Greg Ratajik's OS/2
Action Arcade game demo. TunnelWars is a
side-scrolling shoot-em-up that demonstrates a massively
multi-threaded game running on OS/2. Go to:
I originally wrote this code in 1994-95. I finished the game
engine and was ready to go when my graphics guy (Robert Kauffman) dropped out of
the project. As I didn't have any decent graphics tools (Hey, it was OS/2!) I never
actually released the game. The background and Walker were done by Bob (Cool, huh?).
The rest I slapped together.
I recently decided to re-release all of my OS/2 shareware software (http://www.ratajik.net/OS2),
and most of the source code. This release of Diver is from that effort. WhileI've
touched up the code a bit (fixed a couple of bugs, general clean up, etc.), it still
is very much a pre-released game. I may port the code to Windows (the code is VERY
portable, as it's layered nicely). If so, I will continue to make improvements to
it. I also am now mostly a Windows/C++ programmer, so probably be moving it to C++.
The original reason for writing the engine was to prove whether a action game, with
a scrolling background and many sprites, could be totally written using threads.
Each sprite is a thread; when the player fires a missile , each is its own thread,
interacting with the game environment as a self contained entity. What would game
performance be like with so many threads?
Would the overhead prove to be to much? And would threading make the game programming
easier or more difficult?
Another reason for written the game was to show that OS/2 was able to be a game
OS.
Could it handle high speed parallax scrolling? Was it possible to blit a large number
of sprites using OS/2 API's, and have acceptable performance.
TunnelWars is a OS/2 side scrolling, shoot-em-up action game.
This version is a DEMO (the game was written in 1994-95, but never
completed. IÆve recently released all of the OS/2 shareware, including
this one. IÆve fixed some problems, but do not consider the game
complete.) This demo showÆs how OS/2 can be used to massively thread
a game, and shows the performance OS/2 can give for an action game.
Please check out http://www.ratajik.net/TunnelWars for more information,
and the source code.
How to play
A. Starting.
Select the "Options" menu and click start.
B. Controlling the ship.
The ship can be controlled be a joystick or keyboard.
If using the keyboard, the following keys are used:
Left, Right, Up, Down - Arrow Keys
1-9 - Speed
a - Plasma Cannon
s - Dumb Missile
d - Smart Missile
f - Raptor Missile
g - Nova Bomb
h - Plasma Carpet Bomb
space - FIRE
C. Gameplay
Your goal is to destroy as many of the Walkers as you can.
The Walkers will in turn try to frag you (Yeah, I know, what a
simple game! Sorry, it really was just meant as a OS/2 game demo.
While the code is in place to make it a bit more interesting,
I currently donÆt have time to do soà and I wouldnÆt do it in
OS/2 if
I did have the time! <VGB>)
Other shareware/PD programs to look for:
o NetChat - This program allows many users to have Chat
sessions over the LAN. It allows each user to set
up Conference groups and security levels. Each
Conference can have as many users as you want
Chatting. This is similar to CompuServer's CB, or
a BBS's multi-node chat area. (This program is free
when you use QuikWare to register EasyPlay
o NetMail - Improved net massaging (i.e. "Blue Boxes")
This program gives you better control of
system level LAN messages. You can enter message
subjects, set priority levels, and type in longer
messages.
NetMail allows each user to set up their own
message groups, along with global message groups.
Each user can choose which groups to receive
messages from, and what groups to send messages to.
NetMail also let's you choose whether to get
the message in the traditional VIO BlueBox (but
better looking!), a PM Message Box, or to display
no message but to retrieve it at a latter time.
This program makes Net Massaging easier to
use, and less annoying to the recipients.
o DeleteDir - A simple full-screen program to delete a
directory and all files/directories that are children to
it.
o Netblast - send a LAN message.. plus be able to change the
FROM ID in the message (fake out LAN messaging! COOL!)
o ChkPath - Will check the path's you set in your
config.sys, and let you know if you've got problems.
o Pwh - Path'ed Where. Will search a path for a file. PWH
will tell you every place it hit's the file. Very useful
for checking what version of a program you using.
o MDD - Multiple make directory. MDD will create a
multiple directories (i.e. if you wanted to make
C:\GREG\PROGRAM\SOURCE20\MDD\RELEASE, MDD could do it in
one shot.)
o WHO - Will display information about all users of a
LAN/Domain.
o QWHO - Displays all user ID's currently on a LAN/Domain.
o Vtree - Visual directory tree.
o EDCNFG - PM based program that will verify everything's
okay in your config.sys, keep track/retro changes into
multiple config's, and edit/setup a config.sys
o HPMLib - Library tracking system
o HPMCook - Cooking software
o HPMDiet - Dieting software
o JOGGER - OS/2 Program for runners.
o DosText - Change the message a OS/2 program gives when
running it from DOS.
Programming Utilities:
o AniButtn - Two-state animated pushbuttons that you can
easily replace any pushbutton with.
o VidButtn - Just like AniButtn, but will full-frame
animation. (The ones in EasyPlay work exactly like a
pushbutton, but have up to 17 frames of animation!)
@Macarlo, Inc. @Macarlo's Shareware & Web OS/2 Java Lobby Member
Java Site Accredited
