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BD4 FAQ / old / otherfeedback

Other Feedback

From: Ard Kuijpers 
To: williams@swanee.ee.uwa.edu.au
Subject: Boulder Dash try-out
 
Hello,
 
It's great to have BoulderDash for Unix. Unfortunately our network is shielded

from the Internet so we do not have direct Internet access 
(only indirect via Proxies). I think your program tries to connect to the 
server but this is not possible on our network. Is there a version of Boulder
Dash available which does not need this connection? I hope so.
 
Regards,
 
Ard
From: "Paul S Williams (Wil)" 
To: Ard Kuijpers 

Ard...
 
Shit, that's a difficult one. One of my main intentions was to keep a
central record of all players and high scores (one of the main points of
converting this from my 68000-Amiga source code to the X and later Java
versions).
 
Hmmmm, sorry I can't do this at this stage. Although I'll keep you in
mind. Hopefully you can get access or play it via another account.
Actually scrap that last one ... setting a remote DISPLAY is a bit slow.
 
If I make a simple version with no players or highscores I tell you,
 
Sorry, but thatnks for the interest,
 
Wil

From: Chris Morgan 
To: williams@swanee.ee.uwa.edu.au
Subject: Linux Boulderdash hits London!
 
Hi,
 
I liked your game a lot but unfortunately here in Britain we have to pay
per minute even for local calls so it would be expensive for me to play
it much. Is there going to be a release of the server? Perhaps a cut
down version just so we can practice? Well I'm sure I'll be back if I
get access at work.
 
How did you write it anyway (e.g. language, libraries etc).
 
Thanks,
 
Chris
-- 
Chris Morgan (cm@mihalis.demon.co.uk)
From: "Paul S Williams (Wil)" 
To: Chris Morgan 
Subject: Re: Linux Boulderdash hits London!

Unfortunately I don't plan to release a local version. One of the main
factors of making the X-version from my Amiga version was to create more
competition globally. By distributing the sources or stand alone versions
the player records and high scores aren't maintained in a consistent
manner.
 
Whatever a lot .... and sorry about this.

> How did you write it anyway (e.g. language, libraries etc).

The original is in 68000 with hardware hacking graphics and sound. It also
scrolls around a PAL 320x256 screen. The X-version (which missed the
sound) is written in plain 'C' with additional networking routines and
some 'machine specific' routine. Basically routines for initialising the
X-display and establishing event handlers and timing signals as well as
flushing graphics and drawing blocks are done with UNIX/X specific
routines, although they are designed to allow conversions to other
platforms given these specific routines.
 
The designs kind of neat, but unfortunately quite CPU intensive due to the
number of checks made per 'iteration' (rocks must be checked to ensure
they are still stable, etc .. bacially each square has to be looked at)
which makes it quite difficult to write in Java (no pointers or fast
hacks).
 
Anway, the game will be out in Java one day.


Sorry about the lack of a local version. Hoepfully you can get access
soon. If I release a local version you're now second on my list of people
to tell!
 
Wil

From: Richard Wicks 
Subject: Java Boulderdash
 
        Hey, can you please provide a way for people that are stuck on the
wrong side of a firewally to use boulderdash?  At least give me the ability
to run a server here (everybody is sick of Quake here).
 
        Anyhow, you shouldn't have a problem writting Boulderdash for
Java, I've seen it done for a VT320 terminal running VMS and it was totally
useable.  If you want to source for that I can provide it, but you'll need
a machine running VMS.  VT320 and VT220 terminals allowed the character sets
to be user defined, all and all, it was a very well done game.
 
-Rich