MININIM updates

[oitofelix]

I'm glad to announce that MININIM now has a rolling release cycle.

MININIM is under constant and fast development. It uses a rolling release scheme, meaning that updated versions are often released as soon as new features have been implemented or bugs have been fixed. This way the latest developments are always available to an wider audience. Notice that its version number reflects the date of release.

You'll always find the latest release of MININIM for Microsoft Windows at its homepage. For those of you who fortunately use GNU/Linux, building from VCS should be quite straightforward --- just follow the steps outlined at its GitHub page.

A direct link for the current release is here. Its version is 201612251709. That's the release built year 2016, month 12, day 25, hour 17, minute 09 (GMT -03). Merry Christmas! New releases will be posted to this thread, but you can always check MININIM's homepage to make sure you are using the latest one.

I'm looking for anyone who want to help test, develop or document MININIM. There is exciting work to do on many fronts! For the avid players and modders out there, it'd be great if you could test mods available at popot.org (even your own mods) in MININIM, and report back. Better yet if you record a walkthrough of your adventure and share with us! Don't forget to use the --semantics=LEGACY option. In case you don't like the new movements, you can also use the option --movements=LEGACY, which disable them (but you shouldn't, because they are great! ) I'll do my best to fix any bugs found as soon as possible and provide a new release so you can go on playing.

[Norbert]

Is the rolling release cycle in addition to occasional/periodical releases with regular version numbers?
If you'd like me to modify the program's popot.org page, please let me know (here or via PM); thanks.
I'll give my own mods a try with MININIM (in legacy mode); let's see how much of 'em I still remember.

[Edit: Err.. when I use the VCS version it shows me the attached level...? Probably because the VCS is a semi-test-environment.]

[Norbert]

I'm trying to pick up the sword in the level that's in this ZIP (yes/mods/test/LEVELS.DAT).
But Enter, Space, Shift, arrow down, nothing seems to work?

[Edit: Okay, it's Shift, apparently. But I need to be (too?) precisely aligned. I have a request, can you make it so that I can immediately restart after dying? Now I need to wait for some sound to play.]

[oitofelix]

Is the rolling release cycle in addition to occasional/periodical releases with regular version numbers?

Not really. I realized MININIM development is a continuum stream of improvements which didn't fit the classical point release well. The rolling release cycles matches more closely its needs. However, the release cycle may change back to point release in the future, when MININIM reaches feature-stability (but that is a long way to go from here, yet).

If you'd like me to modify the program's popot.org page, please let me know (here or via PM); thanks.

I think it'd be good to modify them now for this first rolling release, because the latest one there is too old (in the sense of implemented features). However, you can update them for the subsequent releases at your will, in a fixed time frame (once a week, once a month) or in a feature/bug fixes oriented fashion, whatever you think fits better. Also, let me know in case you think it'd be good to make a new release (after I've implemented something interesting or whatever), because with this new scheme it's very easy to make new releases (only for Windows; GNU/Linux users as yourself are supposed to always fetch from GitHub).

I'll give my own mods a try with MININIM (in legacy mode); let's see how much of 'em I still remember.

That's great! In the unfortunate case you already use Windows , I'd ask you to try it there, because that port needs testing, specially regarding performance.

[oitofelix]

[Edit: Err.. when I use the VCS version it shows me the attached level...?]

Could you provide the offending LEVELS.DAT? Is that the one below?

Probably because the VCS is a semi-test-environment.

That's not intended to be the case. I try very hard to push changes only when everything is fine. The game should never be broken in the VCS.

I'm trying to pick up the sword in the level that's in this ZIP (yes/mods/test/LEVELS.DAT).
But Enter, Space, Shift, arrow down, nothing seems to work?
Okay, it's Shift, apparently. But I need to be (too?) precisely aligned.

Yeah, it's shift as in the original game. I've kept the alignment narrower to prevent the kid from inadvertently drinking harmful potions. Personally, I don't have a problem with that (I got used to it, I think), but if you think it's annoying, let me know and I'll revise that.

I have a request, can you make it so that I can immediately restart after dying? Now I need to wait for some sound to play.

You can use CTRL+A.

[Norbert]

Could you provide the offending LEVELS.DAT? Is that the one below?

It's the default package at the VCS.
It's level 1, but all tiles appear to be invisible?

You can use CTRL+A.

Ah, okay.

[oitofelix]

I'm trying to pick up the sword in the level that's in this ZIP (yes/mods/test/LEVELS.DAT).
But Enter, Space, Shift, arrow down, nothing seems to work?
Okay, it's Shift, apparently. But I need to be (too?) precisely aligned.

Yeah, it's shift as in the original game. I've kept the alignment narrower to prevent the kid from inadvertently drinking harmful potions. Personally, I don't have a problem with that (I got used to it, I think), but if you think it's annoying, let me know and I'll revise that.

