europa

bumping this up on the recents

anyone know what I am talking about ? Even if you don''t know what this classic strategy game is, I can explain it to you in 5 minutes or less if you are interested in helping put the finishing touches on it
like better artwork, better AI, and support for mulit-player via tcp/ip

bumping it up one last time.......
is someone doesn''t reply this time then I am on my own
If you don''t want to halp then at least give me advice on this
would it be better to use direct play or work directly with windows sockets ?


"Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I don''t know anything about Europa, or even most of the topics of your post, but I do know a little about AI. Have you considered or even heard of an AI based on a finite state machine? I''ll try my best to answer questions about them.

Explain some stuff about Europa to me, and I might be interested in trying to help out, in my own meager way.

Best Regards.

"Impressive!!!"

Europa is a very very simple strategy game designed to be played person vs person instead of the person vs computer like I am trying to implement. Here is the game in a nutshell
you have a grid of say 15 by 15 blocks (that is the size I am using but any size is acceptable)...you have 3 "troop centers" to start the game (that is just what i call them). They produce X number of troops per timer tick cycle (i use 10/tick and have my timer running at one tick/sec). The way you move your troops from block to block is by laying "pipes" between the blocks. You can only lay pipes north, south, east or west. To lay a pipe you merely click on the source block then on the destination block, but they have to be adjacent to each other. Your troops can now "flow" from the source block to the destination block at a fixed rate. Now, when you choose to move troops to a block occupied by your opponet then your troops start killing his and vice versa at an equal rate......the trick is to have more troops flowing into that block then he does so you will have superior numbers (i.e there are four ways into a block from the north south east and west, if you are attacking his block from three of those ways and he is only supplying troops from one direction then you are going to win that block.
The way to win the game is by destroying all of your opponets troops. The best way is to take over his troop centers in the same way you would take over any other block. When you do this the power center will now be producing troops for you. You continue until you have all his power centers and all his troops are destroyed.
It may seem like this is complicated (I hope not) because it is really simple. Each game session probably lasts less then 10 minutes.
Right now the way I am doing the AI is crappy. I have to computer start 3 "chains of troops". One from each of his three starting power centers. Then I have it randomly pick a direction from each one and build a pipe to it. Then from that spot, it randomly picks a new direction and goes there.
I''ll try to get what I got finished and the code up on a web page tomorrow so you can take a look if you dont understand

Europa online game that I am trying to emulate to one person game. You won''t be able to play it or even look at the game board or anything unless someone is there to play. But the page does contain the rules and stuff so you can look at if you found all this confusing


http://ws3.noc.esib.net/Europa/




"Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I read your last post and looked up the Europa link you had. It looks pretty cool, and I think I see where you''re going and what you want help with, etc. I''d like a few more details, this time pertaining more to what you have done already- what language you have it written in, screenshots of some graphics, whatever, you know, more info to help make an evaluation. This could be really fun for me!

I tried to log on to Europa from the site you gave me, and it almost looks like things are still functional with no one using them!

Anyway, if you want to contact me outside of the message boards here, I can give you my email.

Best Regards,
Torus

"Impressive!!!"

The graphics portion of the game is very lacking but the graphics aren''t really supposed to be very detailed at least not in the online game. (And yes, I do believe the game is still up and running but no one home. Go figure ?) That is why I want to make a single player version with option of multi-player via tcp/ip

You don''t actually have graphics of the troops as i call them but merely a colored spot inside the block your troops are in, the bigger the block the bigger the army.
Question 1:
But I am working on getting a screenshot now.
Question 2:
I write in C/C++ (its all the same to me) using MSVC 6.0
What I have NOT finished:
title screen/intro and such
option setting screen (need to figure out what options i want to give to the player first)
multi-player: havent done any of it yet...i dont know how i would go about testing out my multi-player part, I dont want to code the whole thing then find somebody to test it out with, rather do it small piece at a time and test as i go along, is there a way to test this on one computer ?

What I do have finished:
everything else......main game engine (player movement, computer movement but the AI isnt too good right now)......that''s about it, really all there is to it.....you could start the game right now and win it (probably very easily actually until AI gets better, the only way I can make the computer harder right now is to increase its thinking speed and/or troop speed)
the thinking speed is how many timer ticks until the computer makes its next move
the game just shutsdown after all your opponets armies have been destroyed (or you are destroyed)

like i said above......tomorrow I will get it up on a webpage so you can d/l the game and source

also........i dont want users to have access to the .bmp files for the graphics, but the game loads the images from .bmp files, is there someother way to load the graphics or put them in some file the user cant manipulate ?

give me your email and i will mail you the website tomorrow when i get the game on it


"Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I hear they''re trying to use it to cure drug addiction. Something about replacing a physical addiction with one that has an on/off switch.

I''d look out Torus, a friend of mine lost his job playing that one.... (seriously! )

ManaSink

It is an addictive game especially against other opponets (people that is). I used to play it when I was in High School, teacher wasn''t too happy when she caught me.


"Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Well, I don't know how much help I would be with the graphics part, although it is something I enjoy.

I also code C/C++ in MSVC 6.0, like many people, and so that's a plus.

I'm not sure how you could test multiplayer on one computer, which is a bummer. If I decide that this is really aweseme, though, I have a network of computers to use(4).

Like I said, I'm still pretty much a newbie, but I'm a fast learner.

Thanks for the warning, Manasink...

Anyway, my email is ebert8@netzero.net

Best Regards,
Torus

"Impressive!!!"

Edited by - Torus on June 13, 2000 1:27:26 AM

hey I want to help to.
I''m still new but I''m good with problem solving.
Have you ever tried implementing the snake algo?
The one that moves the snake, I''ve seen many do it but when the snake hits the wall, they lose instantly but I managed to do it
I write C\C++ code as well and might also be all to help in the graphics deaprtment.

hope to hear from u.

I am currently busy with something else right now.......but I will be happy to get the code to you if you give me your email......if you can improve the AI then more power to ya.....because I can''t do it for junk
Later


"Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
themGames Productions

You can click on the "User" icon to see that person''s stats but anyway my email is jaryl@catcha.com.sg

I just realised something, when your rank changes, your previous posts get updated too. Hmm.....

Edited by - Darkor on June 22, 2000 11:26:57 AM

Anybody there anymore? Am I replying myself? I feel lonely...

I tried that email you have listed there but it returned the email to me saying it was undeliverable for what reason I dont know........I will try again


"Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
themGames Productions

My mailbox was full, u can try again now, if the offer is still good of course.

unfortunately I cant now.......my comp crashed and took the program with it......maybeone day I will get around to redoing it.


"Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
themGames Productions