Dune Legacy News

[stefanhendriks]

true. Did you know the Dune 2 AI has unlimited funds? :)

[Apollyon]

are you sure?

I dont think thats the case in the amiga version anyway.

[stefanhendriks]

The PC version has unlimited funds. Really sure. I tried once to take out all harvesters and let them run out of money. They still kept building all units, repairing stuff as usual. And that for a long time with NO harvester at all. They even did not care to rebuild one.

[Apollyon]

lol ah well, strategy out the window then ;D

[Will]

The PC version has unlimited funds. Really sure. I tried once to take out all harvesters and let them run out of money. They still kept building all units, repairing stuff as usual. And that for a long time with NO harvester at all. They even did not care to rebuild one.

Maybe after you patch it, but in my version of Dune I can beat any level in a couple of minutes: use starting units to find AI harvester, kill it, wait until new harvester shows up, kill it, repeat.

At my base I build a few Rocket Turrets to kill any enemy reinforcements; then I build units as usual to destroy the enemy's base. If you don't let the AI Harvester dock at the Refinery even once, the AI won't even have the cash to repair its buildings.

However, the AI will get refunds for any of its buildings you destroy: destroy an AI Palace and you'll have an army after your ass. :P

[vidiware]

Something like that happens in ther version of Building of a dynasti...

ithink...

but the version acts wierd... cuz they can build buildings x squares from the other buildings and over my units

[stefanhendriks]

oh yeah, building over units. Thats probably V1.0 or something? I had that too! :D

I bet we are talking about different versions, because the CD PC version i have here.. never had NO cash..

[Will]

oh yeah, building over units. Thats probably V1.0 or something? I had that too! :D

I bet we are talking about different versions, because the CD PC version i have here.. never had NO cash..

Ah, the CD version is the pre-patched. I have only Super Dune (and the regular Dune II missions of course) which I've had for...what, 7 years now :P and it can't be patched because it's been cracked.

Before the patch, the AI never rebuilds its structures. I've only seen the Sardaukar rebuild anything (a Refinery) and that was in the final mission.

Stefan, could you send me your Dune2.exe file? Then I could finally play a harder AI. :)

[stefanhendriks]

Send you? I bet you need the whole game for that.. maybe i can find an ftp to upload it somewhere.

[Will]

Send you? I bet you need the whole game for that.. maybe i can find an ftp to upload it somewhere.

That would be very nice of you :) I could give you my homepage's FTP address; how big is the file?

[neonext]

how are you guys handling sonic tanks?

i can't do alpha blending or any other sorta of translucency in 16 bit,

so right now i'm just using ugly white sound wave looking lines.

[stefanhendriks]

Here is my piece of code, its easy to understand. And i believe its easy to adapt to DirectX aswell..

// Make shimmer
void Shimmer(int r, int x, int y)
{
  // r = radius
  // X, Y = position

  /* 
    Logic

    Each X and Y position will be taken and will be switched with a randomly choosen neighbouring
    pixel.

    Shimmer effect is done on BMP_SCREEN only.
  */

  int x1,y1;
  int nx,ny;
  int gp=0;     // Get Pixel Result

  int tc=0;

  // go around 360 degrees
  for (int dr=0; dr < r; dr++)
  {
    for (int d=0; d < 360; d++)
    {
       x1 = (x + (cos(d)*(dr)));
       y1 = (y + (sin(d)*(dr)));

       gp = _getpixel16(bmp_screen, x1,y1); // use this inline function to speed up things.
       // Now choose random spot to 'switch' with.
       nx=(x1-1) + rnd(2);
       ny=(y1-1) + rnd(2);

       tc = _getpixel16(bmp_screen, nx,ny);

       if (gp > -1 && tc > -1)
       {
        // Now switch colors
        putpixel(bmp_screen, nx, ny, gp);
        putpixel(bmp_screen, x1, y1, tc);
       }

    }
  } 

}

[neonext]

i'm not sure that I can modify pixels in 16 bit without dealing with multiple pixel formats and locking surfaces etc. I could either use your code to write some kind of blitting procedure that will switch the pixels using double buffering, or I could try to use a 3rd party library I found for translucency.

[TonyD]

[attachment archived by Gobalopper]

[Will]

Sorry about the lack of replys and stuff guys but I had no internet connection, and then I went away for a while.

Anyway, I'm posting a major updated version 0.7 which fixes that crashing bug mentioned above and has lots of new ai and difficulty improvements, should be on my page very soon. Look at the readme for the changelog.

My net connection is too slow and keeps buggering up so I'm attaching latest version to this post.

It's less fast than the previous version, but it's still extremely ard to keep track of things. :)

[SpiceGuid]

Great new version, really playable and entertaining, much funny!

Balance comments:

* the building hierarchy is different from both DuneII and Dune2000. there is no upgrades, simple and elegant. what is more difficult to understand is that special units do not require "house of IX". also in my humble opinion the access to the starport is too fast, especially as the stock is unlimited and ornis are available.

* ornis: they are too powerful at revealing the map (depends on how fog of war will be handled)

* infantry is much more powerful than DuneII and even than Dune2000. heavy infantry has long range and punch hard hit. of course infantry should be useful whatever tech level and game phase, but not stronger than tanks (depends on future force-move and eventual smart run-over AI)

* sonic tank is not really good vs. units but excellent vs. buildings (depends on how compact bases in final maps will be)

* devastator is not really better than heavy tank (depends on how powerful self-destruct will be)

* because of inaccuracy death-hand is a really weak super-weapon

* as a result atreides seem stronger than harkonnen/ordos

For good hints about balancing RTS games, see

http://www.strategy-gaming.com/editorials/sucessful_rts.shtml

One more think: in DuneII-TheMaker I have music while in Dune Legacy I have only sound effects. The "m" key is inoperand. Did I missed something?

