61
Programming / Re: A Better Name for LambdaRogue's new "Coffeebreak Mode"
« on: June 11, 2012, 10:25:42 PM »
I did it for you, Krice, for YOU. ;P
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62
Incubator / The LambdaRogue 1.7 Incubator Thread
« on: June 11, 2012, 09:37:31 PM »
This thread is for discussing development of the next major update of LambdaRogue, which will be 1.7.
1. What is LambdaRogue?
"LambdaRogue: The Book of Stars" is a roguelike RPG I started to develop in 2006. Currently, we are at version 1.6.4, with a final 1.6.5 update of the 1.6 branch due in some weeks. LR is inspired by games like Moria, Angband, Diablo and WoW.
LambdaRogue is available for Windows, Linux, and MacOS Lion. Somebody also did a port of an older version for the Nokia Maemo.
Official website: http://lambdarogue.net
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/LambdaRogue/108441390634
In contrast to most other roguelikes, LambdaRogue features a rather complex story, including a main questline and several side questlines, each comprising of several individual quests. To win the game, the player usually has to fulfill at least the quests of the main story. However, in update 1.6.4 a so-called "coffeebreak mode" has been added, which is a story-free dungeon crawling mode, allowing for straightforward hack'n'slash.
To find out about the current features of the game, refer to the game guide: http://lambdarogue.net/guide.html The guide describes version 1.6.1 and thus lacks information on changes made in the latest updates, but the main concepts (skills, professions, gods, etc.) are still valid.
2. Goals for Update 1.7
Besides the usual bug fixing, balancing adjustments, and minor additions, I want to achieve the following goals:
2.1 Content Goals
2.2 Interface Goals
1. What is LambdaRogue?
"LambdaRogue: The Book of Stars" is a roguelike RPG I started to develop in 2006. Currently, we are at version 1.6.4, with a final 1.6.5 update of the 1.6 branch due in some weeks. LR is inspired by games like Moria, Angband, Diablo and WoW.
LambdaRogue is available for Windows, Linux, and MacOS Lion. Somebody also did a port of an older version for the Nokia Maemo.
Official website: http://lambdarogue.net
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/LambdaRogue/108441390634
In contrast to most other roguelikes, LambdaRogue features a rather complex story, including a main questline and several side questlines, each comprising of several individual quests. To win the game, the player usually has to fulfill at least the quests of the main story. However, in update 1.6.4 a so-called "coffeebreak mode" has been added, which is a story-free dungeon crawling mode, allowing for straightforward hack'n'slash.
To find out about the current features of the game, refer to the game guide: http://lambdarogue.net/guide.html The guide describes version 1.6.1 and thus lacks information on changes made in the latest updates, but the main concepts (skills, professions, gods, etc.) are still valid.
2. Goals for Update 1.7
Besides the usual bug fixing, balancing adjustments, and minor additions, I want to achieve the following goals:
2.1 Content Goals
- expand the Forgotten Realm with more dungeon levels, treasures, and enemy types
- ensure that the Forgotten Realm significantly differs from the main dungeon in terms of atmosphere and features
- add a new side questline for characters who believe in Dionysa, the goddess of food and joy
- add even more new monster abilities (like those I added in 1.6.4)
- add player achievements (which are global and not character-based; things like "Kammerjäger - 1000 antbees exterminated")
2.2 Interface Goals
- re-enable use of the mouse for movement and dungeon/monster interactions -> mouse did work in earlier LambdaRogue versions, but mouse support was mostly removed later on.
- streamline character generation screens into one screen similar to the screen of Diablo III
- add filters to questlog (filtering for quests belonging to main story, side stories, or single quests)
- add "personal library" for storing books and scriptures (so they don't waste inventory space)
- optional: implement the new big 40x80 tileset (it's unlikely that I reach this goal, however. It all depends on money.)
63
Early Dev / Re: Roguelike Incubator
« on: June 11, 2012, 09:27:18 PM »
Now obviously the subforum is available, thanks to whoever did create it! 
64
Early Dev / Re: Roguelike Incubator
« on: June 11, 2012, 05:18:53 PM »
Thanks for registering that blog. Is this for development updates of the individual games, or for general bundle news? (What if I already have my own dev blog?)
