XmScorch

XmScorch is an X11/Motif clone of Scorched Earth, that DOS game that we all know and love. It requires X11R6 (of course), Motif 2.x (which you can get here if you don't already have it), and that's about it for now. Once sound support shows up, it'll probably require some sound library. The XmScorch code is released under the GNU GPL.

Network play is something that will likely come once I get all the weapons and defensive systems implemented; sure, I'd like to have it now, but I need to figure out how I'm going to do everything on the local host before I decide how I'm going to send it over the wire. It should help me to generalize everything better (and I like generalized code). I'm having a feeling that the best way to do things might be sending the random values over the wire, instead of each and every update, and let the clients do the drawing? I know, I know, never trust the client. That's why network support is not even started just yet.

22 January 2003: Added the napalm from the bomb test program to the main program, and it was having the same troubles as the liquid dirt (as expected). So I debugged the shit out of them, and figured out the problem - one of my "don't get stuck" variables wasn't being used. Duh. It's much better now, though there are some cases where the napalm just does nothing, and quite repeatably, so I'll have to do a little more work. I have also decided that the non-tunneling code is shit, because it causes far more problems than any other part of this program. It'll get rethought and rewritten, soon.

21 January 2003: Added synchronous mode, and had to make TONS of modifications to the way turn ordering was performed. But it works. Never played that way much before; it's pretty cool.

20 January 2003: I've finished up Leapfrogs, and I have the liquid dirt almost complete. I'm still getting some weird backtracking problems, but it's very close. Once that's done, the napalm will be copied (incorporating the lessons learned from liquid dirt) from the test program. I think I've got a lead on how to do earth disruptors, but I need to remember how the control flows through the various work procs (it's been quite a while since I actually wrote them).

11 January 2003: I've integrated the funky bombs, and implemented test falling damage. More testing with the wind, and it looks like a keeper. Batteries work.

10 January 2003: I've gotten quite a bit more stuff integrated, and I'm finally putting some code up here. Enjoy!

08 January 2003: I've started adding the bullet moving routine and some of the bomb drawing routines into the main game. Haven't gotten any accelerator tables installed, so no firing yet, but it's inching that way...

05 January 2003: I finally got the tanks drawn onto the playing field, and in the colors they are supposed to be! Woohoo! Turned out to be pretty easy, really. I also got the tank barrels functioning properly. Next is shooting some bullets! It's getting close to working!

TODO:

• Cause this page to not be ugly - logos, anyone? - In progress
• Integrate the GUI shell and the bomb-test programs - Done
• Rewrite broken-ass non-tunneling code
• Dirt falling on top of, not through, tanks/shields
• Proper tunneling
• Decent wind - Done
• Air viscosity
• Basically all the defensive systems
• AIs
• Sound
• Complete all other bomb types
• Nice backgrounds
• Scanned mountains
• Network code

Weapon status:

• Plain bombs: baby missile, missile, baby nuke, nuke - Done
• LeapFrog - Done
• Funky bomb - Done
• Multi-bombs: MIRV, death's head - Done
• Napalm, hot napalm - In progress
• Tracer, smoke tracer - Done
• Rollers: baby roller, roller, heavy roller - Done
• Riot funnels: riot charge, riot blast - Done
• Riot circles: riot bomb, heavy riot bomb - Done
• Diggers: baby, regular, heavy - TBD
• Sandhogs: baby, regular, heavy - TBD
• Dirt bombs: clod, ball, ton - Done
• Liquid dirt - Done
• Dirt charge - TBD
• Earth disruptor - TBD
• Plasma blast - TBD
• Laser - TBD

Other Scorch projects:

• Scorched Earth, the original
• Scorched Earth 2000, a Java version
• Scorched Earth 3D, a windows-only 3D version
• Scorched 3D, another windows-only 3D version
• xscorch, an X11/Gtk+ version
• Tread Marks, a really nice tank combat and racing game for windows; some CRAZY weapons in this one
• Pocket Tanks, a one-on-one-only game for windows