Blue World - Test

Spengo · Post by **Spengo** » Thu 09 Jun, 2005 5:23 am

Well, it's not much, but how bout these for starters?

VahnRPG · Post by **VahnRPG** » Thu 09 Jun, 2005 1:54 pm

the tiles is good. i don't think i'd use all of them, like the house one, but it's still pretty good. i'm trying to go for a top down kind of view, not like the flat view in the previous game...just try and get it a little more asthetically pleasing, ya know ^^'

Spengo · Post by **Spengo** » Thu 09 Jun, 2005 11:37 pm

heh, well you mean straight from the top, or more from an angle like in AoE or a lot of other rpg's? I'm not so good at soing houses and stuff.

VahnRPG · Post by **VahnRPG** » Fri 10 Jun, 2005 12:10 am

well, right now i'm trying to turn my routine into a 16x16 tile map routine rather than an 8x8 one...but it's not my routine and i'm more comfortable doing that kinda stuff in c++ (it's easier on my part, for one) so it might take me a while. See, if I can get it to 16x16, then I can just rip them from RM2K tilesets and everything is cool. it's easier to make stuff look good in 16x16 than 8x8...i mean, hell, even Spencer's Zelda game isn't in 8x8 because you couldn't easily get that kinda detail without bumping it up.
the only problem with THAT is that it might resort to making the game even bigger...all the compression in the world isn't gonna help if there's a lot of screens and data to go through...especially when those compression routines only shave off a byte or two, which is insignificant in the long run anyway

Spengo · Post by **Spengo** » Fri 10 Jun, 2005 3:45 am

heh, how bout making seperate files- like chapters or something like in TVF and stuff. That way, people won't have to load the whole thing at once and you can make the game bigger.

VahnRPG · Post by **VahnRPG** » Mon 13 Jun, 2005 3:16 am

No, it just wouldn't work like that. For one, the game is mostly graphics in comparison. The story I've come up with isn't really that long. In fact, depending on the missions you do, it could be rather short. If my game was some epic quest then I probably would do that, but even then it'd be at LEAST a 4 page app cuz I like them graphics and special attacks

And using compression only maybe 4 bytes shaved off of 1 pic? That's not that much saved so why bother?

Updates:
This past week I witnessed the awe-inspiring Zelda game and came to the conclusion that 8x8 tilesize isn't enough and spent most of the week racking my brain trying to figure out what to do to make my game better. I think it's obvious at this point that my game will never reach the zenith that that one will. Why? 1) It's a Zelda game and 2) it looks friggin awesome.

I'm not holding a grudge or anything, just facing facts. That's not to say I won't do my damnedest to make a decent game. For one, there will be the missions that I mentioned earlier which will advance the story a bit, or at least give you a better understanding of the world I've tried to create for my comic. There will also be quests that you can pick up from a place called "Briganor's General Market" that I've mentioned once or twice in the comic. You go there and if there are quests available then you can do them. Of course, you aren't the only one who is able to do them and if you take too long or do one quest instead of another...well, let's just say, you'll NEVER play the same game twice.

Actually, at this point, I'd better not go into it all. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew, so to speak. I just need to figure out a way to make the maps more detailed and not so damn big.

VahnRPG · Post by **VahnRPG** » Sat 25 Jun, 2005 7:38 pm

A little bit more updates:

As you can probably tell from the screenshot, I have implemented smooth scrolling and larger tiles. It works nice but I'm worried that the maps alone might get TOO big, but I'll worry about it once i can get some REAL maps made, but I'll get to that in a bit.

I'm working on some more routines and stuff so that the overall maps will be smaller but I'll be able to do more. What I mean is that I'm doing a sort of...parser system. I give it the code, throw it into the functions, and everything goes just right. So, rather than each tile being only 1 thing like before (a teleport, a text box, a shop, or a save point), the tiles can be many actions. I'm doin it this way so that I don't have to have more than one of the exact same thing, because of the location checking stuff. I feel like I'm not getting my point across....well, what matters isn't HOW it works, but THAT it works.

As you might be able to tell from the screenshot, you'll also be able to run in the game. The obvious benefit is that you'll move faster across the map, but the other benefit is that you can outrun the monsters. However, rather than some games that allow you to run (in fact, with most of them it's best NOT to walk if you wanna get through the game with any speed), you can run forever. In my game, you can run until your endurance runs out. Once it runs out, you'll be forced to walk until you've recovered and if you get into battle before you've recovered, you'll be in the "Tired" status when it starts. Naturally, if you're in the Tired status when you get out of battle, you'll have to recover on the map. Of course there will be restorative items that cure status effects, but I'm not sure if they'll necessarily apply to the Tired status. I also havent' decided if you'll be able to increase your stamina throughout the game....it'd only make sense that you could, but right now i'm more concerned with getting the maps made.

