Desert Express
This game is from ldjam.com, which is currently unavailable.
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You can try viewing the original page on Web Archive (may not load correctly).
In Desert Express your job is to protect your train from bandits, attempting to steal your cargo.
Every train run starts with a random number of crates loaded onto your train. The more cargo there is, the more cars your train consists of and the slower it travels, requiring you to spend more time on the run and making those crates an easy target for pursuers.
In addition to slower movement, having a large number of crates on board makes your train a more attractive target for bandits. You'll find that there will be more pursuers when your train is full, but as the number of crates you carry dwindles, so will the interest of the bandits: less and less of them will be inclined to join the chase.
How to play
Use your mouse to shoot at the bandits. Only the first enemy on the way of your shot will be killed (the shots don't pass through enemies).
Your aim is to successfully protect your cargo so that by the time the train reaches its destination there are as many crates remaining as possible. Can you finish a run with a full train without losing a single crate?
Credits
- Art: Kyrylo Cherkashyn (@lobster)
- Programming, music: Taras Denysenko (@terrapass)
Tools and resources used
- Aseprite (pixel art & animation editor)
- Tiled (tilemap editor)
- Early version of a nameless custom engine, using SDL2 library with SDL_image, SDL_ttf and SDL_mixer extension libraries
- bfxr (shot sound effect)
Updates changelog
---------------------
`desert-express-*-jam-original-bugfix` builds on itch.io contain the following bug fixes:
- Fixed a crash which sometimes occurred on mouse click on the 2nd and subsequent runs.
- Fixed a graphical glitch, which sometimes led to the corruption of the background on the 2nd and subsequent runs.
`desert-express-linux-jam-original` and `desert-express-windows-jam-original` downloadables on itch.io contain builds of the game in the state it was submitted in before the Jam deadline, *including all of the bugs*.
`desert-express-osx-jam-original` contains a macOS build of the game. The two mentioned bugs were fixed while the game's code was adapted for macOS, so this version does not suffer from these bugs but, for the sake of consistency, a `bugfix` version for macOS is also provided, though it is identical (save for the window title) to the initial macOS version. Additionally, for macOS the soundtrack format had to be changed from .mp3 to .ogg to allow for its playback on macOS via the version of sdl2_mixer from Homebrew, which does not have .mp3 support.
`jam-original` and `jam-original-bugfix` builds on itch.io are identical in terms of mechanics and content. The only difference of `bugfix` versions, except for using .ogg, is that they are not affected by the aforementioned crash and visual glitch.
`postjam-xmas` build on itch.io is the latest postjam version of the game, which has a winter theme. The changes it contains, compared to the original Jam version, are described on the itch.io page.
Prerequisites and troubleshooting
-------------------------------------
On Windows, if the system complains about missing `msvcp140.dll` and/or `vcruntime140.dll`, make sure you install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Sutdio 2015 package. If it complains about missing dll files, which are present in the game zip, such as `SDL2.dll`, make sure that you have fully extracted the zip to some non-temporary folder on your drive and that your antivirus hasn't gobbled up some of the files.
On Ubuntu 17.04 and up, all of the packages, on which the game depends, can be installed using the following command:
```
sudo apt install libsdl2-2.0-0 libsdl2-image-2.0-0 libsdl2-ttf-2.0-0 libsdl2-mixer-2.0-0 libboost-log1.60.0
```
On macOS, unfortunately, the .app is not yet bundled with the libraries, on which the game depends, so some Homebrew packages will have to be installed for the game to run. (Sorry about that.) Here's the command, which can be used to install the required packages:
```
brew install libvorbis sdl2 sdl2_image sdl2_mixer sdl2_ttf boost
```
Depending on your security preferences, macOS might refuse to launch the .app, due to it being "from an unidentified developer". In order to override it, right click on the .app file in Finder, select "Open" from the context menu and then click "Open" in the dialog that appears.
Every train run starts with a random number of crates loaded onto your train. The more cargo there is, the more cars your train consists of and the slower it travels, requiring you to spend more time on the run and making those crates an easy target for pursuers.
In addition to slower movement, having a large number of crates on board makes your train a more attractive target for bandits. You'll find that there will be more pursuers when your train is full, but as the number of crates you carry dwindles, so will the interest of the bandits: less and less of them will be inclined to join the chase.
How to play
Use your mouse to shoot at the bandits. Only the first enemy on the way of your shot will be killed (the shots don't pass through enemies).
Your aim is to successfully protect your cargo so that by the time the train reaches its destination there are as many crates remaining as possible. Can you finish a run with a full train without losing a single crate?
Credits
- Art: Kyrylo Cherkashyn (@lobster)
- Programming, music: Taras Denysenko (@terrapass)
Tools and resources used
- Aseprite (pixel art & animation editor)
- Tiled (tilemap editor)
- Early version of a nameless custom engine, using SDL2 library with SDL_image, SDL_ttf and SDL_mixer extension libraries
- bfxr (shot sound effect)
Updates changelog
---------------------
`desert-express-*-jam-original-bugfix` builds on itch.io contain the following bug fixes:
- Fixed a crash which sometimes occurred on mouse click on the 2nd and subsequent runs.
- Fixed a graphical glitch, which sometimes led to the corruption of the background on the 2nd and subsequent runs.
`desert-express-linux-jam-original` and `desert-express-windows-jam-original` downloadables on itch.io contain builds of the game in the state it was submitted in before the Jam deadline, *including all of the bugs*.
`desert-express-osx-jam-original` contains a macOS build of the game. The two mentioned bugs were fixed while the game's code was adapted for macOS, so this version does not suffer from these bugs but, for the sake of consistency, a `bugfix` version for macOS is also provided, though it is identical (save for the window title) to the initial macOS version. Additionally, for macOS the soundtrack format had to be changed from .mp3 to .ogg to allow for its playback on macOS via the version of sdl2_mixer from Homebrew, which does not have .mp3 support.
`jam-original` and `jam-original-bugfix` builds on itch.io are identical in terms of mechanics and content. The only difference of `bugfix` versions, except for using .ogg, is that they are not affected by the aforementioned crash and visual glitch.
`postjam-xmas` build on itch.io is the latest postjam version of the game, which has a winter theme. The changes it contains, compared to the original Jam version, are described on the itch.io page.
Prerequisites and troubleshooting
-------------------------------------
On Windows, if the system complains about missing `msvcp140.dll` and/or `vcruntime140.dll`, make sure you install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Sutdio 2015 package. If it complains about missing dll files, which are present in the game zip, such as `SDL2.dll`, make sure that you have fully extracted the zip to some non-temporary folder on your drive and that your antivirus hasn't gobbled up some of the files.
On Ubuntu 17.04 and up, all of the packages, on which the game depends, can be installed using the following command:
```
sudo apt install libsdl2-2.0-0 libsdl2-image-2.0-0 libsdl2-ttf-2.0-0 libsdl2-mixer-2.0-0 libboost-log1.60.0
```
On macOS, unfortunately, the .app is not yet bundled with the libraries, on which the game depends, so some Homebrew packages will have to be installed for the game to run. (Sorry about that.) Here's the command, which can be used to install the required packages:
```
brew install libvorbis sdl2 sdl2_image sdl2_mixer sdl2_ttf boost
```
Depending on your security preferences, macOS might refuse to launch the .app, due to it being "from an unidentified developer". In order to override it, right click on the .app file in Finder, select "Open" from the context menu and then click "Open" in the dialog that appears.