GTA2 Game Hunter

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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5 - work in progress

Post by Salamander »

BenMillard wrote:Alt+Number is not used by any web browser
It's used by FireFox. Not that I'm voicing for or against it, just saying. FireFox as it is by default is a bad example to follow. What I am suggesting is that alt+left/right switches to the left/right tab, along with ctrl+pgup/pgdn which will do the same thing. Users of different keyboards will favor one or the other.
BenMillard wrote:No Formatting in Chats!
Agreed.
BenMillard wrote:Standard Windows XP Fonts
Each user should be able to select whichever font he wants to use, the default should be a monospace font probably in whatever font family he uses system-wide. That Outlook uses a certain font is no reason to use that font by default in GH. IMHO verdana is way nicer and more readable than arial, I'd still want to kick whoever wants to force me to use it in the nuts.
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5 - work in progress

Post by BenMillard »

DrSlony wrote:
BenMillard wrote:Alt+Number is not used by any web browser
It's used by FireFox. Not that I'm voicing for or against it, just saying.
That isn't the case on Windows. Did you get confused between Alt and Ctrl perhaps?
DrSlony wrote:FireFox as it is by default is a bad example to follow.
How so? The developers of Firefox (indeed, the whole reason the project was started) was to create a UI which is intuitive by default and matches the conventions of each operating system it runs on. (As opposed to the deliberate "we know best" attitude of Mozilla Suite.)
DrSlony wrote:What I am suggesting is that alt+left/right switches to the left/right tab, along with ctrl+pgup/pgdn which will do the same thing. Users of different keyboards will favor one or the other.
Is there any precedent for that? How is it better than using standard keyboard shortcuts? How is it better than the de-facto standard shortcuts in popular web browsers?

Ctrl+PageUp/Down can't be typed with just the left hand. It can be typed with just the right hand, but that's often in use on the mouse and switch back and forth is costs time. But it is a standard shortcut. So it should be supported for consistency with Windows UI guidelines.
BenMillard wrote:the default should be a monospace font
Why? It doesn't match any user interface standard in Windows. Monospace fonts have lower reading speeds than proportional ones, too. Also: we aren't in 1970 any more.
DrSlony wrote:That Outlook uses a certain font is no reason to use that font by default in GH.
How so? Outlook comes with Windows, is a well-recognised application. And, for the most part, follows the UI conventions of the platform.
DrSlony wrote:IMHO verdana is way nicer and more readable than arial, I'd still want to kick whoever wants to force me to use it in the nuts.
This is why Windows has theming and is why, ideally, GH would inherit the current theme. Having a font selector window in every application is duplication of effort, both for the programmers and for the users.

Besides which, WINE lets you personally override whatever GH sets?
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5 - work in progress

Post by Sektor »

Font and color selection dialogs are part of the Windows API. I still had to write more code than I would have liked and it's not done yet but every decent chat client lets you select your own font, independent of your OS theme. It's the only way to make everyone happy. GH already supports alt+arrows for tab switching.

Vike said v1.5 doesn't put the chat history in the correct order in his version of Wine. Can anyone test it on latest Wine version?

Updated first post:

2010-01-27 beta 33
- I think I fixed a bug that sometimes made GH steal focus from open web links
- Fixed UDP code so that it no longer triggers DEP (Data Execution Prevention)
- Added ability for GTA2GHBOT to change a beta 33 player's flag

2010-01-24 beta 32
- UDP port probes now use winsock API instead of mswinsck.ocx
- Added work around for "error during display chat: 100 Invalid property value"
- Fixed a bug that set ident to 0 if you didn't have any wired ethernet adapters
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Sektor »

2010-01-30 beta 34
- Right clicking a name in lists performs a /whois on them
- If website country detection fails then the last two characters of the hostname are used (if it's a country code)
- If your country code is still unknown then your IP address is sent to the channel so that a bot can fix your country code
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Cuban-Pete »

great work on the many beta's and coding.

perhaps also fix (hyper)links in private chat. :)
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Sektor »

Hyperlinks in topic and private chat is high on my list but I haven't figured out how to get hyperlinks working in more than one richtext control yet.