SpiceGuid

[neonext]

"Foundations of a Sucessful RTS"

By Tom Cadwell aka Zileas

lol

[TonyD]

Great new version, really playable and entertaining, much funny!

Balance comments:

* the building hierarchy is different from both DuneII and Dune2000. there is no upgrades, simple and elegant. what is more difficult to understand is that special units do not require "house of IX". also in my humble opinion the access to the starport is too fast, especially as the stock is unlimited and ornis are available.

* ornis: they are too powerful at revealing the map (depends on how fog of war will be handled)

* infantry is much more powerful than DuneII and even than Dune2000. heavy infantry has long range and punch hard hit. of course infantry should be useful whatever tech level and game phase, but not stronger than tanks (depends on future force-move and eventual smart run-over AI)

* sonic tank is not really good vs. units but excellent vs. buildings (depends on how compact bases in final maps will be)

* devastator is not really better than heavy tank (depends on how powerful self-destruct will be)

* because of inaccuracy death-hand is a really weak super-weapon

* as a result atreides seem stronger than harkonnen/ordos

For good hints about balancing RTS games, see

http://www.strategy-gaming.com/editorials/sucessful_rts.shtml

One more think: in DuneII-TheMaker I have music while in Dune Legacy I have only sound effects. The "m" key is inoperand. Did I missed something?

SpiceGuid

Thanks for your info, I will look into it :D.

That is dissapointing that the music doesn't work, do have midi's under the datasoundmusic directories?

[TonyD]

Balance comments:

* the building hierarchy is different from both DuneII and Dune2000. there is no upgrades, simple and elegant. what is more difficult to understand is that special units do not require "house of IX". also in my humble opinion the access to the starport is too fast, especially as the stock is unlimited and ornis are available.

This is probably the most important issue, so I'll probly fix it next.

* ornis: they are too powerful at revealing the map (depends on how fog of war will be handled)

* infantry is much more powerful than DuneII and even than Dune2000. heavy infantry has long range and punch hard hit. of course infantry should be useful whatever tech level and game phase, but not stronger than tanks (depends on future force-move and eventual smart run-over AI)

Try using the light infantry against tanks - they are almost completely useless agaisnt heavy armour, but they will cut through heavy troopers like a knife through butter.

Heavy infantry can be very easily destroyed by the much cheaper light infantry, or run over as u say. I don't know, I think I got the troopers about right, any other with oppinions about this?

* sonic tank is not really good vs. units but excellent vs. buildings (depends on how compact bases in final maps will be)

* devastator is not really better than heavy tank (depends on how powerful self-destruct will be)

These will be fixed soonishly.

* because of inaccuracy death-hand is a really weak super-weapon

* as a result atreides seem stronger than harkonnen/ordos

The problem with this is, when a player builds multiple palaces they have a very good chance of hitting their enemies base a number of times.... I'll probly make the death hand much lesss powerful but perfectly accurrate like the dune2000 one. what do u think?

[stefanhendriks]

restrict the amount of palaces you can build to one. Make the Death Hand a bit more accurate, but not to accurate. Keep it fair, but don't make it a super destructable weapon. I think thats the best way imo.

[vidiware]

Well i would suggest max palaces 2 or 3 :P

Becuase if you have money you shouldbe feared

[SpiceGuid]

ok I was wrong, tank-troopers-infantry is rock-scissor-paper, so the design is actually balanced.

in my opinion Death-Hand should be both powerful and accurate. for balance you could find a way that makes multiple harkonnen palaces not much more powerful. one possibility is that each palace increases the weapon building time. then the more palaces the less powerfull one palace is. or harkonnen palace could consume more energy, thus you must extend to build multiple palaces because you need place for windtraps.

SpiceGuid

[Will]

ok I was wrong, tank-troopers-infantry is rock-scissor-paper, so the design is actually balanced.

in my opinion Death-Hand should be both powerful and accurate. for balance you could find a way that makes multiple harkonnen palaces not much more powerful. one possibility is that each palace increases the weapon building time. then the more palaces the less powerfull one palace is. or harkonnen palace could consume more energy, thus you must extend to build multiple palaces because you need place for windtraps.

SpiceGuid

Death Hand should be exactly as useful in Dune II; multiple palaces decrease build time by 25% per palace (sort of like RA1 WarFacs) or something...because rock is scarce and you practically need a Windtrap for every Palace, you won't have too many balance troubles. I recommens not charging the superweapon when at low power.

Also, I HATE rock-paper-scissors balance. This isn't C&C, this isn't Starcraft, this is Dune...:

[stefanhendriks]

Ok, well it seems we all have different opinions on this. I might have to add some vars in my own game to determine super weapons and such. So you can do it how you feel it should be. (and supply multiple rules.ini files).

[Will]

Ok, well it seems we all have different opinions on this. I might have to add some vars in my own game to determine super weapons and such. So you can do it how you feel it should be. (and supply multiple rules.ini files).

It should be as balanced as possible from the get go, though - because of multiplayer...I can't really expect everyone to play with MY rules.ini file ;)