Blackjack

[bplus]

Thanks Steve, I am interested in hardware images I will check that out.

Here is the current state of affairs with Johnno's new opaque buttons and some other minor changes:
 

And zip package: see next post

[bplus]

Added fonts, revised an INPUT function for fonts looks better with larger Arial Fonts.
 

Yes and it was an Ace of hearts too! Should pay more than 1.5 X's the bet for that ;)

@johnno56  why does the first line in Table look cut off right at the top?

The much improved B+J Blackjack Game package .zip file is now here:
https://www.qb64.org/forum/index.php?topic=1406.msg119406#msg119406

[johnno56]

The display looks much better. The font I used was Sans Bold size 24 for 'yellow' and button text. Size 40 for 'blackjack' and size 18 for 'powered'.

As to the 'clipping' of the yellow text... The original mockup6 image is ok. Cannot explain that one... The yellow text is 'part' of cloth image itself. Most puzzling.

Just a minor cloth layout 'niggle'. The playing cards do not seem to have much "room" to spare between the text. Without changing the actual size of the cards, I think the easiest solution would be, to move the text of the "logo" closer to the logo itself... Then all you have to tweak in the program are the coordinates at which the cards are displayed. I hope I explained that well enough? It's easier for me to change the cloth than for you to modify the cards and coordinates...

[johnno56]

This is a modified cloth (mockup7). The logo text have been moved closer to the logo. Should give you some 'breathing space" for your cards. As I mentioned earlier, the card coord's will need to be tweaked... Let me know how you went with this version...

[bplus]

Hi @johnno56

First off I will assume and hope everything is working OK in Linux with this latest version(?).

Issue Screen / Table cloth sizing:
About the mystery cut-off of text, I have a theory. It might be happening because the absolute highest screen that I can show everything from title bar down to bottom of screen is 740 pixels with my laptop. So if I _PUTIMAGE your cloth to my screen setup there is some shrinking for the full fit (which is what threw the button images blurry) and that shrinking probably effected the print on the table cloth.

For maximum portable screen size, Terry discovered and Fellippe confirms is 1024 for width for best results and I need a max 740 pixels for height but 640 or 680?? might be more standard height for maximum porting.

So a table cloth to those dimensions we can show pixel for pixel without stretching or shrinking.

To all, I wonder if anyone else has an idea for this? What is maximum portable screen height? before I ask Johnno for another table cloth.


Issue: Table cloth Logo
Being centrally located, it is hogging allot of room that might be better spent showing cards. Also showing "BLACKJACK" directly below the Dealers cards is a bit disorienting.

Johnno what do you think about moving it to Top Left Corner and then next to it we write those 2 Yellow Texts, centered, and then have room on the right for additional buttons should an occasion arise.

OR

Move the text there now above and below ("BLACKJACK" and "Powered by QB64" to left or right or both, keeping Logo in center as that does make a natural divide between Dealer section and Player section but it wouldn't be as tall as it is now so we can show bigger cards.

BTW the "Tip Dealer" dummy button was put there as joke and to cover the X button that we really don't need.

Issue: Buttons and writing
Yes a Table Cloth with just Logo would require only one single Blank button Image with transparent background (maybe some more blank sizes to try out).

Everything else can be written in and colored with nice fonts and transparent overlay boxes and the table cloth pattern underneath will show through without having to match opaque buttons perfectly.

If you want your fonts used just give me a ttf copy, I can draw in the text per your directions or approval.

For bigger cards, which I would love to do, I would need higher definition cards Dav's linked card set are already pixelating at 1.3 magnification, those were 72 X 96 multiplied by 1.3 is about 94 X 125 used in current version.

Issue: Extra dimension audio
Yes indeed that Scratch version is greatly enhanced by the audio both of crowd and the Dealer speech. Can you do that? That would be amazing!

Issue Splash screen:
The one in there now is just a mockup place holder I think, or is that made by you Johnno or Public Domain or you have permission or should you or I get busy cloning a graphic?

Finally, how about a B+J Blackjack that pays X's 9 your Bet if you get exactly an Ace of Hearts and a Jack of Spades in that order?

[Dav]

Well, I'm having some fun playing this. Good thing it's not real money I'm losing.

I may have a higher resolution version of that card set still on an old drive - I remember reducing it to the final cards.png version to save smartbasic memory usage but still looked decent on the iPad screen.  I'll look for it if you'd like.

- Dav

[bplus]

Well, I'm having some fun playing this. Good thing it's not real money I'm losing.

I may have a higher resolution version of that card set still on an old drive - I remember reducing it to the final cards.png version to save smartbasic memory usage but still looked decent on the iPad screen.  I'll look for it if you'd like.

- Dav

Yes the winning strategy is: better fake money here than real at a casino, LOL. So many times I get 15 or 16 or when I do get up to 20 the Dealer matches or better. I never see the Dealer sweat like I do.

@Dav  if your higher resolution cards that are Public Domain I'd be glad to use them, thanks.

[johnno56]

Ok. I will tackle each point in turn....

