When you download it, you'll notice that you have received an unfinished game! This is by design. Don't despair. By the time Blackshift is into Beta Testing (that comes after Alpha Testing, which is what this is), all placeholder graphics should be gone, there should be a lot more levels, and the Level Pit should be a bit more stable. But for now, this is the very beginning, and you are the brave colonists exploring a wild and capricious new land. Expect bugs, crashes, gnashing of teeth.
So that you, the players, might feel included in the development process, I've put up a public roadmap where you can see what's being worked on, and what's planned. There's also a separate one for graphics. Go there, make yourself at home, leave comments, suggest stuff.
I'm sure there are lots of bugs. If you've received your key, please let me know about any bugs you find, either through here, or email, or Twitter. A bug tracker might be a good idea, but I don't have one up yet.
As well as bugs, suggestions for general improvements are also welcome. Let me know how the game feels. Is the editor easy to use? Do things make sense? Don't be afraid to be critical, it's useful.
- Controls:
- Move: WASD or arrows
- Pickup/Drop: E or J
- Fire: Space or K
- Menu: Escape
- Restart: R
- Restart ignoring save points: Ctrl+R
- You can't edit or delete levels once published. Working on it.
- Options take effect next time you start the game.
If you've signed up but you haven't got your key yet, you shouldn't have long to wait. Once I know the basics work I'll start giving out keys more quickly, but I'm being super conservative with them here at the very start.
Check your email - I couldn't load it in my Lenovo Thinkpad Edge Portable with windows 7 due to a dll error d3dx9_43.dll. It worked fine on my ACER AMD with windows 8.1. ACER keyboard sucks so can't give an opinion yet. WASD sucks also, not good nor fast with my left hand and for some reason it sticks. Ha ha. Also, you are not keeping track of our advancements in the game nor levels shared per member, so I have to redo everything when I move to another computer with my same profile. Just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback! Looks like I've forgotten how to distribute DirectX apps because I was totally supposed to include that file. A few other people have been having DX problems so I'm going to try switching the whole thing over to OpenGL to see if that makes things simpler.
DeleteRe. controls, you can also use the arrow keys. I'll update the post to mention that.
Re. keeping track, that's true, and I'd be happy to change it, but then you wouldn't be able to play the game without an Internet connection. I kind of assumed people wouldn't be happy with that, but if I'm wrong I'll change it, because that makes it much easier to develop too :)
Until I get the DirectX situation sorted, here's the link to get DX from Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/download/details.aspx?id=34429
DeleteI'll just beat it on whatever machine I am using! Had some issues with the arrow keys on my Acer Win8.1 and they went the opposite direction and seemingly on their own! Same with WASD. I shut off my wireless mouse and it seem to correct it.... :/
ReplyDeleteSent you an email with another error code - it will not run on my 64 bit Win7 machine now but did yesterday
ReplyDeleteYeah, I messed it up. Uploading a fix now.
DeleteFixed now but you'll have to download again. That version is so broken it won't even run the updater.
DeleteI need sliders to do my next level to test something. Still can get it to work on my Lenova portable Win7 because of the dxf9_38.dll missing file. Tried a reboot and still didn't work. When I use my Win8.1, it works for a bit then, the arrow keys and WASD don't work and it goes remote controlled and the little guy commits suicide! Ha ha. Unit at work, Win7_64 bit now works fine after the upgrade today. No real help on the dll file on the internet for the Lenova including Microsoft.
ReplyDeleteOther comments:
- The pop up blockers need a shade of gray on the white to make them look 3-D
- Make the edit screen so we can see more of the playing field. It doesn't need to be actual game size
- Need the evil red blobs - up and down, side to side or just use the rollers - not available to us Alpha testers - ha ha - The evil red blobs look meaner than a rolling burrito!
Other-wize, game looks great. Gotta figure out how to make it work on my portables at home. Working on that...
Great feedback, thanks. Gonna take these one at a time:
Delete1. Can you try downloading and installing again on your Lenovo — I've bundled the DirectX installer now so it should install all the DirectX DLLs as well as Blackshift. You should see the DirectX window pop up after the Blackshift window with the blue bar.
