[Kde-games-devel] Games showcase and tips/tricks

Wed Nov 25 17:37:15 CET 2009

Thanks a lot for your comments, complements and corrections!  I've
incorporated them into the draft text.

I'm not sure the current booklet is the place to mention the upcoming games
(I'm checking with the coordinator) but after this little project is done
I'd be happy to write up something about the upcoming games for KDE 4.4.

Thanks again.

Vivek

Hi!
> Welcome and thank you for volunteering for this task.  Promotion is a huge,
> albeit oft-ignored, part of community game development.  :)
>
> I'm not a game dev myself, but we've had a big discussion about KGoldRunner
> recently which culminated in the addition of a new keyboard movement mode,
> as well as prospects for future character and obstacle additions.
>
> In addition to that, as a kind of "Road to KDE 4.4" piece, I'm sure the
> developers of Granatier, Kigo, Palapeli and other prospective additions to
> the KDE Games suite would love it if you ran an early exposé on them.
> There's bound to be a mountain of tips and tricks for Kigo especially, since
> it turns out almost everyone here [but me] is a Go player it seems.  :P
>
> On Tuesday 24 November 2009 3:09:06 pm Vivek Prakash wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
>
> > I'm a new volunteer with KDE, specifically with KDE-promo, and I've been
> > asked to improve the kde-games promotion materials being prepared for a
> > booklet on KDE.
> >
> Hello Vivek and welcome aboard ... :-)  Good to know you are doing this
> work.
>
> > I'm writing to ask which games in particular you would like mentioned.  I
> > notice the website does an excellent job of showcasing random games every
> > time I visit it - are there one or two games in particular you would like
> >  to showcase.
> >
> Well, KGoldrunner and Kubrick of course [1] (I have no shame) ... :-)
>
> Seriously, I think you will have to try a few from each category and make
> your
> own choice.  Otherwise people might recommend the game they wrote or hang
> back modestly, which seems to be happening.  I would like to mention two
> (new)
> games *not* written by me, which will be released in KDE 4.4 early in 2010.
>
> One is Palapeli, a jigsaw-puzzle game, in which you can make and solve
> your own jigsaws.  I have made a 4-piece puzzle from a photo of our family
> dogs for my 3-year old grandson to try out.  Currently it works best with
> around 100 pieces, but I believe the author, Stefan Majewsky, will be
> looking
> at ways to make it work well with 1000 pieces or more, for the KDE 4.5
> version, due out later next year.
>
> I have made and solved a 1000 piece puzzle with Palapeli, but it took a
> very
> long time.  In such a large puzzle, the pieces become tiny on-screen and
> hard to see.  Or you can magnify them, but then you get only a few
> visible on-screen at one time.
>
> The other is Kigo, an implementation of the ancient Chinese/Japanese
> game of Go, which is very easy to learn, but as difficult as Chess at
> "master" level or maybe even more difficult.  In Kigo, your computer
> opponent is the GnuGo engine, who is not highly-skilled but can help
> you learn the game and develop your skill to the point where you can
> venture online and challenge human players at the various Go websites.
>
> These two games have only recently entered the KDE trunk source-code
> repository.  Both are masterpieces, but you will not see them on distros
> until after KDE 4.4 release, early next year.
>
> > I also wanted your input on a "Tips and tricks" section.  Each section of
> > the booklet will also contain a "Tips and Tricks" subsection, to present
> > information that may not be obvious from early use of the program.  For
> > example, this could include keyboard shortcuts for certain tasks, or
> > additional functionality that might not be immediately apparent (like a
> >  blog preview for a blogging program or a presentation mode to a PDF
> >  viewer).  So, for example, is there some tip/trick about KPatience to
> >  which you would like to give greater prominence?
> >
> I do not believe such a section is appropriate for KDE Games.  We try to
> write them so that they are quick and easy to learn, but difficult to
> master.
>
> My main tip is to go to the Help->XXX Handbook (F1) to see a summary of
> what the XXX game is about and what the objective is (i.e. how to "win").
> Several KDE Games also have tutorials, demos or a Tips and Tricks section
> in the handbook.
>
> > I'll basically be updating and expanding on the text pasted below.
> > (Anything I write will probably be heavily edited, which is why I'm
> > comfortable taking on a task about programs I'm not very familiar with.)
> >
> > Thanks for your advice.  I appreciate your time.  And on an unrelated
> note:
> > those are some pretty awesome games!
> >
> We do our best ... :-)
>
> >  <<KDE Games screenshots>>
> >
> > When you need a little break from work, KDE offers a wide selection of
> > games, both small and large. You can play classic games like *Rubik's
> >  Cube*, or more challenging and complex games, such as *Sudoku*. Try
> >  miniature golf with up to 10 other players, or one of the other
> boardgames
> >  such as *Reversi *, *Shisen*, *Bovo *or *Battleship*. Or if you prefer,
> >  you can stick to * Patience*, *Solitaire* and similar card games. Along
> >  with the nice artwork, you can customize the look of your games by
> >  downloading themes available online, and you download additional levels
> as
> >  well. You can even create your own graphics and game levels and share
> them
> >  easily with others!
> >
> One technical point, especially relevant in promo work (we do not want KDE
> to
> get sued): many terms that come up in writing about games are trademarked
> or copyrighted.  "Rubik's Cube" (TM) is just one example above.  The
> corresponding KDE Game is called "Kubrick" BTW.  The handbooks will
> usually quote such terms in the proper legal way, maybe in the Credits
> and Licences chapter.
>
> I like your writing style, Vivek, it is very bright and breezy.  Excellent
> for
> promo work.  However I think most people would agree that the said cube
> (dimensions 3x3x3) is much more difficult than KSudoku, although Kubrick
> does offer some simpler puzzles with smaller dimensions or limited numbers
> of moves.
>
> And there is just one KPatience game (kpat for short).  Curiously, it calls
> itself a Patience game, which is UK English for such games.  In US English,
> which is the KDE standard, they are called Solitaire, I believe.  Perhaps
> you should describe this game as being "a Patience or Solitaire card game".
>
> All the best with your project,
> Cheers, Ian W.
> Melbourne, Australia.
> [1] Author of KGoldrunner and Kubrick.

On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 5:21 PM, Wolfgang Rohdewald
<wolfgang at rohdewald.de>wrote:

> On Tuesday 24 November 2009, Ian Wadham wrote:
> > And there is just one KPatience game (kpat for short)
>
> plus KMahjongg - citing the manual:
>
> KMahjongg is a tile matching game for one or two players, a variation
> usually known as Mahjong Solitaire
>
> sure - it uses tiles instead of cards but solitaire it is.
>
>
> --
> Wolfgang
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