Infra Arcana, a horror/Lovecraft roguelike (now at v22.1.0!).

[Bear]

I think a bot that plays the game is a really good testing infrastructure.  Definitely not the easiest to implement, but good. 

Every thing that's different between the 'bot and the player character is a class of bugs you can't find, though.  Because your 'bot is immortal, you probably can't find bugs relating to taking damage, dying, and the highscores board with it.  Because a different 'bot plays the game in a way other than simulating keypresses, it probably can't find bugs relating to getting input.  Because a third 'bot plays the game without ever using the 'record/playback macro' facility, it can't find bugs relating to that.  And so on. 

And then there's even more subtle bugs that users find via typos and/or plain stupid moves, which the bot won't ever find if it's playing 'intelligently' all the time. 

An ideal QA bot uses *every* part of the game, exercises *every* part of the code that relates to the user, and every once in a while, makes a stupid or random move just to see what happens.

[NON]

Interesting post Bear, it actually makes me want to make even more use of the bot instead of deter me from it.

I just implemented knock-back from certain weapons. It was very handy to write the basic stuff, then send a bot out with a knock-back weapon while I continued to write some UI stuff etc. Then I could do a few short tests to see the results myself, while knowing that the bot had killed hundreds of monsters without crashing the game.

I think I will add some random picking up of items, wandering around to kill all monsters, using scrolls and potions etc, to exercise  more of the code.

[Kyzrati]

The bot from my last game had at its disposal every single command the player could perform, and used them all (plus randomness dependent on behavioral variables). Took forever to write (years, in fact ), but 1) it found pretty much every single bug and 2) once you're done with it, a little more tweaking and you have a brilliant NPC, or competition for the player!

[NON]

That's really cool. What game was it? Is there some way I can see it in action?

[Kyzrati]

I'm trying to distance myself from that game as much as possible these months , hence the heavy focus and pretty rapid progress on my new project. I'll tell you if/when I change my mind about bringing it up, sorry...

Until then I'll be enjoying working on X@COM and playing IA!

[Kyzrati]

Had a little time to advance yesterday--"WTF" is now on D16

It seems like the game gets easier and easier as you progress, since there aren't really any new/difficult enemies. I don't even have to worry about health (34 HP), and I still always have a pack full of Tesla ammo and kill everything before it even gets close. Once past the first few levels, these later ones seem trivial, which I suspect is because you haven't added all the challenges that will appear deeper in the dungeon? Might have to reduce ammo drops? I imagined the intent was that I'd run low on ammo at times and be forced to hack away with my Machete +5, or run.

Also, it wasn't just the green potion. *No* potions are identifying. I've drank lots of the same potions of different colors and still can't ID any of them. Did you find the same thing happening?

[NON]

It seems like the game gets easier and easier as you progress, since there aren't really any new/difficult enemies.

That is exactly the case. The difficulty peaks somewhere around dungeon level 10 in your version I think.

Might have to reduce ammo drops?

Yeah I suspect that it's too much now.

Also, it wasn't just the green potion. *No* potions are identifying. I've drank lots of the same potions of different colors and still can't ID any of them. Did you find the same thing happening?

I found the error!   
It was a mistake in the save file code.

[NON]

Release 9 (October 12, 2011)

http://infraarcana.wikispaces.com/Downloads


Highlights:
More elaborate skill system, potion throwing, some cool monsters, kicking, doors can be jammed with spikes...


New features
*Linux version
*Modified and expanded skill system:
~Some skills have been split (e.g. Firearms->Shotguns, Pistols, Automatics)
~You assign points instead of ranks
~The skills are ordered in groups (e.g. Stealth = Sneaking and Backstabbing)
~Putting points in one skill gives half the amount to all other skills in the same group
*New skills:
~Lore(Alchemy) - Used for identifying potions.
~Lore(Language) - Used for identifying scrolls.
*2 new unique monsters
*4 new common monsters
*Some more monster spells
*Doors can be jammed with iron spikes (j)
*Kick attack (k)
*Some attacks causes knock-back
*You can throw potions
*New symbol for walls (full square)
*Option for wall symbol (full square or '#')
*Option to skip intro-level
*Option for if 'Close', 'Bash', etc should always ask for direction
*Melee attack for fire hounds
*Command to "un-wield" missile weapons (M)

Fixes & changes
*The command to show the message log is now 'L' (used to be 'M')
*Cultists can drop scrolls and potions
*Potions and scrolls can spawn stacked
*Fixed a problem with save files messing up identified potions
*Messages in pop-up boxes are duplicated to the message history screen
*HP is raised more when gaining new levels, and starts a bit higher
*Disease lowers you to 3/4 HP instead of 1/2 HP
*Not all room entrances have doors
*Much lower masochism bonus (you could grind xp endlessly)
*Claustrophobia can not happen next to chasms
*The stairs could be hidden by certain things created by the special rooms
*More convenient configuration file (easier to choose font image)
*New AI for Fungi from Yuggoth (to avoid an exploit)
*The map is regenerated if too small
*Prevented chasms from making unreachable "islands"
*Fixed some code that may have made the game less stable

[getter77]

Fantastic!  Niftier skills systems make everything better alongside a host of other gains.  The future for this shines ever brighter.   

[Skeletor]

Wonderful news! Thank you NON!

[NON]

Release 9.1 (October 13, 2011)
Fixes & changes
*Fixed a faulty message when throwing potions on monsters ("it had no apparent effect..." even when the effect was obvious. Only the message was wrong though, not the actual identification)
*You lost iron spikes if you tried to jam an open door

[Skeletor]

BLUNT
Hammer
Club
Sledge hammer

HEDGED
Dagger
Machete
Axe
Hatchet
Pitchfork

.. right?

[NON]

Correct

[Skeletor]

What happens when you put spikes on a door? Monsters still manage to open it. Do they get some damages? are multiple spikes more effective?

Can armors be damaged/destroyed?

I  like this new skill system.

[NON]

What happens when you put spikes on a door?

Closed doors turns to stuck. Stuck doors gets more difficult to bash down.

Try it yourself. Set 3 spikes in a door and try to bash it down. Should be significantly harder than an ordinary stuck door.

Monsters still manage to open it.

Yes. With 3 spikes they only have have 1% chance to bash it down. But some monsters are very persistent, so if they try for many turns the odds are still pretty high.

Can armors be damaged/destroyed?

No, it's on the to-do list. Armors still totally sucks.

I  like this new skill system.

Nice. So do I.