2. Which pop-up blockers? If something is pure white that's probably a bug. Most things shouldn't be white. Can you take a screenshot?
3. Good idea, I can make the editor zoom out a bit. Might zoom the game out too.
4. You should be able to use the rollers, and everything else in the game. They should be the first thing on the enemy row (4th row).
5. Your control problems on win8.1 are weird. Maybe the 'remote control' effect is your input being delayed by a few seconds? No idea really.
Alpha testing is fun! :) Proud to be part of the team!
ReplyDeleteGood to have you on board.
DeleteI agree, obie!
DeleteHere's something that just happened to me:
When playtesting an old blackshift level I tried to adapt and rebuild in the new game, it somehow saved the current situation in the editor - so there's explosion marks on the ground, I start in the middle of the level and all the rollers etc are on the location were they were the moment I arrived on the restart-point. The thing is, now I can't start the level from the beginning anymore, since that situation now is considered the beginning. Maybe I can just delete every moving object and put it back in the start position manually.
There's more to come, of course, I just felt like sharing that one right away.
Btw. I didn't have any problems starting the game itself so far (Win7), only had to turn off Antivir until installation was done.
Weird! Did it save the situation at a save point, or just a random point in the level?
DeleteThe situation at the save point. That's where I'm starting from now, even with ctrl+r, because that's what the editor considers the start.
DeleteOK, I think I know what caused this. Shouldn't happen again after the next update.
DeleteLevel 16 - do not hit the [save progess] button, the whole thing will not work as the sliders stop and it will not reset even if I exit the game! I will try a re-boot to see if that works.
ReplyDeleteThe sliders stop? I know you can 'trap' yourself in that level by saving if you didn't push the blocks down first, is that what you mean? If so, Ctrl+R restarts the level from the start.
DeleteBut if the actual save point itself isn't working, i.e. you started the blocks moving, saved, and then they stopped, then that's interesting. Can you make it happen every time? I can't seem to make it happen at all.
What happened is the sliders stopped right at the back arrow. So, I went to C:\Users\[Name]\AppData\Roaming\Blackshift\Save States and deleted the last save and it worked. I went back next time and watched the sliders and when they were in mid mode, I hit save and it worked the next time.
DeleteWow, yep, confirmed bug. Will be fixed in the next update. Thanks.
DeleteThe little red bullet machine - you know, the one with the arrows on top totally locked up my Win8.1 portable. Not to worry too much, but this computer has been giving me issues for a while albeit it is a brand new ACER product. I used ESC to get out - saw a quick error message that was too quick to read. Anyone have issues in Win8.1? Still can load it in my Lenova Win7 Portable. due to the missing d3dx9_43.dll error. Microsnot apparently doesn't load the dx9 dll's but use something different. God I hate Microsnot!
DeleteOh yeah, I got the OgreException error code too, right after the above one. Thing works fine on my Win7 Desktop at work.
Deletefixed the d3dx9_43.dll error using a really hard to find source in microsnot support. But, the OgreException error is still a problem - win7 Lenovo portable. Will try to find a solution to the ogre exception error.
DeleteI'll check out the bullet machine — see if I can make it crash. Did you see my reply above about downloading & installing again on your Lenovo? I've bundled the d3dx9 stuff now.
DeleteWhat does the OgreException say?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteOgreException: https://imgur.com/lymoWGa
DeleteIt happens when you have the game running and the UAC (User Account Control) pops up. You can replicate it by running some other program as administrator.
Again: Win10 64bit
I think I got it figured out with the Ogre Exception - video cards are too slow in both Portable computers I use except in the Lenova ThinkPad Edge is worse than the Acer. Now I know RGA that in the old Blackshift, you had an ini file we could slow down the speeds - just sayin' here because, portables are nasty for slow video cards. That is probably why my Acer locked up on the Red Firing machine because it was too slow to process the graphics. Interestingly enough, both machines work fine on the Older Blackshift - no problemas! Just a note - still testing... Made a few more levels I am testing.
ReplyDeleteNew Blackshift also has a lot of room for improvement in the speed department. Once it stops crashing for people my next priority is optimization. I'm also planning a graphics quality setting.
DeleteOne thing you can do for performance right now is to use a smaller resolution ("Video Mode" in options).
