Alchemist TD

[The Noid]

I'll test.

How high do you want the player to be able to update his chances? With the current increments it doesn't look like he'll ever get any decent chances.

"Cancel" Cancels slate placement, but does not refund the money! Can you separate the "clear combine slots" and "undo" into separate buttons? I often end up undoing stuff when I only wanted to clear the three combine slots.

Upgrading a "Freeze Slate" gives it a reload and mana of -1. Maybe it should extend the slow period?

Here's another log:

Player chose Normal difficulty!
END
Threat;437.5;1;8;density;3;hp;2;speed;8;armor;0;lives;12;gold;0;.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.0END
Threat;1000.0;2;10;density;4;hp;3;speed;6;armor;0;lives;12;gold;31;.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.0%END
Threat;3450.0;3;8;density;9;hp;9;speed;5;armor;0;lives;12;gold;35;.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.0%END
Threat;5000.0;4;7;density;5;hp;14;speed;5;armor;0;lives;12;gold;20;.6.5.4.3.2.1.0END
Threat;6250.0;5;7;density;6;hp;25;speed;3;armor;0;lives;12;gold;29;.6.5.4.3.2.1.0END
Threat;7500.0;|Fast|6;6;density;8;hp;8;speed;19;armor;0;lives;12;gold;48;.5.4.3.2.1.0END
Threat;8750.0;7;9;density;3;hp;13;speed;8;armor;0;lives;12;gold;60;.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.0END
Threat;12500.0;|Boss|8;1;density;6;hp;288;speed;4;armor;0;lives;12;gold;82;.0END
Threat;18750.0;9;15;density;7;hp;25;speed;5;armor;0;lives;12;gold;139;.14.13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.0%%10;1;density;7;hp;250;speed;4;armor;30;lives;12;gold;21;.-1Silver gem created.
END
Threat;31250.0;11;11;density;4;hp;50;speed;5;armor;2;lives;12;gold;74;..9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.0END
Threat;37500.0;|Regeneration|12;14;density;6;hp;83;speed;3;armor;0;lives;12;gold;107;.13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.0%END
Threat;75000.0;13;12;density;5;hp;129;speed;4;armor;1;lives;12;gold;4;.11.10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.0END
Threat;125000.0;14;7;density;9;hp;427;speed;4;armor;0;lives;12;gold;49;.6..4.3.2.1.0END
Threat;212500.0;|Close formation|15;21;density;0;hp;165;speed;6;armor;0;lives;12;gold;82;.20.19.18.17.15.14.13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.0END
Threat;250000.0;|Boss||Strong|16;1;density;8;hp;12824;speed;3;armor;0;lives;12;gold;142;.0Stun Slate deployed at x:16 y:14
END
Threat;312500.0;|Many||Armored|17;39;density;5;hp;299;speed;7;armor;8;lives;12;gold;118;.6..4.3.2..0.-1.-2...-5.-6.-7.-8.-9....-13.-14...-17.......-24.-25.-26.-27..-29.-30.-31.-32Perfect Emerald gem deployed.
Malachite gem created.
END
Threat;375000.0;|Strong||Fast|18;20;density;6;hp;109;speed;17;armor;0;lives;12;gold;248;.19.18.17.16.15.14.13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.0Perfect Sapphyre gem created.
%END
Threat;462500.0;|Armored|19;16;density;6;hp;367;speed;7;armor;9;lives;12;gold;93;.14...11...8.7....3...020;1;density;6;hp;250;speed;6;armor;6;lives;12;gold;156;.-1END
Threat;1000000.0;|Fast||Close formation|21;24;density;0;hp;264;speed;15;armor;0;lives;12;gold;162;.23...20....16.15.14......8.7......1.0%END
Threat;1250000.0;|Many|22;31;density;7;hp;247;speed;8;armor;0;lives;12;gold;2;.29.28.27.26.25.24.23.22.21.20.19.18.17.16.15.14.13.12.11.10.9.8.7.6.5.4..2.1.0.-1END
Threat;1500000.0;|Boss|23;1;density;6;hp;20627;speed;8;armor;0;lives;12;gold;146;Stun Slate deployed at x:27 y:6
.0END
Threat;1875000.0;|Regeneration|24;11;density;10;hp;2187;speed;7;armor;3;lives;12;gold;128;.10.9.8Stun Slate deployed at x:27 y:6
..6.5....1.
Stun Slate deployed at x:27 y:6
END
Threat;2500000.0;|Close formation|25;20;density;0;hp;2120;speed;5;armor;0;lives;12;gold;0;.19.18.17..15.14...11....7....3.2..0Stun Slate deployed at x:27 y:6
END
Threat;2519932.5651275045;26;17;density;8;hp;2697;speed;5;armor;0;lives;12;gold;5;.16.15..13.12.11....7..5.4...1.0Perfect Quartz gem created.
Perfect Amethyst gem created.
Coral gem created.
END
Threat;3527905.5911785066;Path is wrong.
END
Threat;3527905.5911785066;|Strong||Regeneration|27;33;density;9;hp;2744;speed;7;armor;0;lives;12;gold;78;.32.31.30.29.28.27.26.25..23..21.20.19.18.......9.7.6..4.3..1.0END
Threat;4939067.827649908;28;33;density;4;hp;3327;speed;4;armor;0;lives;12;gold;236;.....28.27...23.22..20..18.17..15%..13..11.....6..4..2.1.0END
Threat;6914694.958709871;|Fast|29;17;density;9;hp;2212;speed;18;armor;0;lives;12;gold;122;.16.15.14.13..11..9..7.6...3.2.1.
30;1;density;9;hp;25000;speed;12;armor;20;lives;12;gold;187;.-1Freeze Slate deployed at x:10 y:13
END
Threat;1.3552802119071348E7;|Fast||Close formation|31;23;density;0;hp;3257;speed;18;armor;0;lives;12;gold;145;...20..18.17.....12..10.9..7..5...2.1.0Perfect Emerald gem created.
END
Threat;1.8973922966699883E7;|Flying|32;14;density;5;hp;478;speed;7;armor;0;lives;12;gold;267;.13.12.11.10.9.8.7...4.3.2.1.0END
Threat;2.6563492153379843E7;33;36;density;8;hp;10695;speed;6;armor;0;lives;12;gold;330;.35..33.31..29.28.27..25..23..21.20.19.18..16.15.14.....9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.
Perfect Amethyst gem deployed.
END
Threat;3.7188889014731765E7;|Strong||Regeneration|34;40;density;5;hp;25828;speed;7;armor;0;lives;12;gold;514;Freeze Slate upgraded to level 2

