[devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Announcements and updates regarding Pixel Tennis' development
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WongKit
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[devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by WongKit »

Hi there,

the project's development came to a point, where the basic stuff is mostly finished. The next steps, especially character design and the item/inventory system, will take some time to complete. Additionally, I am going to slow myself down a bit, as I powered through Pixel Tennis for the last few months.

Because of that, I am happy to announce, that there are now regular test runs, where you can play/test the game in the meantime.

Tuesday
08:00 - 12:00 CET
18:00 - 22:00 CET

Sunday
08:00 - 12:00 CET
18:00 - 22:00 CET

These runs are initiated automatically and therefore mostly not monitored by me. I also decided to spread the times, so that players outside the CET timezone also get a chance to play. The regular runs will start this Sunday, 14th of June.

Starting with version 0.2.1, Pixel Tennis will be available in multiple languages (English, French, German edit, Spanish and Turkish).

Pixel Tennis Multiple Languages.png
Pixel Tennis Multiple Languages.png (9.25 KiB) Viewed 19878 times
lang_en.zip
(2.47 KiB) Downloaded 497 times

A big thanks goes to Fallermagie, KillerZXN and "Aptal... Aptal!" for providing initial translation for the game!
If you speak another language and want to support Pixel Tennis, grab and translate the attached lang_en.zip file. I will include it in the next version and put you in the...

Credits

I am very thankful for people who support this ambitious project in any form, so I think that proper attribution is very important. Besides the contribute page on pixeltennis.de, you can now also see all supporters in the credits menu, which is accessible from the login screen.

Pixel Tennis Credits.jpg
Pixel Tennis Credits.jpg (50.62 KiB) Viewed 19878 times

There is also a category Financial support in the credits. As you can imagine, homepage, game server and development resources actually do cost money. So if you want to take over some of these costs or just want to show you appreciation, feel free to do so!

Image
or Image

Last but not least, I uploaded a new YouTube video showcasing an online doubles match with Chilibrk, Widukind, Zoe and me. If you currently do not have the chance to play Pixel Tennis by yourself, you can still watch the kinda raw gameplay footage.

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Cristian
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Cristian »

Would you like the full game translated to spanish also? Since there is a group on facebook with 250+ people it could come in handy.

L.E.: I could also do it for romanian and finnish, but not sure how useful would that be.
Last edited by Cristian on Mon Jun 08, 2020 8:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Fallermagie
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Fallermagie »

Hey,
That's some good news !
Thanks for the credits and all the effort poured into this game. :D

I'll keep you in check when i have some french translation fixes.
Also, if you are french, feel free to give any feedback or help about the french translation, as WongKit said. ;)
Wait n' See... ;)
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Sui
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Sui »

Will make sure this time to get to play the game, insane updates these last weeks! Pumped to see where this will go.
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WongKit
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by WongKit »

@Cristian: I already received a spanish translation via Discord from KillerZXN.
I do not know how many romanian or finnish people are here, but it does not hurt to have more translations available. Are you fluent in those languages?
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Ike »

Thank you for putting so much work into the project! @WongKit
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Cristian
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Cristian »

WongKit wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 6:22 am @Cristian: I already received a spanish translation via Discord from KillerZXN.
I do not know how many romanian or finnish people are here, but it does not hurt to have more translations available. Are you fluent in those languages?
Romanian is my native language so I better be haha.
I'm fluent in spanish and finnish also, but I don't think finnish is really necessary since 95% of people in Finland have at least a basic understanding of english.
If you have a spanish translation that's enough I guess. In the future if you need more translating for the game or some rules, feel free to let me know.
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Cristian
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Cristian »

Arrow up and down for chat so we can see previous conversations if possible?
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Cristian »

Possible bug? I didn't create that room and I could not press ready in it.
https://imgur.com/a/weQfNaB

Also, at the moment arrow down + left/right has waaay much more impact than arrow up + left/right or just left/right. Would it be possible to increase the speed or the curve of the ball just a little bit for when arrow up is pushed? At the moment there's no dif between normal smash or arrow up smash. At least not with my 40 str.
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Gono
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Gono »

WongKit wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2020 7:06 pm
Starting with version 0.2.1, Pixel Tennis will be available in multiple languages (English, French, German edit, Spanish and Turkish).


Pixel Tennis Multiple Languages.png
lang_en.zip


A big thanks goes to Fallermagie, KillerZXN and "Aptal... Aptal!" for providing initial translation for the game!
If you speak another language and want to support Pixel Tennis, grab and translate the attached lang_en.zip file. I will include it in the next version and put you in the...

Credits
Heya WongKit, first of all great work!
Here https://we.tl/t-WSowVrI0y1 you can find Italian translation file for game strings!

