So... what's new in v1.2?

General discussion about ZunTzu in English.

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lclaudius
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So... what's new in v1.2?

Post by lclaudius »

Thanks for the Christmas gift, Jerome. What are the new features in v1.2?
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Jerome
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Re: So... what's new in v1.2?

Post by Jerome »

Hi, and merry Christmas !

The most important new feature is the terrains. Terrains sheets are defined just like counter sheets, except you need to replace "counter-sheet" with "terrain-sheet" and "counter-section" with "terrain-section".
Terrain sheets don't have tabs except when you switch to terrain editing mode (with the trowel icon).

Counters become invisible when terrain editing mode is on. It can be convenient to check map features underneath stacks of counters even if you don't use terrains.

Some games will use terrains as the only background elements. It is thus possible to define an empty black map, not linked to any image file, to display the terrain elements. In the scenario file, just declare a "layout" node with a "tab" attribute for the tab text, but no "board" attribute.

Note that you can also use the "tab" attribute with regular "layout" nodes. It can be used to implement two tabs with the same image. It can also be used to translate the tab text (at the scenario level!).

(By the way Scenario options will become more complex in future versions of ZunTzu, and so scenario editing will be done directly from within ZunTzu through a dedicated "File/Properties" menu item. XML editing will no longer be required.)

The other new feature of special interest to you is the possibility to encrypt images to help protect copyrighted artwork against copying. I'll send the encryption utility to specific users (including you) at the end of the week.

Another feature is the possibility to hide a board to other players by clicking on the eye icon. It can be used to emulate off-board charts like the strategic charts in the Victory Games Fleet series or the off-board charts in the Kevin Zucker games.

Other features are meant to enhance the user experience:

- long-awaited diagnostics for game box errors when using the Add button in the library dialog box. It will bring some relief to game box authors.

- notification message boxes when ZunTzu detects that a firewall (or other network device) is getting in the way.

- faster loading of games when texture compression is on. And the quality is better too. Give it a try by loading Africa II.

- scrolling buttons to help with games with a lot of tabs. You're not limited to using short tab names anymore.

- spatial separation of voices in games with more than two players, by using 3D sound buffers.

- subtle sound effects for deck shuffling and dice casting. A (less subtle) sound notification when a player joins.

- great keyboard shortcuts: Up and Down arrows to rotate counters, and Space to bring counters into a player's hand (very convenient).
Jerome, ZunTzu developer.
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Jerome
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Post by Jerome »

I forgot:

You can now increase a little more the height of the player's hand, and cards pop up from the hand when you move the cursor over them (easier reading).
Jerome, ZunTzu developer.
Redcap
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Post by Redcap »

This is really cool; also I noticed that you have put icons next to forum members names. Cool addition, hopefully that will spark some to participate in forums a little bit more frequently. Awesome add!
코끼리가 다람쥐를 먹게 하지 마십시오
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Post by Jerome »

Redcap wrote:Cool addition
Yes. It's a fun way of recognizing the efforts spent by many members of this forum at the service of the ZunTzu community.
And I liked the idea of having lclaudius look like a soviet admiral! :lol:
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lclaudius
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Post by lclaudius »

Jerome wrote:
Redcap wrote:Cool addition
Yes. It's a fun way of recognizing the efforts spent by many members of this forum at the service of the ZunTzu community.
And I liked the idea of having lclaudius look like a soviet admiral! :lol:
Funny, one of my best friends is coming to spend a few days here in Brasilia and he already asked to play a game of Harpoon. I'd better set the sailors of the Red Banner Fleet to polish all the brass --- and my shiny new badge, too. :D
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Bill Barrett
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Post by Bill Barrett »

Note that you can also use the "tab" attribute with regular "layout" nodes. It can be used to implement two tabs with the same image. It can also be used to translate the tab text (at the scenario level!).
Does anyone know more about how to use this (syntax etc.)?
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Post by Jerome »

Regarding the 'tab' feature:

Normally, when you built up a scenario for ZunTzu, you start with a very simple hand-written XML file with statements such as this one:

Code: Select all

<layout board="My board" />
The code above creates a tab named "My board" that contains the graphics for the "My board" map (as defined in the game-box.xml file).

The undocumented 'tab' feature allows you to change the name of the tab:

Code: Select all

<layout board="Off-board chart" tab="Red chart" />
<layout board="Off-board chart" tab="Blue chart" />
The code above creates two tabs named "Red chart" and "Blue chart" that both contains the same graphics for the "Off-board chart" map (as defined in the game-box.xml file).

You can use the 'tab' feature to translate a tab. For instance:

Code: Select all

<layout board="Main board" tab="Plateau principal" />
That's the only textual information in a game, apart from possible text in the graphics.

You can also use the 'tab' feature to create an empty tab (a tab without graphics, all black):

Code: Select all

<layout tab="Main board" />
That's very useful with geomorphic boards: the main tab is usually empty because all the boards are defined as terrains.
Jerome, ZunTzu developer.
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Bill Barrett
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Post by Bill Barrett »

Regarding the 'tab' feature:
Many thanks for that Jerome, it works exactly as I thought, but I just wanted to be sure...

Right, time to start a new topic - multiple instances of games in the same gamebox!

(By the way I just tipped your PayPal button in gratitude :D Should have done it long ago - many, many thanks)
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Post by Jerome »

Thanks Bill! I appreciate your support. :D
Jerome, ZunTzu developer.
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