Civiliza Alpha

[neonext]

Civiliza v0.45a is out.
You can download it at:

http://www.angelfire.com/empire/dune2redux/index.htm

New version coming soon! With diplomacy and scenario support! For full list of revisions, see 2nd page of this thread!

NOTE1: To play single player, start a multiplayer game and click on the "Open" slots to add AI players.

NOTE2: Windows '98 and possibly ME users may get color conversion problems. If you see problems with the civ colors (for example your units have a pinkish color to them instead of your civ's color), download and install the update and turn 'OldWin' mode on.

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Here are info lists regarding the alpha, these will be updated up until the release and afterwords (please help - report bugs! suggest features! )

REQUIREMENTS:
- Windows 98/ME/XP
- Color depth of 16 bpp.


BUG LIST:
- Unit can move off certain map edges? (fixed)
- Colors don't convert on some, if not all windows 98 machines. (fixed)
- Colored boxes show up when in windowed mode and desktop color depth is not 16bpp.
- Start locations are sometimes placed in the water (very strange bug, no idea what is causing this yet, but the random map generator needs to be re-made anyways)
- Selection of next unit is sometimes too quick.
- City production information isn't transfered in multiplayer.
- Setup chat messages are only displayed on remote computers (not echoed on local machine)
- Too much lag.

BADLY NEEDED FEATURES:
- Save/Load game.
- Scenarios.
- Way to select units that are fortified.
- More city improvements.
- More techs.
- Diplomacy.
- Sea Units.
- Terrain movement costs.
- Scroll bar for setup chat.
- In-game chat.
- Way to switch civs.
- More setup options (gameplay timer controls etc).
- All forms of irrigation, mining and the rest of the roads.
- Resources, including food and production.


FUTURE FEATURES:
- Wonders.
- Nano era.
- Nukes.
- Minimap.
- Editable unit/tech/improvement data.
- Music.
- Victory conditions.
- Wrapping maps.
- Linked maps.

whew too much stuff to do! and only one person

but seriously, after you try this little demo of mine, imagine civiliza with nukes flying across the sky and planes fighting it out in the air and battles happening all around you. yet, it definitally still feels somewhat turn-based.

i hope to show people that taking the 'T" out of TBS can be a very good thing.

[Dale]

Need help with the Tech Tree? I've got an extremely accurate/detailed tech tree from 8000BC to 0AD (I'm still refining it ) It's defined for CTP2, but I'm sure it could be of some use for you. I think there's about 100 techs in that time period. Anyways, let me know.

Oh, it also labels good spots for units/buildings/wonders/governments/tile imps/etc.

[neonext]

Win 98 users, please let me know if it works ok!
(strange color problems etc, i never touch that OS anymore, it's all about XP )

You will also get these color problems if you run this in windowed mode with a desktop color depth other than 16 bits per pixel.

Remember, press ALT-ENTER for full screen mode! (after you reach the game setup chat screen)

And you can edit civiliza.ini to change the full screen resolution!

[jimmyh]

Very Nice.

I very much like the way that new units, city improvements, etc are done.

As far as bugs go I get a blue square where the units are, I'm guessing this is some to do with color keying. You could send the code to me and I'll fix it, but that's up to you.

My spec is:
AMD 1500XP+
512mb ram
geforce2 64mb
and plenty of harddisk room.

I would let on about my project, but in the last few times I've dont that I got no response and besides I've got nothing to show at the moment.

Cheers.
James.

[neonext]

Originally posted by Dale
Need help with the Tech Tree? I've got an extremely accurate/detailed tech tree from 8000BC to 0AD (I'm still refining it ) ... Oh, it also labels good spots for units/buildings/wonders/governments/tile imps/etc.

Yes, that could be of great use to me.

[Dale]

First initial responses (played for about 10 mins without reading the readme, so I was funbling a lot):

- No SP? Though I worked out how to do it.
- I think I might be liking this RT aspect.

[neonext]

Originally posted by jimmyh
Very Nice.
I very much like the way that new units, city improvements, etc are done.