65
Early Dev / Re: Roguelike Incubator
« on: June 11, 2012, 04:51:22 PM »
I agree, Darren. Maybe something in spirit of the "Humble Bundle"
66
Early Dev / Re: Roguelike Incubator
« on: June 11, 2012, 01:19:27 PM »
Okay, I'm in with LambdaRogue 1.7. (But before that, a 1.6.5 update will conclude the current 1.6 branch.)
67
Programming / Re: A Better Name for LambdaRogue's new "Coffeebreak Mode"
« on: June 10, 2012, 07:26:52 PM »
Welcome to this forum. The place where most the roguelike nerds gather ... 
Thanks for your suggestion, although both casual and arcade are imo misleading: The game is not easier than in story mode, or less complex in terms of what one can do. It just has fewer levels and, well, no story
The inspiration for LambdaRogue came in 2006 from Angband and Diablo, and later from World of Warcraft. I think this was before Desktop Dungeons. Never played this, too.
The coffeebreak mode was added, because Krice complained that he was forced to play the story to win the game. And sometimes I feel the same.
Thanks for your suggestion, although both casual and arcade are imo misleading: The game is not easier than in story mode, or less complex in terms of what one can do. It just has fewer levels and, well, no story
The inspiration for LambdaRogue came in 2006 from Angband and Diablo, and later from World of Warcraft. I think this was before Desktop Dungeons. Never played this, too.
The coffeebreak mode was added, because Krice complained that he was forced to play the story to win the game. And sometimes I feel the same.
68
Traditional Roguelikes (Turn Based) / Re: LambdaRogue 1.6.4 released
« on: June 10, 2012, 03:58:35 PM »
I think terms of game modes don't need to be congruent with a setting. It's like "single player", "multiplayer" etc.
But as you're not the first to complain about the name, here's a poll to vote:
http://roguetemple.com/forums/index.php?topic=2435.0
But as you're not the first to complain
about the name, here's a poll to vote:http://roguetemple.com/forums/index.php?topic=2435.0
69
Programming / A Better Name for LambdaRogue's new "Coffeebreak Mode"
« on: June 10, 2012, 03:57:24 PM »
This is a poll for helping me finding a maybe better name for the "coffeebreak" mode which I just added to LambdaRogue 1.6.4.
As you maybe know, the usual gameplay of LambdaRogue forces the player to follow a story and doing quests; it's not possible to win the game without doing this. But sometimes, even I just want to hack'n'slay through the dungeon and kill the ultimate evil (which is, in LambdaRogue, Eris, the evil goddess).
So since the new update 1.6.4, we have "story mode" (the traditional full game), and "coffeebreak mode" (where you start in the 1st level, go down to level 20 and kill Eris). Coffeebreak mode is faster than story mode and can be completed (theoretically) during an afternoon.
As I was told by several people, the term "coffeebreak mode" may not be the best. So please vote in this poll for alternatives or post in this thread for additional suggestions.
Answer 8 is a bit ironic, whereas answer 9 is for people who want to express that story/quests are a mistake anyway, and an improved "coffeebreak" mode should be the standard.
As you maybe know, the usual gameplay of LambdaRogue forces the player to follow a story and doing quests; it's not possible to win the game without doing this. But sometimes, even I just want to hack'n'slay through the dungeon and kill the ultimate evil (which is, in LambdaRogue, Eris, the evil goddess).
So since the new update 1.6.4, we have "story mode" (the traditional full game), and "coffeebreak mode" (where you start in the 1st level, go down to level 20 and kill Eris). Coffeebreak mode is faster than story mode and can be completed (theoretically) during an afternoon.
As I was told by several people, the term "coffeebreak mode" may not be the best. So please vote in this poll for alternatives or post in this thread for additional suggestions.
Answer 8 is a bit ironic, whereas answer 9 is for people who want to express that story/quests are a mistake anyway, and an improved "coffeebreak" mode should be the standard.
70
Traditional Roguelikes (Turn Based) / LambdaRogue 1.6.4 released
« on: June 10, 2012, 12:04:06 PM »
What a happy Sunday -- LambdaRogue 1.6.4 is here! This patch gives monsters (esp. bosses) some new special abilities, adds more than 60 new items, incl. 18 set items, places random traps in the dungeons, as well as some elite monsters, improves interface, and introduces the new "Coffeebreak" game mode, allowing you to play the game without quests and story.
In coffeebreak mode, your goal is simple: Go down to dungeon level 20 and kill Eris, the evil deity. Nothing more. In coffebreak mode, profession ranks are gained automatically in character levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20.