Which brings me to my next point. Though I may be able to do a webcomic, I am horrible with actual computer art. The sprites for battle are about the limit of my abilities in that aspect and we all know what THOSE look like

The tiles I've been using are ripped from RM2K tilesets and then B&W'ed...this is okay, if it weren't for the fact that there are only a handful that look as good in B&W as they do in color...hell, that little piece of paper in the screenshot is supposed to be a sign but I can't do anything decent. So, if anyone has some top-view B&W tiles they'd be willing to donate I'd be VERY appreciative ^_^ Like...early release appreciative

thecheat · Post by **thecheat** » Sat 25 Jun, 2005 8:10 pm

I like the running thing that sounds new and worth while because why do they put walking and running in a game if the KNOW that every one is going to run the whole time...

Spengo · Post by **Spengo** » Sun 26 Jun, 2005 5:08 am

Cool, so the running thing will be kind of like the running/jumping/swimming thing from Far Cry? Also, nice sprite of the hedgehog guy. I can tell it's supposed to be him, and that's great for little bitty b+w sprites! XD

Spengo · Post by **Spengo** » Wed 29 Jun, 2005 10:28 pm

double post!

Anywho, I got a bajillion questions: Are you going to change the name of this game too because you decided to quit writing the Blue World comics? What's the new character going to be? Are you going to make like 2 or 3 more Blue World comics to finish up the story? When does the new comic start? Wtf does Blue World mean anyways, and why is it called that?

VahnRPG · Post by **VahnRPG** » Wed 29 Jun, 2005 10:38 pm

whew, lotsa questions, heh

Are you going to change the name of this game too because you decided to quit writing the Blue World comics?

No, the game is the same name. I'm not quitting the comic, it's just put on hiatus for a while

What's the new character going to be?

What new character?

Are you going to make like 2 or 3 more Blue World comics to finish up the story?

No, for now, the story is on a bit of a cliffhanger. The current story arc wouldn't end for at LEAST 10 weeks, and if i kept it up I would just be purpetuating the level of quality my comic shouldn't be.

When does the new comic start?

It probably won't start for a month or so. I've got a story laid out, I'm just trying to get the characters worked out so that people can relate to them, know who they are, etc.

Wtf does Blue World mean anyways, and why is it called that?

The title itself doesn't really have too much significance, except that at that point in the planet's history, most of the planet is covered in water, only 2 major continents are really habitable: Bizan (where the comic has been takin place for the most part) and Serdio (where Turgon and Narr are from...wouldn't go there for 2 more chapters so...)

And, if you're wondering, yes, when I get back to Blue World, I will be completely starting over...that might be 3 years away, though (not saying that I'm not going to be doing any comics for 3 years

)

VahnRPG · Post by **VahnRPG** » Fri 01 Jul, 2005 6:24 am

don't really mean to double post, but...well, i thin i've come to one of those show-stopping snags...ya see, it's come to my attention that even if i use only 1 tileset of 256 tiles (which would be about 2048 bytes), I couldn't get very many maps done without having them and only them on its own page, and that's withOUT the routines that the maps would need...meaning it'd be pointless to have that many maps...the sad thing is, for my game, you kinda NEED as many maps as i have planned out.
That screenshot I have up is 1 20x20 map. That's 800 bytes (20x20 = 400 for the map, then x2 for the checking). Multiply THAT by 36 and you've got 28800 bytes needed...that's more than 1 app page...I'd really rather not have the game be so flippin huge that that's the only thing that can be on the calc. Granted, that's not a problem for you fancy youngins with your TI-84s with a gig of archive space, but all I have is a 83+ so...
All the compression in the world wouldn't help if all it does is shave off a few bytes that the routines necessary to use that would require (probably more, especialyl when dealing with smooth scrolling). And doing it in "parts" wouldn't work because the game I have planned out requires going back and forth between locations often and I'd rather not have to require you to save, shut down, unarchive one set, start it up again, get to the other place, save, shut down, etc
I kinda had a feeling this would happen...the game is too big for its own good...
how...frustrating...

Post by **DarkAuron** » Fri 01 Jul, 2005 7:52 am

Vahn, theres other ways to do it, and compression CAN help, don't assume it won't. Besides, if you need help, you can always ask. And if you need tiles, I could try to help you out there. Don't worry too much right now, just do what you can and work out the quirks later. If you frustrate yourself too much at this point, you might scrap the project. And we wouldn't want that happen would we? Just hold in there, we'll see what we can do..

VahnRPG · Post by **VahnRPG** » Fri 01 Jul, 2005 9:41 pm

I'm goin by the assumption that the compression routines that i've looked at before only tend to shave off a few bytes which isn't really enough
i've asked for help before and gotten nothing back unless i make a pest of myself, and I don't like being a pest.
tiles, i'd appreciate help on

i just don't wanna get too far into the project (which i'm sorta at now) and then find out that there's some quirk that'd mean some sacrifice to get done...like, have some neato opening movie but it's just so neato that it takes up the whole calc space (originally I was thinking of doing a trailer like I did for MtSQuest - True but on the actual calc and actually be a part of the game...if that requires me to do another page just for that thing, it might not be so worth it, ya know?)

Spengo · Post by **Spengo** » Sun 03 Jul, 2005 10:13 pm

I'm still confused as to why you can't do it TVF style and have seperate "chapters" that you load on your calc as you beat the previous ones.