Some ideas/bugs

Place to report bugs in MoM IME and suggest ideas for enhancements (please read rules before posting)
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Csimbi
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Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:43 pm

Some ideas/bugs

Post by Csimbi »

Hi there, new here.
I am just trying to play the game with IME.
There are a few things I would not mind improving/introducing. Some might be duplicates - sorry if they are.
I read the rules, but since they are more like guidelines, I leave it up to You what You strike out...
Here they are:
- installer should ask for the original LBX file location (the MOM dir)] - experiencing a crash when starting the client the first time is not nice.
- custom client resolution (pre-client settings, window/fullscreen)
- custom font and font size (I can barely read the text)
- smaller hint windows (or dynamic size) - currently it is way too big for the text within and it covers too much of the screen.
- smart cursor: after right clicking for a hint, move the cursor to the "close" position so that one does not need to look for it, but can click right away.
- auto-refresh game list on client startup (and maybe every 10 seconds).
- quickstart for single player games: this could be a button on the server like the new game button, except when the game setup is done, the client is launched automatically (and maybe connected automatically to the localhost as well).
- remember last server settings (I just had a crash an I had to re-configure everything). Maybe game profiles (to - quickly load up custom settings)?
- back button (or ESC) so that one could go back during wizard creation.
- right click in the server window's game list should give a pop up menu where one can kill the game (and maybe change server settings)?
- Save/load games (at least single player games, but I do not see a big problem with saving multi player games either).
- Double-clicking on production selects it and builds it (was working already in MOM). ESC cancels and ENTER builds. Well, make this general - keyboard shortcuts would be nice. Update - please add the ESC key to every screen.
- Loop music (after switching to this browser window the music is gone). Actually, it seems that all audio is gone (not only music, but sound effects, too).
- custom scroll speed (and turn cursor into arrow near screen edges).
- scroll to location on right-click (like in MOM).
- span land on clicking and holding the middle mouse button.
- make a hot key for 'T' to cycle over the cities (custom hot keys might be better).
- option to disable unit scrolling (to speed up movement).
- when a building is complete in a city, the next day a summary comes. A combo-box would be nice to select the next thing to build (and maybe a 'B' button to buy it right away just by clicking on the 'B').
- Ability to disable certain messages (the population growth message is pretty disturbing).
- I like the new spell book, but the animation is slow. Could it be disabled somewhere in the options? Also, when a research is complete, and the are non-researched spells, automatically bringing up the research page of the spellbook would be nice.
- on the magic screen a 0 and a max button would be nice above/bleow each bar to adjust them quickly.
This is where I just click the little 'X' to close the client - in the end I get an access violation (after which the game disappears from the server, too). Now that I think about it, an auto-save on the server side (after each turn) would be nice so that it could save the day when a crash occurs.
I have to say that I love the way this project looks and I would love to see improvements. I could even provide a translation. Will check back later when the next update is available.
Thank You for making this!

[Implode: I've split 4 items from your list off into a separate post since they've been fixed... actually the one about "TNDGThreadLock.EnsureLocked: TNDGGridMap3DArea.GetContainer does not have lock with sequence 12 lock" when you try to build a unit in a city with an Alchemists' Guild I just deleted since there's another post about it raised by someone else... sorry I'm hacking up your post but I'm using the forum rather as a "to do" list for bugs :) ]
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Implode
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Re: Some ideas/bugs

Post by Implode »

