TetraLogical
Automatic level previews almost ready to release! - Sneak Peek... :)
Also added a few fixes and tweaks... :)
Will be uploaded later on today when I've had a good sleep (3am UK-Time now... Zzzz....) and a chance to thoroughly check the build!...
When in the editor, these will also dynamically change on-screen, to show the current edited level state, then save out with your level... :)
BLITZ Mode - I'm not seeing any action / scores at all! :(
Not seeing ANY scores, other than mine & Mrs. Japster's, and jut one from Silentpepe's quick go, so I'm a little concerned that:-
a) It's not working?!
or worse,
b) People hate it! :(
Could anyone please try it for me, to see if it's working? - at the moment, I simply have just ONE entry in about 30 Leaderboards - ours! - so it's a bit quiet on them at the moment (Lorna also has no competition on them, so is getting bored waiting... :( )
Thanks all...
PS - BLITZ mode plays best when NOT trying for a max score IF it will decrease your total IQ% / Efficiency percentage (and so drop you down a tier/Leaderboard - or 2, 3, 4!), so it's a little bit of a balancing act - ie. I was happy to get both 300 or so points on a level, at 99%, and then 1,200+ points on the same level, at 90%, on different goes, and the same timer!... :)
Ultimately, there will be games you have that just 'flow' and you're in the zone, picking out great moves left right and centre - it's really satisfying when you get a 1,2,3,4 etc 100% run (and extra time!) in Blitz mode! (Oh yeah, and there will be time bonuses and achievements for doing that too... :)
Thanks all!
Den / Japster
...We now have IN-GAME Leaderboard displays!!! - check your progress against (and try to beat!), global or friends' scores!
NOTE:- ALL of the leaderboards for ALL combinations of BLITZ TIME & final efficiency rating are in place, for ALL of the built-in levels so far! - 40 or so... :D ...Plenty of challenge there! - Obviously, in time there will be the promised level packs, but we may well run out of the 10,000 leaderboards I can have in my game, when that happens! (ie. 40 levels so far, TIMES 8 possible time settings TIMES 10 possible efficiency ratings (75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% and 100%)... 3,200 just for these so far, Phew!
You can click the button at the bottom to switch between these, and close the Leaderboard display to see endgame stats again, by using the 'X' button in the top left of the Leaderboards window, (not the top-right-most EXIT game icon! ;) )
I've also added a basic 'Autograb' option in the SETTINGS screen, as per STEPHEN DEDALUS' suggestion :) , for grabbing your pieces automatically in BLITZ and single or Vs. player UNTIMED modes (autograbbing and starting your timer in competitive TIMED modes doesn't make much sense! ;) )...
It works fine, BUT, I intend to 'shoot' the piece across to your cursor if enabled, and then show the NEXT piece in the tray, while you're placing THIS piece, as per another player's suggestion - can't find which player atm, might have been Vince!
Also added a lot more stuff, plus a few under the hood fixes (ie. So you still get to keep all of your score or have time bonuses count still, if the game is a split-second from ending, etc), and a bit more bling to the Blitz bar, amongst other things!
Give it a whirl!
PS - Mrs. Japster has been busy setting some real world Blitz scores! - Try to beat hers!
BLITZ mode is now LIVE!!! - It's a blast! - Have fun everyone!!!
You start with the selected time on the clock, and for visual ease, you'll simply see a larger time meter at the bottom of the screen.
Take turns as usual, aiming to get the highest score you can, for the EFFICIENCY rating that you finish on, by your last move... (so, if you've got 100% efficiency by the end of the game, ie. a chance to be immortalised on the 100% efficiency BLITZ Leaderboard for the current level, do you score extra points and risk knocking it down to 99%, 98% etc (ie. a lower efficiency ranking leaderboard, or take what you've got? - decisions!)
THE DIFFERENCE is that once played, all unsupported tiles will fall down, and new tiles will appear on the board to re-fill it! - This means that you have to be alert for possible higher scoring moves after every turn!
Scores for given EFFICIENCY percentages ARE counted, no matter what, BUT...
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...LEVELS can now also be unlocked by getting at LEAST 90% efficiency in BLITZ mode!!!
NOTE! - There is ONE condition.... ....Levels are ONLY unlocked / beaten, if you've played at least an average of 10 moves per minute on the game mode (ie. 50 moves in a 5 minute BLITZ game), to avoid players cheating to perform easy unlocks! Heh heh... ;)
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Also....
You're not limited to the time that you select!:-
- If you score 48 in a single move, you'll be granted an additional +15 seconds on the clock!
- If you score 47 in a single move, you'll be granted an additional +8 seconds on the clock!
- If you get 46 or less, BUT get the TOP score for your move, you'll earn +5 seconds on the clock.
NOTE:- The TIMER BAR will STORE / COUNT excess time, even if the tube is currently maxed out! - so eg:- if you score additional time bonuses from the start, it *WILL* count - you'll see that the timer bar stays topped up until the time left is less than it holds (ie. 1 min, 2, mins, 5 mins, etc)
Have fun, and let's see some high scores people!
PLEASE NOTE - Due to MANUALLY having to create EVERY single description for the 100's leaderboards before they're recognised (ARRRRGH!) I've had to add for BLITZ mode (50 levels at present, 8 or so Efficiency ratings, and 8 different TIME settings for Blitz!), at present BLITZ mode works GREAT, but the Leaderboards aren't all live... The first 5 levels are completely done and LIVE to set about beating scores on!... ...Currently working on the rest!
Okay guys! - Just released an updated build, with a sneak peek at some new game modes, and new menus!
So..... ....Firstly....
We now have a much easier to navigate menu system to use!
Also, coming out of your game will land you back exactly where you were, in the menu system!
