TakeDown Version 0.5

TakeDown is a 2D game of action and strategy, taking elements from traditional arcade style games and modern, story driven strategy games. You take on the role of a 'Peacekeeper', the most elite soldier the world has ever seen. You are the first and final fighting force to protect the fabric of society from those that seek to destroy it.

Please read the installation instructions before attempting to run TakeDown.

Manual Installation

The .zip file that TakeDown is distributed should put the resource files in the correct subdirectories. The file must be extracted with paths enabled. However, these files must be manually moved to the correct destinations:

• Wavemix32.dll - Windows system folder, usually C:\Windows\System\ (or C:\Windows\System32\ if it's there.)
• hatten.ttf - Windows fonts folder, usually C:\Windows\Fonts

If you are using Windows XP or experience problems with sound in TakeDown, you will also need to install the following file:

• Wavemix32.ini - Windows main folder, usually C:\Windows\

If you already have a newer version of any of these files, do not overwrite your newer version.

All the files you have to move will be automatically placed in a subdirectory called Temp so that you can find them easily. The other files should be in the following directories:

• (Main TakeDown Directory)\Resources   - All .bmp files
• (Main TakeDown Directory)\Sounds        - All .wav files
• (Main TakeDown Directory)                    - All other files

TakeDown requires a Visual Basic runtime file called 'msvbvm60.dll'. You probably have the file already. If you don't, TakeDown will tell you when you try to run it. The file belongs in your Windows System32 or System directory and can be found all over the internet - try these sites: 1, 2.

Interface

Double-click the file TakeDown.exe. This will bring you to the main menu with the following options:

New Game - Begin a new game of TakeDown at the start of any episode.

Continue - Continue the game that you are currently playing or have just loaded.

Load/Save - Save your current game so that you can continue it later OR load a game you have previously saved.

Help - Gameplay and control instructions .

Options - Not currently implemented

Exit Game - Exits the game.

Playing

For game play and control instructions, click the Help button in the main menu.

When you are killed or you choose to exit during a mission, you will return to the main menu. Clicking Continue will return you to the last level that you were playing.

You can only continue a game from the start of a level. When you load a saved game, you will return to the start of the level that the game was saved on.

Troubleshooting

If you experience problems running TakeDown, try the following steps:

• File locations. Check the manual install instructions above and make sure you have all the required files, and that they are all in the correct place.
• Make sure your screen resolution is at 800x600 or above. Right click on your windows desktop, click Properties, click Settings, and adjust the Screen Area Slider.
• Make sure you are running in 16 bit high colour. Right click on your windows desktop, click Properties, click Settings, and select High Color on the colours box.
• Close any unneeded programs before running TakeDown. This will make the game run faster.
• Make sure you have the msvbvm60.dll file. Read the Manual Installation instructions above.
• Can your computer run TakeDown at all?. TakeDown only works in Windows. It was tested on a Celeron 450 with 256 megs of RAM running Windows 98, and a Pentium 500 with 256 megs of RAM running Windows XP.

Version History

Version 0.5

• slight changes to mission. Hardest missions made easier.
• Blank buttons on multichoice briefing fixed?
• starting screenposition adjusted.
• 'Startled' enemies are not 'aware', so will not trigger aware triggers until they have fulley realised that the player is there.
• Added support for penetrating crowd-control shots
• Savegames store upgrades, current weapons and material. These still aren't implemented though
• upgrading through briefing now possible
• added gunmod array to player, as well as save
• added temp weapon upgrade effects - exaggerated
• shots may have 'stealth' - does not effect explosions
• better upgrades implemented - more moderate
• removed a redundant copy of the gunmod array. One that I added a little while ago.
• Path improvement - each path only has X links, instead of a true\false link for every other path - paths are now far far faster - only 10 checks instead of 100!
• Path - this has one problem - in outdoors, paths tend to want too many links and must be thinned out - leads to inferior outdoor navigation
• Enemies now have a Target that can be other enemies or the player - not 100% supported
• Begun implementing teams - 0, 1 are baddies (fight each other) - 2 is player allies
• 2 new missions
• Save interface more friendly
• Player can't hurt allies
• runto commands now use keysquares - this is so much easier I can hardly believe it!
• fixed steal (fuel virus?) mission using keysquares
• added losemission - before I made you 'win' the mission and progress 0 levels, but that saved flags. Fixed.
• Health and heat display at the start of a level standardised
• Missions 5 and 6 swapped to give you a break
• Teammate death menu for missions with a buddy
• Shot owner now integer, not string
• suspicion code all redone for multiple awareness
• a dead enemy 'targets' it's killer so friends can see whodunnit.
• bAllAware flag added
• enemies who start with a combat state are set to allaware
• enemies do the cansee test for friends only on a 1/3 chance - lower priority to speed up game. Checks on opponents are still every frame. (Since the fastest enemy move speed is 4, testing 'every 3 frames' should be fine)
• ----funtion ai_suspect - not used everywhere it should be
• mission 10 redone.