Whoah, thanks for taking the time to come up with the very ideas list.
Csimbi wrote:installer should ask for the original LBX file location (the MOM dir)] - experiencing a crash when starting the client the first time is not nice.
I'd love it to do that too, unfortunately the pgm I'm using to create the installer is free so doesn't have many features like custom dialog boxes. Registered version is $250 and for the use I'd get out of it... I've got better things to spend my money on. So if I ever find a free installer capable of doing this, I'll certainly add it. As an alternative, I did consider providing 2 versions of the game to download, one with all the LBXes packaged in with it, so it could pre-configure itself correctly - how's that sound?
Csimbi wrote:custom client resolution (pre-client settings, window/fullscreen)
Definitely will do... just not yet. I'm personally itching for this since it will be so awesome to be able to see the entire map at once on my 24" monitor in 1920x1200 :D
Csimbi wrote:custom font and font size (I can barely read the text)
That's kind of near impossible when I'm trying to reuse the fonts from the original game - that's all I've got to work with, I can't simply get a bigger version of a particular font if it doesn't exist. Why don't you put it full screen with alt-enter, then the font is plenty big enough?
Csimbi wrote:smaller hint windows (or dynamic size) - currently it is way too big for the text within and it covers too much of the screen.
Yeah that's really hard too... actually the original MoM did it, I was really impressed they took the time to make it work like that. Not that I don't like the idea, there's just so much else to do first...
Csimbi wrote:smart cursor: after right clicking for a hint, move the cursor to the "close" position so that one does not need to look for it, but can click right away.
Personally not a fan of stuff that does that... I expect the pointer to stay where it is...
Csimbi wrote:auto-refresh game list on client startup (and maybe every 10 seconds)
What if just as you're about to click the game on line 3, and another one appears on line 2 and makes you click on the wrong game?
Csimbi wrote:quickstart for single player games: this could be a button on the server like the new game button, except when the game setup is done, the client is launched automatically (and maybe connected automatically to the localhost as well).
From 0.9.2 you'll be able to create games on the client. From probably 0.9.3 you'll ONLY be able to create games on the client. So it will make it simpler - there'll be nothing to do on the server, just run it and ignore it, then you'll start games on the client in a way much more similar to the original MoM.
Csimbi wrote:remember last server settings (I just had a crash an I had to re-configure everything). Maybe game profiles (to - quickly load up custom settings)?
Yeah I've thought of that too, its definitely something I want to do once game creation is moved to the client.
Csimbi wrote:back button (or ESC) so that one could go back during wizard creation.
Someone else asked about that too... for reasons I won't go into its a lot harder than it sounds. But I would like to do it yes.
Csimbi wrote:right click in the server window's game list should give a pop up menu where one can kill the game
Yes for sure, and be able to send broadcast chat messages. Doubt I'll bother with major new server options like this until I've moved the server to Java, but I'll add it at some stage.
Csimbi wrote:Zoom in and out with the mouse wheel/PgUp-PgDown
Good idea
Csimbi wrote:Save/load games (at least single player games, but I do not see a big problem with saving multi player games either)
For sure... I just didn't want to add this early on, since the format of the saved games would have to change between every version of the game, meaning I'd be constantly rewriting the code. Better I add this when its nearly finished.
Csimbi wrote:Double-clicking on production selects it and builds it (was working already in MOM). ESC cancels and ENTER builds. Well, make this general - keyboard shortcuts would be nice. Update - please add the ESC key to every screen.
Yeah I know... I particularly want the arrow keys to work for moving units.
Csimbi wrote:Loop music (after switching to this browser window the music is gone). Actually, it seems that all audio is gone (not only music, but sound effects, too).
The whole game pauses when it loses focus - even the graphic animations stop. That's just the way my timer works for now, and while I don't like it much either, I don't have any plans to change it anytime soon.
Csimbi wrote:custom scroll speed (and turn cursor into arrow near screen edges).
Doesn't seem like a high priority, but sure why not. The arrows thing might be harder though, I'd have to look into it.
Csimbi wrote:scroll to location on right-click (like in MOM).
For sure
Csimbi wrote:span land on clicking and holding the middle mouse button.
Ummm sorry not sure what you mean?
Csimbi wrote:make a hot key for 'T' to cycle over the cities (custom hot keys might be better).
Is that something the original MoM did or something you've come up with? (just curious why 'T'?)
Csimbi wrote:option to disable unit scrolling (to speed up movement).
