Worms Armageddon v3.6.19.19 Beta Update (2004.03.21)

[Harrytarry]

Hi,

is there someone who has this update or below on his harddisc, because with the next Update the random map generator was upgraded and the new maps it generates aren't that good. Or ist there an other way to activate the old random map generator ? Thanks for your help.

P.S.: The update must be higher then 3.5, because we need direct ip.

Harry

[CyberShadow]

http://wiki.thecybershadow.net/Beta_updates_(Worms_Armageddon)

Let us know if you see an actual change in the map generator.

[bonz]

http://wiki.thecybershadow.net/Beta_updates_(Worms_Armageddon)
This would be the correct link:
http://wiki.thecybershadow.net/Beta_updates_%28Worms_Armageddon%29
Let us know if you see an actual change in the map generator.
Hmm...
I too always had a lurking feeling that there has been some tinkering with the map random generator. As if the maps aren't really random anymore.

Not to speak of the removement of the "generate" button that created a random map out of user input text string, which is something that every Worms game today has and should be reimplemented ASAP.

[Plutonic]

The only change i remember is the ability to go back to a map previously generated if you clicked too fast and missed a good one.

The maps themselves I dont think have been changed in any way.

[CyberShadow]

This would be the correct link:
http://wiki.thecybershadow.net/Beta_updates_%28Worms_Armageddon%29 RewriteRule ^(.*\([^\)]*)$ $1\) [R,L]
Fixed ;)

[M3ntal]

Hah, a regexp that looks like Kirby in a car accident.

[Harrytarry]

Hi,

first of all thank you for your replys. I will test it right now. I think there was a change of the map genarator because of the following entry in the Version History:
"The random map generator is now much less likely to make oversimplified maps; it now generates complex maps more consistently than versions prior to 3.6.".
I will let you know if somthing changes.

Harry

[KRD]

Kirby as seen by Pablo Picasso at the peak of his cubism. |:<

Harry, this is something probably I alone remember [or think I remember]: At one point Deadcode played around with the complexity setting of the map generator. That line from the readme you quoted explains the setting was put back to the default value in one of the following updates. While I personally have sensed a slight increase in the simplicity of the maps generated since that change, it could just be our imagination. Either way, I make a point of bugging Deadcode about it every time I catch a glimpse of him. The answers are coming.

[Harrytarry]

Hi,

I just tested it and in my opinion the maps now are much smoother and not so spiky. Maybe I'm wrong but I will also ask my friend tonight, because we are going to play some online matches. The fact why I and my friend were confused, was that with the 3.5 beta patch we only have to click 5 to 6 times on the map until we had a good one. With the latest patch it takes 13 to 14 clicks everytime. I will let you know if my friend shares my view.

Harry

[KRD]

The spikiness you see in the map editor has nothing to do with how the map comes out in the game. It's just that one of the updates included an anti-alias algorithm that makes the preview look smoother.

[Harrytarry]

No, I don't think so. Maybe we talk at cross purposes. I will post some screenshots soon,so that you can better imagine which "spikiness" I'm talking about.

[Lex]

Haha, Gregor. He doesn't mean "pixelated".

[KRD]

Yah, I see what he means now. The thing is, nobody believed me when I pointed it out!

*Doubts his sanity some more.*

Edit: If that was an insult Liam, it didn't come through!

[M3ntal]

Here's something further to the C++ lessons Seita was giving you the other day Alex:

reality = !greg->brain->getConclusion();

[Deadcode]

The update I made (first available in v3.6.19.7) to allow going backwards when clicking through random maps was what originally introduced a glitch regarding this matter. The problem was that there's no unique inverse for the random number generator the game uses (unlike the seed progression used by C's rand(), which is quite elegantly reversible), so I implemented going forwards and backwards as repeatedly adding or subtracting a random constant to the seed; this constant is determined randomly at the beginning of each session.

What I didn't realize was that the smoothness/spikeyness factor (granularity) of a map is determined by taking its random seed modulo 101 twice, and using the results as granularity coefficients. Sometimes the added/subtracted constant would be small modulo 101 and thus the granularity would change very little between clicks. If it started out "simple", this could be annoying (there was a complaint, which is why I looked into the matter).

In fact there is what I think is an unintended glitch in the code; the modulo is signed, and thus the result can be between -100 and 100 depending on whether the seed itself is negative or positive. The result is divided by 50 and added to 0.5, which I expect was meant to squeeze it into the 0.5 to 2.5 range, but it actually goes from -1.5 to 2.5. Thus, two modulos of -25 result in an utterly featureless map (granularity zero).

To "solve" this (in v3.6.20.1) I forced the modulos to be always 100, and forced the seed to positive. This reduces the number of possible maps from 4294967296 to 210515. Looking back on it, it was probably a bad idea, especially as I didn't sufficiently explore/contemplate exactly what the two coefficients do (especially the second one).

Looking at it now, a better solution would be to eliminate the forcing of modulos and instead tweak the forwards/backwards algorithm, for example to use the same reversible seed progression algorithm as rand(). I may implement this for the next update.

[zzzzzac]

Is this the update that makes the map generator better and puts the timer above all the weapons? If it is, dang 'cos I got the trymedia one...

got the trymedia one. Or is the thing only in worm net??!!! : O

[bonz]

This reduces the number of possible maps from 4294967296 to 210515.
Ha! I knew it all along that the maps were less random. :D
I may implement this for the next update.
Please, do that and don't forget to reimplement the "generate" button to create maps from user input text strings.

[bloopy]

Hah, a regexp that looks like Kirby in a car accident.

Don't they all? :p

[franpa]

Is this the update that makes the map generator better and puts the timer above all the weapons? If it is, dang 'cos I got the trymedia one...

got the trymedia one. Or is the thing only in worm net??!!! : O

download the update yourself and read the readme file... its the easiest way to find when that feature was added.

[evilworm2]

I got the trymedia one...
download the update yourself and read the readme file... its the easiest way to find when that feature was added.

Download it, have a look at the readme, but never ever install the update.
It will screw your Trymedia crap.

[Seita]

In that case, just download the readme instead of downloading the whole update.

[franpa]

is there a place to just download the readme's?

[bonz]

is there a place to just download the readme's?
Yes, there is.
Right next to where you can get the beta updates.
http://wa.team17.com/main.html?page=supp&area=upda&file=16

[franpa]

lol, yea i see just forgot as its been ages since i visited there...