So if playing Vs, selecting a level, and playing, then exiting will bring you right back to the Vs. Level Selection screen, and the same if playing Solo... :)
Also, moving backwards and forwards takes you back a menu level instead of right back to the main menu... :)
Anyway! - Some other stuff added, like nice helpful navigation aids / headings, improved look and feel, and of course... (as I've started coding them in.... :) ):-
NEW game modes teaser! (NOTE! - You can PREVIEW these modes in the menu, but you CANNOT play them yet - Once you've taken a look and hopefully got the gist of the new modes that are incoming, you'll have to select good old STANDARD mode again, with or without time limits per moves, and play that for now, in Solo or Vs.)... )
So..... ....I have (coming soon!):-
BLITZ MODE!
This is basically a set amount of time on the clock that runs down until depleted (at which point it's Game Over), and you have to score the highest in that amount of time!
To save running out of moves, EVERY move is followed by a DOWNFALL, and new blocks replace used blocks, from the top.
I'm toying with the idea of adding precious seconds to the clock for 100% efficiency moves, at least for the first half of the board... :)
LIMITED MOVES MODE!
This is basically a set amount of MOVES/TURNS to get the highest score in, and you have to score the highest in that amount of moves!
Again, to save running out of moves, EVERY move MAY be followed by a DOWNFALL (ie. it may be that I just perform a downfall and refresh only once the board is exhausted, or after every move), and new blocks will replace used blocks, from the top.
Again, I'm toying with the idea of adding precious seconds to the clock for 100% efficiency moves, at least for the first half of the board... :)
PUZZLE / CLEARANCE MODE!
The point of this game mode is simply to CLEAR as much of (and if possibly, ALL of!) the current PUZZLE board.
This mode will also include a separate level editor mode, to ensure that levels created CAN be completed....
Of course, SCORE and EFFICIENCY/IQ percentage are not relevant to this mode, so the only things recognised and scored on, are whether you actually manage to CLEAR the level, or if not, how many tiles you have left when the board is exhausted / no pieces of ANY type, can be placed.
Of course, as quick-thinking is harder to do without mistakes on this type of challenge, it's only fair that the best times for each PUZZLE level, for both CLEARED, and say 1,2,3,4, or 5 pieces remaining, will be uploaded to the relevant leaderboard too! - More fame and bragging rights!!! :D
As the pieces are given you in random order, it takes some careful placing and analysis/forward thinking, to ensure that you don't leave those 'islands' of tiles, that are NOT divisible by 4 tiles... therein lies the challenge on some of the tougher layouts!
That's it for this announcement! - Please, PLEASE spread the word or support my Early Access release, and make TetraLogical the success that it deserves to be once complete! (in my humble opinion... ;) ) :D
Masses of work done to TetraLogical since my last update!
So, let's see!...
I think you'll be pleased! - The CPU / Human players selection is a LOT easier, and no longer masses of clicks! :)
Added some graphical niceties / FX, and the GUI has been improved, plus it no longer shakes about on the best moves! ;)
NOTE - In the final game, some CPU players are also unknown and need to be unlocked by rising through the ranks, beating challenges and/or beating lower CPU players first...
PS - The game will fill in the FIRST selectable human player's name with your STEAM Persona/Name, but soon you'll be able to add your own named HUMANs (up to 21 of them!) (well, none-CPU, at least, feel free to add your dog, cat, etc) players! (With the planned Online Multiplayer, these will all be replaced with your STEAM names, for all human CPU players.)
Achievements (nearly 90 are NOW live, so far!) are IN, and hopefully all working fine! - any issues, please let me know! :)
We now have LEADERBOARDS! Over 50 of them, and growing! - Players are already attacking these, and lots of scores and achievements being posted!
So, for ALL existing levels, there is a dedicated Leaderboard to attack for the best scores VS the Master AI (Win Or Lose, it's uploaded and registered to see if it's your best for that level!)...
In addition to this, the game now saves and updates a global Leaderboard with your TOTAL *perfect* 100% Efficiency played games, AND your best streak of them (and of course, resets the counter if you fluff one...)
PS - It ONLY counts (and resets!) your 100% streak (and only counts 100% Perfect games) if you are playing in either SOLO, or 1 Player Vs. any CPU at present... ie. so you're safe playing with your mates, or any combination of at least 2-3 CPU's, or 1-vs-1 when NOT playing the Master AI...
BTW - The reason I can't count more than 1 or 2 player games, is of course, that it's FAR easier to get 100% Efficiency if you're playing far less moves in a game, ie. against more players...
PS - Will also have a separate set of identical Leaderboards coming real soon, but for NONE-Downfall enabled games, and other modes!....
Have fun, and let's see some good scores for each level, guys!!!
PS - Currently working on making the menus more straightforward, and adding BLITZ, PUZZLE, etc modes.... :D
Well, LOTS of work done to TetraLogical this week, in the push towards an Early Access Release!
A fantastic musical soundtrack now included, courtesy of Peter Hajba / Skaven!
21 CPU opponents of varying intelligence (sneakiness and quirkiness to come!)
A one-time (enable-able / disable-able) Downfall now occurs once a level is exhausted, possibly freeing up some moves, and changing the outcome of the game!
An unlockable levels beating system! - Simply beat one of the CPU opponents on any given level, in order to unlock more levels - Will always unlock 10 levels past the FIRST unbeaten level. NOTE - User levels are ALWAYS unlocked when created, where's the fun otherwise? :) - Although you still have to BEAT CPU players on them!
Graphical improvements to the CPU players' avatars.
The start of 100 (so far!) unique achievements, ranging from the skillful, to the crazy/quirky! - These will be slowly starting to make their way in and LIVE, this week! :D
(Ps - BLITZ mode, Game state saving, and user-configurable controls coming soon!)