Yeah I agree that'll probably become necessary once playing big games... I've never really had enough units for it to bother me :)
Csimbi wrote:when a building is complete in a city, the next day a summary comes. A combo-box would be nice to select the next thing to build (and maybe a 'B' button to buy it right away just by clicking on the 'B').
You mean be able to change production right on the scroll? Interesting idea!
Csimbi wrote:Ability to disable certain messages (the population growth message is pretty disturbing).
Right... I don't quite see why you'd want to but its something I could add later.
Csimbi wrote:I like the new spell book, but the animation is slow. Could it be disabled somewhere in the options? Also, when a research is complete, and the are non-researched spells, automatically bringing up the research page of the spellbook would be nice.
Nah stuff like automatically forcing you to do things in a certain order bugs the hell out of me - that's why I changed it so when cities complete construction projects it doesn't pop up and force you to pick the new construction for that city before going onto the next one - and same thing with completing research, I probably want to do that last thing in a turn, not have it force the spell book up on me to pick a new research at the start.
Csimbi wrote:right clicking on certain things does not provide help (try right clicking on a unit, then right-click on a heath icon).
I've made a note to fix this - anything else you find that doesn't prove help (I mean important stuff - not just buttons and explaining what Gold is!)
Csimbi wrote:on the magic screen a 0 and a max button would be nice above/bleow each bar to adjust them quickly.
Good idea
Csimbi wrote:cannot buy unit (after building a building the summary comes, clicked on the "is now housing" thing which took me to the city screen, selected settlers, clicked ok, but I could not buy the unit. Closed the city screen, opened it again and I was able to buy it. The buy button on the other hand does not get disabled after I have bought the building/unit.
Sounds odd... I've rush bought stuff lots of times before, I'll check it out.
Csimbi wrote:After construction a wizard's guild, I would like to build some magicians, so I click on them. I get this message (snip)
Not to be awkward... but tracking down locking errors just from the error message is next to impossible unless you can figure out the precise circumstances that made it happen - you'd obviously been playing for a while with no problems to have gotten magicians. So e.g. if you play another game, is it something weird to do with magicians in particular that crashes it?
Csimbi wrote:A few turns later I (snip)
Once you've had one error message... I would consider the whole game unstable/unplayable so any further errors are likely just a result of the first one.
Csimbi wrote:This is where I just click the little 'X' to close the client - in the end I get an access violation (after which the game disappears from the server, too).
That's normal, the memory cleanup on both the client & server is just so horrendously complicated I've had a few attempts at fixing those access violations and never totally succeeded. But who cares, you're closing it anyway so just click through the errors :)
Csimbi wrote:Now that I think about it, an auto-save on the server side (after each turn) would be nice so that it could save the day when a crash occurs.
Sure... but see previous note about it being a long time before I add loading/saving.
Csimbi wrote:I could even provide a translation
Where are you from then? Your English is really good if it isn't your first language!

Thanks,

Implode.
Csimbi
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Post by Csimbi »

Thanks for the two fixes in 0.9.2!
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Implode
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Re: Some ideas/bugs

Post by Implode »

Csimbi wrote:After construction a wizard's guild, I would like to build some magicians, so I click on them. I get this message: TNDGThreadLock.EnsureLocked: TNDGGridMap3DArea.GetContainer does not have lock with sequence 12 lock.
Yay, in my testing of 0.9.2 I finally found the exact circumstances this happens under! Its because you've got an Alchemists' Guild. I've not looked in the code yet but I bet its complaining because its searching the nearby terrain to see if there's any Mithril or Adamanium deposits (which only take effect once you have an Alchemists' Guild).

So... that's for posting this... it was your comment about Magicians (and therefore I knew you must have built an Alchemists' Guild) that gave me a big hint.

See, I knew this test script was a good idea (even if its, frankly, a pain in the butt spending this long testing it! And its making 0.9.2 take longer than I expected to get released! But at least it should be must more bug-free as a result & I think that's worth it).

Implode.
Csimbi
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Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:43 pm

Post by Csimbi »

Great!
Oh, I can wait ;-) I've been waiting for over a decade now for a decent port :-)
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