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Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:25 pm 
We could show such a dialogue (with option to stop the script) if the player presses a key and a script's been stuck several seconds.
Wed Jul 25, 2012 3:34 pm
TMC wrote:
We could show such a dialogue (with option to stop the script) if the player presses a key and a script's been stuck several seconds.
Ooh! it could even show the name of the offending script, couldn't it?
Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:25 pm
There is indeed an infinitely looping script. It handles things like companion following, (blasted) chicken interactions, npc actions, etc... I suspected that it was indeed that, but I do have a wait in place. And I don't have any special script triggering in those areas that would cause any change in the looping script.
It's not a problem with coordinates exceeding the width of the map, as that should (I think) at least produce an error of some sort. I may have to break the entire script down again line by line to see where and why it's happening. Though I can't imagine why it would only happen in specific locations on a map, none of which have anything in common with the other.
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
It's not a problem with coordinates exceeding the width of the map, as that should (I think) at least produce an error of some sort. I may have to break the entire script down again line by line to see where and why it's happening. Though I can't imagine why it would only happen in specific locations on a map, none of which have anything in common with the other.
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:36 pm
Are there any each-step script triggers in those parts of the map?
Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:54 pm
There are, and they trigger fine in most other areas of the map. It's only in specific areas where the game suddenly freezes up. Would posting the scripts and a copy of the game help?
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:56 pm
Found it.
It was my party follow function. I don't use the default caterpillar party, and party members are instead npcs that have chase you set to them. The problem was that when the player got too far from the party npcs, a script would destroy those npcs and then try to create a new one closer to the player. The script checks to make sure that the new party npcs spawn in an area that is valid, the problem with those areas is that there is no valid area for the npc to spawn, and thus loops again and again, unable to create a new party npc.
I'm revising that script now to fix the problem.
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
It was my party follow function. I don't use the default caterpillar party, and party members are instead npcs that have chase you set to them. The problem was that when the player got too far from the party npcs, a script would destroy those npcs and then try to create a new one closer to the player. The script checks to make sure that the new party npcs spawn in an area that is valid, the problem with those areas is that there is no valid area for the npc to spawn, and thus loops again and again, unable to create a new party npc.
I'm revising that script now to fix the problem.
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:42 am
Dialogue Update
So, I've been working with dialogue and fleshing out characters. Around 70% of the NPCs in the first area have dialogue trees that change as the player talks to more NPCs and advances through the game.
On average, a single NDT (NPC Dialogue Tree) is around 1,500 words, though some can be as high as 2,500. The NDTs will grow as the game progresses and more characters come into play. To make it so I don't wind up with a ridiculously messy mess, I've allocated certain blocks of text boxes for each NDT. For example, the NPC Quentin could have all of the text boxes from 9,750 to 9,999 while Ricardo has text boxes 10,000 to 10,249. This allows me to use my spreadsheet parser to take my plain text files and then create a block that I can import into CUSTOM without worrying about messing up the order.
As the same spreadsheet also creates the menu scripts for me, I don't need to worry about the actual order of the text-boxes, so I can reorganize them and restructure them to my heart's content. Because of this, I can insert new dialogue options into the NDT and the menu spreadsheet can take this into account and restructure the script as need be.
As I use menus and tags to do the dialogue trees, each NDT uses around 20 tags. But this is still rather early in the game, around 10% of the way through. I expect this to grow, but not in any drastic way, definitely under a hundred tags. Also, as tags are at times carried over between NPCs, I'm expecting around 50 tags or so to the NPC once the game is finished. This number could go up or down though.
I am, however, considering moving away from using tags and to variable instead, as this would make it so I don't need to worry about tag limits. I'm thinking of creating a script that checks variables after each menu selection to create new menu items (or render them visible on the menu) while the dialogue is in action. I'm not sure about how feasible or even doable this is, but it's an idea.
For now though, I'm continuing the fleshing out of all the characters, making NDTs for all the different NPCs. I refuse to have any "Hi! Did you know you can press ALT+F4 to get a special weapon?" type of NPCs. All of the different NPCs in the game will have their own things to say and their own relationships. Granted, this is a lot of work, but I believe it's doable. Rather than having a city with lots of nameless, faceless, NPCs, I'm instead focusing on having relatively fewer NPCs in each city, though each one is a quality character that has an actual personality.
Anywho, that's all for this update, cheers!
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
So, I've been working with dialogue and fleshing out characters. Around 70% of the NPCs in the first area have dialogue trees that change as the player talks to more NPCs and advances through the game.