Cheers ;)
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WongKit
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by WongKit »

Cristian wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:03 amArrow up and down for chat so we can see previous conversations if possible?
Do you mean scrolling through messages above or cycling through your own texts? Scrolling is currently working via the scroll wheel / bar on the right side.
If you leave a room, the room history is cleared.
Cristian wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2020 9:09 pmPossible bug? I didn't create that room and I could not press ready in it. https://imgur.com/a/weQfNaB
Do you have a timestamp where this happened? Then I can check if there is something suspicious logged on the server side. The problem is not that visible on your screenshot.
Cristian wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2020 9:09 pmAlso, at the moment arrow down + left/right has waaay much more impact than arrow up + left/right or just left/right. Would it be possible to increase the speed or the curve of the ball just a little bit for when arrow up is pushed? At the moment there's no dif between normal smash or arrow up smash. At least not with my 40 str.
Down + direction results into a short slice. I don't think, that the angle is too big here.
Up + direction is already a bit faster with a slightly worse hit angle as a disadvantage. This applies to all shots.
I will check "Down + direction" smash. It is possible, that it currently gets the short slice angle which is not intended. Thanks for the notice.
Gono wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2020 10:37 pmHeya WongKit, first of all great work!
Here https://we.tl/t-WSowVrI0y1 you can find Italian translation file for game strings!

Cheers
Thank you very much for the Italian translation! I will add it to the next version and you to the credits until Sunday. It's great, that we now already have the game translated in 5 additional languages.

@all: As I personally cannot provide real quality assurance for the translations, feel free to check the texts of your mother language for possible spelling mistakes or better wording.

Just a side node for the first regular run last Sunday: There were 120 matches played with a total play time of 32,5 hours.
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Fallermagie
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Fallermagie »

A little feedback from Chknegg (a new player i met first on youtube) :
"The core tennis gameplay is definitely solid and the effects aren't so flashy where they get in the way of the underlying game. You're definitely off to a good start with his project" :D
Wait n' See... ;)
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Cristian
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Cristian »

WongKit wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 5:31 pm
Cristian wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:03 amArrow up and down for chat so we can see previous conversations if possible?
Do you mean scrolling through messages above or cycling through your own texts? Scrolling is currently working via the scroll wheel / bar on the right side.
If you leave a room, the room history is cleared.
Yes, right now if you afk in a room a little or whatever, you can't see previous messages.
WongKit wrote: Mon Jun 15, 2020 5:31 pm
Cristian wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2020 9:09 pmPossible bug? I didn't create that room and I could not press ready in it. https://imgur.com/a/weQfNaB
Do you have a timestamp where this happened? Then I can check if there is something suspicious logged on the server side. The problem is not that visible on your screenshot.
Timestamp around the time of that post, room was up for ~30 minutes previous and after that (at least in my POV).

How about a pause button, is it possible? Pause with a 5 second warning before-hand and maximum amount of time/pauses per player/match to avoid exploits. Enemy team able to unpause at any given time if they don't wish to pause the game. Some doubles games can take a while and if both teams agree to it, why not?

Progressive achievements? I can maybe make a short list and probably add a few more later on.
Things such as: 10, 50, 100, 500, etc. perfect serve, smashes, wins, wins in a row, single player games, etc. and for each individual achievement you get some exp and possible trophy/badge in the future.

L.E.: So I started a new char from lvl1 to level just from single player and holy smokes, single player bot level 29 is an absolute beast. So far I had no trouble beating the rest of them since they have really predictable shots and easy to win points if you get a perfect serve and if you return on the opposite side of the court if their serve is in the interior. It took me ~6 attempts and barely beat it. He has really unpredictable patterns, even if you get a perfect serve it's quite hard to win points from him. Kudos for it, don't know how your bot system is configured, but that one should be the main one with lowered stats for lower levels. Also level 30 seems to be quite difficult, but in 2 matches I saw he also has predictable patterns with stronger stats.
https://imgur.com/a/a6NJ9Zk
So far from lvl 29 bots I leveled up to level 20, with bot 30 = lvl 21. Not sure if there's more after that, but as an example.

Also, can we set a limit for the stats at 50 or 60 in each attribute? It will balance them more + I suppose you want to introduce items later on that give stats also. Level 50 should also be a bit harder to get (min 1000 games) and eventually introduce level 60 in later stages (for example when 500 chars reach level 50) with super low exp but it gives 1 stat/attribute for each level and it should the the same amount of games as level 50.
Last edited by Cristian on Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Zoe »

Ok more feedback:

Maybe adding a command to let the server stay online for another 5 minutes if a match is going on. Just got thrown out of a match at 10:00 pm :c. Could do something like max. 10 mins after server is supposed to shut down it will. Could also add something to prevent people to go into a match after 10:00 pm so they won't experience the same shut down, just an idea.

