Native Blocks - Finished!

[Arcade]

I'm back for another update. The major new features this time include:

• A high score list for the Challenge mode.
• Sound and Music volume sliders in the options menu.
• AI tweaks, bug fixes, etc.

I'm getting fairly close to a point where I can say the game is feature complete. After that I will mostly just focus on polish. Instead of posting screenshots this time I have prepared a 64-bit Linux build if anyone cares to give it a try (I can also make a Windows build on request if there is any interest).

If you give it a try please let me know what you think  !

[AndreSparvolli]

Awesome work man! I'm a big fan of this kind of falling bricks puzzle game, and i'm very interested in trying this game! I would need a windows build to play it.

Congratulations on what you've already done and keep up the good work! 

[Arcade]

Thanks AndreSparvolli. I really like these types of games too, so I thought it would be fun to try and make one myself. With my next update I'll be sure to include a Windows build. Right now I'm ironing out a few bugs first. For example, with the last build I provided, if you beat the Challenge mode you will likely be rewarded with the game crashing due to a segfault  . Luckily I think the last couple of AIs are hard enough that no one has run into that bug yet (if anyone has tried playing at all, that is).

[AndreSparvolli]

Ok man, looking forward to play it! 

[Arcade]

I guess it is time for me to deliver. Here is a new Windows 32-bit build of the game.

I first made the Windows build a few weeks ago, but for some reason the performance was pretty poor when I ran it on my computer compared to when I ran it under Linux. I was getting random FPS dips which would make the game stutter every now and then. I decided this was a good excuse to have some fun trying to optimize a few things. It still stutters a bit every now and then, but I don't think it is too noticeable or distracting. I'll have to get out a profiler and figure out when the slowdown is really coming from.

Anyway, here are the changes since my last post:

• Added the ability to pause the game. By default this is bound to the Esc key, but it can be changed in the options menu.
• Made it so that the game won't crash if you beat all of the AIs in challenge mode
• Updated my "engine" to be able to interpolate the drawing of objects between the previous and current steps in the game logic. This makes movement look smoother, with the minor downside of introducing one frame of input latency. I don't think that latency is noticeable enough to matter, though.
• Made some other minor visual improvements, such as making sure when blocks of the same color are touching and glowing, that their glow animation is synchronized.
• Consolidated my sprites into fewer textures
• Made several code optimizations, especially when rapidly creating new objects. For example, I now cache sprites to be copied instead of parsing my configuration files each time I create an object.
• Updated from SFML 2.2 to 2.3.1

[Arcade]

Native Blocks is now finished 

I've decided it's time for me to move on to other projects. There are still tons of things I would like to do with this one, such as more animations, more game modes, perhaps add multiplayer, etc etc. I realized I'll never truly feel like the game is done. Oh well. I think I've accomplished most of the goals I made for myself in the beginning and I think at this point it has the feel of a completed game (menus, music, high scores, options, and of course the core gameplay with AIs).

64-bit Linux build

Sorry, no Windows build again. I hardly ever use Windows, so it is a bit inconvenient for me, though I'm sure I'll stop being lazy someday soon and get around to it. The Windows build from my last post will still be available until then. This most recent build just fixes some bugs, the worst being that the Challenge mode wouldn't let you progress to the last AI.

Anyway, this will likely be my last update except for maybe some minor maintenance if anyone finds any glaring issues with it. Even though not much has changed aesthetically since the last time I posted a picture, I decided I should post some screen shots again since it is now finished.

[eXpl0it3r]

I really hope you'll get around to a Windows build at some point as well (or let someone else build it for you).

Anyways, I suggest to put it on itch.io or similar. It seems like a great little game that many more might enjoy as well.

[SeriousITGuy]

And congrats to call your game "Finished". The biggest feat in my opinion.

[AndreSparvolli]

I tried the win32x build and i must say you've done a great job! The gameplay is really smooth, clean and fun graphics, i really had fun completing the challenge mode 
Congratulations for finishing your project! 

[Arcade]

Thanks everyone, and thanks AndreSparvolli for giving it a play through. I may take eXpl0it3r's advice and maybe try putting it up on itch.io or perhaps github if nothing else. First I want to polish up the build process and make it easier to do both Windows and Linux builds. Perhaps I'll migrate to CMake. Anyway, it will have to wait until I get some time/motivation to do so 

@AndreSparvolli: The Windows build actually has a bug where the challenge mode ends one AI early  . I fixed it in the latest Linux build, but haven't gotten around to updating the Windows one as well. If you want to try and beat the last AI, you can play against it in the free mode for the time being until I get around to making an updated Windows build.

[AlexAUT]

Really nice job!

Can't you get back to menu from ingame? The only thing which annoyed me, besides from that great game.

I guess you got your idea from this game?

Loved it back in the time



AlexAUT