the possible discovery of more!


The version 2 beta release is available to everyone who's already bought the game from your download/registration link in your purchase confirmation email. If you don't have this any more, you can also get to your download/registration page by entering your current registration code here:

http://www.armadillorun.com/buy/registration.php


I would appreciate comments/criticism, (especially negative - since it helps improve the game!) either in this thread or by email. Probably in this thread is better since it would help keep it all together and readable by everyone else. I will keep version 2 in this beta stage for at least 2 weeks (probably more) so I can give people an opportunity to request any changes.


The main changes are:

  • The dark force bugs have been fixed (spinning links, spinning armadillo, rubber bumpers etc.). Summarized in the 'version 1 bugs' level set (http://www.armadillorun.com/levels/data ... 20bugs.zip).
  • Collisions are now applied to all objects, regardless of whether they are inside the level boundaries or not.
  • Improved contact friction between objects.
  • Improved air friction, so that links now offer more resistance to sideways motion.
  • Support for multiple armadillos and portals, including support for requiring specific armadillos to get to specific portals and setting a level pass criteria of transporting a certain percentage of armadillos (rather than all of them).
  • Configurable gravity.
  • Configurable material/tension/timer prices.
  • Simulation fast-forward.
  • Native Mac OS X and Linux versions (with identical simulation behavior to the Windows version 2).

Version 1 of the game (which uses the original simulation rules) will continue to be supported so people can play all the previous levels as their creators intended, or if people prefer the version 1 simulation rules with the dark force bugs. For these reasons, Version 2.x.y of the Windows version of Armadillo Run will always include a version 1.x.y which follows the original simulation rules.
peterstock
Armadillo Run Developer
 
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 4:35 pm

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby Votart Silak » Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:07 am

Hi, Peter!

+bugs!

P.S.: I suggest to include such element as an explosive with a choice of radius of defeat. Than more radius that more you pay. :D
Attachments
version 1 bugs V.lvl
(9.19 KiB) Downloaded 331 times
Life as a zebra: that a light, that a dark, and in the end - an ass!
User avatar
Votart Silak
 
Posts: 2130
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:21 am
Location: Russia, Ekaterinburg

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby ioncorpse » Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:42 pm

Did you think about sand? New material should be SAND :P :P :P
Feel the Power of the Dark Side.
User avatar
ioncorpse
Champion of Darkness
Champion of Darkness
 
Posts: 1422
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:57 pm
Location: Russia

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby mi2 » Thu Aug 20, 2009 2:14 pm

:shock: omg this is one cool news :D.now :armadillo: needs a look of commercial. the hole world should know how awesome this game is 8)
inventor of the mi2 launcher :)
mi2
 
Posts: 547
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2009 1:59 am
Location: Germany

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby Votart Silak » Thu Aug 20, 2009 4:52 pm

ioncorpse wrote:Did you think about sand? New material should be SAND :P :P :P


And WATER. And any capacities for water, and Dillo should be able to float and sink if cargo is attached to it. In water everything should sink, except a wood (should be a choice either metal (sheet, bar) or wooden).

And an explosive! :D :D :D
Life as a zebra: that a light, that a dark, and in the end - an ass!
User avatar
Votart Silak
 
Posts: 2130
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:21 am
Location: Russia, Ekaterinburg

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby peterstock » Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:52 am

Everyone suggests water! It agree it would make interesting possibilities, but it would be too big of a change to implement this (this goes for sand too) - sorry. :(

An explosive material could be added fairly easily, but I think it would have to be considered carefully to not unbalance the gameplay. Although If I did include it, I suppose it would be optional - you could exclude its use when creating levels just like you can do with certain materials at the moment. I'll have a think about it and try some things out.
peterstock
Armadillo Run Developer
 
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 4:35 pm

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby ioncorpse » Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:59 am

About features which are easy to implement:
* "Read-only" areas, in which there is not possible to add new objects.
*** Read-only levels, means that nobody except author can open them in editor? What for? We can use special areas, which are not only "read-only" but also black. Noone can see, what inside, black box. But this possible only if level isn't possible to open in editor.
*** Water can be done in same manner, in indestructible dishes. But still there is a problem with water drops.
* Not easy, but..did you think about different shapes for AR (not only the ball)?
* Custom thickness maybe? Thin, normal, thick. Durability and cost are depends on it of course.
* Custom materials for AR itself? Caoutchouc, normal, cast iron?
* Advanced editor, with support of some script language? For example for portal, so it will not be static, but will move somehow.
* "Death timer" to set time, after which all portals disapears, so level isn't possible to complete.
* Portal as special object, which interacts with other objects, have weight and gravity is applicable to it? It will be possible to move AR & portal simultaneously. :)
I can suggest more new features, but I understand the balance. There must be "exact" number of features... Few features = simple, boring game. Huge amount of features = to complex, very hard to understand and so on...

