Redux 3 Demo

[neonext]

thanks for the offer, but i've already gone through most of the effort

[neonext]

Redux 3 Alpha Build 3 is ready

I cannot release the Dune 2 mod because I have nowhere I can upload a file that is larger than 20 mb. Hopefully a solution for this will be found soon.

The default game only weighs in at 15 mb, so I will post it for now.

Download it at http://www.angelfire.com/empire/dune2redux/downloads.html

ADDITIONS/REVISIONS--------------------------------------------

v.a3-----------------------------------------------------------

- Fixed bug where ai players would produce units not on the

structure menus.

- Added game settings file (game.txt) with following options:

# of music tracks, side names, and terrain names.

- Fixed drawing of structures from second image

- Fixed aiming at structures for turreted units

- Added ability to decrease unit build queues with right click

- Increased gamespeed

- Fixed bug where weather would incorrectly change

- Split units.txt into vehicles.txt, aircraft.txt, structs.txt,

and weapons.txt

- Added drop shadow to menu text in case a mod has bright

menu backgrounds

- Fixed structure damage bug which caused the directory for

file loading to be lost (for loading of music)

- Structures now stop building after 100%

- Fixed bug where last 4 structure menu items would not load

- Units will now try to get to a spot near their destination if

they are unable to get there for any reason.

- Structure placement and data is now loaded from map.txt

- Added power display and power generation for structures

- Fixed more unit movement bugs

- Added unit reporting/confirmation sounds.

- Added chat message system, and messages for speed changes

- Added animated fires

- Added radar

- Added continious trait to weapons, shots dont die after a hit

- Added incendiary trait to weapons, shot hits leave fires

- Added A-10 Warthog data to the core game

- Fixed bug where already dead structures would blow up

- Units no longer pause when moving

- Sidebar now closes when selected structure is destroyed

- Units without turrets now properly face their targets

- Improved AI

- Idle units will now target units attacking them

- You now need at least 50% base power for radar usage

- Added build animations for structures

- Added ability to change mod in menu, (mod names

will be fixed until a future version)

- Gamespeed is now a saved menu option

- Added ability to access main menu while playing a game

- Added default sides to game.txt

- Added default player to game.txt

- Added ability to base structure type on player's side (map.txt)

- Added guided ground-to-ground missiles

- Added construction yard and AI usage of it

- Fixed incorrect frame for power plant (redux 3structs1.bmp)

- Added TOW missiles to Redux 3 ATV's

- Structures are now centered horizontally on build menus

- Scroll speed is no longer based on game speed

- Fixed bug where units attacking structures would stop at a

point just out of range

- Fixed problem with A* heuristic, causing units to take

irregular paths

- There are now 6 scroll speeds instead of 50

- Fixed bug which caused player 4 to be limited to only 2 aircraft

- The screen no longer scrolls when box selecting units

- Added side radar map that you can toggle on and off

- Fixed bug where side names would be reset at game start

- Guided ground missiles can now target structures, although

they lose their guided property.

[Cyborg]

I've tried it, and here is the bug list:

* When the enemy attacked my with some small tanks, I had twice their number of M1A1 tanks. My tanks couldn't even take down one of theirs. Why?

* Even thought I have five aircraft factories producing air units, I seem to have none in the battlefield, or they get shot down at once. My enemies, however, have lots of aircraft flying around, and they only have one aircraft factory.

* Units get very confused when moving in groups. They often end up stopping mid-way.

* Sometimes units from a specific team is replaced by filled blue rectangles.

* When I crushed an enemy tank near the lower end of the map, he drove (very far) off the map and disappeared instead of blowing up.

* While a building is being placed (and you can watch the animation of it getting built), you can't do anything. Clicking anywhere results in rebuilding the structure there.

* About the technique of only drawing what you would be able to see on the battlefield:

Please draw tanks and craters even though only half of them would be visible.

And then some questions:

* Aren't MLRS supposed to be able to fire at air units? They don't do that in this version.

* Why are aircraft units so damn good compared to ordinary tanks? :P

* Helicoptres are a waste of money. Could you make them a little bit useful?

[neonext]

I've tried it, and here is the bug list:

* When the enemy attacked my with some small tanks, I had twice their number of M1A1 tanks. My tanks couldn't even take down one of theirs. Why?

The game is horribly unbalanced. I'll edit the txt files eventually to balance the game if no one else does, but for now I want to concentrate on new features and bug fixes.

* Even thought I have five aircraft factories producing air units, I seem to have none in the battlefield, or they get shot down at once. My enemies, however, have lots of aircraft flying around, and they only have one aircraft factory.

Not entirely sure about this one. Aircraft are the only units subject to a divided unit limit, which means you should always be able to build as many as each competing player. The game is unbalanced here also, because half the players dont get any air defence except for fighters, which could cause the Eastern Alliance players to always control the skies. I will look into this one.