Some players will still have blank flags since I forgot to set a boolean to false when I force them to reconnect. It's fixed for the next version. It shouldn't be many players since it's the 3rd line of defense that fails and it works if they manually reconnect.

One player had a strange bug. The game notice he sent contained ÷ instead of ¶. It must be some region or font setting that changed the symbol. He is from Latvia.

Gustavob took this screenshot of it.
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Sektor »

2010-02-01 beta 35
- Country code is saved to registry immediately after it is fetched from http://geoloc.daiguo.com/?self
- The last two characters of your hostname are used as your CC if geoloc fails
- GH now sends the CC after a forced CC change (blnLogin wasn't being set to false)
- Readded country selector to settings screen. This is only used if all other methods of detecting country fail.
- If all 3 country detection methods fail then your selected country is used
- Richtext pasted into the chatbox is changed to plain text (thanks to code from Ben Millard)
- Disabled custom fonts for now. You can still switch between BM or Sektor theme
- Added Timestamp and Gridlines to the menu under Display
- Reduced some flickering but there's still too much for my liking
- Improved Hamachi IP detection method (I haven't actually tested a Hamachi game with 1.5)
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Salamander »

BenMillard wrote:
DrSlony wrote:
BenMillard wrote:Alt+Number is not used by any web browser
It's used by FireFox. Not that I'm voicing for or against it, just saying.
That isn't the case on Windows. Did you get confused between Alt and Ctrl perhaps?
Firefox-3.5.6. I do not get confused.
BenMillard wrote:The developers of Firefox (indeed, the whole reason the project was started) was to create a UI which is intuitive by default and matches the conventions of each operating system it runs on.
They did not match keyboard shortcut conventions, amongst other reasons because there are so few standard keyboard shortcuts; ctrl+z, F1, and barely a handful of others.
BenMillard wrote:
DrSlony wrote:What I am suggesting is that alt+left/right switches to the left/right tab, along with ctrl+pgup/pgdn which will do the same thing. Users of different keyboards will favor one or the other.
Is there any precedent for that? How is it better than using standard keyboard shortcuts?
Yes, you naturally have your left hand (especially thumb) above the alt/ctrl keys, and your right above the arrow keys. These shortcuts are very easy to hit on the QWERTY keyboard layout, and they don't conflict with popular window manager shortcuts nor other shortcuts. Also, they're used in several other programs, something which I believe you enjoy mentioning but I don't think matters much at all :] (I'm not saying its a bad thing and I'm not saying that 'standards' are generally bad).
BenMillard wrote:How is it better than the de-facto standard shortcuts in popular web browsers?
1- There is no 'standard'. They change from browser to browser, from version to version, from OS to OS. Also, being more popular does not a make a standard good.
2- There is no 'standard'. Even a single version often has 2 shortcuts for one thing.
3- FF previous tab: CTRL+SHIFT+TAB? hmm. I don't have to break my wrists at all.
4- Opera last used tab: CTRL+SHIFT+TAB? Sounds familiar.
5- Opera switch to previous tab on tab bar: CTRL+SHIFT+F6... do that using 1 hand. Do that using 2 hands even.
6- FF previous tab: CTRL+PGUP. Opera previous tab: ALT+PGUP. See point 1.
So lets ditch this failed 'standards' notion. Just do what is easiest and least likely to cause trouble for people of different operating systems, with different programs running in the background (yes we can't compensate for everything and yes there will be many other programs that choose to intercept keys that they should leave alone, too bad) and using different keyboard layouts (even differences within QWERTY are substantial).
BenMillard wrote:Ctrl+PageUp/Down can't be typed with just the left hand.
True, but as I wrote, I am not suggesting only 1 shortcut for that function, and also you are very likely to already have both hands hovering over those keys while typing away in GH. In fact the only time you'd use a mouse would be when double-clicking a hosted game, since tabbing to it takes too long (if still at all possible), and then its back to GTA2 with keyboard-only... perhaps something worth thinking about - eliminating the need for moving the right hand over to the mouse.
BenMillard wrote:Why? It doesn't match any user interface standard in Windows.
Who gives a shit :] And here we go again with the 'standards'. mIRC, here's a monospace standard for you. PuTTY, there's another. (note that PuTTY uses Courier by default, which is the ugliest monospace font I ever saw. See below.)
BenMillard wrote:
DrSlony wrote:the default should be a monospace font
Monospace fonts have lower reading speeds than proportional ones, too.
IRC isn't a book. True that in some tests monospace was slower then some proportional fonts. It is also true that the only few tests I found on the subject used only courier as a monospace font, and courier does suck ass. Quite unfair. Monospace fonts are just more versatile in a chat log where discussions can get technical, but don't choose one that sucks ass right out of the box.
BenMillard wrote:
DrSlony wrote:That Outlook uses a certain font is no reason to use that font by default in GH.
How so? Outlook comes with Windows, is a well-recognised application. And, for the most part, follows the UI conventions of the platform.
So does DOS prompt. What Outlook has to do with GH still eludes me. Let's create an "options" and a "customize" item in a "tools" menu, and let's hide almost all of the toolbar icons by default because MS Office does that?
BenMillard wrote:
DrSlony wrote:IMHO verdana is way nicer and more readable than arial, I'd still want to kick whoever wants to force me to use it in the nuts.
This is why Windows has theming and is why, ideally, GH would inherit the current theme.
I don't want GH's chat log to use my default OS/window manager font. A chat log is not an applications menu, not a toolbar, not a context menu.
BenMillard wrote:Having a font selector window in every application is duplication of effort, both for the programmers and for the users.
Sure, I wouldn't be able to answer why minesweeper would require a custom font panel. Surely having a custom font panel in every application is a waste of space and time. GH is a very specific type of application with specific needs, and its 'standard' in such applications to allow users to choose their own preferred font.
BenMillard wrote:Besides which, WINE lets you personally override whatever GH sets?
Probably, just as I can in Windows. Wine Is Not an Emulator. I wouldn't call forcing users to waste more than 5 seconds time changing a chat log font a good programming practice.
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Sektor »

