Castle Vox 1.1 - better map editor, multi-player features

Synchronized-turns strategy. Calling all teamers.
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dustin
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Castle Vox 1.1 - better map editor, multi-player features

Post by dustin » Wed Oct 27, 2010 6:09 pm

Castle Vox 1.1 update has just been released. Download it here!

full change log:
- Map Editor can easily create Hex Fields to build on.
- Map Editor Create Continents mode has a new UI.
- Map Editor can generate random country names.
- Map Editor handles ampersands properly.
- Map Editor resizing the window will resize the map.
- Better handling of maps that don't set all values.
- Better error messages for maps that don't load properly.
- Extra-lines work now.

- Multi-Player games record their results online.
- Multi-Player server will stop when the last player exits (non-headless).
- Fix multi-player bug that could crash the game if a player timed-out twice and then rejoined.
- Fixed a bug where human players could be taken over by /play in some circumstances.
- Fixed a bug in the guest-only checkbox.
- Added the /i chat command, to lookup a player.
- Does a better job of counting a multi-player Finished Moves click as a turn, even when no moves were made.
- Prints help text when it looks like a user is trying to incorrectly use a chat command.

- Show a tip about click-shortcuts when many similar clicks are detected.
- Fix a bug with the player-color-bars showing last turn's info.
- Fix a possible hang error when validating registrations.
- Won't show the Recruit Panel when player cannot recruit.
- Performance improvements.

:castle

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Re: Castle Vox 1.1 - better map editor, multi-player feature

Post by mbauer » Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:10 pm

dustin wrote: - Map Editor handles ampersands properly.
WOO HOO!!!!

Although I'm still getting

Code: Select all

Map Error: The entity name must immediately follow the '&' in the entity reference.

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Post by dustin » Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:25 pm

What exactly are you doing? Where are you putting it?

When you type them inside the map editor it should work. If you're editing the text file directly, you should write & to escape it properly.

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Post by mbauer » Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:34 pm

I was writing them in the map editor inside the description box in the Hundred Years' War map I just uploaded. (I took out the ampersands in the one I uploaded)

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Post by dustin » Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:41 pm

Looks like I missed a spot: the description text. They work in country/continent/player/team names tho.

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Post by Pars » Wed Oct 27, 2010 8:32 pm

Nice,

I have played a few games with the new version and I get the impression
that game has a better "flow" now, moves on better then it used to do.

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Post by Lupus ferox » Wed Oct 27, 2010 11:19 pm

I just tried the new map editor. Hex field generator and automatic names are great... Wow. Could have used that well for Extreme Britain! ;-)

I saw that editing shapes does not add points to shapes anymore. Great!

A few questions...

Usually we make a theme first and trace that with the map editor. The hex field generator turns that around: We make the map first and use that to make the theme.... Did anyone think of how to do that? E.g. how to create a trace image for Photoshop? A screen dump might not be accurate enough.

The hexes are well separated. I think that's the best way for starting map makers. Personally i prefer connected hexes, I think it gives better graphical opportunities. Can you add that option?

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Post by nimrod7 » Thu Oct 28, 2010 9:03 am

Love the resizing. One of my maps-in-progress wasn't working(I think) because of the hex/map size. Now it is!

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Post by dustin » Thu Oct 28, 2010 7:54 pm

It would also be possible to create the theme first, then do the hex field, then use the Move Shapes to shift all the hexes together, to line-up with the theme the way you want it.

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Post by mbauer » Fri Oct 29, 2010 9:53 am

To answer your question LF, in the old days, before overgrounds, I use to make maps first and then themes. I always just took a screenshot and it worked fine.

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Post by jesterme » Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:27 pm

Is there currently a way to change the game description or is that slated for a future release?

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Post by blackj3sus » Fri Oct 29, 2010 2:48 pm

yea i want my host room to say:

"prepare to be pwnd"

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Post by dustin » Fri Oct 29, 2010 4:24 pm

host can change the game description using the /desc command: /desc prepare to be pwnd

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Post by jesterme » Fri Oct 29, 2010 4:44 pm

I will have to try that again. Didn't seem to work the first time.

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Post by Lupus ferox » Sun Oct 31, 2010 7:44 am

mbauer wrote:To answer your question LF, in the old days, before overgrounds, I use to make maps first and then themes. I always just took a screenshot and it worked fine.
In the new days I would like to make larger scrollable maps like "xtreme britain". A screen dump doesnt work then. It will only capture a part of the map. It would be nice to have a .png export facility... ;-)

Other wishes:
-delete option in the move territories section. I now can only delete hexes one by one. That's a bit tedious with a large hex array...
-I would like to have the hexes a bit closer together. Almost touching would be neat...