Also about Special Shots, maybe some kind of indicator what your next special shot is gonna be would be cool to have, since now it just feels so random (and maybe could add something to let the opponent know what shot it's going to be as well like on the camera animation for example).

Not gonna add how good the game is, you should know by now that this gameplay is a remade FT masterpiece. All that's left really is models and animations, then some more QOL features and well items and stuff but thats pretty much it.

Maybe if you feel motivated and up to the task again you could add some kind of replica battle mode, i know lots of people would enjoy that even with those basic tictac models. The attacks could be different from FT or the same but I guess you gotta get creative on how it'd look so..yeah maybe a goal for the long run :p (also guardian but that's another topic (make a big tictac be the boss omg i would love it).
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by WongKit »

Cristian wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:35 amYes, right now if you afk in a room a little or whatever, you can't see previous messages.
You can always use the scroll bar on the right side or the wheel to go through previous messages.

A pause button is not that easy to implement in a multiplayer match. I also don't think, that it will be used much as you can simply agree to ping pong the ball between 2 players (on doubles) instead. So I won't give it too much priority.

Achievements are a good idea, but that's also a topic for later. The same applies for a battle and guardian styled mode.

The single player opponents gradually increase in player skill and attributes, but the skills fluctuate a bit. I wonder why there was such a difficulty gap for you between pre and post level 29.
I want to avoid making the previous level harder, because I know, that newcomers already had to fight within the first 10 matches.
The issue with perfect serve + charge to the opposite site is known to me. Do you have a recommendation, how the AI should behave differently in that scenario?

A hard attribute limit is currently not planned. As soon as items are introduced, you can only spend 1 point per level (-> max 69 points on one attribute). The rest will be obtainable through equipment. However, the first items will not enable full str/sta/dex/wil builds as certain attributes are favored on certain equipment types.

Quick leveling is intended for the time limited test runs so that higher builds also can be played and balanced. Raising the maximum level is also an option, but I'd rather try to adjust the rates instead. Keep in mind, that this project is still in testing stage. When there is something like a full release, there will me most likely a (soft-)reset and adjustments to exp and pixels.
Zoe wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:10 pmMaybe adding a command to let the server stay online for another 5 minutes if a match is going on. Just got thrown out of a match at 10:00 pm :c.
You can also simply try not to start a match shortly before 10:00pm ;)

About the special shots - yea I know, that they currently do not offer any tactical use due to their random nature. With the introduction of items (rackets!), you will be able to select your favorite special shot for your match.

Battle and guardian styled mode should get into Pixel Tennis at some point, although I would most probably change more stuff here, like focus more on dodging attacks and drain more HP on consecutive ball losses. FTs late game guardian was hiding in a corner spamming shields/heal and other quickslot items. This was not gameplay for me.

Thanks Fallermagie / Chknegg for the redirected feedback!
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Cristian »

A pause button is not that easy to implement in a multiplayer match. I also don't think, that it will be used much as you can simply agree to ping pong the ball between 2 players (on doubles) instead. So I won't give it too much priority.
Obviously it's not an urgent matter and has to be implemented right now, it's an idea for later on down the road. It can also be applied to 1vs1 where u can't really do anything about it since there's an auto-serve after some point.
The single player opponents gradually increase in player skill and attributes, but the skills fluctuate a bit. I wonder why there was such a difficulty gap for you between pre and post level 29.
It wasn't the stats, it was the pattern used by the AI for the shots from what I can recall, for some reason they felt unpredictable unlike all the previous levels. That's why I recommended whatever pattern this AI has to be implemented for the others, so it's not repetitive to play single player. If I recall correctly the lvl1 AI only shoots in a straight line, so my guess is that you can modify the patterns a bit :-?
I want to avoid making the previous level harder, because I know, that newcomers already had to fight within the first 10 matches.
They will probably have some sort of items after level 10 to continue, that's why AI should be harder and harder to beat. The whole point of single player is to improve your skills until you can close the gap and actually compete with more veteran players in ranked.

