mmaulwurff/typist.pk3

typing tutor mod for GZDoom

Typist.pk3

YouTube

Typist.pk3 is a mod for Doom engine games that turns them into typing exercises.

There are several lessons, including user-defined lessons.

How To Play

Load it with GZDoom.

There are two game modes: Combat and Exploration. They are switched automatically.

Exploration Mode (blue)

Your familiar mode. You can walk, open doors, turn switches, etc.

Combat Mode (red)

This mode is for fighting enemies. Instead of aiming and shooting, you type answers for your targets. When the answer is ready, press Space or Enter, or hold for continuous fire.

• press Ctrl+Backspace to erase the whole answer.
• press Escape to force Exploration mode. After this, you can return to automatic mode switching with Unlock Game Mode key assigned in Typist options.

Because you cannot move normally in Combat mode, the following commands are available:

• dl - dash to the left,
• dr - dash to the right,
• df - dash forward,
• db - dash backward.
• rl - reload weapon (if it has reloading).

Commands are configurable.

Key setup

The mod doesn't require any special key setup. However, for smoother experience, it may be worth playing keyboard-only with the following assigned keys:

• E - move forward
• S - strafe left
• D - move backward
• F - strafe right
• I - center view
• J - turn left
• K - turn around
• L - turn right

This way, you'll waste no time switching from mouse to keyboard and back, and your fingers are almost at the right typing position!

How To Set Up Custom Text Lesson

1. Find any text or book in ASCII .txt file (UTF-8 may also work).
2. If a file is supposed to be in ASCII but actually is not, use grep -P "[^\x00-\x7F]" file.txt to find non-ASCII characters.
3. Rename text file to typist_custom_text.txt.
4. Load typist_custom_text.txt with GZDoom alongside Typist.pk3.
5. Select Custom Text in Typist options menu.

Incompatible Mods

• Guncaster. Reason: Guncaster reads player input directly from player, so weapon firing cannot be emulated like for other mods. Guncaster support cannot be added without modifications in Guncaster or GZDoom.
• Guncaster Vindicated. Reason: the same as Guncaster.

Compilation

Actually, you don't need to compile this. The repository contains everything that is needed to run this mod. But if you want to develop Typist.pk3 with maximum comfort, set up the compilation.

Linux

Required tools:

• Git
• Bash
• Python 3
• pylint3
• aspell with English (UK) dictionaries
• ShellCheck

./scripts/build.sh

To run tests:

./scripts/test.sh

(Test script also builds.)

Windows

It may be possible to compile this on Windows. Install Msys or something. You're on your own :)

Software Used

• Emacs
• Slade

Acknowledgments

Credits

• libeye (Level and screen projections): KeksDose
• Clematis (Basic ZScript unit test framework for GZDoom): ZippeyKeys12 (Zain Aamer). Clematis is under the BSD 3-Clause License.
• miniwad.wad (BSD license): fraggle
• 1000 basic English words (tt_1000.txt) (actually, 1008) CC BY-SA 3.0
• Frequency dictionary of the modern Russian language (tt_1000_ru.txt) CC BY-SA 3.0
• Sound design: Captain J. See credits for each sound effect in credits-sounds.md

Thanks

• LGR for Sega's Typing of the Dead: A Zombie-Slaying Education video
• Marrub for ZScript documentation
• Accensus for inviting into Discord server and for bug reports
• Accensus, Tapwave, and IKA for patience in testing and development of certain under-the-hood tech, which is also used in War Trophies
• kadu522 for support
• dard22 for bug reports
• Jarewill for bug reports
• SphericalCube for bug reports

typist.pk3's Issues

add a question source selector

• add an integer variable for selecting a question source.
• add a menu entry for this variable.
• add SelectedQuestionSource that implements QuestionSource by calling the question source according to the aforementioned variable.
• add SelectedQuestionSource to supervisor.
• reset supervisor on question source change.

add a shortcut to erase all text

Candidate shortcut: Ctrl-Backspace.

To do:

• add isCtrl parameter and CTRL_BACKSPACE type to Character class.
• add handling of this new type to PlayerInput class.

add commands to turn right and left

To do:

• Add RightTurner class that implements Activatable interface.
• Add LeftTurner class that implements Activatable interface.

add MixedQuestionSource

fix Ctrl-Backspace entering a weird symbol

https://streamable.com/b0asn

• check the Windows GZDoom build.
• after fixing, add Ctrl-Backspace to Readme and forum post.

add vertical aiming

To do:

• Rename AimerImpl to HorizontalAimer.
• Add AimerHub class that implements Aimer interrface by accumulating and applying several aimers.
• Add VerticalAimer class that implements Aimer interface by aiming vertically. Vertical aim is disabled if vertical autoaim is max.
• Add AimerHub and VerticalAimer to Supervisor.

disable self-damage from rockets

allow continuous fire

by holding Enter key.

Also, the answers should be entered only after Enter

projectiles design

To do:

• remove shootable projectiles
• slow down projectiles that fly towards the player (take code from danger-o-meter)
• add dash commands (right + left)
• add crouch command
• add Jarewill to bug reporter list

Gameplay test: E2M8 must be finishable and fun.

make player projectiles full-speed

Submitted by Jarewill:
https://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=66042&p=1120696#p1120696

add Command Dispatcher

To do:

• Add Activatable interface with activate() and getCommands() methods.
• Add Activatables class that wraps an array of Activatable.
• Add Command Dispatcher class that inherits Activatable interface and takes Activatables and AnswerSource as a dependency. Algorithm: activate(): get an answer, activate all Activatable that match the command with answer; getCommands(): collect commands from all Activatables.
• Add Command Dispatcher to Supervisor.

