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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 24, 2007 11:20:48 GMT
Hi all, Well here it is - I hope you all enjoy it. You'll need DirectX 8 installed (at least). I've made a webpage with a link to the file, but being on a free host, it may be a little unreliable: barbilliards.awardspace.com/If necessary, use the direct download link here: www.filesend.net/download.php?f=69c9a04c4fca9e32e84dc1ec2d1aa33eClick the yellow download button at the bottom of the page (you'll have to wait a few seconds for it to appear). Let me know of any problems, and I'll try to fix them as soon as I get time. If you like it, let me know - it would make it worth the effort!. Martin. |
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Post by Chris_Sav on Mar 24, 2007 11:24:25 GMT
Looks very interesting!!!
Will be glad to help test it.
Sav.
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Post by NigelS on Mar 24, 2007 12:42:57 GMT
Hello Martin, screenshots look really cool.
At last someone who actually knows about bar billiards is writing a computer game. I have played sega's offerings in World championship 2007 and it is just a pile of rubbish really, as the have just not got the rules or the table right.
Nigel
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 24, 2007 12:52:35 GMT
Hi Nigel & Sav (and anyone else interested!)
I'm just setting up a password access for the beta release, and then I'll make it available for testing.
Hopefully this version is close to the real game, but there are one or two compromises. The balls/holes have to be a bit bigger so that the collisions can give very accurate ball angles and pace. I've used Newtons physics to calculate the forces, and small sprites wouldn't be up to it. Consequently, some of the lines to the back holes are a little different, but it's pretty close.
Anyway, I'll get back to coding up the beta, and I'll probably post it sometime later today or tomorrow.
I'll need peoples' emails to send the password for the beta.
If all is well, I'll put the finished version up in a couple of weeks.
Martin
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Post by Sir Chancelot on Mar 24, 2007 16:18:40 GMT
Looks very interesting!!! Will be glad to help test it. Sav. Looks as though all will have to play from the spot - No moving the ball around on the D to get the difficult shots ! Will the computer version be based on speed cloth baize also ? |
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 24, 2007 17:01:16 GMT
You can move the ball on the D - and the cloth speed will be variable in the final version, although a speed cloth would probably make the game pretty hard! ;D
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 24, 2007 19:43:10 GMT
Have sent the game via email - let me know what you think (if it's bad - do it by email; if it's good, post it all over the boards! ;D).
I was wondering if I could add some promotional stuff in the final version - links to the All England site and these boards etc - try and encourage a few people to take up the real game? If you have any ideas let me know and I'll program them in.
Martin
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Post by Chris_Sav on Mar 25, 2007 19:15:23 GMT
Its damn good!!!
Couple of small problems, but overall its marvellous and playable
Sav
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2007 19:30:54 GMT
Thanks Martin,
Have been short of time recently and only just got round to having a look.
Certainly the table dimensions look spot on and it makes a lot more sense of the game than the 'blast' version (available on our Test Board).
And if Sav's test-driven it and said it's marvellous, that's good enough for me.
tommo
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 25, 2007 19:41:01 GMT
Thanks for the encouragement Chris & Clive.
Chris; glad you like it. Let me have some feedback on the "small problems" and I'll try to get them fixed this week. I've had quite a lot of interest so I'd like to release it as soon as possible.
Martin.
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Post by Chris_Sav on Mar 25, 2007 19:47:14 GMT
Feedback on here for other testers to see or via PM??
Sav
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 25, 2007 19:48:51 GMT
Either way Chris
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Post by Chris_Sav on Mar 25, 2007 20:21:48 GMT
OK.
Bounce off side cushions, I feel, is slightly too sharp. Ball from left of 'D' to left edge of 50 should be going between 20 and 30, closer to 30. It is arriving between the 20 and the 10 on the game.
Ball hitting the edge of a hole, slow - rings nicely, hard - bounces straight back at you.
Will carry on playing, 1720 break best so far!!
Sav
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 25, 2007 20:52:59 GMT
Yes - good points Chris.