I will send you an email on this subject
DeleteRGA - Ha ha - I like the way you destroyed my "untitled" level with the lasers. Well, I kinda thought of that solution but didn't think the experts would figure it out so, I put up my solution - ha ha.. Still waiting for sliders. Need to test something so I can re-input some of my older levels. BTW, your parts menu is mixed up a bit. Everything is there but not in the order that you originally had.
ReplyDeleteLOL I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be disruptive :P That's the only way I could think to do it. Didn't peek at the solutions before solving it, natch.
DeleteAbout the menu, are you saying you want it in the order that Netshift had it? That might not happen, but it is sort of logical. Also, fun fact, the keyboard shortcuts for the items are pretty much identical to how they were in Blackshift.
Speaking of which, do you happen to have some kind of list for these item shortcuts? I kiiiind of messed up my (old) blackshift map when trying to copy it, and I can't seem to find all the stuff I need again - especially the button to get rid of misplaced pushable boxes.
DeleteTo not be completely off-topic: I did notice a few differences which make the level not work the way I built it back then:
- Pickable items don't block enemies anymore when dropped on the ground. I guess that makes sense.
- Explosions seem less destructive, since only mines vanish while bullets and non-explosive boxes seem unimpressed.
- Also, bullets are quite a bit slower than I remember them to be. Interesting.
- Teleporters used to require activation, so you couldn't teleport anything but yourself. I like how it works for boxes and enemies now, too. The grey (two-way?) teleporters don't seem to work just yet, though. When I tried them, they froze the game each time.
- Moving blocks don't kill you but push you if able, and conveyor belt beats arrow block. Might try a few things with that later on.
- I can't turn my nose in a direction without going there. So, when in a narrow passageway, I can't turn to shoot through not-bulletblocking walls.
- The 4-colored switches don't seem to work right. No matter which one I shoot, only the blue doors open.
Here is the old Blackshift key map: http://foon.uk/blackshift/editkeys.html
DeleteIt's not identical to the new one but it's very close. I'd like to make a new one but bug hunting takes priority.
> Pickable items don't block enemies anymore when dropped on the ground. I guess that makes sense.
Yep, on purpose. It might be good to have one item that blocks enemies though.
> Explosions seem less destructive, since only mines vanish while bullets and non-explosive boxes seem unimpressed.
They're also harder to die in since you don't die if you walk into one, just if it explodes on top of you.
I'm thinking of changing it so bullets die to explosions, not sure about boxes.
> Also, bullets are quite a bit slower than I remember them to be. Interesting.
Might have to fire up the old Blackshift and check. They are pretty slow. If I'm going to make them faster I'd better do it now.
> The grey (two-way?) teleporters don't seem to work just yet, though
Thanks, didn't know this.
> Moving blocks don't kill you but push you if able
Yep. I prefer this in general BUT it does mean you can't set up a Boulderdash level where down-blocks sit atop diamonds and guard them. Considering making them more dangerous again (but keeping the pushing mechanic).
> and conveyor belt beats arrow block
Yep. Force strengths are:
Ice, Conveyor: 3
Arrow block: 2
Player, Enemies: 1
(And enemies can't push things.)
Idea: enemies that can push things.
> I can't turn my nose in a direction without going there. So, when in a narrow passageway, I can't turn to shoot through not-bulletblocking walls.
Yep, that's on purpose. Thought it might lead to some interesting puzzles. Kinda unrealistic maybe.
> The 4-colored switches don't seem to work right. No matter which one I shoot, only the blue doors open.
Thanks! I was going to disable colour doors before releasing the alpha, but I forgot. Not surprised they're broken but I will fix it.
Enemies that can push? That sounds complicated, sure would make for some new possibilities. But then again, arrow blocks can push now, too.
DeleteThe "you can't turn towards a wall" thing might work as an alternative for the directional bullets. but you're right, it does seem a bit unrealistic. Maybe needs an introduction level to show it's on purpose.
