News

Rocks'n'Diamonds 3.2.1 released!

The new game version mainly contains bugfixes for the upcoming EMC level collection and for playing the level set “Snake Bite”, but also adds some useful new features, like better fullscreen support and wheel mouse support.

Most important changes since last release version 3.2.0:

  • fixed level time for EMC levels (needed for the upcoming EMC collection)
  • fixed bug when playing “Snake Bite” (introduced with version 3.2.0)
  • added selection of fullscreen mode to better match screen aspect ratio
  • added key shortcut “Alt + Enter” to toggle fullscreen mode at any time
  • added support for mouse scroll wheel for all scrollbar gadgets
  • added support for horizontal mouse wheel scrolling by holding “Shift”
  • added support for single step mouse wheel scrolling by holding “Alt”
  • improved down-scaling of images for better editor and preview graphics
  • moved user data folder on Mac OS X from Unix style to “Documents” folder
  • moved output file “stderr.txt” on Windows to user data folder
  • added Windows message box to direct to “stderr.txt” after error aborts

Now available from the Download section!

Rocks'n'Diamonds 3.2.0 released!

This new version finally finishes the new, native game engine to play original Emerald Mine and Emerald Mine Club levels exactly like in the original Amiga games. This additional new engine is highly compatible with the original game and can be optionally selected in the level editor. But it’s main purpose is to play those thousands of original Emerald Mine Club levels with original game play, original graphics (ECS or AGA) and original sounds. A new, huge level collection with hundreds of original Emerald Mine Club level sets will soon be available for this new engine!

Besides this new game engine, the new version 3.2.0 contains a whole lot of great new custom element features, like custom element actions to trigger various actions on custom element change events – just play around with all the new features in the level editor to explore all the new possibilities, or soon have a look at stunning new level sets that make use of these new features (so far only released in the forum.

Finally, the new version contains a great number of bugfixes (and probably also a lot of new bugs ;-) ).

Most important changes since last release version 3.1.2:

  • finished new native game engine for Emerald Mine (Club) levels
  • added all new elements from EMC engine also to R’n’D engine
  • added selection between ECS and AGA graphics for EMC levels to setup
  • added multi-player support for EMC game engine (with up to four players)
  • added player switching (visual and quick) to R’n’D and EM game engine
  • added key shortcut settings for switching player focus to setup menu
  • added custom element actions for CE change page in level editor
  • added “CE value” and “CE score” counters for custom elements
  • added cascaded element lists to element list in level editor
  • added dynamic element list with all elements used in current level
  • added special Supaplex animations for Murphy being bored and sleeping
  • added setup option to display element token name in level editor
  • added up to five title screens for each level set to show after loading
  • added credits pages to the “credits” section that were really missing
  • lots of bugfixes and internal engine changes (see ChangeLog file)

Get it from the Download section now!

ConfEdit 1.0.1 released!

Important update: Version 1.0.0 of ConfEdit contained a problem in a configuration file [sic!] that caused the program to crash on Windows installations that does not use a “.” as the decimal number separator (so that most non-English Windows versions are affected, especially those which use a comma as the decimal number separator, like German Windows systems).

Please download ConfEdit 1.0.1 directly or from the Tools & Utilities section which has this bug fixed!

ConfEdit 1.0.0 released!

Ever tried to create such fantastic level sets for Rocks’n’Diamonds with new graphics and sounds by yourself, but always had trouble and problems editing all those configuration files to define artwork with a text editor? Here’s the solution (for Windows users): ConfEdit by Alan Bond!

ConfEdit is the ultimate swiss army knife for all things related to creating and modifying Rocks’n’Diamonds’ level sets, artwork files and configuration files, but without most of the trouble you may have had with the “traditional” method of using a text editor like “Emacs” or “Notepad”! It’s the secret weapon that was used behind the scenes for the creation of famous level sets like Snake Bite – now everybody can use this powerful tool for his or her own level set creations!

You can find screenshots and a detailed description of all features of ConfEdit (including advanced features like an internal BASIC language for automating complex tasks) on the newly added Tools & Utilities section! For all questions regarding ConfEdit, directly contact Alan Bond using his mail address from that page, or start a thread in the help section of the web forum.

Download ConfEdit 1.0.0 directly or from the Tools & Utilities section!

Important update: If you encounter ConfEdit crashing on your machine (especially if you do not use an English version of Windows), please read the special instructions at the end of the Tools & Utilities section!

Official launch of "Martijn's Boulder Dash Fan Site"

Yesterday, Martijn Mooij has officially launched a new web site for all fans of Boulder Dash and its various clones: Martijn’s Boulder Dash Fan Site

This site features a great variety of all stuff that fans of Boulder Dash, Emerald Mine or Supaplex (or Rocks’n’Diamonds :-) ) could be interested in: Information about the history of Boulder Dash and Emerald Mine, a large list of clones (both free and commercial ones, for various platforms and operating systems), extra pages with more details on popular clones like RoX, and lots of extra fan stuff like game music (original and remixes), box cover scans, sounds and graphics.

Of course, you will also find a lot of things for Rocks’n’Diamonds: A great number of level sets (including levels originally released at Zomis’ R’n’D Files Archive that were repackaged by Martijn for easy use in R’n’D), graphics, sounds and music, and tools and utilities around Rocks’n’Diamonds by Alan Bond and Simon Forsberg.

I can highly recommend browsing around at this new site – if you like Rocks’n’Diamonds, you will discover a lot of exciting and entertaining new things there! So, check it out: www.bd-fans.com