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. . . . . . . . . . What have we here ?
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This is the MODs info page, it gives you all info I could find about new xblast versions/modifications
(available or being worked on). If you are working on a xblast modification,
let me know !
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. . . . . . . . . . XBlast TNT by Olivier Vogel (official) [info updated October 1st 2001]
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XBlast TNT is the latest version of XBlast, it runs under both Unix and Windows, and uses client/server communication for fast
multiplayer games.
For detailed information about the various XBlast TNT releases see the official homepage.
To download XBlast TNT see the Downloads pages.
Old stuff...
December '99 : first alpha version of XBlast TNT available
Olivier Vogel (xblast author) is still working on xblast; here's what he says about it (15 Jul 1999):
"I'm actually playing around with a enhanced xblast version with menus [TNT version] and (later) will have a look at true Client-Server implementation.
The menus are not all fully implemented yet, but it is already possible to play. Sound is not implemented yet. The new version can be compiled under
Win32 by using cygwin32-gcc. A work-buddy is actually "working" on a native OS/2 port. Once XBlast-2.6 is out, I will only continue work on the
new TNT-version."
By looking at the source I've noticed that all level-files are now in a new hexa-like .xbl format,
which is smaller than the original .h text format (down from 2.18k to 844 bytes for All_Good_things). The new morph extra and the various
player "models" are also implemtented (like in v2.6).
See the Misc : Photos page for a screenshot of xblast TNT.
No known release date.
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. . . . . . . . . . XBlast + ATP by EPFL
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XBlast EPFL version : you know YOU WANT IT, now ! ;)
This version is based on the official xblast 2.6.1 full version and includes :
- original levels + all levels available on this website (total = more than 360)
- all extras from the "Belgium Guys" version
- new shrinks & game functions
- new bomb types (by Stn)
- more new bomb types and new extras (by J.Amilhastre)
- a new EPFL-made extra (kick bombs and then stop them with 'ENTER')
- our wonderfull ATP ranking system (more on this below)
(requires net access to 'talk' with score-server)
- Click here for detailed specs about all new extras and stuff
The ATP ranking system :
The EPFL-xblast-ATP is a cool ranking system that was made long ago by some "old" EPFL students (in 1994) and that we just re-installed.
When you launch xblast every player is asked for a nickname and password (first time you use it, it will automatically detect you're a new player and
add you to the database, be sure to remember your nick and pass!) and the game then proceeds as usual.
Rankings calculation :
- a new player gets 1000 points (= his last 20 scores are set to 1000)
- every player entering a game sets his points in play, when the game ends ATP-xblast redistributes all points proportionaly to the number
of levels every player won
- your ranking is obtained by calculating the mean of your last 20 scores (not exactly, in fact scores have a weight
of 1/20; 3/20; 5/20; ... ; 37/20; 39/20, this gives the latest score more weight)
What's so cool with ATP-xblast is that it uses a unique worldwide score-server (located at EPFL) no matter from where or who launches the game;
thus all xblast players using ATP-xblast are ranked 'together' in the same list, allowing for a real worldwide ranking system.
Rankings calculation example :
Let's say three new ATP-xblast users (TOTO, TITI & TATA) start a game, being new players they all get 1000 points (in all of their 20 last score slots).
TOTO wins by 5-3-4 (TITI has 3, TATA 4). The scores for this game are :
| TOTO | TITI | TATA |
| 3000*(5/12) = 1250 |
3000*(3/12) = 750 | 3000*(4/12) = 1000 |
note 1: 3000 is the sum of all points set in play = TOTO_score + TITI_score + TATA_score
note 2: *(5/12) because TOTO won 5 of the 12 levels played, same goes for TITI (3/12)
and TATA (4/12).
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To get the real score (called weight) used to determine their rankings we must calculate the mean of their last 20 scores,
this gives the following ranking :
| 1# TOTO | 2# TATA | 3# TITI |
| (18050+(39/20)*1250)/20 = 1024 |
(18050+(39/20)*1000)/20 = 1000 |
(18050+(39/20)*750)/20 = 976 |
note 1: 18050 is the sum of the old scores (1000*1/20+1000*3/20+...+1000*37/20)
note 2: (39/20)*1250 is the score obtained in this game , 1024 is TOTO's new weight
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Viewing the Rankings :
To view the current rankings all you have to do is launch the new_hiscore prog which will ask the rankings server for the
current scores and display all registred players sorted by ranking in a window with the last 20 scores for each player
(players with less than 10 games are listed too, but their ranking is not considered as 'official', thus they are listed below the 'official' players)
Click here to see a screenshot of the atp_scores window
(btw, it shows who's the real xblast master ;)
This version is available on the Downloads page
(click HERE for some IMPORTANT install help).
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. . . . . . . . . . XBlast 2.6.x by Olivier Vogel (official) [released 24 August 1999]
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Latest official XBlast version I know of is version 2.6, which features :
- 2 to 6 players (8 players in double mode)
- 1 or 2 players per X-Server
- 1?? different Levels (once you have installed all the new levels it will be 5?? ;-)
- X11R5 or X11R6
- Full color and monochrome support
- PoVRay rendered graphics in color mode
- Resolution: 960x688
- monochrome XBlast needs ~200 kB (~280 kB with Backing Store)
of X-Server memory. Color XBlast needs about 8 times the memory on an 8-bit display, however.
- Compact binary ~350 kB with shared libraries ~600kB with static libraries
- Small CPU usage
What's new in v2.6 ? (with respect to XBlast 2.5.8 [aka XBlast-2.6 beta])
- Morphing bomb extra
- Additional bomb animation frame ("blasting")
- All blocks now rendered with PovRay
- 14 new levels (11 new levels by Stn + 1 new by Vogel + 2 of the ele.tue.nl levels)
- Stop on key release (optional; to use it set the stopKey to "None" in your .Xresources)
- 5 different player shapes (set 'singlePlayer.shape : xxx' to normal, fat, tall, girl or skull)
- Bugfix for crash in 32-bit true color mode (16-bit mode still seems bugged on our SUNs)
- fixed double mode
- separate monochrome only version
Jump to the Downloads page to get XBlast 2.6
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. . . . . . . . . . XBlast New Extras by "Belgium Guys" [13 April 2000]
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These guys made some levels (see Levels Download page) but they also made
some great modifications for XBlast, here is the info from the authors:
New XBlast version ! It's not exactly a new version but we have added some enhancements.
First we have added new functionnalities (extras):
- ELECTRIFY : kill your opponents if near enough.
- THROUGH : walk thorugh bombs.
- SWAP POSITION : the positions of the opponents are swapped.
- SWAP COLOR : you keep your position, but opponent colors are swapped. Very disturbing :-)
- GHOST : the player can go through walls. No three bombs move anymore :-)
- BOMB JUMPING : moving bombs over walls. The more bonus you get, the further it can go
- STEAL : take your opponent bomb range ... and also its number of bombs :-)
And of course three new keys ;-) Try 'w', 'F1' and 'F2'.
Auquier Denis, Florisoone Jean-Pierre, Van Lier Vincent.
MOD available on the download page.
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. . . . . . . . . . XBlast modification by "le bocal" ;) [updated 1 October 2001]
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Some french guys are working on a modified xblast version; they are increasing the level grid size and adding
client/server support (old levels should still work, despite grid size change).
They WERE planning on a late-september release (project stoped to see if they could rather help Oliver implement these features in xblast TNT).
01.10.2001 : no news from "le bocal"...
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