And thanks for the shortcut list, maybe I can still fix it :D
Still no idea how I managed to make the guns go off at the start, though. Can't find a trigger and don't know how and why it ever worked 6_9
Love the keyboard shortcuts, it makes editing so much easier - duh, spacebar for pan (Pan was a pain), Alt for pick, Tab for components - etc! All is good but what I was saying is that the menu is mixed up and you got the meat mixed with the vegetables and the dessert is everywhere! Ha ha
ReplyDeleteUpdate me Rob, Zxin and Wunk got menu items I don't have! Plus, they can name their levels
ReplyDeleteEveryone gets the updates at the same time. Also, everyone gets all the menu items and can rename their levels (but the rename function is buggy and doesn't always work — it isn't singling you out, though!)
DeleteWhich menu items can't you find? Roller enemies are 1st item on 4th row.
I will delete and update it myself, sorry to bother you. F'n game is awesome and Zxin and Wunk will destroy it soon - ha ha ha! These two guys have put up the most challenging games ever (in the old and now the new). I need the sliders to test my stuff and the rolling snausages!
DeleteNaming levels didn't work every time for me, either ;-)
DeleteAnd I'm not trying to break anything, just playing around with the mechanics (which has always been my favorite thing to do) and testing how far I can go *walks away whistling*
Stechus - what's your game name and who the hell is Pepe? I know Wunk and Zxin. Good to have you on board!
DeleteOh, sorry, I keep forgetting that this uses the name I signed up with for yutube. I'm Wunk. About Pepe I don't know either.
DeleteIt's Fepe, with an F ;).
DeleteHello!
Good to be on board too. ;P
DeleteNot sure about destroying the game, but I have found some interesting bugs and such so far.
P.S. It's spelled zxin. =3
Left the game on and it locked up. Used Ctrl Alt Del to bring up task manager and noticed it is a 32 bit program. Ended the process and put it back on. At any rate, finally found the rolling sausage. Ha ha ha. Mixed it up with the random rolling fire ball with interesting results. Working on my next level with these two puppies! The change colour squares don't work yet and still waiting for sliders!
ReplyDeleteWhat are sliders?
DeleteSlippery tiles. It appears the Zxin has them on his unbeatable level. I can't find them in the menu.
DeleteThey're there, just before the conveyor belts.
DeleteThey did confuse me a bit as well, because in the editor I can't tell them from empty tiles.
DeleteThat's a bug, they're supposed to look like this: http://i.imgur.com/PbjQqPB.png
DeleteI have a few missing textures and I don't know if it's part of the alpha or not. Do you have a list of the ones missing for me to look? Right now I can think of the one that doesn't let you pass if you have an item with you. It shows all white
DeleteThe only missing textures I know of are those two — had reports of both from Windows users (don't think there are any Mac users on the alpha yet).
DeleteFixing these is not a priority for me at the mo, because I'm rewriting a lot of the rendering code for speed reasons anyway, and if we're lucky it will fix the missing textures too.
Great! One other thing, the completed levels, is there supposed to be a tick or something? I see an empty square, probably something related to encoding or something like that: https://imgur.com/fCl2wSk
DeleteAnd yup, I'm on Win10 64bit
Hah, that'll teach me to cheap out and use Unicode instead of making proper images. Cheers, will fix.
DeleteMan it would be nice to edit our submitted levels. I just screwed one up and now it is way too easy to beat! I should have put a blocker in it so, I couldn't carry weapons through the portal And, how do you put names on your levels
ReplyDeleteEditing is planned, probably the next thing I do after I finish this monster speed boost update.
DeleteRename levels by clicking their title.
I've been playing a lot, but having a hard time coming up with suggestions or bugs not addressed here or in Trello. Still going at it, though. Here are some comments:
ReplyDeleteOn the editor, I think it might be easier if you can pan with ASDW, and do the placing of items with the mouse, maybe with the items being displayed without covering the whole screen. Maybe dividing them in categories (carryable, movable, "enemies", etc). I've been playing Prison Architect lately and I think that would be a confortable way of editing levels. (Although using shortcuts for the items reminded me a lot to the original Blackshift)
Zooming of course would be great, but I've seen in Trello that you are working on it. By the way, I can't comment on the cards there, is anyone supposed to be able to comment, or do I have to have a Trello account with the same email address used for the alpha?
