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  POV-Ray Push-Ball (Message 1 to 8 of 8)  
From: Rune
Subject: POV-Ray Push-Ball
Date: 4 Jun 2000 23:01:52
Message: <393b1820@news.povray.org>
Greg M. Johnson suggested a while ago that we could make some kinds of
POV-Ray games where POV-Ray users could write include files that would
control something in the game, so that the best include file wins.

I saw he recently made a pov-golf game. I think such games could be very
interesting, and I'm trying to make a game of my own, called POV-Ray
Push-Ball.

In povray.binaries.scene-files you can get some files that will produce a
preview animation of a Push-Ball game.

Basically each player-dot is trying to push the ball-dot into one of the
other player's goals.

Any number of players from 2 and above can play this game. They will each
have their own goal to defend, which will be behind them when they're in
their initial positions.

POV-Ray Push-Ball is not completely finished yet. The basic algorithms are
done, but some details are still to be made, and I would also like to make
the game appear more visually appealing.

What do you think of the idea?

Greetings,

Rune

---
Updated April 25: http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk
Containing 3D images, stereograms, tutorials,
The POV Desktop Theme, 350+ raytracing jokes,
miscellaneous other things, and a lot of fun!


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From: Rune
Subject: Re: POV-Ray Push-Ball
Date: 6 Jun 2000 18:18:32
Message: <393d78b8@news.povray.org>
I have improved the game a little and coded some new bots that are a little
more "intelligent". I've also improved the visual design of the game.

I've just uploaded an image to povray.binaries.images and - more
interesting - an animation to povray.binaries.animations. If anybody doesn't
like to download animations because of the size, I can by request post the
source code.

What do you think of the concept of the game?

Does anybody think it might be interesting to participate and code bots for
the Push-Ball game? Would there be any reason for me to continue this work?

As always, I appreciate any feedback!

Greetings,

Rune

---
Updated April 25: http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk
Containing 3D images, stereograms, tutorials,
The POV Desktop Theme, 350+ raytracing jokes,
miscellaneous other things, and a lot of fun!


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From: Josh English
Subject: Re: POV-Ray Push-Ball
Date: 7 Jun 2000 12:19:29
Message: <393E766E.FDE9880A@spiritone.com>
I used to play Robowar (http://www.robowar.co.uk/), a shareware Macintosh game.
It sounds a similar concept.

I'll give it a shot. How do you propose to program the bots?

Josh

Rune wrote:

> I have improved the game a little and coded some new bots that are a little
> more "intelligent". I've also improved the visual design of the game.
>
> I've just uploaded an image to povray.binaries.images and - more
> interesting - an animation to povray.binaries.animations. If anybody doesn't
> like to download animations because of the size, I can by request post the
> source code.
>
> What do you think of the concept of the game?
>
> Does anybody think it might be interesting to participate and code bots for
> the Push-Ball game? Would there be any reason for me to continue this work?
>
> As always, I appreciate any feedback!
>
> Greetings,
>
> Rune
>
> ---
> Updated April 25: http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk
> Containing 3D images, stereograms, tutorials,
> The POV Desktop Theme, 350+ raytracing jokes,
> miscellaneous other things, and a lot of fun!

--
Josh English
eng### [at] spiritonecom
"May your hopes, dreams, and plans not be destroyed by a few zeros."


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From: Philippe Debar
Subject: Re: POV-Ray Push-Ball
Date: 8 Jun 2000 04:00:39
Message: <393f52a7@news.povray.org>
I like the concept very much... and the resulting ani also.
Things I would do:
* stop the rotating camera, it makes me sea-sick
* give the robots a little more details: a more appealing texture (a face?),
a front and a back. I also thought of adding three little spheres "wheels",
small enough not to get in the way (the main sphere still on the ground).
* maybe the goals could be smaller (pi/2 instead of pi each)
* make the scoring robot "jump" when he wins (instead of standby mode)
* a difficult and maybe uninteresting one : make the arena a bowl (so the
ball returns to the center by itself)
* a cheering robot crowd?


