[FEATURE] KAtomic: level packs support added

[Dmitry Suzdalev-2]

Hi fellows!

I've just added a new feature to KAtomic: support for level packs.
Level pack is simply a collection of levels.
Earlier KAtomic had a static number of levels which were tied to a code and
were not very convenient to expand by adding new ones.

Now any user can supply a new collection of levels, put them in a certain
place and - woohoo - play them.

Old levels were converted to new format (all-in-a-single-pack-file).

Adding this feature did require a slight changes in configuration storage
format, that's why I tried to ensure that all settings that user has so far -
level highscores, current level, info about solved levels, etc etc - are left
unchanged while katomic's configuration file is converted to a new format.

So I ask you, trunk users, to test it, so we'll ensure that users wont loose
their settings when KDE 4.4 comes out.

Just do the following (it's longer to read than to do it):
1. *before* running svn up, please complete some levels in KAtomic (if you
already have some, then great, skip this step)
2. Notice what highscores you have on each level
3. switch to some level different then 1st
4. svn up
5. Check all levels you solved are accessible
6. Check all highscores are in place
7. Check that katomic started and picked up the level you were on last time
when exited katomic

Also what can be tested is saving some level with old katomic and loading it
with new version.

Check out Game->Choose level pack... dialog too if you wish, any
comments/suggestions/critics are welcomed.

Thanks,
Dmitry.
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[Parker Coates]

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 06:05, Dmitry Suzdalev wrote:
> I've just added a new feature to KAtomic: support for level packs.
> Level pack is simply a collection of levels.

Hello Dmitry,

Great work. This feature has been long overdue.

I just wanted to mention that I'm not convinced that "level packs" is
the best user v isisible name for this feature. It seems slightly
awkward to me. In a lot of ways the fact that the levels are "packed"
together is an implementation/distribution detail. Unfortunately I
don't have a great suggestion for a replacement. "Level sets" is the
best I've come up with, but that isn't all that great either.

I know you and I discussed this briefly on IRC, but I thought I'd
mention it on the list, to see if anyone here has a better suggestion.

Parker
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[Dmitry Suzdalev-2]

On Monday 26 October 2009 15:23:14 Parker Coates wrote:
> Unfortunately I
> don't have a great suggestion for a replacement. "Level sets" is the
> best I've come up with, but that isn't all that great either.

Yeah, that's great you've mentioned it.

Actually I started with calling these "level sets" (and this is how they named
in code actually), but then I saw some usages of "level pack" on the net and
figured out this is the way to go. You see, i'm not a native speaker, so in
some cases, where i'm not sure about terminology i have to pick whichever i
"think" is commonly used :) And at this i might be wrong.

So I'd be very grateful to you guys, if you help me to come up with best
sounding words :) I'll change KAtomic gui accordingly then.

One more idea: level collection.

Cheers,
Dmitry.

P.S. Good that we have some time until 4.4 release :)
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On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:47:35 pm Dmitry Suzdalev wrote:
> On Monday 26 October 2009 15:23:14 Parker Coates wrote:
> > Unfortunately I
> > don't have a great suggestion for a replacement. "Level sets" is the
> > best I've come up with, but that isn't all that great either.
>
> One more idea: level collection.
>
I don't like "level pack" either.

KGoldrunner started by using "level collection" or just "collection", but
now uses "game".  That is yet another ambiguity for the word "game",
but it usually occurs in a context like "the Initiation game" and points to
a specific set of levels, so I do not think it causes translation problems.

KSokoban (KDE 3) uses "level collection".  KPat uses "game type".
Another idea might be "series of levels" or "level series", especially
if you have to progress through the levels.  "Sequence" maybe.

Take your pick.  English is often a rather vague language, Ian W.
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[Dmitry Suzdalev-2]

On Monday 26 October 2009 17:18:37 Ian Wadham wrote:
> > On Monday 26 October 2009 15:23:14 Parker Coates wrote:
> > > Unfortunately I
> > > don't have a great suggestion for a replacement. "Level sets" is the
> > > best I've come up with, but that isn't all that great either.
> >
> > One more idea: level collection.
>
> I don't like "level pack" either.

