Am I being too ambisious?

[chiisaiko]

Okay, I know ambisious is spelled wrong, I can spell...but anyway...

I guess I should explain what I'm trying to do. My quest is also tenatively called "Zelda's Quest", which is also the name of my fan comic. It is going to be my sequal to the Minish Cap, and I think my biggest challenge is going to be re-creating the Minish Cap World Map, and give the illusion of shrinking/growing by use of warp tiles and the like.

I should probably try a short quest first, just to get used to the controls. I'm new to ZC, and I'm really excited to get started, but I'm still trying to read through tutorials and figure out the game controls (I'm not exactly really good at this computer stuff). I have to figure out how to change the Link-sprite to make it look more Zelda-ish ('cause you play Zelda and not Link) and all.

I know what I really want to do, and I know that by the time I finish planing everything and get started on the quest, it'll probably take me all summer to do. I really want to create this game, but I know I might never be able to have the game do what I want it to do....>.> which really bites....

So tell me, folks...am I trying to do something beyond my skills? Should I stick to the easy stuff, or should I let my imagination run wild and create a quest that probably won't be finished until the next 2 versions are out?

(P.S., If you wanna check out my fan-comic go to http://anitaangelo2.deviantart.com and view my gallery, so far I'm on chapter 3 (which will be level 2 of the game...if I ever finish it))

[DefEdge]

Personally, I was in the same situation with my Arena Fight game. The best experience is to play with the program. You'd be amazed at what you can do with it. And you can always go back and change things as you go. If you want to, you could start using the classic tileset that is auto-loaded, but it's very weak in the terms of what you can do with it. Then again, one of the more complicated tilesets out there, Adventure, is an excellent tileset, but is tough to work with if you aren't experienced enough.

It's all up to you on how hard you want to make the experience. The thing to remember is 'suffering first leads to easier rewards later.' What this means is, like in some online games, that if you make things hard at first, that sometimes the effort will reward you in the end with something better and easier. In this case, if you do something hard, you'll learn faster.

However, you don't want to make it too hard because it will become discouraging.

Go ahead and play with the program. See what you can do with it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask on the boards here. We'll be happy to assist you with whatever you are having trouble with.

[rocksfan13]

However, this thread should have been started in the Zquest Editor Help title.

As for the shrinking, I doubt that you can recreate that without creating extra large tiles surrounding the player to give th illusion of being small, because you cannot change the player tiles throughout the game. There is only 2 things that let the player's tile change. The shield and the ring.

[chiisaiko]

Oh, okay...>.> Sorry about the wrong thread...

Thanks guys, I'll keep your advise in mind...*crosses fingers* Hopefully I'll figure all of this out...

[eXodus]

Technically, Rocksfan13, Link Tile Mods will let you change Link's graphics with almost any item (2.11 can extend that to all of Links animations, not just Walking Right, Left and Down). However, the change happens while you have the item, just like the shields do. The enlarged tiles sound like a good idea, but you won't be able to have little Link on the normal Overworld. Maybe you could recreate only the necessary parts of the Overworld in giant form for those sections?

[chiisaiko]

Yeah, that's what I plan to do. I actually found that somebody on purezc.com started a Minish Cap title set, and theres is actually, I think, too big...so what I need help with now is how do I create my own tiles? I finished createing a mini-quest with Alphadawgs' tutorial (and it was easier then I thought XD yeah!) and I'm experimenting with some different things.

I actually found someone on purezc.com who created the Minish-cap as an item (so you look like the small link on the regular maps), and I'm anxious to see how that works, though I will still be creating a secondary "world map" in big form, but to do that, I need to know how to make my own tiles. Can anyone help me with that?

[MarioBrosCom]

To make your own tiles, go to Quest->Graphics->Tiles. Then double click on one of the tiles, and it will bring you to the tile editor. (I suggest using someone else's tileset as a template so that you don't have to mess around with palettes before you start.) Then, draw in your own versions of each of the tiles (if you don't want to have any trouble setting sprites, put your new tiles in the same places as the old ones).

