Proposed new set of levels for KGoldrunner

[Ian Wadham]

Hi Albert,

> On 17 Apr 2021, at 9:20 am, Albert Astals Cid <aacid at kde.org> wrote:
> 
> El divendres, 16 d’abril de 2021, a les 8:03:34 (CEST), Ian Wadham va escriure:
>> Hi guys,
>> 
>> I have received a new set of 50 levels for KGoldrunner from Gabriel Miltschitzky, one of KDE's KGoldrunner game composers. It is called "Gold Of The Living Dead" and is based around present-day zombie mythology.
>> 
>> It consists of two new files: a game-data file and a recorded-solutions file. So far, I have checked that all the levels and solutions work and I have edited the game description and hints, to make them more “standard” for the translators, among other changes. The files are currently back with Gabriel for final review. When he returns them, I will add any changes he suggests, then the two files will be ready to add to the KGoldrunner repository at kgoldrunner/gamedata, along with a small change to the kgoldrunner/gamedata/CMakeLists.txt file.
>> 
>> Unfortunately it has been many years since I committed to a repository and I no longer have commit access. So I would need help with getting the changes committed. I do still have a KDE Ident, so can participate in a Merge Request. I think the game-data file would need review to ensure that it meets current standards for translatable text (i.e. the hints and the game-description) and that the text can be successfully extracted, so I would need a suitable reviewer for that.
>> 
>> Finally, I have no idea when the next release cycle might start, nor how much time there is till then. I have googled around but found only the schedule information for the 20.12 release.
>> 
>> So, please could someone fill me in and help me get this new KGoldrunner game launched?
> 
> https://community.kde.org/Infrastructure/GitLab#Submitting_a_merge_request lists all you need to know to submit a Merge Request, but if you feel overwhelmed, just send the files my way and i'll create the Merge Request for you.

The files for the new set of levels are now ready to go into a Merge Request, so I would like to take you up on your kind offer, Albert.

There are two new text files, a game file and a solutions file, plus a small patch to the CMakeLists.txt file for kgoldrunner/gamedata. I will send them to you privately to avoid cluttering the KDE Games list with attachments.

These levels and solutions were composed by Gabriel Miltschitzky. My contribution has been editorial.

Re the Merge Request and review, Gabriel and I have reviewed and tested all the levels, hints and solutions. All of them are valid KGoldrunner puzzles, all of them work, all are playable (by Gabriel, but not all by me :-(), all the solutions work, all the Help texts and game description work and the texts are, to the best of my knowledge, in idiomatic US English and ready for translation into other languages. Gabriel and I have tested all this with KDE 4 and, in his case, also with a distro of KF5 KGoldrunner.

Further review and a small amount of testing are needed to cover the following, I would suggest:

    - That KGoldrunner, plus the new set of levels, builds with the latest KF5 environment (I am unable to check this),
    - That the new set of levels and its description appears in the New Game selection dialog (i.e. Game Of The Living Dead),
    - That the Messages.sh script correctly extracts for translation new strings and the translators’ note (i.e. that what is extracted is the entirety of what you see on the screen when you use Help or the game selection dialog in English — this is to check against a syntax error in the C++ pseudo-code in the game file),
    - That US English and spelling is used correctly throughout (I am dual Austrlian/UK nationality and Gabriel is German, but we have done our best),
    - That there are no hard-to-translate phrases,
    - That no typos have escaped Gabriel and me,
    - That the English style is in-line with KDE Community conventions (my memory of these is somewhat rusty).

All that said, I can thoroughly recommend the 50 levels of Game Of The Living Dead to all KGoldrunner fans. Although some of the levels are extremely difficult, all are entertaining and exploit the quirks of KGoldrunner’s behaviour in amusing ways, even if you just watch the solutions.

I am hoping they will appear in the KDE Gear 21.08 Release.

A quick note to potential reviewers: you can step through the levels, hints and solutions by repeatedly hitting Y (for Play Next Level), H (for Help) and Escape (for Show A Solution).

All the best,
Ian W.

> Cheers,
>  Albert
> 
>> 
>> Thank you, in advance.
>> 
>> Cheers, Ian W.