beta snake

[heartbone]

I have spent the past month writing a small snake game and I feel confident that it is close to ready for the general public.
All that remains is for my daughter to finish some graphical replacement elements.
So at this point I'd much like to get some fresh hands and eyes on the project.
Linked below are the three beta versions for you to check out.

Sna{c}key beta.zip 2.92 MB Windows all CPUs
Sna{c}key beta (x86).tar 2.95 MB Linux 32-bit CPUs
Sna{c}key beta (x64).tar 2.96 MB Linux 64-bit CPUs

In the highly unlikely case that there are no problems found, then the only changes to the beta will be the graphics replacements.
I realize that the egg counter at the top right corner during non-stop play mode is difficult to see with the current beta graphics, but in the release version those black digits won't be a problem.

I developed the Windows version on 32-bit Windows XP, and tested it on 64-bit Windows Vista.
Because I do not have Windows 7 or above, I would be most interested in any reports from those users.
I am developing and testing the Linux versions of my game on UBUNTU, and I would be happy to read some reports from users running it on the other Linux distros.
I am confident that the Windows version will run without problems, however the Linux environment does not inspire the same level of confidence.

The graphic below is there to tip you about something not otherwise mentioned.



Any helpful feedback will be appreciated.

[BasicallyPure]

Hi,
Tested with Windows 7 64 bit.
No problems noticed except I never was able to unlock the curved snake.
Pressing S+Arrow produces a sound but no noticeable change otherwise.

BP

[IdeasVacuum]

...the fake BSOD is possibly not a good idea, depending on the physical health of your customer!
Edit 1
Minor thing - use a snake as the icon.
The curly brackets in the name will set-off anti-virus alarm bells at some time (not kidding).
Edit 2
Works really well on Win8.1x64
For people like me, there are a lot of instructions to absorb - one of those is how to pop the instructions back on screen. That should be via an icon.

[True29]

hi , menu is little bit lagging. example the screen fx
windows 8 <

[heartbone]

Hi,
Tested with Windows 7 64 bit.
No problems noticed except I never was able to unlock the curved snake.
Pressing S+Arrow produces a sound but no noticeable change otherwise.

BP

Thanks, that's one OK for Win 7 x64 which is good to know.
It takes at least 5 games of record in eat 10 eggs mode with one being sub 30 seconds combined with 5 games of record in the non-stop mode with one over three dozen eggs and one averaging less than 3 seconds per egg.
The click that you hear before unlocking the curved snake is a result of the arrow key press being detected.

...the fake BSOD is possibly not a good idea, depending on the physical health of your customer!
Edit 1
Minor thing - use a snake as the icon.
The curly brackets in the name will set-off anti-virus alarm bells at some time (not kidding).
Edit 2
Works really well on Win8.1x64
For people like me, there are a lot of instructions to absorb - one of those is how to pop the instructions back on screen. That should be via an icon.

If any of my customers have a problem with my prank they can return the product. It's just too bad that the compiler can't do Linux in full screen. Does anyone remember melt on Unix?
I do appreciate the icon suggestions. In my mind I already do have a snake icon. The letter S's form is very snake like in an abstract way is it not?
Any anti-virus that detects a threat based on a file's name needs to be retired.
As far as the amount of instructions... I don't see a head scratching smiley... The game already uses three icons I (instructions), K (key mapping), and F1 (Windows help) which appear on the top of your keyboard keys. Just like the game uses that M icon for controlling the excellent music.
Then the game actually works in 8.1 without any sort of special conditioning or compatibility mode settings?
Wow, cool compiler we have here.

hi , menu is little bit lagging. example the screen fx
windows 8 <

Windows 8? Lagging? Wow. Well True29.... I will make some non trivial changes to see if I can address this lag problem that you are experiencing. Beta 2 (for Windows) coming soon.

[IdeasVacuum]

I'd hold your horses on mods for Win8 - everyone should really be using Win8.1, which is far superior. Could there be any reason not to move on from 0 to 1?

For the sake of 2 curly brackets, save your inbox from a bombardment by customers complaining that your game has a virus and the end of the World is therefore nigh.

On screen icons are wonderful things........

...I could report more but the Doc in A & E says I need to rest after your game gave me that terrible BSOD scare

[heartbone]

hi , menu is little bit lagging. example the screen fx windows 8 <

See if this makes any difference.
Sna{c}key beta2.zip 2.93 MB Windows all CPUs

For the sake of 2 curly brackets, save your inbox from a bombardment by customers complaining that your game has a virus and the end of the World is therefore nigh.

No mailbox is associated with this work.
I have the feeling that you really would not have liked this file name. Sna{c}keyβ.exe

On screen icons are wonderful things........
...I could report more but the Doc in A & E says I need to rest after your game gave me that terrible BSOD scare :mrgreen

LOL, yes you should take it easy because that Microsoft® Windows® can be quite the eXPerience.

