I started porting a raycaster maze game from MSDOS SVGA that I wrote a long time ago over to ANSI. The goal is to make a door game for BBS's. Rewriting
it to ANSI "putpixel" was pretty easy, but the resolution limitation makes for some pretty ugly graphics.

##
## (Screenshot) XD
##
##################
#
##################
##
##
##

When you're not at a right angle, it gets worse of course. So I was thinking of making it so only 4 directions will be used, something like old style RPG "maze" type games. The idea is to have a "3D" representation of the game world.

Anyway, I'm working on NPC's next. The game screen is 60x24, the rest will be used for stats/info. So I think sprites could be 24x24 to look ok?

What do you guys think?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

Anyway, I'm working on NPC's next. The game screen is 60x24, the rest
will be used for stats/info. So I think sprites could be 24x24 to look

I went with 16x16 sprites to match the wall textures; it simplifies rendering too. I noticed that ANSI colors don't work when direct launching the door from Mystic. ANSI col/row positioning works, but colors don't work.

When running locally in the terminal, ANSI colors work great. I dunno, I'm done work for the day.

Happy Friday!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

rendering too. I noticed that ANSI colors don't work when direct
launching the door from Mystic. ANSI col/row positioning works, but
colors don't work.

That's odd. Mystic shouldn't be doing that, what terminal are you using?
Is it the same terminal you're using to test locally?

Andrew


--- Talisman v0.43-dev (Windows/x64)
* Origin: Smuggler's Cove - Private BBS (21:1/182)

That's odd. Mystic shouldn't be doing that, what terminal are you using? Is it the same terminal you're using to test locally?

I'm using Syncterm, and just tested with Netrunner too. But if I use Juice client on Android, colors seem to work fine. Maybe I'm missing a library?

Locally it's just the bash terminal, default settings with Kubuntu.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

Anyway, I'm working on NPC's next. The game screen is 60x24, the rest
will be used for stats/info. So I think sprites could be 24x24 to look
ok?

I think the four-direction thing with sprites would be dope!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 2022/07/11 (Linux/64)
* Origin: m O N T E R E Y b B S . c O M (21:4/173)

Locally it's just the bash terminal, default settings with Kubuntu.

Try adding something like
export LANG=en_US (or equivalent)
export TERM=ansi

in your bash script. This may help. Additionally sometimes I use a cp437 wrapper when things don't look right, which can be found here:

https://github.com/keaston/cp437

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 2022/07/11 (Linux/64)
* Origin: m O N T E R E Y b B S . c O M (21:4/173)

in your bash script. This may help. Additionally sometimes I use a cp437 wrapper when things don't look right, which can be found here:

https://github.com/keaston/cp437

Thanks that totally helps with the local terminal. It doesn't help with the door on Mystic though, everything comes out garbled. This is such a weird issue

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

MissChief wrote to esc <=-

in your bash script. This may help. Additionally sometimes I use a cp437 wrapper when things don't look right, which can be found here:

https://github.com/keaston/cp437

Thanks that totally helps with the local terminal. It doesn't
help with the door on Mystic though, everything comes out
garbled. This is such a weird issue

Might be a line ending thing. CR vs CR/LF. Different between *nix and
DOS, but easily converted.



... Internal Error: The system has been taken over by sheep at line 19960
=== MultiMail/Linux v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)

I went with 16x16 sprites to match the wall textures; it simplifies rendering too. I noticed that ANSI colors don't work when direct

I just realized how much data is going to be sent each frame, at least 20kb. Locally it works great, but imagine a slow internet connection.

I think I'm going to have to go back to the drawing board. *_*

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

MissChief around Saturday, September 24th...

When you're not at a right angle, it gets worse of course. So I was thinking of making it so only 4 directions will be used, something like old style RPG "maze" type games. The idea is to have a "3D" representation of the game world.

This sounds a bit like a Dungeon Master, which IMO is pretty sweet https://www.johndaileysoftware.com/products/bbsdoors/dungeonmaster

something those with more smash and grab loots, quests, whatever would be sweet


On Saturday, September 24th MissChief said...

Anyway, I'm working on NPC's next. The game screen is 60x24, the rest will be used for stats/info. So I think sprites could be 24x24 to look ok?

You'd be amazed with what people can do in little blocky spaces.



--
|08 ■ |12NuSkooler |06// |12Xibalba |08- |07"|06The place of fear|07"
|08 ■ |03xibalba|08.|03l33t|08.|03codes |08(|0344510|08/|03telnet|08, |0344511|08/|03ssh|08)
|08 ■ |03ENiGMA 1/2 WHQ |08| |03Phenom |08| |0367 |08| |03iMPURE |08| |03ACiDic
--- ENiGMA 1/2 v0.0.13-beta (linux; x64; 16.16.0)
* Origin: Xibalba -+- xibalba.l33t.codes:44510 (21:1/121)

On Saturday, September 24th MissChief said...

I just realized how much data is going to be sent each frame, at least 20kb. Locally it works great, but imagine a slow internet connection.