I'm working on the lines to the back of the table, but there is a bit of a problem with getting it absolutely right. The balls and holes have to be slightly larger than life to make the collisions work accurately enough, which means you can't quite skirt the 50 holes as close as you can on a real table. If I change the positions of things too much, you cant shoot inside the peg and between the 20/30 holes.
The cusions actually bounce 100% true, although perhaps I should change that so it reflects the loose old rubbers we are all so used to!
Another issue is that the table has to be a little foreshortened to fit it on a 800*600 pixel screen, although there may be a way around that one - I might resize it to give a bit more space between the break balls and the 200 which should help the shots either side of the 50.
I've made it so that the ball hitting the back of the pocket too fast would thud and die at the front of the hole (no sound effect yet), but I agree it comes back too far at the moment. A medium pace ball will actually make it across the pocket, but I might change that so it comes off at an unpredictable angle - what do you think?
Anyway - glad you like it and if you have any more suggestions, they'd be very welcome - I'd really like to get this as close as possible to the real thing.
My top break is 7000 dead, but I have been playing the damn thing for a month now!
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Post by Chris_Sav on Mar 25, 2007 21:07:48 GMT
Re sides, sounds good.
Last ball shot, white pegs should be ignored like the other holes, or removed. It is possible to pot the final ball off the white peg.
Last ball shot, current break should be recorded prior to shot and should not be lost by hitting white peg on last ball shot.
Still impressed!!
Sav.
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Post by H on Mar 25, 2007 23:10:36 GMT
Hi there, as someone who is rather deprived of actual bar billiards at the moment due to my unfortunate geographical placement outside of bb country, I would love to have an opportunity to give your game a whirl...any chance of emailing it my way?
Cheers
H
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Post by NigelS on Mar 25, 2007 23:20:11 GMT
Hi Martin, got your new version and works better for me but I think the problem I had was my PC and not your game.
Agree that although the cushions are probably correct, I think they do feel they kick a bit square, and certainly tables around now do have the 'stretched rubber' and they tend to kick a bit up. However I think the one up might be a tad hard if the cushions kicked up more. I also agree that hard balls that hit a pocket do come back a bit far and would be better to hit the hole and stop. I think medium pace shots should ring round at an unpredictable angle, that is probably more realistic.
Did you think, or are you thinking of implementing any spin options on the cue ball. I am dying to put right hand side on the one up shot! I don't know (but you probably do) how complicated (I imagine it would) that would be to do.
The game is very playable as Sav says, and miles better than the other bar billiards type games I have played in the past. By the way Chris Reeves told me he has had 4k break splitting, after one day! So it is definitely playable. I won't rest until I beat that!
Anyway, I think the game is excellent Martin and lots of fun.
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 25, 2007 23:27:01 GMT
Thanks Nigel
I've fixed some of the issues already. I've lengthened the table slghtly and the cushions kick a little flatter now, and you can still get the 1 up.
I have already programmed in the side on the cue ball, but I haven't done the interface for it yet, and I'm not sure I will be able to incorporate top or bottom spin - not that that would be a big need I think.
I'll be working on the pockets and last ball shot tomorrow - look out for a new test version!
Martin
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Post by NigelS on Mar 25, 2007 23:49:52 GMT
Hi Martin
I probably agree that top and bottom spin is not needed but side spin would be quite cool and may allow you to puul off a few different shots. I am getting better but keep losing my breaks!
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Post by NigelS on Mar 26, 2007 1:59:17 GMT
4,610 break in 4 minutes, damn look at the time, got to go to bed!!!!