Create a design document

To do:

T1. Create a list of project goals.
T2. Based on T1, create a list of project features that help to reach the project goals.
T3. Make descriptions for the features.
T4. Describe the supposed feature implementations.

add GUI panel

it should display:

• game mode (explore/combat)
• answer
• list of available commands

To do:

• Add Views class that implements View interface and wraps an array of View.
• Add Panel class that implements View interface and takes ModeSource, Activatable, and AnswerSource as dependencies.

add English top 1000 question source

Don't forget to add credits to Readme.

add highlight of right/wrong characters in answers

To do:

• rename Screen class to TargetOverlay.
• add String getMatchedAnswer() method to Question class. For Match class, this method returns answer colored according to the question string.
• print getMatchedAnswer() result instead of Answer in TargetOverlay.

make missiles shootable

To do:

• Create GameTweaks class, put it into Supervisor. Wire WorldThingSpawned with GameTweaks.
• Make missiles shootable.
• Make missiles detected by TargetRadar.
• Set missile health to 1.
• Make missiles slower (scale velocity).

sort target widgets by distance

To do:

• Add SorterByDistance class that implements TargetWidgetSource and takes TargetWidgetSource and OriginSource as dependencies. It sorts TargetWidgets from source by distance to origin.
• Put SorterByDistance to Supervisor.

add damage multiplier

To do:

• wire PlayerSpawned to GameTweaks class.
• port player damage multiplier code from Ultimate Custom Doom.

implement using different question source for projectiles

make buddha optional

To do:

• add a server cvar
• add an option to menudef
• use that cvar to game config class

plan 0.5

To do:

• define the set of issues that will be completed in version 0.5.
• add to do lists to issues.

plan 0.4

• create issues.
• Inspect class diagram, remove unnecessary parts.
• write a to do list for each issue.

add credits to in-game menu

To do:

• make a script that would generate an info page from Readme file and put it in menudef.

profile and improve performance

add multiplayer support

add Controls to Options menu

add compatibility with Guncaster

For some reason, Guncaster weapons don't fire under Typist.pk3.

add top 1000 Russian words

To do:

• add support for Cyrillic input
• find 1000 top used Russian words
• filter words
• add a string challenge

don't enter enter characters from keys that were pressed before combat

To do:

• reproduce
• find the code responsible for accepting key presses
• find a way to filter key events

add Score

ZikShadow » 07 Oct 2019 23:27:

A possible alternative, a score kind of deal with the health. Something like 100HP having the highest multiplier everytime you kill something and 1 having the least, encouraging players to do their best if they want the highest numbers but not getting them frustrated due to not being able to do complex dodges and stuff. Though I guess you have to get a score implementation done in the first place to possibly do any of that. Just throwing ideas for now, I suppose.

investigate turning and shooting with mouse in combat

https://streamable.com/rqqkk

To do:

• check windows gzdoom build
• submit a bug on ZDF
• wait for response

fill Readme

add a command to force leave combat mode

To do:

• Add ModeSources class that wraps an array of ModeSource.
• Add ModeCascade class that inherits from ModeSource and takes ModeSources as a dependency. Algorithm: iterate over ModeSources, take first mode that is not MODE_NONE.
• Add ModeStorage interface that inherits ModeSource interface and adds setMode() method.
• Add SettableMode class that implements ModeStorage.
• Add ModeSwitcher class that implements Activatable interface and takes ModeStorage as a dependency.
• Add ModeSwitcher to Supervisor.

add word-list question source

To do:

• Add a lump with words.
• Add StringSet class that implements Question Source by reading words from the lump.

hide info panel when there is no alive enemies

• add (total_monsters - killed_monsters) value check to ConditionalView
• do not print the panel if 0

add one-letter match question source

don't target cows in The Adventures of Square

Cows are not friendly.

To do:

• Figure out why autoaim doesn't target them.
• Find a way to filter them out from the target candidates.

increase readability of widgets

• try bigger text. Text size should be customizable.
• try slower movement on screen (widget position smoothing closer to original position).
• make a border consistently colored (unlike build-in DrawFrame).
• make sure there is a margin between a border and text.

add arithmetics challenge (question source)

make a video

To do:

• Select a game/mod to load with Typist.
• Record a video.
• Upload the video to YouTube, put it in Typist playlist.

add script to convert markdown to PHPbb code

make graphical design for info panel

check compatibility with Doomreal

To do:

• launch Typist with Doomreal
• search for GetPlayerInput in Doomreal code

add activatable command to switch weapons

Deal with situation when target moves into and out of fov, changing the game mode

Display off-screen targets at certain place on screen?
Don't go to explore mode if targets are behind you?

add Zen mode

infinite ammo
invulnerability
no health/ammo pickups
no HUD
no score

make a video of v0.3

Shadow of the Wool Ball?
Heretic?

make an option for shootable projectiles

Shootable projectiles:
Pros:

• a way to avoid damage.
• cool.

Cons:

• not everything that is detected as a projectile is a projectile. This may lead to aiming at wrong things and blocking;
• projectile targets (closer) are drawn over monster targets, hard to target monster.

Currently shootable projectiles are present in the code, but are disabled.

Also, projectiles may by slowed down depending on if they are close to the player.
Projectiles may be given shorter questions.

add options menu

To do:

• Add menudef lump with Typist.pk3 OptionsMenu.
• Add language.enu lump with strings.
• Make a script that puts Typist.pk3 version to menu title.

write more documentation for source code