[True29]

hi , menu is little bit lagging. example the screen fx windows 8 <

hm , not realy better.
i go from last possition in menü down he goes to first position ok.
but for this he needs realy long time , the effect while this is realy slow and it takes 2-3 seconds.
Greets

[heartbone]

hi , menu is little bit lagging. example the screen fx windows 8 <

hm , not realy better.
i go from last possition in menü down he goes to first position ok.
but for this he needs realy long time , the effect while this is realy slow and it takes 2-3 seconds.
Greets

I think I know what is going on then and how to fix it.
This problem is particular to certain hardware setups.
Please tell me what is your graphics hardware?
The brand and model of graphics subsystem.
The fix will require another non-trivial code change.

[heartbone]

2-3 seconds is like crazy, ugly, and nasty slow. Whatever corporation that is involved with installing that graphics subsystem
is really scrimping on the hardware. I sincerely hope that this version fixes that problem.
Sna{c}key beta4.zip 2.93 MB Windows® all CPUs
Sna{c}key beta4.zip (x86) 2.96 MB Linux 32-bit CPUs
Sna{c}key beta4.zip (x64) 2.97 MB Linux 64-bit CPUs

In addition to trying to fix the sluggish menu response problem on your machine True29, I've made a few additional changes since the first beta:
1) The # segments display is now persistent on the title bar. Within Windows® you can clear the # segments display by toggling to full screen.
2) Cleaned up a tiny graphics glitch in the SPEEDUP: none option display.
3) Added support for all user input through the gamepad. The 4-way arrows and space bar were already mapped to a connected gamepad in the first beta, now the remainder of the user inputs have been implemented.
4) Added W A S D keys input mode.

The game continues to only use the first controller even if there are multiple gamepads connected.
Linux (x64) gamepad users, be on the lookout for any strange behavior.

[heartbone]

Does anyone remember melt on Unix?
The letter S's form is very snake like in an abstract way is it not?
Then the game actually works in 8.1 without any sort of special conditioning or compatibility mode settings?
Could there be any reason not to move on from 0 to 1?
Please tell me what is your graphics hardware?
(I doubt if these were all rhetorical.)

----------- post beta4 changes ------------
- Clear # segments on title bar in Linux on W/FS toggle.
- Continue allowing W as full screen toggle if not using WASD controls.
- Continue (without sound) on InitSound error.

Getting really close to an actual release.
Daughter just delivered her graphics, but I'm still working on the title screen and the default background.
And it would be really nice if I were to get a report from an actual Linux user.
I'm still working trying to bring the full screen to Linux.
Although it is possible to scale the 800x600 BITMAP to the user's desktop size and then open up a full screen centered border-less window at the desktop size, my program will NOT be doing that.
That screen sizing must be a hardware function controllable by user software calling drivers.
I know that Linux can do it, because DOSBOX runs just fine in Linux.

Anyhow it's been one month today, since I started programming Sna{c}key!
Great tool set this PureBasic!

[IdeasVacuum]

The game works fine on Win8.1 x64 (bog-standard laptop Intel i3)

[heartbone]

I'm getting close to a release as I wanted to be finished with this before summer, and there is no apparent solution to the Linux full screen dysfunction.
It looks like people are waiting for me to release the game before finding the problems, and I can certainly grok that.
As I have gotten zero reports from any Linux users, on the download page I will make no claims as to the compatibility of the executable with Linux distros other than Ubuntu and Zorin.

------------------- post beta 4 changes --------------------
- clear # segments on title bar in Linux on W/FS toggle.
- continue allowing W as full screen toggle if not using WASD controls.
- continue (without sound) on InitSound() error.
- halt next speedup, tail grow, & next move timers when paused.
- include thick gray snake option
- distinct 'continuous music' mode icon image (not a box)
- read and apply caps lock status on Windows
- now use joystick button 3 to control arrows/WASD toggle
- removed globals from DRAWSCREEN() parameters
- added unlocking of curved snake animation sequence
- changed 10 .wavs playback frequency for Linux
- aligned records display into columns
- graphics additions and tweaks

Curved and Thick's lair under construction.

[Zach]

Default bindings for Xbox 360 gamepad are really whack..

Select seems to toggle Fullscreen/Window mode
Start outright closes the program
A brings up the white help screen if you hold it, otherwise it just flashed briefly leaving you wondering wtf just happened.
No other primary buttons (B, X, Y) are mapped to logical interactive controls (select, cancel, etc)
Shoulder buttons appear to be mapped to turning some things on off.

In order to start I had to get crafty and push down on my Right analog stick.


Otherwise pretty cool.. Is this going to be commercial? I am always interested in looking at source code for games to see how people build them with PB, if its possible.

[heartbone]

Zach, thanks for reminding me. Today I'll add a gamepad button re-mapper.
However this app puts everything in one 'records' file, so for this game I won't be fully delivering on this post. In that thread I discuss your particular situation.

Commercial? If it were 1984 perhaps, but in 2014 there is absolutely no commercial retail market for this sort of game.
However one motivation for creating this project is the possibility of using it while working as a paid technical educator.
In the thread where I post the link to the download page for the final version, I'll post source.