2010-02-02 beta 36
- Fixed a country detection bug (35 was never connecting to geoloc because I commented that line during testing and forgot to uncomment).
- Added Serbian flag
- Manually hosted games or games hosted by another copy of GH should no longer be added to your local list.
- Your game is removed from the list if GTA2 hasn't been open for 7 seconds or it's not ready for joiners. It was 1 second before but that could cause problems if it didn't launch quickly.
- Games hosted when you are signed out will no longer appear in the games list and a message will be displayed saying so
- It's no longer required to manually use the scrollbar once per session although you still need to if you resize.
- The name of the person who changed the topic is now displayed.
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Cuban-Pete »

Installer? :roll:

I prefer just an .exe. :D

Somehow it always figures out my name (perhaps because I used an installer once)
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by B-$hep »

Sektor.

Does this box supports only one word or multiple words also?
"If this word is mentioned in chat"

Is it possible to detect multiple words?


Im not asking for full dictionary here, just few more.
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Sektor »

I can add that feature but it's not supported in the current version. Now it does a case insensitive search for the whole string, including spaces or commas etc.
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by B-$hep »

Take your time Sektor. You don't have to implement them over-night.
Another question.

When i started using GH there was possibility to check a checkbox to make tray icon flash when someone sends private message or whatever.

Now this possibility is gone?

EDIT:
Settings dialog allows resizing.
You should set it's Borderstyle to: "1 - Fixed Single" in VB to disable this.