P.S. Can you tell us, when the release v2 version will be available? Few months, 1 year? I mean, how much time you want to spend on additional features?
Feel the Power of the Dark Side.
User avatar
ioncorpse
Champion of Darkness
Champion of Darkness
 
Posts: 1422
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:57 pm
Location: Russia

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby markmadras » Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:00 pm

I played around with the new version for a while and it all looks pretty good, nice to have the gravity feature which will, I am sure, add an interesting twist to new level creation. It should also add some nice twists now that the Dillo will not pass through materials outside of the level boundary, this makes it possible to have the portal outside of the boundary.

The only new feature I found that I am not sure of is that the Dillo has become much bouncier, it will now bounce quite high when it hits metal plate. That alone is no great drawback but the Dillo will also bounce off cloth where it is attached to an anchor, previously this would have totally killed the Dillo's momentum and was a trick used on the edge of many a catcher to slow the Dillo down and catch it without destruction.

I think some other players may agree that this should either stay as it was or better still this could be made an option during level creation.

I would also like to suggest putting the pricing and gravity options on the tool bar just to make it a little easier to use. Likewise with the bounce option, which might be fun to make variable also and not just on or off.

Making all the options variable during level creation will keep the game as interesting as possible without it becoming complicated,imo.

With the gravity and bounce function fully variable you could have two identical looking levels require completely different solutions.

Finaly, as most players also enjoy the fun of building dark solutions it would be an advantage to have the ARv2 to include the option to create Dark levels and solutions. It may well be a nightmare to write the programming but this would preserve the use of Dark force without the need to have two seperate versions of AR. Perhaps the Dark force could be made variable also, but I think most players would just be happy to be able to switch it on or off.
User avatar
markmadras
 
Posts: 2055
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 11:47 pm
Location: Spain

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby ioncorpse » Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:44 pm

markmadras wrote:That alone is no great drawback but the Dillo will also bounce off cloth cloth where it is attached to an anchor, previously this would have totally killed the Dillo's momentum and was a trick used on the edge of many a catcher to slow the Dillo down and catch it without destruction.


P.S. I hope, I will have free time to play AR2. I hope...I'm sure...november maybe :)
P.S.S. Dark force will be, 95% :))))
Feel the Power of the Dark Side.
User avatar
ioncorpse
Champion of Darkness
Champion of Darkness
 
Posts: 1422
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:57 pm
Location: Russia

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby soulriver » Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:57 pm

I suggest to make Hydraulic like in bridge builder.If u can the possibilities are endless.
soulriver
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:44 pm

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby markmadras » Wed Sep 16, 2009 7:08 am

The new AR2 .lvl2 files will not function in ARTweaker. I don't use it a lot but when I do for fine tuning it is a godsend. Having said that it would be much better to have a fine tweaking system built into AR, if that is possible, or increase the zoom power to allow smaller adjustments to be easily made. :)
User avatar
markmadras
 
Posts: 2055
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 11:47 pm
Location: Spain

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby ioncorpse » Wed Sep 16, 2009 8:19 am

markmadras wrote:The new AR2 .lvl2 files will not function in ARTweaker. I don't use it a lot but when I do for fine tuning it is a godsend. Having said that it would be much better to have a fine tweaking system built into AR, if that is possible, or increase the zoom power to allow smaller adjustments to be easily made. :)


Ofcourse not, AR Tweaker was written by NickyNick, not PeterS. :mrgreen:
When AR2 will come - I think someone will write new tweaker, it's easy, especially with source code of previous tweaker.
Feel the Power of the Dark Side.
User avatar
ioncorpse
Champion of Darkness
Champion of Darkness
 
Posts: 1422
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:57 pm
Location: Russia

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby markmadras » Wed Sep 16, 2009 8:46 am

Yes Ioncorpse, I knew that :) . My comment was more about suggesting to Peter that he add an improved fine tweaking facility into AR2.
The zoom feature is fine for most stuff but, especially with timers made from sliding bars etc, a finer tweak would often be usefull.

It must create a lot of frustration to a novice when they can't fine tune a solution. It was like that for me until I discovered the ARTweaker but then the tweaker can be frustrating, many times it destroyed the level file and it was time consuming having to switch back and forth between AR and the tweaking program because the ARTweaker could not run a simulation. It would, imo, be good for AR to have a much improved built in tweaking facility. :)
User avatar
markmadras
 
Posts: 2055
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 11:47 pm
Location: Spain

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby peterstock » Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:09 pm

Good point Mark - a better method of tweaking is on the to-do list now.
peterstock
Armadillo Run Developer
 
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 4:35 pm

Re: Armadillo Run version 2 available for beta testing

Postby rob » Wed Sep 16, 2009 7:34 pm

Hi Peter, thanks for making us a new version. I have another sugestion, maybe you could make the time the dillo needs to be in the portal variable. Would have come in handy in the B 001 contest.
User avatar
rob
 
Posts: 2087
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:31 pm

Next

Return to Development

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests

cron