Z+ 0.3.3 released!

[Mangojuice]

It's a lag between entering a command and it taking effect. Less than a second, but given that it's usually instantaneous it throws things off a good deal.

I'm going to try the new version you uploaded and see if it happens there...and try again with the old version and see what happens. I'll post results in a few minutes.

Edit: OK, it's still there in the fixed new version. Can't really describe it any better than that though...

Edit2: Went back to playing .3.2 because the lag was too annoying, and realized that in .3.2, none of the fonts works properly except 8x13, while in .3.3 they all work fine EXCEPT 8x13. No idea if this is related to the lag or not. Did you change anything with the fonts at all?

I changed nothing relating to the fonts at all, that is very bizarre.

On the lag: there is only one change I made that affects code that would run every time you enter a command. I looked it over and I could see how it's possible I made things less efficient, so I'm now uploading a version with a more optimized version of that code. But even though I found a way to make things more efficient, I very highly doubt that this explains why you're seeing a large lag in processing commands, so I really don't know what to suggest. Is this a really old computer or something? Do you have spyware or adware? Did you try restarting?

[Jude]

I changed nothing relating to the fonts at all, that is very bizarre.

On the lag: there is only one change I made that affects code that would run every time you enter a command. I looked it over and I could see how it's possible I made things less efficient, so I'm now uploading a version with a more optimized version of that code. But even though I found a way to make things more efficient, I very highly doubt that this explains why you're seeing a large lag in processing commands, so I really don't know what to suggest. Is this a really old computer or something? Do you have spyware or adware? Did you try restarting?

I'll give the new code a shot. The computer is a rather slow netbook, but given that this doesn't happen with old versions of Z+ (I was just playing a bit of .3.2 earlier and it ran just fine) or with other variants I figured it had to be something about the new version. Could very well be just a combo of the new version and my computer, but who knows...

Edit: Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon, but whatever you tweaked seems to have fixed the problem. Good lookin out!

[Phoenix21692]

1. Hah, silly me. I compile a fixed version but then copy the unfixed version into my distribution. Corrected version is posted, but check the MD5 hash to make sure you're getting the updated one: its hash is ba99b80d1d1bd61a2f8ded45e1d86921. (You can check by going to https://sourceforge.net/projects/zpl...nd/files/dist/ and clicking on the 'i' in the black circle). I've tested it, it has all its directories and the projection bug really is gone.

Just to give a heads up, I just downloaded the FIXED version and indeed it is fixed, in my case!! No problems with the directory or projection crash bug. I'm running Windows XP Pro SP 3 32-bit on a 2.2GHz AMD Turion II Dual-Core Mobile M500 (a 64 bit dual processor). Yeah, that kind of power doesn't stop me from playing Z+ on my laptop!

[pampl]

I changed nothing relating to the fonts at all, that is very bizarre.

It happens to me every time I delete or override a version of Angband. You can imagine how fun it is for me having to change fonts or reset every time I recompile the variant I'm working on Now that I think about it I should have filed a ticket for this but I guess I thought it was only happening to me.

[Mangojuice]

So I'm glad everything seems to be working now, apart from the fonts issue which is definitely not my doing.

Jude - actually that explains a lot. The code before my optimization resulted in about 50 extra multiplications per execution of project_path, which gets called a lot. (See, I was checking the distance twice per loop instead of once, and the loop runs about 18-20 times at most, but each distance calculations is 3+ multiplications.) Now it checks at most once per loop, and actually avoids the calculation when a simpler-to-check condition indicates we don't need to.

Anyone on a machine with any muscle wouldn't notice the difference. But on a netbook I can imagine it could be an issue.

[Jude]

Well either way I'm glad it got fixed, good looking out.

Couple other things unrelated to the new version...I thought there used to be a "my home" in every town, but I've been finding quite a few without one. Makes it kind of inconvenient when the town I want to base myself in is a long walk away from a place I can store stuff. Also, it seems like I have a lot of trouble finding (and often cannot find) some fairly basic items like scrolls/staffs of teleport, detection of any kind, or identification of any kind.

So basically, are these bugs or features?

Also, there are a few more things from the old Zangband versions that I miss, like a place that ID's all your stuff at once, a temple that restores all your drained stats at once, and most of all, a place that'll recharge your wands and staves. Do these things exist and are just rare? If not are there plans to include them? Or make them more common?

[Mangojuice]

Well either way I'm glad it got fixed, good looking out.

Couple other things unrelated to the new version...I thought there used to be a "my home" in every town, but I've been finding quite a few without one. Makes it kind of inconvenient when the town I want to base myself in is a long walk away from a place I can store stuff. Also, it seems like I have a lot of trouble finding (and often cannot find) some fairly basic items like scrolls/staffs of teleport, detection of any kind, or identification of any kind.

