Author Topic: Time for my annual April 1st reappearance. (Read 3959 times)

Clickbeetle · « **on:** April 01, 2014, 09:02:53 PM »

Hey RA2, long time no see!

Unfortunately, I don't have any grand prank like the DSL3 beta I released last year. In fact, I don't have a prank of any kind. But today did get me thinking about GTM, and how I always post on April 1st. And how it's about time I came back. Homestar Runner came back (AND IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT, CONGRATULATIONS, GO CHECK IT OUT), so I should too! It is a day for comebacks!

First off, let me apologize for disappearing for so long again. I know you were all counting on me to make DSL3 awesome, and I just kind of left it after releasing a beta that still had problems. I don't like leaving things unfinished (part of why I'm posting now), and I'm as frustrated with myself as you probably are with me. So, I know how you feel, and I'm sorry.

I've lost interest in RA2. Don't worry though, I haven't lost ALL of it, just some of it. Enough that RA2 gets constantly pushed to the bottom of my to-do list. I still want to finish DSL3, and I still want to run BBEANS7 (preferably in DSL3), and I still want to build bots too. However, I no longer trust myself to stay motivated enough to finish DSL3 in a timely manner.

Therefore, I was thinking it might be time to "pass the torch", so to speak, and let someone else take over as "head" of DSL3. I can't imagine you guys have been idle while I've been gone. I'm guessing some tweaks have been made to the DSL3 beta I released last year. What's the standard version of DSL you guys use for tournaments and showcases? I know Naryar and 123savethewhales both had their own ideas for DSL3. Is one of their versions the "standard" now? Instead of me reinventing the wheel and making a new "official" DSL3, we could just use the current standard and work off of that. Enough time has passed that you've probably got it properly balanced, or close to it. I would still like to be involved in development, but in more of a testing and editing role.

Of course, it's also possible that there is no consensus on which version of DSL3 to use. Maybe you're still playing DSL2. In which case, I'll do my best to fix DSL3 and make it awesome. I do have some fixes for the beta that I never released. I will not abandon my responsibility to GTM. Even if it takes years. Which, just warning you, it probably will.

So tell me what's happened in the last few months! What's popular right now, what big new things have happened? I won't disappear again right away. I'll stick around for the next few weeks, at least! Hopefully months!

HurricaneAndrew · « **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2014, 09:05:12 PM »

I was losing hope that you'd pay us a visit. It just isn't April fools' without you stopping by.

Mr. AS · « **Reply #2 on:** April 01, 2014, 09:13:21 PM »

Trovaner became the new admin in place of ACAMS
MassimoV's hosted at least 3 Battlebots tournies this year
DSL 2 is still used the majority of the time, DSL 3 is really only used for IRL building.
Restocked is still in development hell
This guy called Nerd³ did a Let's play of our game, bringing back some older members and new ones
Stock returned from a slump it was in back in late 2013/early 2014
090901 and I found a new glitch in stock called Advanced Stacking, which allows motor stacking, motor + battery stacking, and so on

Any updates on anything that happened to DSL 3 (replicas, components, AI, etc) over the past year? Glad to see you around even if its for a week or two.

MassimoV · « **Reply #3 on:** April 01, 2014, 09:17:00 PM »

For getting some help Naryar and 123 are always good at this kind of stuff. 123 was actually making a stand alone mod for a while. Wham's been making these very detailed replicas aswell as Heretic Blue so you might wnat to see if they can help. You might also want to check out shedRift's work. He's good at arena creation and has gotten more than 4 bots in an arena without just editting botfiles.

https://gametechmods.com/forums/index.php?topic=15435.0
https://gametechmods.com/forums/index.php?topic=15620.0

HurricaneAndrew · « **Reply #4 on:** April 01, 2014, 09:18:20 PM »

There is also an RA2-inspired game called Scrapmatch being developed by a member here. He's made great progress in the short time that he has been working on it.

https://gametechmods.com/forums/index.php?topic=15230.0

helloface · « **Reply #5 on:** April 01, 2014, 09:20:43 PM »

DSL3 hasn't gotten major tweaks as far as I know of, however it's used by some IRL-style builders and has a WIP AI pack being made by Paranoia.

Also, hi :3

Badnik96 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 01, 2014, 09:46:23 PM »

Ermagherd its Click

I built a real life bot :3

Also yeah most of the stuff has been said already

Clickbeetle · « **Reply #7 on:** April 01, 2014, 09:59:54 PM »

Thanks guys.

