drackbolt

Let me know if/when you guys actually do make some cool mods. I'd be happy to put them up on my server (which Excal linked to, and there are videos on YouTube as well) if they fit the style. :)

Just to weigh in a little here... Actually the idea would be cool with me, and I'm probably less anal than most people think about working alone. ;) The fact is, I code in Blitz, which not a lot of other people know, and I haven't wanted to share source for fear of version splintering (and also to protect a few things I want to use commercially in the future). I'm actually working with a couple other people I trust now, on a few things, including my net library. The only reason I currently use packed data for my maps is to keep the file sizes low. 128x128 maps = 16384 cells, and that's without boundary or other data! The format just happens to be packing routines I already had in place for networking. However, any such format would also need to be "loose" enough to allow for some minor changes between versions, as MrFlibble noted. Sand crags are a big hit in my circle, and I'm sure others have ideas about hybrid terrain or who knows what. I can easily write a parser to get the data I want as long as everything is uniquely IDed.

Still going very strong. Many improvements, up to 1.1.09 for both Windows and Linux now (changed number versioning a while back, so 1.88 was really 1.0.88). :)

Just to get this thread back on track... Up to version 1.88 now, with solid multiplayer and up to 6 players. The interface has also been modified to default to a style much more common in today's RTS games.

Dune 2: The Golden Path is up to 1.82 now, with multires support. 1.83 coming soon.

Poo. :( Can anyone confirm for sure? Is there any sign of damage to other nearby units?

Dune 2: The Golden Path version 1.78 just released. Many many changes since the new year began, including much improved network sync for two players.

Interesting... I was not aware of the splash damage effect for small rockets. I may have to consider that for my Sardaukar. :) Anyone know the splash distance, and/or any effect dropoff?

I agree, just that the online version was so much work and it's not easy to get it into a manual looking the same way. Also one of my main objectives as the project moved on was to make sure the game only required one file to download. Now that I use Zips to keep the sizes down anyway I suppose I could reintroduce a manual file, but then I'd have to keep that and the online version updated together, which I'm not excited about. Plus, this way I get to see how many hits those pages get. ;)

Please check it out. http://drackbolt.blogspot.com

Then larger units obscure the selector. I've decided not to use anything other than what I currently have as a permanent selection indicator, for the reasons already given. However, I will be adding something that may please other people looking for more of an "at-a-glance" idea of their army's health. At any rate, I'm sure this has gone far enough off-topic for us to give it up now. ;)

Well, then it's back to the old dilemma of making something easy to see vs. making something that isn't fugly. I'd like to use a "soft" halo of some sort but I'm pretty sure people would complain about it being hard to see, especially if you happen to be a color that's close to the current health color (or permanent selection color). I don't think anything will be ideal but what I use now is going to be hard to improve upon. I'll keep thinking about it though.

Looks interesting, unfortunately the link is broken. I was able to download it by removing the space between the words though. The art is pretty neat. If the owner really doesn't care about its usage I might actually consider using it for a modified project, with the goal of selling it some day for a buck or two. Thanks for passing it along. Your comment about colored bracket boxes... actually if you look at older versions (like very old) you'll see that exact thing put in place. However, I think any kind of box around the units or floating health bars is hideous. Can't stand seeing it in the field. If I do anything I might make the units shift color somehow, if it's not any more distracting than the current indication.

Not very logical to ignore an armed enemy unit standing closer to you either. ;)

Thanks for the feedback. My two favorite modern RTS games (which I would actually call "Real Time Strategy", and does not include Starcraft and other hybrid action/RPG games) are Total Annihilation and Axis and Allies. If you've played those you should be able to see a fair amount of my inspiration. There is also an older hybrid game called Dark Omen that I think is just fantastic, although perhaps less of an inspiration. I think what's missing from most games is the chaos of battle at the front lines. I can't stand seeing people able to do things like the Dragoon shuffle in Starcraft, and watching units scout entire enemy bases in Dawn of War before getting killed is completely aggravating to me. A suicidal movement should end in suicide and formation at the start of battle should be absolutely critical. It's just a matter of personal preference in gaming. I'm a control-freak so I designed the interface and combat model to appeal to me. ;) P.S. The lack of graphical mask for selected units was an old design choice to try and cut down on screen draws. It's probably not even necessary to avoid it anymore so maybe I'll change it in the future.

Like I said... It's not typical. See the FAQ section in the forums for more info on how to control the game. It works very well once you get used to it (in my opinion better than other RTS games), if you have the patience to do so. Not everyone will.

Well when the guy who (I think) first started off the Dune 2 editing passion asks... ;)

1.68 just released. First time for full network sync between two players, so be gentle. ;)

I agree skirmish is needed... My AI is not fantastic, but they're good enough to beat you up if you stand still. Great to hear you like the interface. It's definitely not mainstream design, so most people love it or hate it. I keep the onus on the player to do things correctly in most cases, because I hate interfaces that "help" too much and cause mistakes. Next version should be out within a week (and will probably be followed by a bugfix release a week after). I'm testing some final changes out now. I may or may not have the wherewithal to post about it here right away, as I have a lot to do before Xmas when I leave for a long holiday. At the least it will be up on the dev page. Happy Thanksgiving everybody (to whom it applies)!

Hey everyone, I realized today that I hadn't visited this site in quite some time, so I dropped in to check around. Turns out some people here were actively following the project and I've been chastised for not announcing the changes here (knew I forgot something), so without further ado: http://drackbolt.blogspot.com (dev page) http://dune2.krizik.com (forums) Focus is on multiplayer and development is very strong. Should be a relatively stable network release before 2010. No single player other than skirmish mode against AI oppponents (in other words no campaign, which is what most people think of for SP). Many enhancements coming in the next release. Cheers, Drackbolt

Fremen/Sardaukar are very different in my game. ;)

Hi everybody. :D Sorry I haven't been around. I have been working on the next version of Dune 2: TSHA though. I'll try to start visiting here again, since people did actually give some good feedback and demonstrate positive interest. Take care everybody. Jesse http://drackbolt.blogspot.com

Just wanted to let everybody know that I've been re-coding the whole project for the last couple years. There's currently a single-player demo up for download and I'm working on a server-client multiplayer model. http://drackbolt.blogspot.com

Final version release today.

Final version released today.