On average, a single NDT (NPC Dialogue Tree) is around 1,500 words, though some can be as high as 2,500. The NDTs will grow as the game progresses and more characters come into play. To make it so I don't wind up with a ridiculously messy mess, I've allocated certain blocks of text boxes for each NDT. For example, the NPC Quentin could have all of the text boxes from 9,750 to 9,999 while Ricardo has text boxes 10,000 to 10,249. This allows me to use my spreadsheet parser to take my plain text files and then create a block that I can import into CUSTOM without worrying about messing up the order.
As the same spreadsheet also creates the menu scripts for me, I don't need to worry about the actual order of the text-boxes, so I can reorganize them and restructure them to my heart's content. Because of this, I can insert new dialogue options into the NDT and the menu spreadsheet can take this into account and restructure the script as need be.
As I use menus and tags to do the dialogue trees, each NDT uses around 20 tags. But this is still rather early in the game, around 10% of the way through. I expect this to grow, but not in any drastic way, definitely under a hundred tags. Also, as tags are at times carried over between NPCs, I'm expecting around 50 tags or so to the NPC once the game is finished. This number could go up or down though.
I am, however, considering moving away from using tags and to variable instead, as this would make it so I don't need to worry about tag limits. I'm thinking of creating a script that checks variables after each menu selection to create new menu items (or render them visible on the menu) while the dialogue is in action. I'm not sure about how feasible or even doable this is, but it's an idea.
For now though, I'm continuing the fleshing out of all the characters, making NDTs for all the different NPCs. I refuse to have any "Hi! Did you know you can press ALT+F4 to get a special weapon?" type of NPCs. All of the different NPCs in the game will have their own things to say and their own relationships. Granted, this is a lot of work, but I believe it's doable. Rather than having a city with lots of nameless, faceless, NPCs, I'm instead focusing on having relatively fewer NPCs in each city, though each one is a quality character that has an actual personality.
Anywho, that's all for this update, cheers!
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Thu Aug 16, 2012 8:38 am
Art Update
So, after digging around a bit more, I've found that the face generator I've been using does use some copyrighted art (I think). The original program which I found, has the readme in Japanese, and from a rough Google translation, all I can figure out is that the art is copyright the original author. I'm guessing it's OK to use for personal uses, such as in a game, but I would like to release Legacy under Creative Commons, and using copyrighted art wouldn't allow me to do that.
To that end, I'm going to indeed be forced to redo the portrait art. To help with that, I decided to go and build my own face generator. It's still very basic, but the main parts work. The utility is here for what it's worth.
That's it for this update, cheers!
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
So, after digging around a bit more, I've found that the face generator I've been using does use some copyrighted art (I think). The original program which I found, has the readme in Japanese, and from a rough Google translation, all I can figure out is that the art is copyright the original author. I'm guessing it's OK to use for personal uses, such as in a game, but I would like to release Legacy under Creative Commons, and using copyrighted art wouldn't allow me to do that.
To that end, I'm going to indeed be forced to redo the portrait art. To help with that, I decided to go and build my own face generator. It's still very basic, but the main parts work. The utility is here for what it's worth.
That's it for this update, cheers!
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Thu Aug 16, 2012 3:59 pm
I am impressed by your facemaker utility!
That is a really great idea.
That is a really great idea.
Tue Sep 04, 2012 8:03 am
Le gasp! Do mine eyes deceive me? Are there really 16,000 available tags now? Does this mean I can now restructure my tags to allow for longer and more in-depth conversations and whatnot?
To the downloads section!
*insert triumphal fanfare here*
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
To the downloads section!
*insert triumphal fanfare here*
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Sat Sep 08, 2012 1:51 pm
Map Update
Taking a break from doing dialogue. Frankly, all the different people I'm having to create is turning me schizophrenic =p
Been working on maps:
Durkolin South
Exits:
The map isn't finished yet though, still adding stuff to the streets like garbage, paths, benches, etc... Basically stuff to break up the monotony of the brown dirt and the grey cobblestones.
Any comments, suggestions, insults, etc... are most welcome.
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Taking a break from doing dialogue. Frankly, all the different people I'm having to create is turning me schizophrenic =p
Been working on maps:
Durkolin South
Exits:
- World Map
- Police outpost
- The Slashed Ribbon (Tavern)
- The Slashed Ribbon balcony
- Warehouse
- Local house
- Local house
- Local house
- To Durkolin West
- To Durkolin Underground
The map isn't finished yet though, still adding stuff to the streets like garbage, paths, benches, etc... Basically stuff to break up the monotony of the brown dirt and the grey cobblestones.
Any comments, suggestions, insults, etc... are most welcome.
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Sat Sep 08, 2012 7:59 pm
Wow! This mostly is looking very nice. Love those stone walls.
