Wing IDE 4.1 released!

Wingware has released version 4.1 of it's all Python IDE.  I am really enjoying the new auto-editing features, and also the quick turnaround.  The devs always respond to user issues quickly over here at the Wing forums, so you never feel let down.  And if the fix requires a patch, they usually get it to you pretty quickly.  So if you are looking for a commercial Python IDE, Wing IDE is the one to get.  That's my opinion anyway.  Here are some of the major changes:

• Expanded and improved auto-editing support (enable this in the Edit > Keyboard Personality menu): * Auto-closing * Auto-enter invocation args * Apply quote/comment/paren/etc to selection * Auto-enter spaces * Insert EOL and indent for new block * Continue comment on new line
• Link to docs.python.org in Source Assistant
• Smart tab key option for Python
• Include argument names in auto-completer during invocation
• Added select-more and select-less for structural selection in Python
• Fixed matplotlib event loop support for WXAgg backend
• Fixed unit testing support for Python 3.2
• Improved multi-line history in shells by moving prompts to margin
• About 40 other bug fixes and minor improvements

 A full changelog can be found here.

Dungeons of Dredmor Expansion Pack Announced!

A yet to be named expansion pack has been announced for Dungeons of Dredmor by Gaslamp Games.  Scheduled to be released before the end of the year, it will bring us:

• more skills
• more monsters
• more levels
• more items (crafting skills, weapon types)
• more recipes
• and a few other *things* which we’re still keeping under wraps

The expansion will cost less than the original game of course, so if I had to venture a guess, I would say $2.49 which will make for another amazing value.

In addition to that, a soon to be released patch which will add a red-headed female option to the game, will also be bringing us mod tools.  The developers have stated that the mod tools would even allow you to create the expansion pack for free, so it will have everything necessary to properly mod the game and add content.

Judging by the insanity of the Dredmor community, I expect some pretty amazing mods to be made for this game pretty soon.  Here's an idea: let's replace the hero with a rogue diggle who turns against Dredmor and comes for revenge?

Cardinal Quest on sale for whatever!

Whatever you want to pay, that is.  With a minimum price of $1, you can have Cardinal Quest for as much (or as little) as you like.  Don't miss the limited time offer from Indievania!

I had been leaning away from this game for some reason, but with this sale, I decided to pick it up and was pleased to discover that it's a lot of fun.  I'm sorry I waited so long.  You can play the entire thing with only the mouse, and the whole control scheme is so simple.  The game is challenging, quick, and fun.  (Although the quick pace caused my death numerous times...)  The music made me nostalgia hard, and the graphics are just the way they should be.  This one is highly recommended if you haven't picked it up already.  Hurry over to Indievania now!

Check out this vid by WTHamiplaying:

Lots of Dredmor News!

Where to begin?  There's a lot going on with Dungeons of Dredmor at the moment, so let's start with the biggest piece of news:  Dredmor on Linux!

That's right, Gaslamp Games has found a new distributor for their super-cheap, super-awesome roguelike (less than $5), Dungeons of Dredmor, with Desura which offers you the standard Windows build, and now, also offers a new Linux build in both 64 and 32 bit flavors. 

The devs consider the Linux build a beta version, so there may be some bugs, but since they are pretty good at patching, you shouldn't have to worry too much about that.  These Linux binaries are also included in the Steam build, so if you dual-boot like me, you can take it from there and install them on your Linux side as well.  Instructions on how to do this can be found here.

Taste of things to come?

They also seem to have some exciting things planned for future updates.  Unfortunately we are left to speculation.  However, it has been revealed that a female Hero is preparing to take on Lord Dredmor.  Wait...what?

A female Hero?

The sheer horror.

Brogue 1.5

An excellent roguelike, Brogue version 1.5 has been released.  Available for Windows, Linux, and Mac, Brogue has some excellent features that many roguelikes do not have.  The changelog is as follows (after the screenshot):

I can control Dragons?

