 |
||||||||||||
|
|
PC Version Sankt Petersburg: Update to version 1.50 !!
It took a few month until I could offer this update. Here it is with these changes and enhancements:
Details about the new features can be found in the readme.txt file.
Download and Installation
Use the installation program if possible. It should work with Windows 32-bit versions. Alternatively, you can use the ZIP archive
if the installation program does not work for you or if you are using a 64-bit Windows version. In this case, please unzip all files (with
subdirectory structure) into a folder of your choice.
Important: if you are using any of the language packs you MUST download and install it again after re-installing the game!
Program Development:
This program has been developed during the last two to three months. Our Westpark Gamers
group's excitement about the boardgame "Saint Petersburg" by Bernd
Brunnhofer (Hans im Glück) triggered many comprehensive discussions and articles about good or even better
strategies.
Because I, too, had a few ideas and thought that they could be transposed into software with a reasonable effort, I started this project!
Together with implementing the computer opponents' AI and an acceptable user interface I developed the idea of being able to simulate different strategies in order to observe their impact and success.
I had many interesting strategy discussions specifically with Walter (Sorger) but also with our other strategists Aaron, Hans, Moritz, Peter...
By far not all of the insights gathered have been implemented in the program - that would require considerably more time - and furthermore one can have a lot of theoretical discussions but implementing these in bits and bytes quickly takes you back to the harsh grounds of feasibility. Besides: the AI is supposed to be not too strong so that one is still able to have the occasional feeling of success when playing against it.
If you trace the game of the computer opponents you will soon discover a lot of weaknesses and inconsistencies. Therefore it may be questionable if the implementation is a challenge for a die-hard Saint Petersburg strategist, but this is something you should try out by yourself. Please post your experiences here!
Now a final stroke has been drawn with version 1.0 of the implementation - especially because my vacation will start soon and the public release would drag on even further.
On June 6, 2004 the first line of code was written (I am not a soccer fan!) - in mid July we tested the first prototypes and end of August version 1.0 is available for download. And I have time to do other things!
If you report major, reproducible bugs they will be fixed at short notice. If I am still interested in the game and you provide some ideas I might even implement improved strategies for the computer AI - let's wait and see!
Runtime Environment:
This program is a 32bit Windows implementation; it should run on all Windows versions
since Windows95. I was not able to test all Windows versions and service packs - please
report any problems you may have (there is a small problem with W2k - see the
readme.txt).
The program has been developed under Windows XP with a screen resolution of 1152x864 - this is the best resolution for the game but it is also possible to play at different resolutions.
For smaller resolutions an automatic adjustment is made when the program is executed the first time. Should this not be satisfactory you can change the resolution using "Optionen" "Skalierung Hauptformular" which results in an adjustment relativ to the 1152 resolution. Afterwards, please restart the program! Notice that at resolutions of 800x600 or less the screen layout becomes rather poor...
| Language Packs: |
Language Packs:
We are providing Saint Petersburg PC with different language packs. In order to get the
desired version for buttons, menues,and other in-game text you need to download the
respective language file. Just unzip it into the game's install directory. Maybe
someone out there is willing to translate this resource file into other languages? And if
anyone would like to help us translating the help files into English we are happy to
provide the resource files for that. Rules for the boardgame in various languages can be
found on Boardgamegeek.
read/write comments
|
©2004, Günther Rosenbaum