Povingly (and gamingly),


Philippe


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From: Rune
Subject: Re: POV-Ray Push-Ball
Date: 8 Jun 2000 11:31:01
Message: <393fbc35@news.povray.org>
"Josh English" wrote:
> I used to play Robowar (http://www.robowar.co.uk/),
> a shareware Macintosh game. It sounds a similar concept.

I followed the link and read about it, but I couldn't download anything,
because it doesn't have PC support yet.

Anyway, Robowar is about destroying each other's bots using weapons and
other things, while PushBall is just about pushing a ball into a goal.

> I'll give it a shot. How do you propose to program the bots?

I'll need a little time to finish the game first, then I'll explain it!

Glad you want to try it out :-)

Greetings,

Rune

---
Updated April 25: http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk
Containing 3D images, stereograms, tutorials,
The POV Desktop Theme, 350+ raytracing jokes,
miscellaneous other things, and a lot of fun!


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From: Rune
Subject: Re: POV-Ray Push-Ball
Date: 8 Jun 2000 11:31:03
Message: <393fbc37@news.povray.org>
"Philippe Debar" wrote:
> I like the concept very much... and the resulting ani also.

Thanks!

> Things I would do:
> * stop the rotating camera, it makes me sea-sick

Hehe, OK!

> * give the robots a little more details: a more appealing texture

That is my intention. I'll see what I can do.

> (a face?), a front and a back. I also thought of adding three
> little spheres "wheels", small enough not to get in the way (the
> main sphere still on the ground).

Hmm, there would be a problem of finding out which way the bots are facing.
One way would be to let them face the direction in which they are moving,
but when they bump into each other the direction of movement reverses, so it
wouldn't always work so well. I'll see if I can find a solution...

> * maybe the goals could be smaller (pi/2 instead of pi each)

When there's four players the goals are each pi/2... :-)
No, seriously, I will consider your suggestion.

> * make the scoring robot "jump" when he wins (instead of standby mode)

Hmm, right now Y axis movements are not supported.
It should be the bot programmer's job anyway, I think.

> * a difficult and maybe uninteresting one : make the arena a
> bowl (so the ball returns to the center by itself)

Uh, the bots are weak. I'm not sure they would be able to ever finish a game
if the ball were attracted to the center all the time...

> * a cheering robot crowd?

If you render the final animation, fine with me!
My own computer is soo slow...

Greetings,

Rune

---
Updated April 25: http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk
Containing 3D images, stereograms, tutorials,
The POV Desktop Theme, 350+ raytracing jokes,
miscellaneous other things, and a lot of fun!


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From: ingo
Subject: Re: POV-Ray Push-Ball
Date: 8 Jun 2000 11:57:17
Message: <8F4DB14D8seed7@204.213.191.228>
Rune wrote:

>What do you think of the idea?
>

I like it. It sounds a bit like the robosocer game:
http://www.research.att.com/~pstone/robosoccer.html

Ingo

-- 
Photography: http://members.home.nl/ingoogni/
Pov-Ray    : http://members.home.nl/seed7/


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From: Mark Wagner
Subject: Re: POV-Ray Push-Ball
Date: 9 Jun 2000 01:53:34
Message: <3940865e@news.povray.org>
Rune wrote in message <393fbc35@news.povray.org>...
>"Josh English" wrote:
>> I used to play Robowar (http://www.robowar.co.uk/),
>> a shareware Macintosh game. It sounds a similar concept.
>
>I followed the link and read about it, but I couldn't download anything,
>because it doesn't have PC support yet.


Robowar runs very well under the Fusion Macintosh emulator.  (That's how I'm
running it right now.  If/when the author gets around to releasing the
source code, I'll try making a PC port of it.)  People have also reported
success running it under the Executor emulator.

Mark


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