• Dungeons now include interactive “quest rooms,” which include lock-and-key puzzles, collapsing/flooding terrain, hidden items, elaborate traps, challenges, boss monsters and more.
• All new weapons: spears/pikes, which hit an adjacent enemy and the enemy behind it; axes, which hit all adjacent enemies; and maces/hammers, which hit twice as hard and require an extra turn to recover afterward.
• Added item description screens, which include useful statistics about the item and are accessible via the inventory or by examining a discarded item on the ground.
• New monsters, items and weapon/armor runic abilities.
• Monster descriptions include statistics about how certain staffs and wands will harm or affect the monster, and whether the monster is carrying an item that it stole from you.
• Messages and monster descriptions are color-coded for clarity.
• Monsters that can blink will now do so more intelligently to approach enemies, flee attackers and escape harmful terrain.
• Numerous tweaks to make colors crisper and the interface less distracting.
• Allies get stronger over time at a faster rate, are able to attack wall turrets, and are better at following you down pits and stairs.
• Monsters are no longer generated in sight of the level start.
• Merged Potions of Healing and Extra Healing; eliminated Scrolls of Sanctuary.
• Gold is now generated independently from items, both to reduce the variance of per-game aggregate gold quantity and to stop gold from being generated at the expense of items.
• Rings now auto-identify after being worn for a while, similarly to armor and weapons.
• Subtle change in ally color to distinguish allies from enemies.
• Spectral blades and other inanimate creatures do not avoid gas clouds if the clouds would not affect them.
• Wisdom is now a ring instead of an armor runic.
• Reflection is now an armor runic instead of a ring.
• Cancellation is now called negation; certain monsters are marked as animated by magic and will die if negated. New Scrolls of Negation will negate all creatures and items within your field of view (but will not affect items in your inventory). Negated weapons, armor and rings will lose their magical properties, and negated wands and staffs will lose their charges.
• Removed Scrolls of Sanctuary.
• Added a point of damage to darts.
• Creatures exposed to fire will burn about half as long.
• The duration of entrancement no longer varies with the target’s maximum health.
• Auto-resting will terminate if you are embedded in an obstruction and it dissolves.
• When pink jellies split, their health is divided between their progeny, and they have commensurately more health initially.
• Items and monsters won’t spawn in hallways or doorways, but items may spawn in shallow water.
• Detect magic icons are now also color-coded to distinguish good items from bad.
• The ‘D’iscoveries screen specifies whether the detect magic potion will flag that item as good or bad magic.
• Wands and staffs that are meant to target enemies once identified will not default to auto-aiming at captive monsters.
• You can now see allies that are invisible (and wands of invisibility will auto-identify if you use them on an ally).
• New special effects for magic mapping and aggravate monsters scrolls.

Dungeons of Dredmor 1.0.6 released!

It's finally in our hands! Another great update to a great game, patch 1.0.6 has been released. And according to a tweet from @GaslampGames:

Oh, yes. Linux users: if you crack the Steam install open with WINE, you'll find something very interesting inside. Bon appetit! 

As usual, just launch Steam and it should download automatically. The changelog is as was posted earlier on this site here. Tell Brax I said 'Hi!'

Python Mode for VIM

A VIM plugin has been released that enables "Python Mode" for VIM :)

The plugin can be found here.

And a YouTube video made by the author showcases how it works:

Free eBook: Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python

Over from the Invent with Python blog, the author, Al Sweigart, recently had a sale for the paper version of his book, "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python". The book mainly covers Python 3, but explains some of the differences between Python 2 and 3, as well. The best part is that the electronic version is free. You can get as either HTML or PDF.

Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python by Al Sweigart

Go get it if you haven't learned Python, or computer programming yet, and you are looking for a fun place to start.

Battlefield 3 Beta

I've been quite busy for the past week.  Yes, sure, I was working, but I was also wrapped up with something else: the Battlefield 3 Beta.

As a fan going all the way back to beginning of the Battlefield series with Battlefield 1942, I never miss a new Battlefield game.  My favorites before today would have had to be Battlefield 2 for it's team-based gameplay and command structure; and Bad Company 2 for the graphics and Frostbite Engine.  Well, Battlefield 3 appears to be a combination of the 2 games with a strong lean towards Bad Company 2.

Gone is the commander mode, which I mourn with great sadness.  Squad management lives on (to be much improved in the final release), and the new iteration of the Frostbite Engine (2.0) is absolutely stunning.  With up to 64 players, we are in for some epic battles.

The beta had some fun glitches, fixed for retail release. I won't forget you, Long Neck.

The two maps I've played so far were Operation Metro and Caspian Border.  Operation Metro, which is a Rush map, where you must blow up M-COM stations to move forward, while the other team must stop you from doing so, is a spectacular map played with up to 32 players.  Starting outside in a park-like open environment, then moving underground into a subway station, and eventually ending up in an urban environment, it takes you through the some of what BF3 has to offer.  No vehicles on this map, so it has more of a Call of Duty feel, which many players speculated was to attract (see: steal) potential Modern Warfare 3 players.  I love this map.

Caspian Border is your traditional Battlefield map, playing in Conquest mode (capture the flag) with up to 64 players.  This map has jets, helicopters, tanks, and jeeps...this is the Battlefield people know and love.  Slamming C4-laden jeeps into tanks in a suicide bomber fashion, shooting down jets with Stinger missles, rolling into capture points with your squad and leveling the place; this is what this game is all about.  And it's wonderful.

I have already preordered my copy from Origin, although I would have preferred Steam (which may or may not be available at the time of release).  The game is a must have for anyone who wants to play an online multiplayer shooter, and IMO, has surpassed the CoD series by leaps and bounds.

Check out this video of the Grand Bazaar map (for the retail release) with developer commentary:

Roguelike Radio: Episode 6 (Dredmor Edition)

This is the one I was waiting for since I first heard of Roguelike Radio.  This week it's: Dungeons of Dredmor! 

Topics covered this week include:
- Humour in games
- Vendor trash and too many items
- Crafting systems in roguelikes
- The hard choice between avoiding traps and sucking the blood from your enemies' corpses

 If you haven't checked out this podcast yet, this is a great week to start.  And if you haven't already, get Dungeons of Dredmor off Steam for only $5.