The LEVELS.DAT you provided makes it clear that MININIM's behavior was annoying. That general bug has been fixed in the VCS. Thanks for reporting.

It's the default package at the VCS.
It's level 1, but all tiles appear to be invisible?

I think your user's native levels (saved usually at "~/.local/share/mininim") are using an old format (before the introduction of generalized constructions). If that's the problem, deleting them should solve the issue.

[SuavePrince]

How can play with other mod??(level.dat)...copy n paste dont work for me..

[oitofelix]

How can play with other mod??(level.dat)...copy n paste dont work for me..

Just copy LEVELS.DAT to the game folder (where you can find mininim.exe). This should work.

[SuavePrince]

How can play with other mod??(level.dat)...copy n paste dont work for me..

Just copy LEVELS.DAT to the game folder (where you can find mininim.exe). This should work.

COpy to folder:mininim,data,dat.levels.no works ..,but you can play twisted prince???

[oitofelix]

How can play with other mod??(level.dat)...copy n paste dont work for me..

Just copy LEVELS.DAT to the game folder (where you can find mininim.exe). This should work.

COpy to folder:mininim,data,dat.levels.no works ..,but you can play twisted prince???

Is the file name all upper case? If not, rename it and try again.

PS: I tried it here, and it works fine either way. I don't know why you are facing this problem. Copying LEVELS.DAT to the root folder (where mininim.exe is located) must work.

[SuavePrince]

PS: I tried it here, and it works fine either way. I don't know why you are facing this problem. Copying LEVELS.DAT to the root folder (where mininim.exe is located) must work.

Try again,now work,but many tricks dont work!!!.maybe you can try..i use impossible mod..be interesting if mininim can use the classic pop (tricks,bugs,glitches)and first option when you play,only 1 room no 4 room(2,4 or more rooms,only if you want)..tihs my opinion..

[oitofelix]

Try again,now work

Did you have to rename "levels.dat" to "LEVELS.DAT"?

but many tricks dont work!!!...be interesting if mininim can use the classic pop (tricks,bugs,glitches)

Remember that for playing legacy level sets you must use the --semantics=legacy option. Yet, many "tricks", "bugs" and "glitches" won't work. I'm working on improving this situation. You can help me by testing and reporting back on how existing mods fail to work with MININIM.

first option when you play,only 1 room no 4 room(2,4 or more rooms,only if you want)

I don't see any compelling reason to use the legacy single room display by default.

[Norbert]

It's the default package at the VCS.
It's level 1, but all tiles appear to be invisible?

I think your user's native levels (saved usually at "~/.local/share/mininim") are using an old format (before the introduction of generalized constructions). If that's the problem, deleting them should solve the issue.

Ah, yes, that fixes the issue.
Now I can properly playtest my mods using MININIM.
I'll do this today.

I don't see any compelling reason to use the legacy single room display by default.

Easier to see the (bigger) single room, where the action takes place.
No secrets and other things visible that a mod author did not intend to be visible.

[Norbert]

Now I can properly playtest my mods using MININIM.
I'll do this today.

I've done Prince of Wateria today, I'll do Micro Palace tomorrow.

I noticed the balcony stars blink, and the flip potions flip horizontally.

Below, I won't mention everything I ran into.
Just things that I believe may be worth looking into.

There's one thing I'm still looking into myself, a crash somewhere in level 3:

Code: Select all

mininim: ../../nouveau/pushbuf.c:238: pushbuf_krel: Assertion `bkref' failed.
Aborted

I've recompiled to make sure a core will be dumped, but I still need to find a way to replicate the crash.

I was also able to walk through an almost (i.e. ~2 pixels open) closed gate at the end of level 4. I'm not going to look into this though. I could not replicate it and it was probably a very rare/exceptional occurrence based on a combination of floating being enabled and a specific prince offset.

One suggestion, maybe make Alt+Enter trigger the same code as "f".

Several special events do not appear to happen.
Examples are the checkpoint in level 3, the mouse in level 8, the shadow in level 12 (which means no merger and no tiles appear), and in level 6 the shadow did not walk forward in response to my running jumps (probably because I stayed on the same row).

Level 13 (12b) consistently starts showing a wrong room; one that does not contain the prince. Depending on where I move the prince with a level editor, I can also make the application crash. This is probably an important issue to look into.

Maybe floating could move the prince forward a bit more; the DOS port moves the prince forward quite substantially.
Especially when doing a running jump.

Finally, one thing that I ran into several times is that it's not possible to make a running jump similar to this if there's either a wall attached to one side or if one of the tiles is a loose floor.
(Similarly, landing with a running-jump onto a set of two loose tiles and then doing another run-jump away from the set isn't possible.)
Maybe as a modder I happen to build levels that require the prince to do the aforementioned movement frequently.
But I think it's fairly common for modders to require the prince to run-jump away from such a set of two tiles attached to a wall.