If you don't take enough time to plan how you want the tiles to look within ZQ's limits, making the tiles will be hard, but with enough planning, it shouldn't be much of a problem...

[chiisaiko]

^_^ Thanks Mario. I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner...my computer was being a pain and wouldn't let me log into anything...>.> but I'd rather have the good spysweeper and block some cookies and have to reset things rather then viruses...

nehoo ^_^ I found what you said and I started some work. I did find someone who made a Mt. Crenel tileset, and I opened thier file in paint and zoomed in so I could see the pixles and practiced by copying what I saw, and then I tried a few myself ^_^ it's actually quite fun. I've also figured out how to create my own pallet (though I haven't gotten it to work yet....>.> I think I need to create more then one line of colors) for what will be a Castor Wilds set (from Minish Cap). Once I have some done, I'll post my tiles so someone can tell me how I'm doing ^_^ This is quite fun (esepcially for an art/music teacher like me...whoops...:-p showin' my age...)

[chiisaiko]

Behold my crap-taculart graphic skills....^^;;; this was supposed to look like the Castor Wilds...and obviously, I'm in waaaay over my head...oh well...I think I'll make my quest using the 2.10test graphics and combos and such, and then when I get better at graphics, I can change things...but for now, let's get this quest started...XD

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/AnitaAngelo/zelda002.jpg

[Rakki]

It's probably a good idea for you to use a different tileset for now, since right now, Zquest doesn't have the graphical power to create a full Minish Cap tileset. Minish Cap tiles use too many colors, you know. Fortunately, that'll no longer be a problem on the next version release.

[chiisaiko]

O.o really? XD See, I've been trying to read through the threads on the new version and I can't make heads or tails of half of what they are saying (then again, I really have to skim because my online time is a bit limited...>.> I only get about an hour to 2 hours of comp time...doesn't leave much time for quest-ing...) And yeah, my biggest problem was not enough variables in the colors. The titles themselves, I think, need more pixles, which would allow for more details in the graphics themselves...

XD Heck, by the time I get my quest done, the new version will probably be out anyways...:-p Oh well ^_~ I have work to do! *goes questing*

[Rakki]

Work that you COULD do for now is just put together the tilesets in like, Paint. Since ZQuest can import graphics and palettes for use in tilesets, you could start work on a MC tileset now, and then when 2.11 is really released, you could import it and the palettes for it.

[chiisaiko]

Oh...O.o So I don't just have to use the tile editor in Z.C.? I can draw the graphics in another program and import them? Cool ^_^ I learned something new today. I think I'm still gonna do the quest itself first, and then I'll worry about graphics...:-p no sense in doing all that work when I'm still basically figuring out the program and trying to get things to work right ^_^. So much to do, so little time...:-p but it's sooooo gonna be worth it! XD

[firefly]

Chii, I suggest you to practice Zelda Classic first and prepare yourself to do your quest, If you make first the quest with the custom graphics (or any others) it will be very hard for you to import the graphics later.

And to import tiles to your quest, you must have a matching palete (sorry if you already knew that) and you should wait for the stable 2.11 version to be released, so you can have the reduce feature and the 224 colors option enabled, and you can make some great masterpieces :) .

I hope 2.11 gets released soon :hourglas:

[VI3T_DR@GON]

2.11 I heard is going to be released sometime in the next couple years. Possibly 2...chiisaiko, if you want to make a Link small, make the tiles when Link is swimming, into him very small. Just use the raft or ladder for water transportation. Make sure it is easy, because you cant use your sword when your in the water, as well as pushing blocks.

