"Deeper" ready to test!

The Pixie
A year ago next Friday I released my RPG-style Combat Library, now at last I have something that uses it (in slightly modified form). It is a showcase of what you can do, as much as anything, so do not goingf looking for a plot.

XanMag has had a look already, so some bugs have been removed, but there will be more. Probably more of an issue is game balance: is it too deadly or too easy? How is it at early levels compared to later levels?

How far can you even get?

http://textadventures.co.uk/games/view/ ... hqw/deeper

If you have long lists of bugs, please PM me, but otherwise feel free to comment here.

Anonynn
Hey! Just finished my first and second test play-through for you.

I got this weird error...

> take cave_junk
E_cave is not open.

^ and then the cave_junk item was following me around into every room. I think it happened on the way down to Lv4.

The one thing I was having weirdness accepting as well had to do with is the necklace and gold ring. Something should happen when you wear them! Or at least be given the option! :)

As for the combat --- seemed to be just right. Lack of health potions made it hard by Lv4 though --- and I fought just about all the enemies.

Directions were a little confusing since a lot of areas seemed to blend together making me get lost once or twice, but since it was a labyrinth of sorts I guess that's to be expected.

I love the writing though, the font and the set-up too of the play screen. It was easy to follow and read!


I'll be happy to test it again when you release the next update of it. Or this version again if you need me to.

The Pixie
Thanks for playing. Did you go back to the surface to sell stuff and buy healing potions? After level 5 there should be a trader there. In light of your comments, I have made this happen at level 3.

Apart from the first three locations, it is all randomly generated, which is perhaps why areas blend together. If you are getting lost, try typing MAP. There is a spell you can find to show a map, and I am planning to remove the MAP command before full release; what do you think?

Anyway, version 0.2 is now uploaded.

OurJud
Had a good play through this. Killed myself an Imp and a Mound :D

I get a great nostalgic buzz from this game, makes me feel the way the TA did when I use to play them on my Acorn Electron.

I got lost in the dungeons and couldn't find a way out no matter which way I turned. I saved here and will return when I've got more time (off out in ten minutes).

Not sure these are bugs, but a couple of things I noticed.

I couldn't X the key after picking it up, and it wasn't added to my inventory.
I fought the Imp with my fists (and lost half my health in the process) but I noticed the dagger when I came across the Mound. However, I don't understand why I wasn't allowed to use the dagger on the Mound. I tried "kill mound with dagger", "attack mound with dagger" and "use dagger on mound" all to no avail.

Opinions:

Again, as with Xan's game, I really don't like the parser lying right across the base of my browser. I find it difficult to read and follow for some reason - not sure why.

The font is legible enough, but I'd have preferred if it was a couple of px bigger.

The Pixie
Type KEYS to see what keys you have.

To use the dagger:
EQUIP DAGGER
ATTACK MOUND

Looks like I need to make that all clearer.

OurJud
Equip, of course!

That's just another issue with my logic vs TA logic. If I have an item I know I can use for a particular purpose, I've never understood the logic of forcing me to equip it before I can use it.

But maybe that's just me.

The Pixie
It is because later on you might have half a dozen weapons, and it is up to the player to choose which to use (and some are better against some foes than others).

OurJud
The Pixie wrote:It is because later on you might have half a dozen weapons, and it is up to the player to choose which to use (and some are better against some foes than others).

I appreciate that, but my logic still wonders why with an inventory of six weapons, the player can't just type 'kill troll with [weapon of choice]', rather than 'equip [weapon of choice], 'kill troll with [weapon of choice]'.

I very rarely use weapons in my game, so maybe my way would require additional scripts and custom commands, compared with just letting the game handle things in the default manner.

jdpjdpjdp
Only played it for a minute or two, as I'm on my way out the door, but wanted to give some quick feedback:

1) I accidentally attacked an imp after I had already killed it, and triggered this error message:

Error running script: Error evaluating expression '"The " + Mid(s, 1, LengthOf(s) - 7) + " is already dead."': Argument 'Length' must be greater or equal to zero.

2) You use the phrase "crudely-made hole in the wall" a lot. Not sure if the repetition is intentional or not, but it is noticeable. Whether that makes it a problem or not, I leave to your discretion.

Looks like the makings of a fun dungeon-crawl RPG. Will devote more time to it later.

jdpjdpjdp
So, apparently I'm good at breaking games. Played a little more, here's what I've found (sorry I didn't write down the error messages this time):

-If you try to put on one ring while you have another on already, you get an error message.
-The wizard on the fourth floor can't fight back. All her attempts are error messages.
-There is an error message when you enter the room to go from level 5 down to level 6. Something about "generic_cave_pool'.