Maybe we could have a system where you have to beat at least level x AI, then you get access to a casual/guardian mode (unranked without stats/hidden stats available just in the database) for exp and gold with x amount of games or until certain level requirement, and only after that you also gain access to ranked (with stats) without exp and gold, or just way lower rewards? New players will gain some real match experience without having to worry about losing ELO or having negative stats in the process and this is also a decent way to stop possible abuses for ELO farming with new chars that could jump into ranked with level 1-10 or cheaters going straight to ranked and ruining someone's ELO. Obviously you can bypass the system, but it might be a good method to prevent low level cheaters or ELO boosters since they would have to grind it out first + worry about the anticheat and ban on main char.
Not sure about other games, but in Heroes Evolved top 100 players start losing % ofpoints if they don't play at least 1 game in 24/48 hours. Maybe we could implement something similar (with more games required) to keep the top players active and they might not have the need to switch to smurfs/try to make chars for ELO boost?
The issue with perfect serve + charge to the opposite site is known to me. Do you have a recommendation, how the AI should behave differently in that scenario?
Higher dex + sta for lower lvl bots and the only scaling attributes str + wil would be my first guess. This way the push back is not as hard and they can reach the return easier.
Quick levelling is intended for the time limited test runs so that higher builds also can be played and balanced. Raising the maximum level is also an option, but I'd rather try to adjust the rates instead. Keep in mind, that this project is still in testing stage. When there is something like a full release, there will me most likely a (soft-)reset and adjustments to exp and pixels.
Yeah but the problem with this is that once a player reaches max level, he has no more incentive to play outside of ranked. That's why I proposed a later stage once x amount of players reach max level, where leveling is way harder for a minimum amount of extra points (similar to how FT was 50->60 where different classes would get different attributes, lucy = str, dhanpir = sta, shua = dex, etc.). But I guess this is a point for later on also, no need to implement it now but we should also consider longer term issues.

Also, when you lower the exp you/we need to think that there will be other ways to level up (single player, achievements, battle mode single player, guardian-like mode etc.). Max level should take at least a few months/x amount of games to be achieved so players actually grind a bit before and you can also introduce increments for level/gold via donations to sustain the game's expenses. Obviously not too big of an increment so it doesn't become pay2win, but something like 10% should be viable.
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Cristian
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Cristian »

Char: CristianC

As of now I played 4 singles which I won, lost 1 doubles and ELO didn't update for either of them. Better said, char doesn't appear on rankings whatsoever. Speaking of ranking and ELO, could we show it in char profile also and maybe a search bar for rankings?
Played 3 games 1vs1 versus Natsu, first game game gave exp/gold, 2nd game gave a bit more exp/gold and third game gave 0 exp/gold. Is that intended? https://imgur.com/a/T2BLPyH
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WongKit
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by WongKit »

I checked your character stats. You need to have at least 5 matches played in the respective gamemode, before your character shows up in the ranking. As you already said, you have played less than 5 games.
The ranking also updates slightly delayed, so you won't be able to see changes instantly.

The 0 exp round is somewhat intended. There is some criteria, where the server decides not to give away rewards.

Regarding singleplayer difficulty on earlier levels - Yes, you will get items later on to increase your strength, but at the same time, you only get half the attribute points to spend. So it should balance itself again.
For most people, playing the first singleplayer levels can feel quite "grindy", but they do not take too long either. For beginners, the difficulty already can be challenging.

I don't think, that limiting game modes by single player progress is currently a good idea. With an active player base between 8 - 16 players, it is already hard to find matches. For a later stage - maybe. The same applies to advanced ELO stuff. There is currently not enough activity to care about optimizing the ELO system.
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Cristian
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by Cristian »

https://youtu.be/lMQVaTh-FoM?t=13

Can we get a similar sound for when we hit the ball at the net and when it's almost a smash, but it doesn't smash?
Same for fully charged shots https://youtu.be/lMQVaTh-FoM?t=58
Right now both sound the same as hitting the ball normally and it's a bit confusing (brain memory ^^). No urgency, whenever you got some time.

Also, can we nerf perfect serve throw-back juuuust~~ a little bit? For singles it's mostly the same problem as with AI: perfect serve + opposite side of court = point most of the time.
Same with arrow down smash (think I mentioned it before), just a tiny bit of a nerf there as well (might also be high str issue, but we'll still get to those stats eventually).
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WongKit
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Re: [devblog] Regular test runs, multi language support and credits

Post by WongKit »

Different sounds for different ball hit situations are a good idea and will be added to the game at some point.

I decreased the stun time for returning a perfect serve to be able to recover more quickly. Let's see, how this will turn out. Additionally, player positions and serve now switch after every point on the 3rd set (wannabe tie-breaks). I know, that this does not exactly comply with tennis rules, but it prevents, that the first player gets a serve advantage on singles matches.

High exp rewards are currently intended. Remember, that the game still is in a testing phase, where people should be able to quickly gain level to test different character builds. It is more about eliminating bugs and optimize balancing than focusing on artificial long term motivation.
When there is some form of actual game release, there might be a (soft-)reset at some point to adjust exp/pixel rewards along with item prices. However, I am aware, that some players are already putting a lot of time into the game, so I need to think of some kind of rewards for them.

Achievements? Yes. Different game modes? Sure, why not? But all of them obviously will take time to design and implement.
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