Boy oh boy! That is good illustrating. I am glad I took the effort to "free up" 4-in-a-line so we could do all this.

OK, I will make a 3-col version and let you know when I am done.

Now ... how are we getting on with 5-in-a-line ... ?

And who wants a 3D version?

Well, first things first, I found it easiest to just replace the three-in-a-line with a new version that has only 3 columns. See what you make of it. (Three In A Line)

(I can make a separate page with the four-column version if you want)

I've got an idea that might make this game quite nifty.

How about a variation where whenever the bottom 4 rows get completely filled, the board 'sinks' a bit, getting rid of the bottom row.
The bottom row wouldn't have been able to make any lines anyway, and this way it means that the game can't end in a draw.

MathsIsFun wrote:

I have spent Easter taking the current Javascript Version of Four In A Line and developing this New Flash version of Four In A Line

Play with it ... see if you like it, tell me if it misbehaves.

(I might make a 3D version!)

Are you going to upgrade the current 4-In-A-Row on the games section?

Zhylliolom wrote:

Zhylliolom wrote:

This shouldn't be an issue if you play the game normally, but if you click "new game" when a piece is falling sometimes it will freeze in the slot it is in and float in midair. When you try to put a piece in that column the next game your piece will go where that old one is hovering. I've only gotten it to do this a couple times though, it doesn't happen every single time. You can use this bug to give the computer an extra turn at the start, but it doesn't really make the game harder.

I just used this... clicked new game at a special time while the computer's piece was falling.

Thats what I said!

Of course ... passing can help in some cases. Must disallow!

Good idea, John! Must be possible to do.

Update: I am still working on a 3D version. 3D is hard! Not only do I have to write the code for it, but I need to be able to SHOW it so that you can see what you are doing ... have been working on this for days.

If it's easier, you could just make it do lots of different grids which each represent a different layer, rather than trying to do some funky 3D graphics. If you do ever expand it into 4D, you'll have to start doing that anyway.

If the game-saving is ever implemented, I think it would be a good idea to include a popup or something which asks you whether you want your game saved, rather than just doing it automatically. I wouldn't want everyone being able to see my stupid mistakes.

I just started playing that game. Yowza.

The graphics are totally cool, and as I said, could you make a 4D version?

Wow, that's excellent, Rod.

A way to pass: once a stack of four-high has been made, if you click there as your turn, no counter is placed and you miss your go.

A thought: sometimes it is a little hard to identify four in a row diagonally, as the counters are circular. Maybe counters should be blocks or cubes?

mathsyperson wrote:

I think the slowness is probably just because it's in development rather than because your computer is slow...

I wish it were so. Flash runs 100 times slower than Java, but it wins out because is more commonly installed on PCs, and it loads up a LOT faster (ever noticed how Java apps sit there for ages loading? That often means people go away).

In the 3D version it has about 70 possible "lines" to consider, and it has to try multiple possible moves.

The only speed up I have managed is to "exclude" lines that have no pieces on them ... you will find it is very fast at the beginning now, and slows down as the game gets more complex. Best I can do.

I have put a little "Time=" at the bottom of the game ... what speeds do you get in the middle of a game now?

mathsyperson wrote:

How about a variation where whenever the bottom 4 rows get completely filled, the board 'sinks' a bit, getting rid of the bottom row.

I have worked on this and have nearly finished a version where the board "sinks" whenever the bottom row is filled. (Not the bottom 4)

However I don't have a name for it, so can't make a page!

4-in-a-line-sinker? 4-in-a-line-descent? Descent-in-a-line? Connect-Sink? Surely there must be a good name.