* Units get very confused when moving in groups. They often end up stopping mid-way.

Since the pathfinding heuristic was changed, units are more likely to end up taking the exact same path (unless it's long distance), which leaves more opportunities for them to get in each others way; however,

[Cyborg]

I had great fun testing your game, neonext.

And yes, I noticed aircraft units cost more than tanks very good.

[neonext]

I'm putting the Dune 2 mod on my site for download until I get it hosted here. You can download it from:

http://www.angelfire.com/empire/dune2redux/downloads.html

I removed the last 3 songs so it would not go over the 20mb limit on angelfire, since I cannot upload it here directly. I will probably post these songs seperately.

This is a 17.8 mb download, and contains everything you need to play.

It does NOT include the default modern warfare game.

I now recommend at least 64mb of video memory for this game (all mods)

You will need 41 mb of hard drive space for the this game, and an addition 18 for the install

[Vidi]

Well the dune mod is nice, but the graphics were the same, the sound quality wasn't very good and again the mouse in the main menu was slow.  Even so the game is great. :)

[neonext]

ya, i'm sorry about the placeholder graphics, i'm working to phase them out of both the core game and the mod, but it takes a LONG LONG time.

other graphics, such as the interface graphics for the dune mod, also need changed, but either someone will have to step in and take over, or it'll wait till most of the more important stuff is done.

thanks for playing

[neonext]

Anyone working on a mod for Redux 3 (or even considering it) needs to contact me (preferably here, I rarely check my hotmail account) if they want to be compatible for version 1.0, which will be out in a couple months or so.

Don't let the silence fool you, I've been working on this the whole time! I even quit my job to be able to devote myself fully to finishing the game. There will be plenty of new features and bug fixes. Everything planned will be in the game, except for multiplayer. I'll keep posting more updates as I near completion.

[Andrew]

Umm, hope you got some money saved so you can eat if you got no job. ;)

Nice to hear the info! :)

[Vidi]

Is this still going or has it been stopped?  Any new things neonext?  I NEED Redux goodness!!!!

-Vidi

[neonext]

stopped? far from it

i'll have news sometime in march

[stefanhendriks]

did you really quit your job for this? I'd say it would not be worth the price. Unles you really can be 100% focussed on this and stay at this job to deliver a true good product. And apart from that, how do you want to make a living out of this then? Most 2d RTS games nowadays have a hard time. Only good GFX will give you some chance of survival.

i'm working on my come-back... but i wont tell you yet how and what, since i can't make promises yet that i wont be able to keep.

[neonext]

i'm planning on it to be the main piece of my portfolio that i'm going to use to get a job in the industry. i'm not planning on making any money from this project, but hopefully it will help me get my foot in the door.

i dont agree that everything has to have good graphics. there are plenty of games in niche markets, and plenty of people who value good gameplay over good graphics. still, the point of this project is simply to demonstrate my abilities.

you're making me wonder if u've made the hop to 3d already

[stefanhendriks]

2 times i got a job offered at Crytek studio, but i did not take it... i got me informed how it would be to work in the game industry. Unless you REALLY know what you are doing, you should do it... (if you ever get the chance)

[neonext]

i've wanted to be a professional game programmer ever since i was a little kid. nothing will stop me from achieving this dream

[stefanhendriks]

hehe, i know that story ;) i was very motivated when i was around 15 and such. And its doable, get noticed ;) Then its up to you. Good luck!  ;)

[neonext]

from the countless number of articles i've read about getting into the game industry, the top two ways of getting in are 1) knowing someone, and 2) having a finished game to show your abilities (emphasis on FINISHED, for every 100 unfinished games they get, they will get 1 finished one).

from my experience and from viewing others, i would agree it is extremely difficult to finish a game on your own. it requires months and months and months of dedication, and you usually get really sick of the project after the first month or two.

i have a few connections lined up to show my work off, so you could say i have both.

as for me knowing that this is what i want to do, i'm one of the few people thats known their whole lives what they want to be. trust me, i'm 200% sure about it

[stefanhendriks]

all i can say is , the best of luck! Its not only a matter of knowing what YOU want, but its also a matter what OTHERS want... (ie, do they want you to do this game specific job)

I know its possible, and i only had number 2 ;)

[neonext]

although i wont be able to publicly release it, the Total Annihilation mod is pretty sweet. it's got some limitations due to the transition from 3d to 2d (and lack of time), but for the most part i think it captures the experience pretty well. It has definitally helped further development, with things like animated units/structures and hovering aircraft that swoop side to side while attacking a ground target. That's one thing cool about having many different mods to play with - it keeps me interested in the development and provides an avenue for coming up with necessary features to add.

I think the whole package will be quite impressive when i finally show it off