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Post by Behemoth » Sun Oct 31, 2010 8:44 am

Why not take a serious of screen grabs and stitch them together. The finished image will be true to the files Pixel size if that's how you're presenting it on screen. It's not like there's perspective to worry about, it's just an oversized flat image.

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Post by Lupus ferox » Sun Oct 31, 2010 9:34 am

That is possible...

The hex field generator however was meant especially to make xtreme maps easier.
If it means that we have to cut and paste screen dumps together to make the theme I would say it's two steps forward and one step back. Still worthwhile, but not the complete solution....

A png (or bmp, tiff) export function would be awesome. Don't you agree?

If it is easy to realize i would say: go for it. If not, let's cut and paste a bit....

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Post by Behemoth » Sun Oct 31, 2010 10:13 am

All my maps have originated as sketches. The last step I take is plotting vectors. I've never done it the reverse way.

Slightly different topic...

I managed to extract usable vector co-ordinates for a map layout I'd made in AI the other day. The only hurdle was removing the countless decimals attached to the co-ordinates. This took a while but the end result was worth it.

Border connections were as flush as i'd made them in AI and there wasn't a single stray handle to be seen. While I think MapSpinner is a great little tool I still struggle to get neat results using it.

I'll be using Ai from now on for sure.

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Post by dustin » Sun Oct 31, 2010 1:44 pm

What kind of png export do you mean? In the map editor? While playing games there's a Screenshot menu command. Like that?

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Post by Lupus ferox » Sun Oct 31, 2010 2:09 pm

Yep, exporting the whole map (all polygons) (not only visible part) as a png file with identical dimensions. That way it can be imported in e.g. photoshop and serve as template for the overground file...

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Post by mbauer » Sun Oct 31, 2010 3:35 pm

Lupus ferox wrote: In the new days I would like to make larger scrollable maps like "xtreme britain". A screen dump doesnt work then. It will only capture a part of the map. It would be nice to have a .png export facility... ;-)
You can do that Game-> Take screenshot. It generates a full resolution full quality .png file. The screenshot tool takes a screenshot of the entire map, even if it's scrollable. That's what I use to do to line up themes, it will still work today. :wink:

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Post by nimrod7 » Sun Oct 31, 2010 3:42 pm

Oooooooh

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Post by Lupus ferox » Sun Oct 31, 2010 3:49 pm

Okay, i will try that...

I always use the Mac screenshot app, that only takes the visible part.

Never thought of using the game screen shot option, because at that stage the map simply isnt ready yet.... But I can see ways around that....

Still learning....

TY

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Post by mbauer » Sun Oct 31, 2010 4:09 pm

Would it be possible to be able to alter country bonuses with the same tool that I edit continent bonuses with?

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Post by Behemoth » Mon Nov 01, 2010 6:19 pm

Btw the new editor is much, much better, thanks.

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Post by mbauer » Mon Nov 01, 2010 10:23 pm

Yes, I really like the new set continent tool

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Post by Behemoth » Tue Nov 02, 2010 10:41 am

I agree Mb. Did you mention this because you'd like the country tool to have the same semi-transparent settings as the cont tool? Ideally this is what I'd like to see change.

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Post by mbauer » Tue Nov 02, 2010 2:37 pm

No I was referring to the tool where you set the continent values. When that tool is engaged, I'm shown all the country and continent values, but I can only change the continent values. I'd like to change the country values from there also so I don't have to cycle back and forth to the countries tool.

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Post by blackj3sus » Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:36 pm

ok... i was in alexander playing against a human player, i did well and eliminated the opposing human. now, i just need to clean up some bots...

wait... another player comes in, oh cool he can try to save this other team...

wait a second! the room restarted!
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Post by Behemoth » Tue Nov 02, 2010 5:21 pm

mbauer wrote:No I was referring to the tool where you set the continent values... I'd like to change the country values from there also so I don't have to cycle back and forth to the countries tool.
There's one step in the process, pretty sure it's the one you're talking about where I find I'm shifting between two tools to help guess where country borders are.

Also - I find having to work with both a word app and the editor slow and clumsy.

Be great if the code was included in the editor tool, viewable in a pull down window or something similar, and that changes to it could be made from here. Would mean you'd only need one file running in one app to get the whole job done. Changes to the code could be seen take shape as you made and applied them.

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