So basically, are these bugs or features?

Also, there are a few more things from the old Zangband versions that I miss, like a place that ID's all your stuff at once, a temple that restores all your drained stats at once, and most of all, a place that'll recharge your wands and staves. Do these things exist and are just rare? If not are there plans to include them? Or make them more common?

Neither bugs nor features, the game works pretty much as intended.

So, building generation hasn't changed since the last version. IIRC (and I haven't looked at the code in 2 years), the code favors the generation of a building that hasn't appeared yet but doesn't require it. The bahavior is random but it tends to do a good job both (1) having a good variety of buildings but (2) making common stuff common and rare stuff rare.

As for sources of necessities, they aren't guaranteed in every store, and they're never guaranteed to be in stock. Look around a bit, or find a way to do without until your next trip to town. But there are definitely plenty of sources: ?ID, for instance, can be found in any Temple, Magic Wares, Scroll Store, Alchemy Shop, Dungeon Supply Store, Supplies Store, not to mention rarer versions of all of these as well as black markets, bazaars, etc.

Homes are common but they aren't guaranteed to be placed in every town. Yes this sometimes results in a town near some good stuff with no home and no nearby town with a home, but usually there's a home a little further away.
In the test game I just did, there are 10 homes in 19 towns.

You can get stuff ID'ed at the Zymurgist (all your stuff at once) or at a Thieves' Guild once you've completed one quest for them (one at a time, but you can also get *ID* - and you start as a member if you're a rogue).

There's a "healer" building that will restore drained stats. It's rareish. You can also have this done at any Cathedral (the priestly quest building).

As for recharging, again this can be done at the Zymurgist, and can also be done at any Mage's guild. If you are a member of the mage's guild (that is, if you're a mage or high mage) they'll even let you recharge completely safely for a fixed cost per charge.

The Thieves' guild tends to be a little more common, but all these services exist an average of about 3-4 times in the world.

[Jude]

Good stuff to know then. I just discovered the Zymurgist, who proceeded to fuck up and consume my staff of teleportation in wild magic, then still charge me 200-odd gold for it. Surely THAT shouldn't happening...

[Mangojuice]

Good stuff to know then. I just discovered the Zymurgist, who proceeded to fuck up and consume my staff of teleportation in wild magic, then still charge me 200-odd gold for it. Surely THAT shouldn't happening...

Sorry, no refunds!

[Jude]

I at least want the option to trash his shop...I mean, I think I can take him on, even if he has a whole array of staves sitting in the back of the shop...all I'd have to do is blast him with Field of Chaos and boom, confused and helpless!

[Phoenix21692]

I found another bug with Z+ 0.3.3, I think. I started playing a Spectre High-Mage. As as Spectre as well as other undead races, you start in town in the evening, with the game time at 6:00pm, which is normal. But ,when morning broke at 6:00am while in the wilderness, the playing field did not light up on the current screeen. It lit up in the surrounding areas, but not the current screen. However, this did NOT crash the game. I still find it strange to not light up the central playing field, when morning breaks. i.e., when the game time reaches 6:00am.

This is what it looked like:

http://img291.imageshack.us/f/yeahqm.png/

Also, let me know if you want the savefile.

[Mangojuice]

I found another bug with Z+ 0.3.3, I think. I started playing a Spectre High-Mage. As as Spectre as well as other undead races, you start in town in the evening, with the game time at 6:00pm, which is normal. But ,when morning broke at 6:00am while in the wilderness, the playing field did not light up on the current screeen. It lit up in the surrounding areas, but not the current screen. However, this did NOT crash the game. I still find it strange to not light up the central playing field, when morning breaks. i.e., when the game time reaches 6:00am.

This is what it looked like:

http://img291.imageshack.us/f/yeahqm.png/

Also, let me know if you want the savefile.

Ironically, I've also been playing a spectre mage and noticed the same thing. I'll let you know when I've got a fix up.

[Jude]

I'd noticed the same thing but thought it was intentional...I remembered you saying something about dawn being gradual and not instant.

Also that's not ironic...

[ThunderToads]

I also have that daylight bug.

In addition, another light bug: I sometimes find myself above ground at night having a radius 4 light that comes out of nowhere and stays even if I unequip all light sources. I've seen this on 2 characters so far. It disappears if I go into a dungeon. I'll try to find out what conditions it appears under, I didn't really take note at the time.

[Jude]

This is weird...after working fine for a few days, the newest version suddenly started having the same bugs I was reporting earlier - the 8x13 (default) font just disappeared, making me switch to another...and at the same time, I started having the same lag as earlier. I absolutely didn't touch any of the files or internal workings of the program between before and after it happened. Wtf?

Just re-downloaded the new version and the font's still gone, and the lag still seems to be there a bit, but it's not that noticeable. Wtf.