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Project Status: Completed | CrossMines is a puzzle game, where the player must guess the locations of mines hidden in a minefield. Full details of the concept can be found in the Player's Guide. |
The current release is an up-to-date rewrite of the 1996 version (which was written by the same author, for Windows 3.1/95).
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News | | 18 Sep 2005 | v1.0.1
Guide | New Player's Guide, available on the website. |
| 22 Jun 2005 | v1.0.1
Package | CrossMines packaged in a Windows XP compliant installer, with full uninstall options. Uses NSIS |
| 16 May 2005 | v1.0.1
Release | Distribution ZIP changed to being a Crossmines folder containing the application and a sub-folder containing .tes pattern files. Regular tessellated shapes introduced. Each pattern demands its own general set of strategies for winning. - 15 patterns added.
- Patterns stored as text files; new patterns can be created by anyone.
- Note: Patterns have unique IDs (to allow patterns written by different people to have the same name), and comp-sci will soon host an ID number allocation service to ensure no duplicates occur in public patterns. File format to be published soon.
- Some bugs known - see 'Bugs' below.
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| 25 Apr 2005 | v1.0
Release | Improvements to Scoring:- New Game settings are remembered between sessions.
- High Score table can be filtered to show:
(a) Everyone's scores or just the current player's, and
(b) Closeness to the existing New Game settings. - Player clicks on the High Score table to challenge a score using the same New Game settings as the player who achieved the score.
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| 22 Apr 2005 | v0.3.4
Beta stable | Improvements to Scoring:- Scoring while clearing squares is determined by minefield difficulty.
- End-game bonuses: large bonuses for leaving cells unexplored. Timed games enjoy a time bonus.
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| 21 Apr 2005 | v0.3.3
Beta stable | Improvements to New Game Box:- Re-arranged options.
- Simplified layout. Advanced options are hidden behind a flip-down button.
- Timed game, with selectable game speed. Game ends if time runs out.
- Most words removed from the New Game box, to be replaced by pictures.
Other changes:- Lifelines: use a lifeline just before risky test. Lifelines are safe, but cost time and points. Two lifelines per game - this may change in future releases.
- Scoring: difficult levels score more highly. This feature will be fine-tuned in future releases.
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| 18 Apr 2005 | v0.3.2
Beta stable | Improvements to New Game Box:- Re-arranged most options.
- Icons to show purpose of sliders (to help players whose first language is not English)
- Additional drop-down menus (left disabled): 'Linking Pattern' and 'Tessellation Pattern'.
- Quick Settings: 10 'Levels' of play.
Other Changes:- Minor change to highlighting
- 'Holes' now implemented
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| 17 Apr 2005 | v0.3.1
Beta stable | Small changes to tidy the v0.3 release:- About Box
- Icon for the program
- Minor change to highlighting
- Some inactive interface items hidden: menu options, 'Holes' game option.
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| 15 Apr 2005 | v0.3
Beta stable | Re-written. This update is released at this point because it is an improvement on the 1996 release:- Highlights area under the cursor,
- Bugs solved.
- Does not include scoring.
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| 05 Apr 2005 | Launch | Project started. |
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Bugs | | # | Raised | Found | Solved | Comment |
| 9 | 16 May 2005 | 1.0.1 | - | Patterns: Can hang if pattern file is deleted or ID is changed within the text file while player is choosing a pattern. |
| 8 | 16 May 2005 | 1.0.1 | - | Patterns: Some inadvertent cell linking has been observed. |
| 7 | 16 May 2005 | 1.0.1 | - | Patterns: Sometimes does not save the 'pattern used' when remembering the New Game configuration between sessions. |
| 6 | 16 May 2005 | 1.0.1 | - | Patterns: 'One mark per cell' option does not work with patterns yet - an improvement is due soon. |
| 5 | 16 May 2005 | 1.0.1 | - | Patterns: Error-trapping poor with erroneous patterns. |
| 4 | 26 Apr 2005 | - | 1.0 | New Game: Very low values for Cell Size cause a freeze, and the application must be quit. |
| 3 | 17 Apr 2005 | 0.3B | 0.3.1B | Pop-up menu shortcuts and options now act correctly at all times. |
| 2 | (no date) | 0.2A | 0.3B | Clicking outside the game area caused edge cells to be selected. |
| 1 | (no date) | 0.2A | 0.3B | Linked mines around linked cells were mis-counted as multiple areas, where they should have been one area. Solved using a different counting method. |
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Planned Improvements | | 1 | Sep 2005 | 1.0.2 | Keyboard control. Firstly, keyboard alternatives to left-click (test) and right-click (mark), then cursor keys to move a single-square cursor. |
| 2 | Sep 2005 | 1.0.2 | Remove Pattern IDs, in favour of author and name fields. |
| 3 | Sep 2005 | 1.0.2 | One symbol per local cell, as large as possible. |
Please use the feedback form if you would like to be informed of releases of this project. |
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| © 2008 John Valentine, All rights reserved. | | |