Hmm, so what's the consensus?

I think "Game" is not an option for KAtomic (though it might fit KGoldRunner).

So far I like Level Collection or Level Set.

But still  i'm not sure which one's best.

Uhm. Let's vote? ;)

Cheers,
Dmitry.
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[Parker Coates]

On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 11:36, Dmitry Suzdalev wrote:

> On Monday 26 October 2009 17:18:37 Ian Wadham wrote:
>> > On Monday 26 October 2009 15:23:14 Parker Coates wrote:
>> > > Unfortunately I
>> > > don't have a great suggestion for a replacement. "Level sets" is the
>> > > best I've come up with, but that isn't all that great either.
>> >
>> > One more idea: level collection.
>>
>> I don't like "level pack" either.
>
> Hmm, so what's the consensus?
>
> I think "Game" is not an option for KAtomic (though it might fit KGoldRunner).
>
> So far I like Level Collection or Level Set.
>
> But still  i'm not sure which one's best.
>
> Uhm. Let's vote? ;)

I vote for "Level Set".

"Level  Collection" is a fine alternative, but generally is a bit more
wishy-washy. If I said I had a collection of 1997 Star Trek action
figures, I might have 6 or 9 or whatever of them. If I said I had a
set of 1997 Star Trek action figures, then that probably means I have
the complete set. (This is a lie, by the way. I don't own a single
Star Trek action figure, so don't bother asking if you can play with
them.)

Collections are flexible. Sets are more fixed. I think in this
context, sets make more sense.

Parker
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[Ian Wadham]

On Thu, 29 Oct 2009 3:08:02 am Parker Coates wrote:

> On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 11:36, Dmitry Suzdalev wrote:
> > On Monday 26 October 2009 17:18:37 Ian Wadham wrote:
> >> > On Monday 26 October 2009 15:23:14 Parker Coates wrote:
> >> > > Unfortunately I
> >> > > don't have a great suggestion for a replacement. "Level sets" is the
> >> > > best I've come up with, but that isn't all that great either.
> >> >
> >> > One more idea: level collection.
> >>
> >> I don't like "level pack" either.
> >
> > Hmm, so what's the consensus?
> >
> > I think "Game" is not an option for KAtomic (though it might fit
> > KGoldRunner).
> >
> > So far I like Level Collection or Level Set.
> >
> > But still  i'm not sure which one's best.
> >
> > Uhm. Let's vote? ;)
>
> I vote for "Level Set".
>
> "Level  Collection" is a fine alternative, but generally is a bit more
> wishy-washy. If I said I had a collection of 1997 Star Trek action
> figures, I might have 6 or 9 or whatever of them. If I said I had a
> set of 1997 Star Trek action figures, then that probably means I have
> the complete set. (This is a lie, by the way. I don't own a single
> Star Trek action figure, so don't bother asking if you can play with
> them.)
>
> Collections are flexible. Sets are more fixed. I think in this
> context, sets make more sense.
>

I saw a quiz question the other day about which English word has
the most meanings in the Oxford Dictionary.  I thought "get", but the
answer was "set".  "Level" has a few different meanings, too ... ;-)

"Set of levels" is less ambiguous than "level set", but is cumbersome.

So I think you should go with "level set", but use i18nc() for the translators
and careful doco, tooltips or whatsthis to explain it to the user.

All the best, Ian W.

P.S. "Change level set": is that three verbs or three nouns?  Or maybe
"level" and "set" are adjectives?

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[Dmitry Suzdalev-2]

On Thursday 29 October 2009 01:03:36 Ian Wadham wrote:
> > Collections are flexible. Sets are more fixed. I think in this
> > context, sets make more sense.
Thanks this is exactly the explanation i was looking for :)
 
> So I think you should go with "level set", but use i18nc() for the
>  translators and careful doco, tooltips or whatsthis to explain it to the
>  user.
Thanks for your input!

So I'll rename it to LevelSet soon.

Cheers,
Dmitry.


> P.S. "Change level set": is that three verbs or three nouns?  Or maybe
> "level" and "set" are adjectives?
P.S. :-)
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