And one more thing, what's your take on dying to complete a level? (e.g. level 17). Do you consider it a flaw in the design or is it a valid way of completing a level? I remember it took you dying to complete a few levels in the original Blackshift, but I don't know your take on it. Specifically in levels where there are other ways of completing it.
Thanks for your thoughts re. the editor. Panning definitely needs to improve — nobody who isn't a Photoshop person will think to try holding spacebar. Categories would definitely help, I'll add that to Trello.
DeleteHaving the item menu always visible is an option too. Once the performance update is done, people should be able to use bigger screen resolutions without their computers exploding which would make this option more attractive.
Thanks for the heads-up re Trello comments. I thought I had enabled them but I hadn't! Done now.
Suicide wins — I was thinking they should maybe count as a win, but a 'lesser' win. So, high-scores of self-immolators appear below those who got out unscathed; you don't get 100% completion in the single-player, etc. I would consider wins using nukes (once implemented) to work in a similar way.
Took a look at Task Manager when your program runs. It is chewing up 26% of computer power and a lot of memory. When I use my portable ACER Win8.1, the controls sometimes go stupid and I have to exit completely and go back in. Almost too much program for this computer (Also, 8.1 totally sucks - hate to try it on Win10). Making another game - stupid stuff to test the limits of close encounters. My game levels sometimes duplicate themselves on my page. But this is the ACER so, don't sweat it too much. Powerful autocad computer at work did not crash all day.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the red bullet machine crashes the program - error message is "too many bullets".
As for panning, the shift key works fine but, sometimes (on my good computer Win7, as soon as I move my cursor, it becomes a copy machine. I have to left click to stop it.
That's all for now.
Yeah, performance is ridiculous. The game makes very inefficient use of your computer at the moment but I'm working on an update that will fix this.
DeleteThanks for the bug reports!
Don't even think about changing the name of the level and then hit play! I locked up so bad, Ctrl Alt Del couldn't bring up Task Manager to stop the process. Ha ha.. The only way I got one named is by naming it before I created the level. I got another one named but it only shows up on my levels and for some reason I got a lot of duplicate levels all "untitled".
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSince we cannot turn when blocked, we need directional guns. I got a few levels I would like to produce but, they need directional guns. Is anyone publishing levels beside me, Wunk, you and Zxin with his impossible level? Building a new one tonight. You might recognize it - Level 10.
ReplyDeleteI've only given out about 5 keys for now. Don't worry, there's been more interest than that! I just want to get some issues sorted out before letting the world in.
DeleteDirectional missiles: eh, I dunno. I'll think about it.
Re: Directional missiles - I can directionalise them using arrow sliders. Figured out how to name the levels but the hard way. Program crashed my Win8.1 portable doing it and had to do a cold boot.
ReplyDeleteThe random Purple Ball isn't all that random and I could almost predict what it was going to do - kinda cool (Laser Fun). That level locked up on me and wouldn't let me quit while playing it.
Thanks again for letting be on the team Rob!
No problemo, thanks for your feedback! Purple ball is kinda random but not entirely. I made it as a variation of the follower enemy that wouldn't get stuck too easily in mazes.
DeleteIts strategy is something like "Go towards player unless that would mean turning back, otherwise turn randomly, and try not to ever stop."
I think I understand the rolling ball. If it can't see you, it kinda goes nuts but Is still predictable - I like it because, I can do a countdown when it decides to go in a spin and when I move. it is a bit random. It can be controlled a bit as I have seen. If I do the same thing every time, so does it. Nice addition. You can see by my latest levels that I have dealt with the non directional weapons. The last one gave you some freebies if you get lucking. Gonna work with the square dice looking guy who goes up/down/left/right.
DeleteI got a few requests including the bubbles (Red. Blue, Green) to work plus the memory issue but I know you are working on that issue. Yellow does work, 3rd green button. Anyway, know you got issues to deal with, I am just having some fun making stuff! Great to have this game back!
Rob - Can you delete that stupid Rolling Sausage Race? I made a mistake and somehow it got published 3 times! There was supposed to be only one way to get thru there and now it is way too easy...
ReplyDeleteSure, done. Level pit is going to get some attention after speed update.