What kind of connections are you actually expecting?


--
|08 ■ |12NuSkooler |06// |12Xibalba |08- |07"|06The place of fear|07"
|08 ■ |03xibalba|08.|03l33t|08.|03codes |08(|0344510|08/|03telnet|08, |0344511|08/|03ssh|08)
|08 ■ |03ENiGMA 1/2 WHQ |08| |03Phenom |08| |0367 |08| |03iMPURE |08| |03ACiDic
--- ENiGMA 1/2 v0.0.13-beta (linux; x64; 16.16.0)
* Origin: Xibalba -+- xibalba.l33t.codes:44510 (21:1/121)

This sounds a bit like a Dungeon Master, which IMO is pretty sweet https://www.johndaileysoftware.com/products/bbsdoors/dungeonmaster

something those with more smash and grab loots, quests, whatever would
be sweet

Big +1 on Dungeon Master. That game is slick, and it is 'quest'able. Pretty cool game.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 2022/07/11 (Linux/64)
* Origin: m O N T E R E Y b B S . c O M (21:4/173)

thinking of making it so only 4 directions will be used, something like old style RPG "maze" type games. The idea is to have a "3D"
representation of the game world.

I do think working with only the directions that clearly transfer into ANSI does sound like the reasonable choice.

Anyway, I'm working on NPC's next. The game screen is 60x24, the rest
will be used for stats/info. So I think sprites could be 24x24 to look
ok?

I imagine you meant 20x24, but, yeah, that seems plausible.

Though there _is_ always the possibility of doing the 132 column format, that's moderately well-supported, these days. Not sure if the tradeoff of more ANSI space would be worth the decrease in amount of BBSs that could support the software.

What do you guys think?

I'm glad you're working on it, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

(And I imagine I'm far from the first response to this, so my apologies for whatever repetitive stuff I just wrote.)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

Re: Re: ANSIMaze Door Game
By: Adept to MissChief on Sun Sep 25 2022 11:36:05

Anyway, I'm working on NPC's next. The game screen is 60x24, the rest
will be used for stats/info. So I think sprites could be 24x24 to look
ok?

I imagine you meant 20x24, but, yeah, that seems plausible.

Though there _is_ always the possibility of doing the 132 column format, that's moderately well-supported, these days. Not
sure if the tradeoff of more ANSI space would be worth the decrease in amount of BBSs that could support the software.

your issue with that is not so much the BBS supporting, but the terminal supporting it. especially the older systems and heck.. i'm using procomm logged into my own system and that's only 80*24 technically it supports more window size wise, but the bbs still only thinks 80*24 even though the termianl size is bigger

regards
===

Charles Blackburn
The F.B.O BBS 21:1/221 618:250/36
bbs.thefbo.us IPV4/V6
DOVE-Net FSX-Net MicroNET USENET
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Linux
* Origin: The FBO BBS - bbs.thefbo.us (21:1/221)

your issue with that is not so much the BBS supporting, but the terminal supporting it. especially the older systems and heck.. i'm using procomm logged into my own system and that's only 80*24 technically it supports more window size wise, but the bbs still only thinks 80*24 even though
the termianl size is bigger

My understanding, at this point, is that SyncTerm works, and Mystic and Synchronet work.

I'm not really sure on others.

But it was under that understanding of why I said, "moderately well-supported".

It's certainly problematic as a broad tool, but it feels like something she should be aware of as an option, even if she decides against it.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

rendering too. I noticed that ANSI colors don't work when direct
launching the door from Mystic. ANSI col/row positioning works, but
colors don't work.

ANSI works now when running as a door. I modified my putpixel routine to accept the bright attribute, and now it works. The change should NOT have affected anything, but suddenly ANSI works. Argghgh..

Anyway, now that the engine works, I need to decide on the actual gameplay.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

have affected anything, but suddenly ANSI works. Argghgh..

Nice!

Well, also aggravating, but we _are_ talking about code, so, "it works in a useful manner" is a pretty nifty point.

Anyway, now that the engine works, I need to decide on the actual gameplay.

I think this is my biggest struggle with making a door game -- I don't really have any great ideas for one, and if I _do_ come up with an idea, I struggle with the fact that I'm not overly thrilled about the idea of a game that requires me to make 300 ANSI screens.

Though I am kind of tempted to do an update of/homage to the Lemonade stand door game that I still play on my BBS. Mostly because that seems approachable in size and scope.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

Well, also aggravating, but we _are_ talking about code, so, "it works
in a useful manner" is a pretty nifty point.

Now I just have to avoid touching the code ever again. lol

Though I am kind of tempted to do an update of/homage to the Lemonade stand door game that I still play on my BBS. Mostly because that seems approachable in size and scope.

New door games always interest me, even if they're inspired by something older. Most games are inspired by something now days anyway; it's hard to be original when just about everything has been done. I say go for it, start small and see where it goes.

I've avoided putting the "usual" games on my BBS just because they're everywhere, so anything new or different is awesome in my opinion.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)