Save games of previous versions are not compatible. Finish your current game before updating.
Downloads: http://lambdarogue.net/downloads.html
Read the long complete changelog: http://lambdarogue.net/dl-showentry.php?n=260
Help LambdaRogue by donating for it: http://lambdarogue.net/donate.html
In coffeebreak mode, your goal is simple: Go down to dungeon level 20 and kill Eris, the evil deity. Nothing more. In coffebreak mode, profession ranks are gained automatically in character levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20.
Save games of previous versions are not compatible. Finish your current game before updating.
Downloads: http://lambdarogue.net/downloads.html
Read the long complete changelog: http://lambdarogue.net/dl-showentry.php?n=260
Help LambdaRogue by donating for it: http://lambdarogue.net/donate.html
71
Early Dev / Re: Roguelike Incubator
« on: June 10, 2012, 09:59:09 AM »
Okay. In general, I'm fine with this, and I would really like to receive and to give feedback.
But I'm not sure if it really made sense for the whole cabal thing, if LambdaRogue was included -- it may affect the rest of the games badly, maybe. Hm...
Edit: I think "affect badly" was unclear said. My main concern is that some games might be completely new, while others are more mature, and esp. the new games deserve much feedback. Games which exist for a long time probably can't include all suggestions given in the feedbacks, besides bug, interface and balancing reports. Conceptual changes would be more difficult.
But I'm not sure if it really made sense for the whole cabal thing, if LambdaRogue was included -- it may affect the rest of the games badly, maybe. Hm...
Edit: I think "affect badly" was unclear said. My main concern is that some games might be completely new, while others are more mature, and esp. the new games deserve much feedback. Games which exist for a long time probably can't include all suggestions given in the feedbacks, besides bug, interface and balancing reports. Conceptual changes would be more difficult.
72
Early Dev / Re: Roguelike Incubator
« on: June 09, 2012, 06:23:07 PM »
As I said, I am (basically) in, too -- but first (as you're the one who brought up the idea and should organize it 
) please clarify what exactly the cabal now will be:
1. Individual developers working on individual games, giving input and feedback to each other?
2. Teams, where each team creates one game?
3. Both is possible?
??
) please clarify what exactly the cabal now will be:1. Individual developers working on individual games, giving input and feedback to each other?
2. Teams, where each team creates one game?
3. Both is possible?
??
73
Other Announcements / Re: Starcraft II Diablo Mod - Neat
« on: June 08, 2012, 08:13:30 AM »
Does this SC map contain the whole Diablo 1 or just a small part?
74
Programming / Re: Beginner's Guide to Roguelike Development
« on: June 08, 2012, 08:01:53 AM »Quote
The concern is that oop is an abstract and long-to-explain topic that beginners may not have the patience for just yet.
I'm not sure -- it should be a good mixture and depends on what you want to program. OOP is very good for creating creatures, items, buildings etc., because you can easily describe the things and processes you see in your imagination using objects. You don't need to explain the concepts behind OOP -- you can simply use OOP, and explain the details later.
Edit: What I mean by this: Don't teach newbies programming by stating
"To program a roguelike with a dragon and a knight, we need to care about data structures, algorithms, and to choose a programming paradigm. There are several programming paradigms and their advantages and disadvantages are..."
Instead, tell them:
"Okay, we need to create the dragon and the knight. Both are some kind of object, and in our programming language objects are created by writing XYZ. Now we have created our dragon. We can now add some properties to the dragon, like sex, color, health, strength. Such things can be expressed numerical, so we simply add numbers to our object. This is done like this ... Now the same for the knight. Okay, to make them move on the screen, we need them to listen to the player's input."
So simply start programming by creating and refining objects which resemble the game world and its inhabitants, but don't talk about what OOP really is. This is useful later, but not for a total newbie who simply wants to get a hobby project started. This newbie needs successful experiences very soon, otherwise it's likely that he'll give up.
(Well ... actually in LambdaRogue I started without OOP, and only use records, and lots of global variables, but I once started a complete re-write of the game (LR 2.0) which only uses OOP. However, this project will probably never be finished, because it's more efficient to work on the 1.x branch).
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Other Announcements / Re: Starcraft II Diablo Mod - Neat
« on: June 07, 2012, 08:54:52 AM »
Lol, this seems very funny, I defintely have to check this out. Thanks for posting, Jo!