07 Aug 2019 » New HUD Bar

It’s been a while since the last update! The next release of C-Dogs SDL is still on the way, with lots of features. Here’s a sneak peek: a new HUD redesign!

new hud

The old HUD was nice and minimal but as we’ve added features like ammo and grenades, it was getting a little cramped. This new HUD is much more condensed and with 90’s pixel art stylin’. We hope you like it too!

new hud animated


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02 Dec 2018 » New Helmet Character

New helmet guy coming in the next release!

helmet guy


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10 Nov 2018 » C-Dogs 0.6.9 Released!

C-Dogs SDL 0.6.9 released! This release adds bullet trails to hitscan guns, as well as Superhot mode…

Hitscan trails

Hitscan guns were added several releases ago, but one notable thing was missing… bullet trails! Well this release belatedly adds them and take a look:

trails

Superhot(tm) mode

Just for fun, we’ve added a new gameplay option. Just like its namesake, when enabled, time stops unless you are pressing a button.

superhotmode

Find it in the Game options menu!

Fixes and improvements

As usual, there are bug fixes and neat improvements in addition to the new features, that are worth upgrading for. Check it out in the release notes, and as always happy gaming! 💥🔫💥

Downloads and release notes: https://github.com/cxong/cdogs-sdl/releases/tag/0.6.9


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31 Aug 2018 » C-Dogs 0.6.8 Released!

C-Dogs SDL 0.6.8 released! This is a minor release with some neat improvements to the game.

Gun Swapping

Previously, guns could only be picked up if: you didn’t have the gun, or if you did, you were low on its ammo. Picking up the gun always made it disappear.

Now, you can always pick up guns, but you’ll drop the gun you’re currently holding.

gun swap

Grenades As Ammo

Grenade pickups have also been improved. There’s no longer separate grenade “gun” and “ammo” pickups, it’s just grenades:

  • If you have the same grenades, you pick them up as ammo
  • If not, you can switch to them as if they were gun pickups

grenade pickups

Constant Scale Window Resizing

When resizing the window, the game screen will also reset to maintain constant pixel sizes. No more stretchy aliasing!

constant scale resize

Downloads and release notes: https://github.com/cxong/cdogs-sdl/releases/tag/0.6.8


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20 May 2018 » C-Dogs 0.6.7 Released!

C-Dogs SDL 0.6.7 released! This time we’ve added a secondary weapon system for grenades and explosives, plus there’s some graphical enhancements!

Grenade key

C-Dogs grenades have always been awkward to use: you have to cycle through your weapons, standing still while doing so. What if throwing a grenade was just a single key press?

Well now you can!

grenade key

This idea isn’t new, although it wasn’t very common back when C-Dogs was first released. Giant Bomb calls it “Automated Grenade Throw”, and says it started with Shadow Warrior, but it was also available possibly earlier with Assault Trooper (1997), or if you want to stretch the definition, Metal Slug (1996), or, um, Taito’s Front Line (1982)???

Assault Trooper Metal Slug Front Line

Now it’s very common, especially in FPS games, and it’s a great design; grenades are really a situational weapon, so to have easy access to it without switching out your current gun is handy. Although it is possibly the biggest gameplay change we’ve made, it’s what C-Dogs SDL is about: making a great retro game even better with modern tech and game design.

To support it, we’ve reduced the number of gun slots to two, and made grenades occupy the third slot.

Grenade selection

Although this means you can’t have three guns anymore (or three grenades… I’m sure we’ve all played with this at some point 😈), having two guns makes it easy to switch between them, and one grenade makes the most sense.

We’ve also added a neat grenade counter to the HUD, so you can quickly see how many you have!

Grenade HUD

Finally we’ve redesigned the way ammo pickups work for grenades. For guns we have gun pickups and ammo pickups, but for grenades, they’re one and the same: if you have the same grenade type, you pick up as ammo, otherwise you can choose to switch out your grenades with the one you are picking up.

Try it out! I think this is a great excuse to replay your favorite C-Dogs campaigns!

Texture Rendering

We’ve also reworked the graphics backend to render textures instead of raw pixels. The goal was to improve performance; unfortunately that failed 😟, but on the bright side, it means we now support semi-transparency effects!

This means we can have better-looking muzzle flashes, and glowy laser beams!

Before After

Enjoy the eye candy!

Downloads and release notes: https://github.com/cxong/cdogs-sdl/releases/tag/0.6.7


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