Thanks

As far as bugs go I get a blue square where the units are, I'm guessing this is some to do with color keying.
My spec is: AMD 1500XP+, 512mb ram, geforce2 64mb , and plenty of harddisk room.

What OS are you using? 98SE?

I would let on about my project, but in the last few times I've dont that I got no response and besides I've got nothing to show at the moment.
Cheers.
James.

Thanks for the reply James, keep in touch.

[Dale]

Originally posted by neonext


Yes, that could be of great use to me.

Hope there's something of help in there.

[jimmyh]

Originally posted by neonext

Thanks

What OS are you using? 98SE?

Thanks for the reply James, keep in touch.

I use XP, I had the game running in 32bit in windowed mode, I don't get the color keyed areas if I switch to 16bit.

Cheers.
James.

[Nebula]

I player it for a while and I think this turnless play is nice.

One thing though, that when there where more units on the map. Somehow a single key press does not seem to work correctly on my computer. (w98se) I need to hold it down a bit before it works on every movement turn and when I hold it down it starts moving the next unit a direction that I do not want. It does not happen every time but it does happen in some occasions.
What I did in my game was adding a delay between the movement of units. This way the user has time to release his finger from the key. That or use the windows keyup procedure.

I really like the game. I am looking forward to seeing it mature.

I experienced no other problems with W98Se.

btw - Are you keeping your source private?

[neonext]

Civiliza 0.45a is out.

This is a quick update aimed mostly at resolving the color converting issues with older Windows versions.

Updated Since 0.4a:
- Added "OldWin" mode for Windows '98 users who are experiencing troubles with the color converting (seeing a pinkish color instead of the civ's color). Units are still not converted correctly, but a color flag has been added so you can tell them apart. The color converting for cities is fixed under this mode.
- Added "No Shroud" mode for easier debugging. This completely clears the shroud for all users and AI players.
- Added "Accelerated Production" mode for quicker games. All research and production is increased by 50%.
- Possibly fixed wierd bug where units could move off the edge of the map.
- Added in-game help box.
- Various small bug fixes.

http://www.angelfire.com/empire/dune2redux/

Let me know about any problems.

[neonext]

Originally posted by Nebula
(w98se) I need to hold it down a bit before it works on every movement turn

Interesting... I have only experienced this in multiplayer due to lag.

and when I hold it down it starts moving the next unit a direction that I do not want. It does not happen every time but it does happen in some occasions.
What I did in my game was adding a delay between the movement of units. This way the user has time to release his finger from the key. That or use the windows keyup procedure.

You are correct. Right now it is based on a timer function, the timer simply needs to be reset when a move is made - this will likely be in one of the next updates.

I really like the game. I am looking forward to seeing it mature.

Thanks, I think you will be surprised how fast this will move forward. Any suggestions as to what features should be implemented next?

I experienced no other problems with W98Se.

Wierd, I have yet to get the color converting to run properly on a Win98 machine - although I do not know if they were SE or not.

btw - Are you keeping your source private?

Yes, there are no plans to release source code yet. I'm hoping to use this to help get me a job in the game industry.

[Nebula]

"Wierd, I have yet to get the color converting to run properly on a Win98 machine - although I do not know if they were SE or not."

Well the colors look ok to me. But I have not looked at it very precisely. It could be they look a bit different then they should but it does not bother me.

"Any suggestions as to what features should be
implemented next?"

I am finding it hard enough to come up with features for my own games. My mind just draws a blank when I want it to come up with something cool. I wish I had that better creative ablilities.

"I'm hoping to use this to help get me a job in the game industry."

Good luck.

[neonext]

Originally posted by Nebula
Well the colors look ok to me. But I have not looked at it very precisely. It could be they look a bit different then they should but it does not bother me.

The game isn't very playable with the color converting problem, because you can't tell who's units are who's.

I am finding it hard enough to come up with features for my own games. My mind just draws a blank when I want it to come up with something cool. I wish I had that better creative ablilities.

I can understand that, but if you look at the badly needed features list up at the top, which ones do you think need to be added to the game first?

[neonext]

anyone notice u can build cities with other units besides the settler?



next update coming soon