Linux is exceptionally case sensitive when it comes to file names... But changing splash1.png to Splash1.png fix the only programming error.

Table cloth size: For me it's not an issue to change the size. The cloth can be scaled to whatever size you nee. The buttons are another issue... With a re-sized screen the buttons would need to re-created to match the pattern of the new cloth. That only takes a few minutes. Just let me know what size you want and it will be done.

The central logo/text is purely decoration. Because they are part of the cloth, just like the decorations of 'real' tablecloths, cards and chips can be placed on the logo. Because the cards are 'placed' and not animated when dealt... (oh. Wouldn't 'that' be cool? lol...) I can 'lighten the logo, so as to be less of a distraction, with the 'text' placed as you suggested. Perhaps use a larger version of the logo as a splash screen with a smaller version of the logo in the two upper corners... But, of course, these changes would be dependent on the final screen size....

"One single blank button". Probably will not work. If the cloth did not have a pattern you would be correct.

Fonts: I will attach the font I used. I am not familiar with the base fonts that Windows uses. If you like, so as to preserve consistency, select a font you like and I will update the cloth...

Card dimensions and resolution. I will prepare a "sheet" of 94X125 cards, using the set I have, just in case Dav cannot find his set of cards. I will probably have the same issue of pixelation as did Dav. I will experiment on a 'picture' card and post the result.

Sound: Card shuffle; Ambient noise and or music track are freely available for both personal and or commercial use. My advice would be to have the 'noise' and or the 'music' to be 'noticeable'... Soft enough to 'know' it's there and not to be a distraction... I hope I explained that correctly... lol

The 'speech' part of the Scratch version was the Authors' own voice. Scratch has a nice Text to Speech function built-in, but I doubt it could be used to 'output' to a file... lol  If all else fails, as you have already stated, we could modify the same system that was used in Battleships..  Many response types could be used... at the cost of some string space... lol

Splash screen. You are correct. Because it is my interpretation of a commercial image, using it without permission, would not be advisable. So, it is as you have so rightly stated, a 'place holder'.

Extra payout on a specific blackjack combination.... Sounds like a great idea... But, you may have to pay out a serious amount of change, for that to happen. If you are using a singe 52 card deck, the odds of being dealt a specific blackjack, if I am not mistaken, would be approximately 2,652 to 1. This is based on two consecutive cards being dealt. A 1 in 52 chance of a Specific Ace multiplied by a 1 in 51 chance of a specific face card. If you are using, let's say four decks, then the odds could be 41,412 to 1.  How much did you have in mind for a payout? lol

[Dav]

Ok, I'll start looking for it.  In the meantime, I stumbled on this page which says it has public domain card images for download.  I can't verify it is, but a quick google on that url turns up a lot of other peoples projects using it freely.

https://code.google.com/archive/p/vector-playing-cards/

- Dav

[johnno56]

Dav,

Those are the cards that I have.. Ha. Small world...

I will attach a 240x336 King of Spades and a 94x125 (slightly sharpened) scaled version.

J

[SMcNeill]

https://github.com/SteveMcNeill/Steve64/blob/master/Archives/Images/Sexy%20Cards.JPG -- Personally, I think this little cardset looks good for any sort of gambling card game. 

[_vince]

https://github.com/SteveMcNeill/Steve64/blob/master/Archives/Images/Sexy%20Cards.JPG -- Personally, I think this little cardset looks good for any sort of gambling card game.

just a random assortment of photographs, could be a little more creative

[johnno56]

Fascinating. Your choice of 'personal' cards are certainly different to mine. With images like those, I seriously doubt, much attention would be applied to the card suit or value... lol

[bplus]

Yeah, I had to look at them a second time just to see that they did actually have card values on them LOL

[bplus]

@johnno56

LOL I forgot where we were at?

Card dimensions and resolution. I will prepare a "sheet" of 94X125 cards, using the set I have, just in case Dav cannot find his set of cards. I will probably have the same issue of pixelation as did Dav. I will experiment on a 'picture' card and post the result.

Yeah I just ran the math on the 240 x 336 card size, those are too big but probably shrink is better than expand. I don't know.
But I think a card sheet 4 rows of 14 with 14th's being Joker (optional) and card backs 1 needed.

You say you'd like to see the cards being flung into position from a shoe? I am picturing a real shoe for a play on words, they walk across the table leaving card footprints...  just joking, I think. :)

I'd like to try your latest table mockup with a blank transparent button so the table background shows through the button shape and print inside button. BTW I like the thicker of the 2 fonts you sent for button text I can draw up the buttons in the GetStarted sub and save as images instead of downloading each button. That would cut down on asset files specially if we have audio coming. Still deciding on final size leaning toward 1024 x 740 washing out logo might work but I am picturing the text to the right of logo because the right side of table is so empty of text it would balance it some.

For the splash can you do lettering for sign? I can do brick wall and some lighting effects? (remember the neon blue?)

OK for all the losers playing B+J version of Blackjack, we will offer 50 times your bet if you hit Ace of Hearts + Jack of Spades in that order, so it will be like a lottery on every round. I think the banker can cover that ;-))