Also i think it should be modal. Or not? Ben i you happen to read this?
Your opinion?
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Cuban-Pete »

Cuban-Pete wrote:Installer? :roll:

I prefer an .exe on my desktop. :D
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Sektor »

I'll change the tray image if you have an unread private message. I'll stop settings screen being resizable (I must have forgotten when I recreated it). It's better not being modal.
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Sektor »

2010-02-13 beta 37
- Hyperlinks now work in private chat tabs and topic
- MMP line order no longer matters (now uses Windows INI API calls to read MMP files)
- GH should no longer interfere with the drawing of other app windows
- GH now looks for gta2.exe instead of *gta2.exe
- You can close ALL private tabs with ctrl+w or ctrl+F4
- Added European Union flag
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by B-$hep »

If you are not gonna include default sounds with GH then you should point to :\Windows\Media folder (if it exists) by default from where user can choose the sounds he wants to use for different events in GH.

Just my opinion.
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.5

Post by Sektor »

Beta 38 released
  • Hopefully fixed some bug that made certain chat history tabs invisible.
  • Sign In is disabled until after the country detection is attempted
  • If you select a player tab then that player will also be selected in the player list
  • When you activate an existing tab, the topic is aligned with the current #gta2gh topic position (previously just width was adjusted)
  • Fixed a bug related to topic width in tabs when resizing
  • Right clicking on a tab performs a /wi on the active tab name (not the one you right clicked on but good enough)
  • Private chat history tabs created by a received message now highlight URLs
  • URLs are no longer converted to lowercase when you open them
  • Settings screen is no longer resizable
  • If you receive a private message while GH is in the system tray then the icon is changed
  • The settings browse for sound dialog now defaults to your Windows media folder
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.504

Post by Sektor »

2010-05-05 v1.504
- Ben Millard made many tweaks to the interface, text, menus, sizing and focus

2010-05-02 v1.503
- Classic theme added for those used to v1.491
- Sektor theme renamed to GTA2 theme
- Polite scroll code removed due to bugs
- Joining a game sets your status to the first 12 characters of the hosts name
- /away now allows multiple word away messages and no longer displays marked as away message twice
- "GTA2 is not currently ready for joiners" is displayed in #gta2gh instead of current tab
- Changelog and todo menu items added to Help menu
- Default font for all controls is now Microsoft Sans Serif
- BM theme now uses Windows Standard colours
- Tabbing order is now correct in Create Game

2010-04-25 v1.502
- TabStop disabled for listviews and tabs
- Fixed a bug that always reset game time limit to zero/unlimited
- Displays an error message when trying to join and gta2.exe isn't found

2010-04-02 v1.501
- Changed pure white background to the easier on the eyes mIRC placid hues white
- URL open confirmation removed
- If a URL is highlighted/selected then it will no longer open when you release the mouse button
- You now have to click exactly on a URL to open it instead of anywhere on the same line
- URLs with ~ and most other characters should work now
- https:// and ftp:// links will now open
- received private actions are now displayed in private tabs instead of the main channel
- Changed some Hamachi stuff
- Added message on how to close all private chat tabs to the topic of each private chat tab
- Joining a game sets your status to the first 9 characters of the hosts name
- MemoServ/HostServ/ChanServ notices are now displayed instead of being processed as GH notices
- GH remembers who you last tried to join and will only launch GTA2 if that name replies with the accept command
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Re: GTA2 Game Hunter v1.504

Post by BenMillard »

Sektor and I have been working together again and hope you, the players, enjoy the result. Most of the v1.504 changes were by me.

For now we have turned off the feature which let you read old messages in the chat history. ("Polite autoscroll".) It was often failing to scroll during normal conversations. We're hoping to bring it back in a way that works fine for normal messages and is somewhat usable for reading old messages.

Will probably be like GHBM and previous GH 1.5 versions worked. You you clicked an old message it stayed there. When you started typing a message again, it went back to normal scrolling.
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