So... DSL3 is still pretty much where I left it?

I guess that makes things convenient. I can pick up where I left off. Time to dig back into my RA2 files and start working again.

Looks like I'll have new replicas to make too! But gotta focus on getting a balanced, playable game out first. That will be my goal.

MassimoV · « **Reply #8 on:** April 01, 2014, 10:05:22 PM »

Quote from: Clickbeetle on April 01, 2014, 09:59:54 PM

Looks like I'll have new replicas to make too! But gotta focus on getting a balanced, playable game out first. That will be my goal.

Naryar was starting to do that.
https://gametechmods.com/forums/index.php?topic=1786.0

helloface · « **Reply #9 on:** April 01, 2014, 10:06:19 PM »

Quote from: Clickbeetle on April 01, 2014, 09:59:54 PM

So... DSL3 is still pretty much where I left it?

Yep. Nobody really wanted to mess with it and it was mainly only used for showcase bots & Paranoia's AI pack.

Natef · « **Reply #10 on:** April 01, 2014, 10:13:31 PM »

is there a link to the nerd ^3 let's play?

great to have you back, dude.

i got third at motorama :)

Sage · « **Reply #11 on:** April 01, 2014, 11:34:02 PM »

Wassup click.

nice to see you

Resetti's Replicas · « **Reply #12 on:** April 01, 2014, 11:38:00 PM »

Click! Your annual appearance reminds me of how rare you're here. I've made DSL3 an integral part of my building. I got a job so my replica building time is severely reduced, but I always have a robot in the works. Leighviathan right now.

J · « **Reply #13 on:** April 02, 2014, 12:41:14 AM »

Click, should I send you another relative of the ACAMS family?
(In boy form, of course)

TommyProductionsInc · « **Reply #14 on:** April 02, 2014, 01:14:51 AM »

HOLY BALLS IT'S CLICKBEETLE!
(Begins bowing down but has a seizure, just 'cause.)

cephalopod · « **Reply #15 on:** April 02, 2014, 02:35:52 AM »

Oh hey Click, really good to see you.
Both DSL2.1 and 3 are both in usage quite a lot, I've personally been using WhamettNuht's new Robot Wars 2013 beta AI pack for DSL3 at least until something more official comes round - you should really check that pack out, he's got some excellent new replicas in there - you may want to collaborate, they're that good, as are the things we see HereticBlue pop up with every now and again.
https://gametechmods.com/forums/index.php?topic=13673.0 (<- very large thread - you may be able to get some idea of the quality from Wham's Signature)
https://gametechmods.com/forums/index.php?topic=15064.0 (<- HereticBlue's thread)

RedSawn · « **Reply #16 on:** April 02, 2014, 05:47:31 AM »

Things that happened while you were gone? Well I came back. That's cool, I guess.

Can't come up with anything else other then what's been said already, not to downplay what is going on. People are working on some cracking stuff.

Thyrus · « **Reply #17 on:** April 02, 2014, 06:31:53 AM »

I was actually working on the dsl 3 burst motors.. making them a bit strobger but also sligtly heavier.

also nerving the hp and weight of the plexy sheets

playzooki · « **Reply #18 on:** April 02, 2014, 09:32:49 AM »

Yay hes back! NAR AI 3 is my favoirite mod for dsl3. DSL 2.1 is still the norm :)

Trovaner · « **Reply #19 on:** April 02, 2014, 02:59:15 PM »

Welcome back!

For the most part, everyone else has listed all the big things so here is what I've been up to:

I'm still working on a new Bot Exchange. Its been taking longer than expected because I keep finding security issues and layout bugs.
I released V1 of my Action Cam around the beginning of the year. V2 will be easier to make mods with but I'm spending most of my time on the Bot Exchange.

Let me know if there is anything that I can do to help with DSL 3. I am capable of doing just about anything but I'm pretty busy ATM so I would prefer to keep it relatively simple.

Somebody should make a list of things that should be fixed/added. The one that you posted here is a little dated. Also, I think that after the AI is finished, a second set of component text files should be created to make all of the AI's components slightly stronger (since most of them are replicas). It would also be nice if the AI could navigate in all of the arenas (if there aren't any objections, I wouldn't mind doing this).