Last time I commented I think I complained about low density, but it looks like that's no problem here.
The things that stick out:
Firstly, you still haven't fixed the perspective on the tops of the barrels!
The rooftop tiles and especially dirt tiles are quite gridy. This is easy to fix: just draw a second slightly different tile and place it randomly amongst the existing tiles.
I'm not fond of your trees; you've made the usual mistake of drawing a realistic tree trunk for a large tree but drawing the rest of the tree at 1/10th scale because there's no room on the screen. I would go with either very small trees or shrubs instead.
The orange outline around the roof sections is quite odd, especially the dark sections!
Last time I commented I think I complained about low density, but it looks like that's no problem here.
The things that stick out:
Firstly, you still haven't fixed the perspective on the tops of the barrels!
The rooftop tiles and especially dirt tiles are quite gridy. This is easy to fix: just draw a second slightly different tile and place it randomly amongst the existing tiles.
I'm not fond of your trees; you've made the usual mistake of drawing a realistic tree trunk for a large tree but drawing the rest of the tree at 1/10th scale because there's no room on the screen. I would go with either very small trees or shrubs instead.
The orange outline around the roof sections is quite odd, especially the dark sections!
Sun Sep 09, 2012 12:30 am
Hehe, indeed, haven't gotten around to the barrels yet, though that's definitely on my list of ToDos.
Hmm, now that you point it out, I can see the problem with the tree, I'll get on that as well.
Cheers!
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Hmm, now that you point it out, I can see the problem with the tree, I'll get on that as well.
Cheers!
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl
Sun Sep 09, 2012 2:18 am
That map looks incredible, but I have to ask... why the walls? I know fundamentally its to break up to map and make it look more three dimensional, and that's good. But why would a town build itself like that?
Are they there for higher ground because the canal floods regularly?
Is it to deter, and/or annoying an invader of some sort?
Is it a design decision to encourage public health through exercise?
Were the crews in charge of building the bridge paid by the hour?
Is the phrase "tall fences make good neighbors" taken literally here?
It can easily just be me, but I'm getting a bit of confusion as to what's taller than what, and it can be contributed to those walls. It even contributes to the top canal segment looks like its going OVER the 7 building.
I feel like a prick nitpicking, tho. Apart from that it looks phenomenal!
—- So anyway, how are you?
Are they there for higher ground because the canal floods regularly?
Is it to deter, and/or annoying an invader of some sort?
Is it a design decision to encourage public health through exercise?
Were the crews in charge of building the bridge paid by the hour?
Is the phrase "tall fences make good neighbors" taken literally here?
It can easily just be me, but I'm getting a bit of confusion as to what's taller than what, and it can be contributed to those walls. It even contributes to the top canal segment looks like its going OVER the 7 building.
I feel like a prick nitpicking, tho. Apart from that it looks phenomenal!
—- So anyway, how are you?
Sun Sep 09, 2012 5:35 am
Stewitus P. wrote:
why the walls? I know fundamentally its to break up to map and make it look more three dimensional, and that's good. But why would a town build itself like that?
Are they there for higher ground because the canal floods regularly?
Is it to deter, and/or annoying an invader of some sort?
Is it a design decision to encourage public health through exercise?
Were the crews in charge of building the bridge paid by the hour?
Is the phrase "tall fences make good neighbors" taken literally here?
It can easily just be me, but I'm getting a bit of confusion as to what's taller than what, and it can be contributed to those walls. It even contributes to the top canal segment looks like its going OVER the 7 building.
Are they there for higher ground because the canal floods regularly?
Is it to deter, and/or annoying an invader of some sort?
Is it a design decision to encourage public health through exercise?
Were the crews in charge of building the bridge paid by the hour?
Is the phrase "tall fences make good neighbors" taken literally here?
It can easily just be me, but I'm getting a bit of confusion as to what's taller than what, and it can be contributed to those walls. It even contributes to the top canal segment looks like its going OVER the 7 building.
Yeah, I do suppose the wall is a bit strange. Though I hope it'll make more sense in the context of the whole city (once I finish mapping the rest of the city that is.).
As for what is over what, I think to solve that problem, I'll add more shadows and/or buildings to better show relative height.
But before that, here's another:
Map Update
Extremely grid-y, very boring, and very plain. It's still a WIP, so there will indeed be many many more improvements to this such as stalactites, stalagmites, water, mushrooms, bats flying around, etc... Other cave areas will also have underground rivers and waterfalls, which should give me good practice for drawing water, hehe.
Also going to add a few skeletons here and there. I just might use the script I wrote for 17 Peach Street to do lighting here, but I'm not entirely sure about that yet.
Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.
Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl