Texas Wildcard Slots

Community Forums/Showcase/Texas Wildcard Slots

Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#1]
This was formerly Lemonade Slots. I changed the graphics because:
1. I am from Texas... Yee Haaaaaa (oh I am going to get flamed for that!)
2. I had a problem getting GOOD basic Slot Machine sounds so I re-themed it to use what I have or can make that would sound MUCH better than what I coud find out there for free.

I now have an amazing library of wacky sounds (OK amazing to me...) but everywhere I searched for sounds that "said" they had casino sounds... either wanted PAY or were lying so I would visit their site and have to deal with upmty million popups...

Oh... screenshots:

This is basically it.
The buttons and the dollar bet buttons are faked in as they seem here... BUT I used the real images... since the buttons are drawn on the OTHER flip they didn't come out in the screenshot from PSP8.1
No fancy startup screen (yet) but it will come as I want to add an INI file for the jackpot amount...

This shows the POPup Sprite I used for the odds chart. NOTE:: Odds Chart will be reedited tomorrow... I didn't scale the sprite too much... I just stuck it REALLY CLOSE to the camera...
I have to work on it when my wife (just lost her job...) isn't playing with it...

Rook


big10p(Posted 2005) [#2]
Bring back the fruit, I say! Those new reels are a bit boring, IMO. I don't really understand why the SFX you're using mean you cant have fruity reels!?


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#3]
I don't like fruity wheels!

No really it was an occasion of effects... Personally Ilike the fruity wheels too...

SMOP for some reason the fruity wheel machine is MUCH better in payoffs... This one is skinflint!

Slot machine sound effects for GENERAL slot machines follow a similar pattern. Excitement noises and anticipation noises... I have found NONE thus far on the web.

I do, however, have a great many Texas themed sound effects... It now goes "YeeeeEEEHHhawwwwwwwwww!!!" when you pull the wheel... I have been daring myself to make it loop the William Tell Overture while the wheels spin; haven't done it yet.

;)
RZ


SabataRH(Posted 2005) [#4]
I think the new reels are much better than 'fruit'.
Well done.


ImaginaryHuman(Posted 2005) [#5]
I made a fruit machine once, it was largely based on the Amstrad CPC464 fruitmachien so a jackpot was 777, there were also single double and triple `bars`, also bells, and then various fruits - grapes, bananas, lemons, apples, cherries, plums, .. also some question marks that revealed their content only when they stopped on the middle row, also auto-nudges. That fruity also had some cool features - winner spinners, various levels of gambling where you had to hit the key just at the right spot in a looping sound effect, etc. Lots of fun. This one looks pretty good ... One thing I don't quite get is why the perspective on the reels is so extreme. I would think that if you are fairly close to a fruitmachine the reels wouldn't look anywhere near so warped and all of them would look almos the same shape. Is this to do with the depth of your perspective or the size of your reels or something? I also wonder if it's to do with perhaps real fruitmachiens have much larger reels with lots more items on each reel? I probably had at least 20 or more items on each reel, looks like you might only have 10-12 on yours?
I think you could do with some more features. I know real fruitmachines have all sorts of wierd lighst and such, is there no nudge pot or some kind of jackpot-pot or nudge buttons, hold buttons?


BlackJumper(Posted 2005) [#6]
If you supply a few 'skins' for the machine you might be able to make some sales... how about a skin for each state in the USA - schools might be interested in taking a look at that as well as 'patriots' or whatever you call parochially-minded folks that need everything tied to their own backyard.

Personally, I preferred the fruit version - but then I'm not from Texas.


ImaginaryHuman(Posted 2005) [#7]
I wonder as to the use of Texas rather than Las Vegas?

Vegas Superslots, or something?

Also it's cool that you have a texas theme, but maybe this needs to be just one of many themes ... think of pinball games, they usually come with a few choices of different tables. You can still use the same engine, just different gfx and sounds.

And, um, lemons are cool but why is there one stuck on the end of the lever? lol How about a cowboy hat or some cattle?


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#8]
@blackjumper: Skins are an idea I have played with... I am figuring how to implement them as I code the INI file (which will also hold the last JACKPOT amount and reset the jackpot amount if you add more money to your "account".)

The hard part about doing skins is the popup ODDS window... I populated the wheel with a LONG strip graphic... changing that would be no problem but I have a static graphic for the ODDS window painted on a sprite... The odds window would have to be completely redone using some sort of Rectangle command and then clipping the images from the wheel (which would not be too hard to do I suppose since the ...... Hmmm.... new way to do the wheel???)

@Angel... Lemon on the end of lever because initial incarnotion was called Lemonade Slots... Fruity and lemony!!! : ) Making new lever with TEXAS state outline on it (big solid chunky state outline.) Also I plan a more complex multiline machine later... Maybe you can help me! : )

Blackjumper you have slapped me with a fish right over into a new idea about customization... I don't know if I am half the programmer to pull it off...

Alienhead, and everybody, thank you for the positive feedback and GREAT ideas...


keyboard(Posted 2005) [#9]
is there a download?

and why is your "homepage" about creative embroidery?

Not that there is anything wrong with creative embroidery, I am not trying to start a fight :)


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#10]
There will be a download as soon as I polish a few details... I want to pack the resources and finalize the highscores file problem...

My homepage is what I do (outside of the Texas Guard) to make scratch in the real world... I custom embroider things. I offered my svcs to Mark but he hasn't written me back... too busy with BMax Win32 I suppose!


keyboard(Posted 2005) [#11]
My homepage is what I do (outside of the Texas Guard) to make scratch in the real world.


i was just looking for your homepage to see if there was a download link. I'm so used to people's homepages looking like the promo design for Starship Troopers that I thought there was some mistake - my bad for making assumptions :)


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#12]
OK Update:
1. the lemon thingymajingy is gone from the handle... there is a much simpler handle and new gear that animate to start the show.
2. Sounds have been fixed... I don't love all of them but Foley Artist I ain't... They are good and will elicit a giggle and make playing more fun which IS the intended purpose!
3. Odds Chart has been polished as far as I can for now... Considering it is a sprite that has not been scaled up too much and has a jpg brushed on the surface... {HOW DID I GET IT SO BIG?} I put it REALLY close to the camera...
4. FONTlib is GREAT and FREE... Use it!!!
5. My math skills are improving thanks to Matty and Blackjumper...
6. New DL link coming SOON... I promise... Let me just PAK a few things... Take me about 2 days (said on 28 MARCH 2005 @ 5:09PM CST Texas USA)

Rook


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#13]
Texas Wildcard Slots has been submitted to the front page of this website and a download link is included... This is the FINAL BETA version... Finish version will have the ability to change wheels and look of game and more sounds as well... Skinning like as was suggested by Blackjumper...


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#14]
Small unintentional error will not let hiscores list be updated... Will be fixed (has been fixed) and will work in final (for money) edition...


BlackJumper(Posted 2005) [#15]
@RZ:

I should probably recommend you developing some 'internationalisation' skills... using resource strings and building your odds calculator on the fly, etc.

... but here is an idea for a simple treatment:



Make each set of reel images, odds cards and handle mesh+texture with the same name. Store the 'skin' name in a variable. Concatenate a string from your root folder that includes the skin-foldername...

; Untested... off the top of my head
Root$ = SystemProperty ("appdir") 
Skin$ = Input$("Which skin do you want to play with ?")
textureReel1 = LoadTexture(Root$ + "\" + Skin$ + "\" + "Reel1.bmp")
...
...
OddsSprite = LoadTexture(Root$ + "\" + Skin$ + "\" + "OddsChart.bmp")


obviously you could put a GUI on the choosing a skin bit. You could even call the folders by a number rather than a name and have a very simple 'random machine' routine for those with no affiliation.


Jimbob(Posted 2005) [#16]
Have you fixed the bug where you can keep clicking the spin button to make the music go crazy? And also the one where you can click not on any button, and then when you move over a button it clicks it instantly?

And also if you bring up the odds chart, and you start the reel, you can't get rid of the odds chart :S


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#17]
And also the one where you can click not on any button, and then when you move over a button it clicks it instantly?

That one is kicking my heinie...

As to the non dissapperaing odds chart... I don't have that problem. My wife does... she has a USB keyboard. Do you have a USB or Wireless Keyboard? The button hit or clickout function had to be wrapped to prevent people from changing the bet while the wheel was spinning.

{{EDIT}} OK I moved the button (page up and page down) to the front of the code. It now works on my wifes USB. It "should" work since it was accidentally left in the part of the program that is turned off until the wheels have stopped... MY BAD!!! Good catch Jim.

Blackjumper I am doing something like that with the front end loader...


Jimbob(Posted 2005) [#18]
Maybe you could just have a simple:
If Mousehit(1) Then FlushMouse

...after all of your button events?


starfox(Posted 2005) [#19]
or
If mousedown(1) = 0 then flushmouse()

put it anywhere in the mainloop


SabataRH(Posted 2005) [#20]
Nice demo! well polished and fun to play.


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#21]
Its a different variable because of the button handling... I fixed it about 5 minutes age (and drove my wife nuts testing it for the 2 hours it took to nail down where I acked the pushed=0 in the right place!!! :)

Thankyou Alienhead I appreciate that... The skins are coming along... Blackjumper has thrust me in a whole new direction...


BlackJumper(Posted 2005) [#22]
Blackjumper has thrust me in a whole new direction...


...but in a purely platonic, non-gay kind of way - don't want to upset your missus... I've heard she spits gum like some powered-up Nintendo character.


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#23]
LOL!!! You should see her wave a Chinese Cleaver around the kitchen when she is mad... I have "object removal" nightmares when I tick her off too badly! ;)
RZ


keyboard(Posted 2005) [#24]
some queries:

there is a button bottom right, it says "menu", but when mouseover for some reason there is a skull. when leftmouseclick, there is no menu, just a high score chart, and no way to return to the game, the only option is to quit.

Ditto the "odds chart", can't return to the game, <esc> brings up the high score table, then the only option is quit...

am I missing something?

In any case, a question of design consistency, if there is a mouse pointer visible, as there is ( a nice one too, I like it) then there should be buttons to click with the mouse pointer. But when you go to the "menu" (sic) screen, there is no button, but says "press esc to quit" . My point is, it should be a "quit" button, not a keyboard command, to keep design consistency. If you catch my drift :)

other small quibbles:

the "bet" buttons and the "bet amount" indicator are too far apart. the buttons are kind of bottom left, and the "bet amount" is top right, it took me ages to figure out that something was happening when I clicked the buttons, because the "bet amount" ticks over on a totally different area of the screen.

the big round buttons, that is, the main play buttons, light up with some effect when mouseover. This effect shows the square edges of the graphic, which is a bit clunky, this can happen if your monitor is a bit dark during the design process, and you don't notice...

but everything else works... yeeha :)


big10p(Posted 2005) [#25]
Maybe it's just me, but all the fruit machines I've ever seen have the reels spin in the opposite direction, and they always stop in order, from left to right. Then again, I've never been to Vegas... or Texas. :P


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#26]
Hit PAGE UP to close ODDS CHART... it is on the new graphic...


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#27]
OK so far...
1. Have a fadein fadeout startup screen that shows project was coded in Blitz3D.
2. Have INI file woking which can save variables.
3. Have inserted ability to limit uses and register program (might sell that to y'all... hmmm)
4. Have improved button control and created special songs and sounds for each machine while maintaining a core design that is cute and fun (I hope!)
4. Have integrated PAK and encrypted Pak and all is going well...
5. Have integrated HiScores list and menu features allowing users to change which machine they would like to play.
6. Have included the ability to upgrade with a small new program and insert NEW machines (up to 21 so far)
7. In the middle of changing buttons as unique for each machine as well... soon soon soon...

BAD STUFF

If someone goes to the HIGHSCORES LIST and then goes back to the menu to START a machine... sometimes... it looks like this:

which is pretty heartbreaking

Or this:

Which seems even worse.

I will confess I use a goto in the program BUT I use clearworld() before going out and the goto takes you to the section of code BEFORE all models and meshes are loaded...

Any iedas?


Damien Sturdy(Posted 2005) [#28]

I have been daring myself to make it loop the William Tell Overture while the wheels spin; haven't done it yet.




Do it, ive heard that in a machine before now :D

As for your problem above, you might have run out of video ram, used copyentity in the wrong place or are just using an early intel chipset....


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#29]
I have three new musics and surprises for the machines... it is great!

Still having the occasional mesh problem in the pics above... I think I need to clearworld() more...

Z


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#30]
UPDATEline 7 APRIL 2005

Sources in Houston revealed today that intrepid Programmer and Suuuuuper Genius Rook Zimbabwe, former pupil of Wy Lee Coyote, is on the verge of a breakthrough at Evil Penguin Software... ad hoc nonsense ad infinitum...