[chiisaiko]

So basically, if I make my quest now, it would be difficult to import the quest, do the graphics, and update as I go when ZQ comes out. *thinks* You know, I have a few ideas for a practice quest, and I have been experimenting with expanding the tutorial quest alphadawg has you create, and I do need to practice with layers and such...^_^

Can't wait for 2.11 ^_^ it will be much fun. For now, I think I'll just keep working on the tutorial quest so that I have the hang of things. ^^;;; I feel like such a flip-flopper, but my big quest, tentativly called "Minish Cap 2: Zelda's Quest", after my comic, will be my master piece and I want it to be perfect ^_~ Even if it takes me the next year or so to do it...:-p better to have everything done the way you want it then to have to do it over and over again...^_~ whee!

So much prep work to do...XD Like I said, By the time I get it all done, the new version will be out

[Zelda_Warrior]

that is so wrong, 2.11 will not be released in like 2 years...

try out 6 months at most for a complete version, although im not sure exactly what they mean.

make a graphic in paint, go into quest>graphics>tiles and click on an empty tile, click on grab, then select the .gif from paint, hit ok anditll import it, then grab the .gifs pallette, and you got a custom tile.

making them in photoshop looks loads better but messes up the color sometimes

[chiisaiko]

Um...okay O.o I've hit an odd problem. I'm creating my new quest by opening the 2.10test file, saving it as a different file, deleting the old maps, and creating my maps. I created a whole new map (map #8) and created a D-map for a new dungeon, and went to create the rooms. I clicked on the floor tile I wanted and clicked template and this is what happened:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/AnitaAngelo/zelda003.jpg

Now, if I do the same thing on the other maps that were alread programed to be the dungeons for the 2.10test file, everything's fine...>.> Should I just copy/paste from the other maps, or should I be worried that I messed something up majorly that the template isn't working for my new map?

[Phazite]

On the same map that screen is on, go to screen 83 and put the walls where they should go around the edges, then go back to the other screen and click template again.

[chiisaiko]

Oh, okay, ^_^ Thank you....I completely forgot about that! ^^;;;

[chiisaiko]

I'm sorry to be asking so many questions, but I have a few more issues that have come up that I can't seem to find answers for in any tutorials:

1. Is it possible to put shops/special item rooms inside of dungeons? I've created a sort of mini-dungon that acts as an 'undergroud city'. There are no enemies (except the bonus boss), and I wanted to make it as if you are walking through, like, a farmers market type thing, and the room on the left will be one shop, and the room on the right will be another shop, but I don't seem to be able to do that.

2. I created a new map on which to make this underground city, and I designated it as a dungeon. I drew the item room in screen 80 (the one with the long steps and then the short steps to where the item is), and yet when I set the tile warp to get there, my Link always shows up as if he is walking into a cave and gets stuck. Do I need to set the place where he's supposed to walk in, or should I use one of the other maps screen 80 and just have Link warp there?

3. I set the Screen Data to have a push block open a shuttered door, and yet when I go to the screen, the door is already open. Do I have to put an enemy in the room to trigger this?

Sorry to ask so many questions...>.> I feel like such a noob...(and no doubt that the more I do this, the more questions I'll have, and I do try to figure them out on my own first, honest I do (I have Idontknow, Alphadawgs, and one other person tutorials, and I keep looking for more who might have differen sections on how to do different things). Thanks again for all your help!

[Nimono]

1: Yes, it is.
2: I think you should use another room.
3: Did you set Blocks>Shutters in Screen Data? Also, did you set the DMap to dungeon and did you give it a number? If not, do these things.


Now, I have a question of my own: When in the world did ZC 2.11 come out? It's not under Downloads!

[Phazite]

2. Make sure that the Dmap is a dungeon with a level number and the warp type is item room/ cave.
3. What Pikaguy said. The Dmap must be a dungeon and have a level number.

Pikaguy - 2.11 beta 6 (Thats what it's called right?) came out in December, but it is mostly just for testing and finding bugs right now.

[chiisaiko]

Yeah! Everything works now ^_^ Thank you!