Chronic Logic

So, ya want webspace for your MapPack?
I'm creating a little pontifex site where I will post your mappack, along with other people's.  I'm sure that CL will get around to doing this eventually, but in the meanwhile I can provide webspace.
My aim is to bring together people's mappacks, test them a little, give them easy/medium/hard ratings [purely subjectively of course, and with the agreement of the author] and so on.
Copyright will of course remain yours, and full credit given.
[Basic rules: They must be possible on Hard level, and the budget must be a reasonable amount over the best you can manage.]
Reply to this if you're interested http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

CL *have* discussed game programming in general on these pages, and are certainly taking an active interest in customer feedback, and indeed seem to be trying to build a loyal customer base.  I hope they are having fun doing it http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

While most of the game programming books suck, there are many good books on programming in general that can be applied to games.  Get in there and have a go if thats what you want to do... if you get stuck, the internet is a huge resource.  If you are still stuck, maybe its not meant to be...  Originality cannot be taught http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Games programming really is strange... you generally get one shot at getting it right, you need originality and practicality, and you generally need to mix gameplay with aesthetics: something very few people can do.  

Either that, or you make your gameplay so good that aesthetics don't matter (mentioning no names *winks*).

I love Borogove's idea of gradually increasing gravity... with very large bridges 95% of the challenge is making them stay up at all, adding the train usually doesn't make much difference.  Gradually increasing gravity would remove the initial shock-of-childbirth that bridges currently have to endure, and would make bridge-costs more realistic.
Pre-tensioned cables would be great, a lot of real bridges are made like that - often to make concrete bridges look elegant ;)  The classic example being the two-cantilever bridge that is impossibly narrow in the centre.
From a coding point of view its a snap: cables already have an initial-length and a current-length, they just happen to be set equal at game start currently.
The hard part is user interface design, representing which cables are pre-tensioned might be tricky.
Perhaps a "select tension" option for cables, adjustable between say 50% and 100%.  (50% would only lay down half as much cable as 100%, so it would be well-tensioned.)
Colour could be used to represent the percentage-tension, and perhaps show the exact percentage as the mouse is hovered over it.
Whether 50% cable is half price or not I leave to CL :cheesy:

One way to represent broken links, would be to make them go a funny colour but still display.  Eg:  they turn yellow or some user defined colour, but no longer play any structural part.  Also, a "pause on first break" option would be nice... the bridge would pause, with the broken link highlighted.

I would also like to add an "I'd love mobile links" vote http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

Implementation would be tricky, because the cost display would need to subtract all the old links and add the new ones, but I don't think its beyond the clever people who wrote bri... err Pontifex ;)

Bridgebuilder to Pontifex saw the introduction of cable and heavy steal, as well as explicit deck, great improvements all.
The question is, what else could go in there?  My vote would be for heavy cable and light cable, for use in suspension bridges.  I find I could use heavier stuff for the main cable sometimes http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
Concrete would also be nice: great in compression, lousy in tension (kinda the opposite of cable).

Its hard to see what else could be done, besides orthogonal boxes... I think CL wanted single vertical lengths to be free standing, and that meant reinforcing them, and its hard to see a general purpose way of doing this when nodes can connect to multiple links.
Another plan could be to have differently shaped nodes though, such as hex or octagonal ones?  That might shift the tradeoff a little further in the direction of pretty...

I think all these problems are caused by the fact that short (1 default unit) lengths of ANYTHING are incredibly weak.  A bouncing suspension line will break them.  If you look at the stresses in a single segment, they are stressed before anything else happens to them.  My guess is that the initial lengths of the connecting rods don't take 3D into account, so short "diagonal" sections are immediately under tension.  Am I right CL? Giz a job? ;)

The "cables radiate from a point" bridge is called a cable-stayed bridge.  Its not as new as you might think, it was used a lot in WWII to quickly replace semi-destroyed bridges using remaining supports.  It seems to be only recently used in new designs, possibly because its harder to analyse than suspension bridges, possibly because they are more expensive, or possibly because they require newer materials.  Anyone got any facts about this?

8) You have a favourite bridge (Mine is the Golden Gate Bridge)
9) You structurally analyse anything that looks even vaguely bridge-like...
10) Isambard Kingdom Brunel is your hero (Clifton!)
11) You find yourself talking about the pros and cons of suspension versus cable stayed bridges to your family and (ex) friends...

I didn't win either, but I did get a special mention with something like 5th place or thereabouts...
I'd like to be the first to congratulate Calis on some fine chea... bridge building expertise http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
Well done mate and may your reign be long and glorious... btw if you ever get a job as an architect, remind me to never travel by train ;)

CL will analyse them in order of cheapness... a few will be too low because they won't work on hard, or have broken links, etc.  It won't be long before they find the winner that way.
If there is any delay, its because they are double checking all the entries (slight subjectline differences may affect the order in their inbox.)
Then again, they might be discussing whether my winning bridge is legal ;)

falkon2: I got 81005, what was your entry? http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

I have just one thing to say: MONDAY?http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'> *laughs*
The tension will kill me!
I guess CL are working the weekend double checking their inbox, so we shouldn't complain.  If anyone wants to send me their entry though, I'll happily tell them that I beat them ;)
Did anyone else think to bcc a copy to themselves so they can check that it got to their email sender at least?  In future confirmation would be nice....

Good luck to everyone, and congrats in advance to the winner, who I bet would rather have "Pontifex Maximus" under their graphic than a cash prize :cheesy:

Hi folks,
congrats again to Calis of course http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
I did get an honourable mention I'm proud to say... although I'm kicking myself because my design did bear a passing resemblance to the winner http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
Beating second place by Űk is quite an acheivement.
I won't say who it was who said the winner wouldn't get under 贄k (it wasn't me I'm pleased to say!)

I would like to say how much the contests have extended the lifetime and fun element of Pontifex for me, and I hope this has a knock-on effect of increased sales.

So, Contest Two, what changes do we need?  I'll leave the actual problem to CL of course, but I'd like to see the following:  (once they recover from this weekend)
* Email confirmation of bridge received.
* Calis banned (just kidding)
* Some way to clarify the settling issue.  Perhaps a later version to have a competition mode that starts the train say 20 seconds after start is pressed.  If reliable bridges are sought the train could zip back and forth 100 times for all I care http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>
I for one was praying that on the one run that CL did of my bridge it wouldn't get a freak collapse.  (I'm also wondering about floating point consistency here?)

Anyway, thanks all for a great competition and I look forward to round 2 http://www.pontifex2.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>