Also, I have an issue with the keys. I came to a door I couldn't go through. The game tells me it is locked, so I assumed I needed to try one of the keys to unlock it. The game can't see either the door (even though it tells me it is locked) or the keys (even though I can bring up a list of them). Later, as I kept playing, I came across a locked door that opened automatically, so I realized that I just needed to have the right key on me to open the door. That isn't explained anywhere in the game or the intro page. I'm totally fine with the keys working that way (in fact I prefer it to having to match keys to locks), but it would have saved me some trouble if I'd known ahead of time that's how it worked.

Hope this feedback is more helpful than annoying! Sorry if it isn't!

The Pixie
Hi jdpjdpjdp, thanks for the posts. Being good at breaking games is vital to good beta-testing.

2) You use the phrase "crudely-made hole in the wall" a lot. Not sure if the repetition is intentional or not, but it is noticeable. Whether that makes it a problem or not, I leave to your discretion.


Apart from the first three rooms, everything is generated at random, so it is just chance that you came across this a lot.

Version 0.4 is now uploaded.

jaynabonne
I just came across this and am looking forward to trying it out. Is this still valid to play and test? If so, then I saw an error right away when I played it. On the first screen, as you're entering your name, etc, there is an error underneath the window that says:

Error running script: Error compiling expression 'CloneObjectAndMove(masterkey, room)': Unknown object or variable 'masterkey'

(Nice popup form, by the way. :) )

A bit more (and then I'll stop until I know this is supposed to be played still):

Is there a track though the forest to the east?

> east
You make your way carefully along the track...

The track stops at a small stone edifice, standing to the north.
You can go west or north.

> x edifice
The stone building is about three times your height, and perhaps a little less wide. A single opening into it lies to the north, and is flanked by lions and bears engraved in the stone, now heavily worn by the centuries.

> x lions
I can't see that.

> x stone
I can't see that.

> x opening
I can't see that.

> north
Error running script: Error compiling expression 'fiend': Unknown object or variable 'fiend'
Error running script: obj is null with shambling_mound
Error running script: Error evaluating expression 'Clone(object)': Clone function expected object parameter but was passed 'null'
Error running script: Error compiling expression 'newobject': RootExpressionElement: Cannot convert type 'Object' to expression result of 'Element'
Error running script: Error compiling expression 'level > ListCount(obj.types)': Variable does not refer to an object: 'obj'
Error running script: Error evaluating expression 'ObjectListItem(lst, index)': ObjectListItem: index 0 is out of range for this list (0 items, last index is -1)
Error running script: Error evaluating expression 'ObjectListItem(lst, index)': ObjectListItem: index 0 is out of range for this list (0 items, last index is -1)
Error running script: Error compiling expression 'Replace(beforetext, "%name%", monster.alias)': Variable does not refer to an object: 'monster'
[Remember, you need to EQUIP a weapon before you can use it; armour and shields are the same.]


The Pixie
Looks like I might have accidently deleted a couple of things between version 0.4 and 0.5. I have uploaded a new version. Let me know what you think.

jaynabonne
It's working better now.
---------------------------
I had this sequence:

> hit imp
You swing your Trusty dagger and hit, doing 3 points of damage (5 hits left).
The Imp casts Fire Storm at you and misses.

> hit imp
You swing your Trusty dagger and hit, doing 4 points of damage (1 hits left).
The Imp casts Fire Storm at you and misses.

> hit imp
You swing your Trusty dagger and hit, doing 6 points of damage.

> hit imp
The Imp is already dead.


I'm not sure if it was supposed to say that the imp had died. It might have been clearer.

------------------------
> take all
Imp: You can't take him.
Crude brass key with an arcane symbol: You pick up the key, and add it to your keyring.
Ring of Combat: You pick it up.
Crude club: You pick it up.

Nice touch!

------------------------
I feel a bit ignorant here - is 1d6 better or worse than 1d5? :) (I think so, but I want to be sure.)
------------------------
"You think this may have been messroom or refrectory at one time, to judge from the debris on the ground."

"a messroom". "refectory"?

------------------------
> x altar
The altar is square, and rests on a thick trunk. On the top you see manacles.

> take manacles
I can't see that.

------------------------

"You think this may have been messroom or refrectory at one time, to judge from the debris on the ground."
"You think this may have been prison at one time, to judge from the debris on the ground."
"You think this may have been larder at one time, to judge from the debris on the ground."

"To the south is a crudely-made hole in the wall. A crudely-made hole in the wall lies north. There is a sturdy wooden door to the east."
"To the west is a high archway. There is a crudely-made hole in the wall to the south. A high archway lies north. To the east is an archway."

Procedurally generated descriptions? :)

------------------------

I have to collapse various panes on the right in order to examine them all. The compass and inventory take up all the space on the bottom unless I collapse the inventory pane. I'm not sure if this is by design or not.

An interesting experience so far! Looking forward to what comes next (or past - I will need to heal at some point).

jaynabonne
> x kobold
The kobold is a skulking humanoid, who would only come up to your shoulder if he stood up straight. His skin is green and scaled, and he is dressed in ragged clothes. His teeth look sharp, his eyes cruel. Oh, and it is dead.

"He" is dead?

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