DeleteHaving fun Rob - Yeah, posted a few levels today but testing the components. The rolling red Death Square is interesting - a bit of a follower but, when it gets bored, it goes away. Trying not to make the levels too difficult at present, but I got some devious levels in mind. One thing I might let you mull about is, that at least one of the sticky things should be able to be blown up. But, I can work with that. If a guy named Sabik or Ernie is in the loop, give them a key. Sabik is the master of blocks and Sticky elements, Ernie is the master of the deflectors. Just saying.
DeleteBTW, sometimes, in practice mode, if you lose the level, it get's stuck and will not exit. Sometimes you gotta use Task Manager to get out.
Lava cube is totally random; it might appear to be following you but that's just perfectly ordinary paranoia.
DeleteTry my new level (No Bullet Enigma)! I got another one on my Win8.1 portable called the Safety Dance that I will submit tonight. I think it is a neat feature and you could make a wicked maze of this! Also learned that the Lava Cube does exactly the same pattern every time I played that level and could kill them both in a hurry. Got the thing to go to full screen but was not as sharp (blurry). It would be nicer if the field of play could be extended so we don't have to do so much panning.
ReplyDeleteRob, I sent you an email on a temporary fix for the "Locked Save" enigma when you are testing levels that don't work.
ReplyDeleteThrew out a little test for you Rob. Something I have been experimenting with. You can hide stuff under components but, it is not consistent. Sometimes it depends on how you place them. I like it actually as it might make for an interesting level.
ReplyDeleteI screwed up a couple of naming games but, they also include these hidden items. I wouldn't change anything because of this but, just having some fun!
I still get locked up some times when I win a level and have to exit the program (task manager) to get out of it and sometimes have to reboot my computer in both Acer win8.1 and desktop win7. This might have something to do with the memory hawg of this program and windows. I don't know and don't know how to check the error logs.
And, Wunk, I have no idea how you got thru those Rollers (on the "untitled" laser bug level) without shooting one! ha ha ha.
Sorry about posting so many levels and knocking everyone out, but then again, I seem to be the only one posting! Might be nice Rob to allow more levels to be shown instead of burying them into the abyss - ha ha!
All the components that work seem to be stable and it is definitely more like Blackshift than Netshift. Not that I am complaining albeit there were some cool things you could do in Netshift that you can't here. I'll get back to that later...
Only the Yellow blocker works now and the Blue, Green and Red ones don't. The menu get's mixed up randomly as well. It would be nice to have the Neutral Blocker that you can turn on and off but the orange blocker works as well but, on that one, you can get through it by standing on it!
Enough for now Rob, give out a few more keys and let's see what others discover.
> You can hide stuff under components but, it is not consistent. Sometimes it depends on how you place them. I like it actually as it might make for an interesting level.
DeleteYeah, I should really make that consistent. Also, you can drop items on way too
many squares. Safe-squares, pegs, save points etc. should really be non-drop.
The mirror under the glass block in your test level reminded me of an idea I wanted to do -- pushable mirrors. Would have added them by now but making lasers do something relevant with them would be tricky. Maybe if they were opaque while moving...
> I still get locked up some times
Hoping the new renderer will fix this. It's much faster and easier on the CPU, but it doesn't look quite as good yet. Going to drop an update soon which lets you turn the new renderer on in options, then make it default once it's pretty.
> Sorry about posting so many levels and knocking everyone out, but then again, I seem to be the only one posting! Might be nice Rob to allow more levels to be shown instead of burying them into the abyss - ha ha!
Don't be sorry! It shows me I need to change the listing page. Alpha testing is all about trying to break the game, haha.
Also, I fixed the user pages so you can see a user's levels by clicking their name from one of their level pages. Going to add more places you can get there from too.
> some cool things you could do in Netshift that you can't here. I'll get back to that later...
Please do, I'd be happy to add them if possible.
> Only the Yellow blocker works now and the Blue, Green and Red ones don't.
Known issue, working on it.
> The menu get's mixed up randomly as well.
Got a screenshot?
> It would be nice to have the Neutral Blocker that you can turn on and off
That's the key/door if I understand right -- I just need to add the "restore doors" machine.
> but the orange blocker works as well but, on that one, you can get through it by standing on it!
W-what?
> Enough for now Rob, give out a few more keys and let's see what others discover.