OK a real update:

I have been fixing memory holes in the program. I found that if I added new machines that the user could overload his/her video card really easily. I wasn't cleaning up.

And it is difficult to clean up. I suppose BMax makes this easier but I am using B3D and I have had to track down memory hemmorages that shouldn't happen.

Yes.. I know about clearworld() and I know anout freeimage and freeentity etc. I have just had to apply them in the right locations so the program will work and not put things where they don't belong.

As it is the program uses about 9 megs of video card memory now and that seems to remain constant... so I have confidence it will work on most average level PCs out there in Cyberland (which seems to be located very near Lalaland at times.)

I have decided to use a seperate program to control software registration. It is easier and does not create a hackable .exe as easily.

Now to PAK it and see what sort of mess I can make. Perhaps I should use molebox? We will see.

Rollout is hopefully slated for three weeks from now (OK I said hopefully!) Keep yer fingers crossed nd yer wheels spinning!

Oh You can still download the beta at:
http://www.silverimports.com/web3ds/TXBeta.zip

RZ


Who was John Galt?(Posted 2005) [#31]
I donwloaded the beta for the old man yesterday, probem is no symbols appeared on the reels. Looking at the download, there don't appear to be any reel textures in there.


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#32]
@Falken: Hmmm There are actually but they were added to the EXE by Blitz Media Linker and are unpaked at runtime. That filesize unzipped is 3.78 MB Exactly what do you see in the directory? ALSO (I just thought of this) Did it unzip to a directory called TWBeta?

Does your system forbid the creation of new files by other programs? Some intensive Firewalls do this and some AV programs do this as well...

Anyone else have a pundit on this issue? I am almost ready to pak these things and I need to know if I can.

Ralph


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#33]
OK all is finished and packed... I am ready to tweak the odds charts and repack. To my horror I discovered that a bunch of euro h@ckers had usurped my Suspension Software brand name. I have been using that since 1987. Never filed a DBA until now and NOW I may not... Software Company name suggestions would be appreciated!

RZ


BlackJumper(Posted 2005) [#34]
Wizzlefish Games ?

Hmm - you might end up having to buy that domain from its curent owner ;-)


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#35]
LOL!!! I wanted something a bit more "unusual" perhaps!!!


Who was John Galt?(Posted 2005) [#36]
Rook-

Yeah i unzipped to the correctly named directory. It contains the exe, hiscores, a readme and an ini file. Theres a subdir containing the fonts (which appear OK in the game). The total dir size is 4.55Mb.


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#37]
hmmm exactly on the spot then...

OK whats your graphics card and mem on it? I really have no clue... I suspect it is something with BMPacker since I have been having a few probs with it and directorys et al... It could be me or???

I suppose the BIG test will be the big file with all the textures etc.

RZ


Who was John Galt?(Posted 2005) [#38]
I think he's got a 32mb GeForce 2, is that under spec? Perhaps you could add some code to throw an error if the textures don't unpack?


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#39]
geForce is giving me headaches that you would not believe!!! Seriously I think there may be something worong with the card... OK yes I have ATi but... Have you seen the numbers of posts about not being able to work with geForce???

My wife has GeForce in her CPU and it handles things very badly... She cannot pull out the textures for anything BUT Texas Wildcard (In the new version of the game) I think... Nah... I wonder if the performance numbers by geForce are real... If they take shortcuts somewhere... The game only occupies 9mb Graphics Card Memory as it is now (three skins and textures all packed up) and you are not the first geForce user to report an error, you are the only one to report blank wheels... I had another that had no buttons just pink boxes... and one that showed the gears as wireframe for some reason (but he could not generate a screenshot)

I am at a loss... I recoded the original (the one you have) to open and write to a debuglog.txt file... everything is loaded... according to the file... Maybe geForce deletes them too quickly from the computer before the whell model is loaded...???... Let em recode that and run it on Li Mei's computer...

RZ


Who was John Galt?(Posted 2005) [#40]
Hmmm.. I never had problems with Blitz when I had a GeForce2. Maybe it's the newer drivers?


Rook Zimbabwe(Posted 2005) [#41]
It could be that the card is too fast and Blitz Media packer throws the texture away before the wheel can be fully unpacked...

RZ