Version 0.4

• scorch marks and correctly positioned explosions!
• Keysquares are coded but NOT TESTED YET
• Bug fix - forgot to free all waves on shutdown. Now they're all done.
• on error goto next
• visual cue shows which enemy is speaking - NEEDS NEW IMAGE
• different fighting distances for different enemies
• triggered sounds must be able to be attached to an enemy and be given a solo flag
• Scrolling! Now TakeDown maps can be as large as you want, and the screen will scroll
• BUG - SOME KIND OF MEMORY LEAK? IN XP - DOESN'T FIND THE DLL
• to speed stuff up - put a distance cap on Ph_cansee
• off-screen things do not play sound - new function game_onscreen(x,y,width,height)
• AI is about as good as dodging as I want at different skill levels. - no it isn't.
• Artifacts around screen removed - I was turning Singles into integers
• shots don't explode on level boundries - they just disappear
• The game will not let you play episodes that don't exist
• Bug fix - cloned enemies were not inheriting material or min and max fight distances
• Playtest - the 8 missions of the TakeDOwn beta campaign are playable and not overly difficult - some took several attempts - the entire campaign took 30 minutes.
• Better notes page - it's just a form. Not as cool, but it works.
• Installer
• Tester informs me that Version 0.4 works fine - EXCEPT THE MISSING FONT

Version 0.3

• Now paths are stored to each pathnode as well as the player.
• Time before being notice changed. Enemies notice player more quickly when he's closer. changes to seeing shots, friends and explosions.
• Enemies attempt to surround after certain periods of fighting.
• Enemies become more suspicious as they see things. Over time they become less suspicious.
• more slots for: triggers, shots, explosions, objects
• 10 count down\up timers with bools for direction
• Enemy shooting is more random
• Multiplied all health and damage by 20, so there can be more precise damage amounts
• removed Set Gun command
• Conds now have 3 props (not 2)
• Flags now exist, allowing complicated missions
• killgoal and countdowntime removed, keeping Healamount
• added decorations, offonable
• new text messages
• Paths only check for other paths closer than 7 units - allows me to use lots of pathnodes without slowing the game
• When navigating on the path network, don't let enemies do a Cansee check for other paths. Instead, check if the path that they are standing on is linked.
• Up to 4 options in briefing, so the player can make decisions.
• Graphics loaded out of files
• Improved controls - no more annoying ziggy movement!
• Different types of runto command - they can be patrolling or be determined to go where they're going
• Speed up blue and purple explosion animations
• Scripting system - Multiple conditions! Multiple actions!
• Halved sound quality, so sound files are smaller
• all explosions now have 5 frames (before some had 5 and some had 3)
• each shot type has its own fire sound and wall hit sound
• Sounds - message beep, overheat warning
• Saving + loading works
• enemies see things behind them with 25% efficiency, when unaware
• Make enemies use clearer paths, don't use LOS for path-finding
• delay after death before message box pops up
• Improved 'loading screen'
• AI Movement - weigh up value of all 5 possible moves, then choose the best one.
• rows of objects compressed into one large object - should speed up LOS checks tenfold...
• Fatal LOS bug corrected - Got the sucker! - angle values were inverted in each quadrant - I didn't notice because I only checked the middle values, which remained the same.
  LOS still has small irrationalities, however - some squares visible in large area of non-visible squares - I guess this is because of the centres being so specific. Ideally, the desired angle would be a spread, not a single value.
• increased enemy limit by 3x to 30 - my computer can handle it - big firefights!
• Notes implemented! You can view and cycle through them. They're just a label, so they flicker.
• Bug fix - when the player cannot be seen by a path, we don't waste time trying to draw one to him. This also means enemies will go to the last place he was on the network, instead of trying to force their way to him, which will be better most of the time.
  

 

Version 0.2

• Navigation paths for semi-intelligent movement.
• AI rework
• LOS improvements?
• Player's weapon is kept between levels
• Double frame rate Processor usage should now be halved!
• Flickering HUD Now the screen is in a picture box and is refreshed separately.
• Improved interface - Smooth moving health bar, warning before exit.

Legal:

Everything I made is mine. You can copy and distribute it, learn from it, charge people money for it, even hate it if you want to. You can do whatever you want, except say you made it. You didn't. It's mine.