Will do, just need to get it fast & stable first. Otherwise I'll get loads of bug reports from the new peeps about stuff I already know about, and it might turn some of them off the game.
How I got through there? I don't know either, I just tried and got lucky. Probably wouldn't make it a second time, haha
DeleteAbout noone else posting levels: At least I have an excuse: my pc broke last weak and I couldn't really run the game on my parents' computer (Windows 8 isn't really my playground, something about the DirectX didn't work)
But now I'm back and ready, though a bit busy with other stuff.
That safe ground + mine combination of yours is really interesting, wouldn't have thought of that (mainly because it didn't work like that in the old version). Gotta find something to get back at you ;-)
Wunk
Screen shot sent. On the levels where I get locked up and have to exit the game are when the "Cosmic rays" message comes up (sometimes). Okay, one of the cool things from Netshift was if you put a bomb next to an arrow key and set off the bomb, the force of the blast would move any movable object 1 space in the direction dictated by the arrow key. I used it with slippery tiles to send movable objects in various directions. This worked in every direction from the bomb blast which was one space.
DeleteAs for the Orange button, it has always been that way (including the on/off gate) You can see it in my Sliders and Stickys level.
Yeah, those safety levels are rad. Also Stechus your contraptions with sticky blocks and conveyors are amazing.
DeleteThat Netshift feature sounds like a bug to me -- probably the explosion was getting pushed by the conveyor belt. I won't be bringing that back, but it would be cool to be able to send objects around like that. Maybe some kind of piston?
DeleteThat reminds me of another fun thing in netshift. I guess it's also considered a bug, but you could construct the craziest stuff with those teleport-bumps (when you teleport to a blocked teleporter tile and the block gets sent the same distance - if there's enough room)
DeleteSpeaking of which, it seems like all teleporters of one color are hard-linked to one specific teleport-destiny. If that's blocked, you can't teleport, even if there are other teleporter-tiles of that color. I'm not that much of a Sokoban-fan, but it sure would be fun to make the player push blocks on the "wrong" teleporter tiles so he will be sent to the "right" one in the next room. I hope you know what I'm getting at, kinda hard to explain in (english) words.
Two types of pistons - One that you can re-use and one that can be only used once! It would also be nice to click on a player's name and play his/her published levels.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Stechus! It is programmed to go to the nearest tile and if that tile is blocked, you go nowhere.
ReplyDeleteHere's a bug with the universal teleporter. When you place the first one down, it will work if you put a second one down. However, the second one doesn't transport back. Now place a 3rd one on the map, and it works but goes to the second tile! Now this is the bad part. Delete the second one and try to use the first one! Ha ha ha - froze the game... Oh well, Rob did say it didn't work so I won't mess with it anymore.
ReplyDeleteLately I've been getting this error message: https://imgur.com/mUDCstP
ReplyDeleteOut of the blue, and it disappears just as suddenly.
And I've also been getting the same error some guys have been talking about. Not being able to quit some levels (from the level pit). "Continue" and "Restart" both work, but "Quit" doesn't do anything
Yea, I get that as well and it probably is due to you computer being overloaded. Ha ha I click on Fine and exit the program and go back in.
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ReplyDeleteBy the way, if you get stuck on a level you are making after you have saved your position, go to c:\ ,users, your name, AppData ,roaming and Blackshift and erase the file in Saved States (win8.1)
DeleteI made a level using the Universal Teleporter that works. You just have to remember to make your second teleporter where you want to come back to on the map. I will post it in a bit. I will try to add a 4th to the map and see how it works.
Also had some fun with the conveyors and the sticky blocks but sometimes it gets unglued!
Teleporters need some work. They are okay if you don't block a landing pad. Seems to think of the nearest one is the landing pad and if it is blocked, won't go anywhere else thank-you.
ReplyDeleteI think I found a way to copy "wip" levels from one computer to another. It's in AppData Blackshift Cache. Will try it tonite. If it works, just before I publish, will make a copy, publish and be able to fix screw-ups. That could be cool because we could even share unfinished files.
Some ideas besides the piston and push deflector would be a portable laser weapon and and a tile that speeds up the bullet, like make it jump one space.