https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/996c10d895fd35996a8874d8
Added Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
AI (Gemini) attempt at a clone of the Intellivision game "Utopia" for SBBS

This version of the script (the AI called v10.1.16) was the result of several prompts/iterations and at a point where the bot really couldn't add any more features or functions (even though it kept suggesting great ones) without removing basic functionality or (re)introducing bugs. It got really frustrating after this point, basically going in circles with a very apologetic but confident programming robot. Still... impressive for a *free* AI chat bot. https://gemini.google.com/share/71b6228f0bf7

I did js-beautify the code and removed the comment block at the top, but otherwise, it's exactly as Gemini made it. It's a playable game but has some issues I'll be addressing:
- the cosmetics (e.g. graphic character choices) are pretty basic/ugly
- it's very hard-coded for an 80x24 terminal (not a huge issue)
- it only spawns a single fish
- it saves the user-game data in the current directory instead of the "correct"
path/filename (data/user/####.*)
- the saved-game data (json) isn't versioned, so it really has to match the
game version you run or weird behavior or errors will happen when you load a
saved game from a different version
- the game economics aren't really fleshed out
- some of the (important?) elements of the original (e.g. hospitals) aren't
included (https://history.blueskyrangers.com/instructions/utopia.html), but
being single player instead of multi-player I do expect there to be some
differences (e.g. PT boats being sinkable by pirates and being able to sink
pirates, I think is a good one)

There were a lot of good ideas that the AI suggested and even implemented before and after this version of the script and I'll try to merge those in while also addressing my own concerns/issues with the game.

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/8665d57b9ebd4a6cdf4dc829
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
Multi-fish patch

Successfully merged in Gemini's patch for multiple fish

I also changed some of the characters used to be a little better
(e.g. $ for merchant, the Pt symbol for Pirate, lowercase alpha for fish)

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/11183ff911935e79e5a7edf8
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
Cosmetic and usability improvements

- flash (blink) the fish and boats when they're caught/sunk for one turn
- don't redraw the legend for every turn
- add Ctrl-R key to force a redraw (for testing mainly)
- add [L]og key to view all past messages
- turns count up rather than down
- some code cleanup
- better error logging
- no AI-generated code added in this commit

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/6a514d1a1c618cecc5c3460b
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
This is a good checkpoint - it's now a fun playable game that's not too easy

Still messing with the economics and such (I think I'd like to have trawlers chase fish, but then tracking age/damage gets tricky).

I still want to add mouse, sound, maybe graphics.

And probably some more items like a more robust food item to buy/build, maybe
a fort, hospital, etc.

No docs or anything so if you're not familiar with the original Utopia or this genre of game, it might be really confusing and hard. So only the really
really curious and experimental should try this right now. Oh, and spews a lot of (info-level) debug output to the terminal server log.

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/af39138ac64523a908259f37
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
Trawlers chase fish, PT Boats track damage/age

Doesn't spew debug log messages now unless passed -debug option

Don't start game until first land item built

Save the game file in the correct location (data/user) and other little usability things (e.g. display number of current built items of each type).

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/32d243e9f8ba8778cef98958
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
Encapsulate the rules, not the game functions

I anticipate I'll want to support tracking/iterating and providing multiple sets of rules that the user can choose from and sysops might want to provide their own. And high score lists should be specific to the set rules used to play the game. So the *rules* should have been encapsulated (and were not).

However, the game functions were encapsulated via the Utopia object and
we'll never have multiple instances of this Utopia object, so just get rid
of that (and over 600 required uses of 'this.that' syntax).

Whew! That's more like it. Yes, the script-global namespace is all polluted with variables and objects now, but this is better suited to my taste.

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/4fe495ec6ab9823fe55bebbb
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
Add buildable docks which are required for building boats

... and the merchat will now trade with a dock, not "Industry"

You can extend the dock with a bridge, making a pier

Can't build diagnoally to the dock/pier though, kind strict. (N,S,E, or W
of the dock only) - I might make that more liberal to keep one or two boats from keeping one from building (though that does encourage bridge building).

Other nice user niceties added, like showing the health of individual
item the cursor is on.

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/0958ba1616c91d21bef48233
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
Time was being throttled by the inkey() timeout (of 500ms)

Holding down <any> key would allow time to move at the (increased) rate,
that was the clue.

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/b6ef48a5d87bd9749331a726
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
Added animals (another food source), smarter boats

Some UI enhancements and other nice features (e.g. P to Pause)

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/616dbb54e15de61cd6fc57ff
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
Some display optimizations

Enable the v3.21 gotoxy optimization and use drawRow where we should

PT boat won't be quite a shy of the Merchant ship if the pirate ship is near.

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/4ec3aae572ff3412c152d9ff
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
Works on pirates and merchants and cosmetics and conveniences

- Smarter Merchant and Pirate ships (beached/stuck much less often)
- Tail end of Merchant and Pirate ships are hidden when obscured by land
- Fish are more subtle (smaller glyph, same color as waves)
- Putting the cursor over fish gives you a hint that there are fish there
- FAMINE! is just an alert (not news) now
- Pirate is more likely to be sunk by a PT boat the less damage the PT boat has - A PT Boat sinking a pirate ship pays a reward
- Pirates collect loot from sinking Trawlers PT Boats (based on cost / health) - Putting the cursor over Merchat or Pirate shows their purse value
- Use one more column and row of the map area for rand-gen maps
- Only display intro.msg file when not resuming a saved game
- Save the current tick_interval to the saved game state

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https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/6482ac3ff541776627f8947d
Modified Files:
xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
Log Message:
Add [H]ospitals and [F]ortresses

Hospitals increase birth rate and add a little to the pop cap. Some other
items now add a little to the pop cap as well.

Hospitals should slow the death rate too, but don't (yet).

Fortresses are used to defend against pirates attacks and rebel mutinies
Pirate can now attack (damage and sometimes destory) land items. Maybe we
use the same damage calc for attacks on boats too?

The pirate attack/move stuff needs to be refactored really so they can attack things not in their easterly path and they're correctly limited to one attack per turn and they don't prioritize items that are in the upper left coords of the map.

Housing is now "[V]illas".

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Re: xtrn/utopia/utopia.js
By: Rob Swindell (on Debian Linux) to Git commit to main/sbbs/master on Fri Jan 30 2026 06:36 pm

https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/commit/4ec3aae572ff34
12c152d9ff Modified Files: xtrn/utopia/utopia.js Log Message: Works
on pirates and merchants and cosmetics and conveniences

- Smarter Merchant and Pirate ships (beached/stuck much less often) -
Tail end of Merchant and Pirate ships are hidden when obscured
by land - Fish are more subtle (smaller glyph, same color as waves)
- Putting the cursor over fish gives you a hint that there are fish
there - FAMINE! is just an alert (not news) now - Pirate is more
likely to be sunk by a PT boat the less damage the PT boat has - A
PT Boat sinking a pirate ship pays a reward - Pirates collect loot
from sinking Trawlers PT Boats (based on cost / health) - Putting
the cursor over Merchat or Pirate shows their purse value - Use one
more column and row of the map area for rand-gen maps - Only display intro.msg file when not resuming a saved game - Save the current tick_interval to the saved game state

do you have this on your bbs or is there another bbs i can test it on before installing it?


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