Episode 35:Diablo

Welcome to Roguelike Radio episode 35,where we discuss the Diablo series. Talking this episode are Darren Grey,Andrew Doull,Ido Yehieli and Keith Burgun. You can download the mp3 of the podcast,play it in the embedded player below,or you can follow us on iTunes.

Topics discussed this week include:
–Is Diablo:A single unit RTS? A roguelike? An opiate of the people? A slot machine? A pool table? Coke(tm)?
–What makes a game memorable?
–Diablo-likes,including Torchlight I and II,Sacred and Sacred 2,the Sacred auto-updater,and Borderlands
–Loot,hardcore mode,and the music
–Click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click….

Source and comments at Roguelike Radio

swords!

swords!

Source and comments at Deko dungeons

2012-05-17:DF 0.34.09 Released

DF Version 0.34.09 has been released.

Source and comments at Dwarf Fortress Development Log

05/16/2012

(Toady One) Second bit of bugfixes.

added furniture stockpile options for the new tools

made rollers get objects up to speed faster

fixed minecart premature stoppage after coming up a ramp

made fresh water kill stagnant water,salt no longer spreads into fresh

properly restricted materials for embark tools

stopped fast travel from minecarts

disallowed picking up of unit-occupied minecarts and fast-moving minecarts

increased coke reaction output

Source and comments at Dwarf Fortress Development Log

05/15/2012

(Toady One) First bit of bugfixes. I’ll probably do a day or two more of this to let some issues come in and then get another version up.

fixed various bucket jobs

stopped wheelbarrows from getting stuck on obstacles built in their path

stopped rollers from working when powered off

channeling moves objects downward and moves the dwarf downward if the dwarf is in the square (ending injuries from what should be a non-jarring activity)

fixed look mode strings for rollers when they share the tile with something

fixed scrolling of routes/stops in resized screens

fixed vehicle id init problem in old saves

typo in white sand density fixed

Source and comments at Dwarf Fortress Development Log

Solstice v0.0.23

New version of my hobby project,Solstice,is up (v0.0.23).

[link]

Lots of undocumented changes and refinements,including a relatively
big hurdle of the merchant interface (which allows trading in addition
to simply buying with gold).

Spring semester is finally over,and I only have 1 class over the

Source and comments at rec.games.roguelike.announce Google Group

Top 5 Game Design Blogs

Back in the dim mists of time,I named my top 5 games journalists:which in a field notorious for attrition now only has 2 survivors (the rest consumed by PR,consulting and comics). Since I’ve not been able to do much long form writing recently,I figure I should link to my personal top 5 game design blogs,so you can slake your thirst elsewhere.

Putting together a top 5 of game design blogs is challenging,to say the least. To qualify,you have to write regularly and you have to write specifically about game design. This simple criteria excludes the most well known video game designers who blog,people like Soren Johnson,Clint Hocking and Dan Kline,because the industry is so notoriously secretive and full of NDAs,that they simply cannot talk about what they are working on,except for brief bursts during the press period of their latest game. Then there are promising bloggers like Jon Shafer,who has recently appeared on the scene,but hasn’t written enough to develop his own distinct voice.

So my list is full of brilliant mavericks,outside geniuses (genii?),and crosses plenty of boundaries. You also don’t have to agree with them to love what they write about and the passion they write with.

Without further ado:

1. David Sirlin
2. Anna Anthropy
3. Zak S.

I would say more,but I’m confident each of these three’s (possibly NSFW) writing will win you over.

Source and comments at Ascii Dreams

Realm of the Diggle Gods Now Available for Desura

Yes,finally,Realm of the Diggle Gods is now available on Desura. Linux users,bask in the powerful new Desura Expansion Technology! (Many thanks to Tim Jung at Desura for patiently poking things with sharp pointy sticks.)

Buy it here:http://www.desura.com/games/realm-of-the-diggle-gods

Source and comments at Gaslamp Games » Blog

05/14/2012

(Toady One) Here is a hauling release.

New stuff

Minecarts can be used to haul things around on carved/constructed tracks/bridges (‘h’auling to set up routes)

Dwarves can be set to guide,push off,or ride carts that are ready to move to the next stop

Track stops used to slow/stop cart and/or dump the contents on vehicle entry,can be disengaged with lever/plate

Pressure plates can be triggered by carts

Rollers can be used to push cart along when powered

Minecarts limited to one per tile in general,various collisions can occur

Wheelbarrows can be linked to stockpiles in order to move heavy objects (it’ll auto-request one for stone stockpiles)

Falling objects can collide with critters

Camera can be attached to unit or item,can be linked to hotkeys from the unit/item screens

Other bug fixes/tweaks

Stockpiles can be linked to workshops,can be set to give to multiple piles,can be set to accept items from links only

Hauling jobs will often be combined,using one container

Heavy items harder to haul

Densities/colors updated,based on Uristocrat’s data collection thread

Can filter creature names in arena

Mine drop rates tweaked,no longer skill-based

Puzzleboxes/drum makeable

Stopped blinking on bridges

Projectiles using new code (most non-shot/thrown projectiles) can skip/skid on liquid/ground

All flying units use new minecart parabolic flight paths

Many projectiles do not resolve in adventure mode before your turn (so you can dodge a flying cart by moving away)

Can create/assign to squads from v-p

Squads can be given nicknames from v-p or the military screen

Fixed broken clay stockpile option

Source and comments at Dwarf Fortress Development Log

2012-05-14:DF 0.34.08 Released

DF Version 0.34.08 has been released.

Source and comments at Dwarf Fortress Release Log