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Post by Chris_Sav on Mar 26, 2007 7:23:03 GMT
4,610 break in 4 minutes, damn look at the time, got to go to bed!!!! top spin is used in follow through shots, though get this version finished first. Is the collision bounce slightly variable now?? Playing the break without moving the mouse seems to vary slightly where it hits the right hand fifty depending on speed (not a bad thing). Bit more info below the players would be good, especially the previous break, possibly high break current game. Guess what I'm playing in my stint down the village PO this morning?? ;D ;D Any plans for a LAN version?? t'would be good to show our TD how to play it. ;D Sav. |
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 26, 2007 9:19:32 GMT
Well spotted! - Yes, the pace on the cue ball does slightly affect the angle it takes off the object ball as happens in real life - makes it a bit more challenging.
I've finished a slightly new geometry for the tables to get the lines past the 50s working better, and the cushions now throw off a little flatter. The balls also ring out in a slightly more convincing way, and at a lower speed. The ball thudding against the pocket doesn't bounce as far now - still not sure it's good enough yet though.
I'm just about to send out this version of the beta to the testers, so look out for an email.
I have high breaks etc in hand, and I have an idea for top/side etc. although the side will probably be lost after the first contact unless I can come up with a new method.
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Post by Chris_Sav on Mar 26, 2007 9:23:00 GMT
Doesn't run under Windoze 2000, can't find d3d8.dll, post full message when I get home.
Sav
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Post by NigelS on Mar 26, 2007 9:31:53 GMT
Hello again Martin
Had a few more goes after my ‘last’ go last night, and lost a 6k break grrr…
I have a couple of suggestions, that I think would make the game better, but don’t know how easy it would be to implement them.
Firstly would it be possible for the cursor the randomly reappear somewhere on the table after each shot. At the moment I position the cursor where I want to take the break shot, and take 3 shots just controlling the speed, meaning I can get three down quite easily and quickly. My errors come from moving the cursor to play the one up and the split. If I had to move the cursor to the correct place then it would become a real test of mouse control when trying to build big breaks.
The other suggestion is could the cursor become a circle the size of one of the balls. This was done in a game called cue club (pool game, similar layout, above table view) At the moment the cursor works very well for aiming as it is and is very intuitive and the balls were going where I wanted after a few shots. However the good thing about the game I played with a ‘cue ball’ size cursor is that you could place the cursor touching the object ball, and this would show you exactly where you would hit the object ball when taking the shot. I think it would be more effective than the line you have at the mo.
As I say just my opinion, so see what other people say…
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 26, 2007 10:08:45 GMT
Sav...
d3d8.dll missing means you don't have the latest directx drivers installed - just update directx and you should be ok.
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 26, 2007 10:09:25 GMT
Good ideas, Nigel
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Post by Chris_Sav on Mar 26, 2007 12:39:49 GMT
Sav... d3d8.dll missing means you don't have the latest directx drivers installed - just update directx and you should be ok. Not so easy on 21k dial-up!! Downloaded what professes to be the full package, will try that this afternoon from a USB stick. Agree with Nige's comment on the break, was contemplating exactly the same myself. Sav. |
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Post by Martin Leach on Mar 26, 2007 14:08:13 GMT
Sav, Nigel,
Beta 3 on it's way to your email.
Click on the red to reset the game - makes it easier to test.
Still a lot to sort, but side and top seem to work (too subtle?)
Let me know
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Post by Chris_Sav on Mar 26, 2007 18:16:19 GMT
Early impression is a big improvement on realism, spin is possibly a little too responsive.
Like it!! Can hit balls on the 30 off the cushion and make the cue ball work with some side. Break & one-up is more realistic too
Direct side off the cushion may really difficult to emulate. It acts as you would expect at right angles to the cushion, but not at shallow angles, when it tends just to make the ball skid up the cushion at a shallower angle.
Chris.
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Post by NigelS on Mar 26, 2007 18:44:38 GMT
I have also had a go Martin, really like the ghostly cue ball as a cursor, had to relearn the break shot though!
I think the side is very effective off the side cushion, I can make a lot of different angles now off the side cush I am quite happy with the responsiveness of the side off the cushion. However, when off the back cushion I can't go off the back cushion and pot the ball in the 100 with side, and if I hit the ball harder I would expect to get more side and I seem to get less. Don't know if you found this?
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