And (attached) a screenshot of the final maze.

[Yokubo]

Thanks for the testing and ideas!

I created new smaller buttons for upgrade, remove gem, and undo (separate now from cancel). The undo button will be visible only if you select the gem that was placed last.

I corrected the slate undo does not refund problem.

About the slate upgrade: I plan to make slates different, they will level up from being used, for doing damage, or simly from affecting many creeps. So I disabled the upgrade option for slates. Special gems are the important things in the game, the player is supposed to spend gold on those, not on slates. Slates are just some second option. If the player likes slates, he should buy more of them, but not buy one and upgrade it.

About improve chances: I lowered the maximum improvement cost to 200. The main idea is to make it sure that even at levels 30-40, perfect gems should be relatively rare. I think it kills the game if you get 3-4 perfects in one round. It just loses it's value. If you have a 3% chance to get a perfect, that 3% is rolled 5 times in one round. So you get about 15% chance to get a perfect in one round. But this is only the chance to get a new one, you will have a good chance of combining some to create one. That looks fine to me, but please let me know if you disagree. If many people will tell me I am wrong I tend to think about it

About the log: how did the game end? Did you abort it? I do not see marks "-" for creep getting through.

[The Noid]

the 3% sounds fine to me.

I got killed by a swarm of something, ended up with -16 lives or so. The game didn't show the last line, I even tried removing a rock to make it show up, but that didn't work either. What action is guaranteed to do a println?

By the way, why did you remove the second gem image, with the square-ish gems? I liked those more than the flat one...

[Yokubo]

Originally Posted by The Noid

I got killed by a swarm of something, ended up with -16 lives or so. The game didn't show the last line, I even tried removing a rock to make it show up, but that didn't work either. What action is guaranteed to do a println?

I think I know why the last line keeps disappearing. I usually use print and not println, and when the game is over, it seems that print does not really print until it sees the end of the line. So I will put a println when the game is over and that should do it.

Originally Posted by The Noid

By the way, why did you remove the second gem image, with the square-ish gems? I liked those more than the flat one...

I didn't like the square-ish one for some reason. I think it's how the light broke on it. But I don't like the new one, either So I think maybe I will restore the old one, or maybe try to draw a new image. And I did it because at first I used this old image for the slates.

[The Noid]

print *always* delays printing until a line ending, not just when the game is over.

How can we now see now much a gem-upgrade costs?

[Yokubo]

Originally Posted by The Noid

print *always* delays printing until a line ending, not just when the game is over.

In debug mode it seemed to me that all printing happened instantly. But I believe you Maybe the console works differently in debug mode.

Originally Posted by The Noid

How can we now see now much a gem-upgrade costs?

At the moment there is no way to see that I think I will print upgrade costs with all other gem abilities on the info panel.

[The Noid]

Originally Posted by Yokubo

In debug mode it seemed to me that all printing happened instantly. But I believe you Maybe the console works differently in debug mode.

What IDE do you use? When I debug in Netbeans the result of print is also shown directly (by Netbeans). So yeah, when debugging things work differently...

[Yokubo]

Originally Posted by The Noid

What IDE do you use? When I debug in Netbeans the result of print is also shown directly (by Netbeans). So yeah, when debugging things work differently...

I use Eclipse, and it's the same, debug prints are displayed instantly, it doesn't wait for the end line character.

I am thinking about saving and restoring scenarios now. I plan to make my Gem class serializable, and save it to disk. The waypoints will need to be saved, as well. Then I will need some map-select buttons, and that's it.

[The Noid]

Since serialization isn't always reliable across java versions, you might want to try http://code.google.com/p/jsonmarshaller/
It's why I use for the maps in HexTD as well.

[Yokubo]

Originally Posted by The Noid

Since serialization isn't always reliable across java versions, you might want to try http://code.google.com/p/jsonmarshaller/
It's why I use for the maps in HexTD as well.

Thanks for the idea! This marshalling only converts my class to a string representation (the json object), right? Then I have to save it with some IO functions.