Re: [Pingus-Devel] Increasing the maximum fall height

[Gervase Lam]

TBH, I agree with what Maria says below.  To me, Pingus answers the need
"It would be really nice to play a Linux version of Lemmings."  Having
bombers with no countdown is another step away from the classic
Lemmings.

It's been a long time since I looked at the code, but if I remember
rightly, there strictly speaking isn't a deadly distance but a deadly
velocity.  The reason for using velocity is because in the old days when
a Pingu exploded, Pingus would go through the air as a result of the
explosion.  Therefore, a sideways hit against a wall or ceiling at the
deadly velocity would kill the Pingu.

Unless things have changed radically, since then, one of the problems
with the positioning system is that for an accurate reaction of the
Pingu to gravity, there really needs to be a sub-pixel positioning
system.  Also, if I remember rightly, a proper physics formula may need
to be used like "distance fallen = 0.5 * gravity * time^2" (or
whatever).

As an example, using "sub-pixels", the following would be the vertical
positions/velocities during a fall with a gravity of 0.2.

position = 0, velocity = 0
position = 0.1, velocity = 0.2
position = 0.4, velocity = 0.4
position = 0.9, velocity = 0.6
position = 1.6, velocity = 0.8
position = 2.5, velocity = 1.0

However, due to the automatic rounding down to the nearest whole number,
I think something like the following occurs:

position = 0, velocity = 0
position = 0, velocity = 0.2 (which is not enough to move it to the next
whole pixel)
position = 0, velocity = 0.4 (ditto)
position = 0, velocity = 0.6 (ditto)
position = 0, velocity = 0.8 (ditto)
position = 1, velocity = 1.0 (now it's enough).

This may be the cause of the Issue 66 (Jumper path is uneven).

Thanks,
Gervase.

On Tue, 2011-09-20 at 10:53 +0200, address@hidden wrote:
> Hi there,
> 
>  
> 
> here's my opinion on the idea: I am quite a fan of the maximum fall
> height as it is. Increasing it would mean that quite a few levels will
> become a lot less taxing.
> 
>  
> 
> Furthermore, I have acquired a certain "instinct" for that special
> height. And I guess a lot of other passionate players have gotten used
> to that special distance to the ground too. So I'd say: never touch a
> running system.
> 
>  
> 
> The instant bomber has already made mastering levels a lot easier. Yet
> more "help" could eventually make things too easy which would be a
> shame. The lives of the Pingus have to remain risky ones requiring our
> witty ideas saving all of them (or at least as many as possible).
> 
>  
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Maria.
> 
>  
> 
> P.S.: THANK YOU ever so much for all the work you are doing on PINGUS:
> Eliminating bugs and implementing new functions. And the new graphics
> of the levels you worked on are fantastic.  And - again - everything
> is designed with so much love for detail. Makes playing even more fun
> than before.
> 
>  
>