ZCB - Not Your Standard Quest...

[HeroOfFire]

For the latest version download for ZCB, check below:

Version 0.03 for Windows Build 816

http://rapidshare.com/files/128010127/ZCB003.qst.html

Open Version 2 (0.03) for Windows Build 816

http://rapidshare.com/files/128010289/ZCBOpen2.qst.html


What is ZCB? Short for Zelda Classic Battle!

Where do I start with talking about this? It has so much already functional...

Okay, controls first! The quest has two different control scemes: one for the menus and one for the battles.

In the menus, move the cursor with the arrows (or the mouse instead if you set an in-quest option) and make selections with 'A'.

In the battles, you move around normally and attack with 'A' and 'B'. Your attack is determined by if you are moving or in the air. Press 'L' to jump and 'Start' to pause. Mostly self-explanatory.

Gameplay... A lot to cover, and I don't want to ramble on too much...
Check my second post for more if this doesn't cover enough.

You start at the main menu. From here you have access to the other menus. The 'Arcade' and 'Adventure' menus are mainly for show for now, but 'Battle' is fully functional. You can buy the first two 'things' from the 'Shop'. 'Options' allows you to toggle a few features.

In the 'Battle' Menu... ah, just play around and see what happens. Or check my next post for more details.
In the battles themselves... just try to be the better fighter...

Current Credits (Expect this to grow...)
Graphics:
Old-Skool from PureZC
Woppdie from PureZC
J.J.Maxx from PureZC
Rexlaninetales from PureZC
Mr. Z, Wild Bill, and more from PureZC for the Pure Tileset and other tilesets I combined into the improved pure tileset I'm using in this quest.
Music:
Raldy Vargas from VGMusic
Robert Hansson from VGMusic
Ilya Gordon from VGMusic
SevenChaps from VGMusic
Sephiroth3 from VGMusic
Dave Phaneuf from VGMusic
SumGuy from VGMusic
Blitz Lunar from VGMusic
Other:
Din from here for inspiration (you might understand this if you look far enough back in the quest discussions)

Um...
Well, stop reading this and get to battling already!
Or at least check out my other posts for more info if you wish...

If you are interested in the scripts, use the current open version.

Also, if you don't like me using rapidshare, don't hesitate to suggest another free shareware site.

[ShadowTiger]

... Holy crap.


DAMN! You guys got serious competition here! :blah: This is badass.

The Battle area (vs) could use some player sounds, but with all the crazy action going on in there, I'll bet it'd destroy some systems or something. Can you disable having eight people up there at once, and just have, say two?

[Shazza Dani]

Why does it seem like my weapons are random?

[bigjoe]

This is awesome! I might suggest a little bit better AI for the battle opponents. They seem to fire a little too much and aren't good at homing in on you/ other opponents. (especially after you die. It can go on forever with them just shooting a lot randomly) Also, give them their secondary jump ability. It would be cool to see the wizzrobe dudes phasing around in the air.

[ShadowTiger]

Pretty sure I saw them do that though. Random Wizzrobes (IF they were Wizzrobes...) were indeed doing their BlueWizzrobe wallphase trick.

[HeroOfFire]

Now that the cat's out of the bag, I'll explain the current gameplay in more detail.

In this prototype, the meat and bones of the quest is the battle mode.

In the battle mode menu, there are several options thrown at you. First, you can pick the player used by each battler, the CSets of each character, and the team for each battler.

Currently, there are fi.. I mean four characters and a random option.
Each character can be one of 4 different CSets.
The team (represented by the flag) can be set to any value between 0 and 8. Yes, teams are functional in this prototype.

To answer ShadowTiger's question, it is possible to have less active battlers. Simply set their team to 0, and they won't show up in the battle.

Also in the battle menu is the battle mode and a stage selection. There is only one stage right now, so the stage selection is just for show (what's the point of randoming when there is only one stage?) The modes of play are kills and lives. For lives, the last team standing wins. For kills, the first team to reach the score wins. Teams share the same score in kill mode.

In Battle Stuff:
Characters each have a HP rating, a move speed, a jump height, and six attacks.
The four characters are:
LOZ Link (#1) 32HP, 3MS, 6Jump
A: Sword Swing A+Moving: Sword Beam A+Air: Bomb Drop
B: Wooden Boomerang B+Moving: Wodden Arrow B+Air: Candle Flame
LOZ Link is a representation of the Link from the original NES Legend of Zelda. His moves represent the classic items from the game.

LOZ Zelda (#2) 27HP, 4MS, 6Jump
A: Magic Surge A+Moving: Wand Shot A+Air: Magic Bomb
B: Magic Boomerang B+Moving: Silver Arrow B+Air: Magical Raft
LOZ Zelda is the Zelda Link awakened with all 3 triforces in Zelda 2: Link's Adventure. All of her attacks are magical or magic weapons, with the exception of her magical raft, which allows her to fly for a short time.

Wizzrobe (#3) 24HP, 4MS, 7Jump
A: Spell A+Moving: Double Spell A+Air: Spell Sweep
B: Spell Bomb B+Moving: Spread Spell B+Air: Phase
Advancing from enemy to major character, the Wizzrobe is overpowered from spamming the stage with powerful spells and a good flying ability to get around faster. However, he is still like an enemy as his HP is lacking.

ZC Link (#4) 32HP, 3MS, 6Jump
A: Sword Swing A+Moving: Hookshot A+Air: Bomb Drop
B: Fire Boomerang B+Moving: Wooden Arrow B+Air: Hammer Slam
ZC Link is a representation of what the LOZ Link has become capable of in the Zelda Classic quests. His Hookshot and Hammer could lead some to believe he is the Link from LTTP, but the Fire Boomerang is specific to Zelda Classic.

(#5)...wait, there isn't five...

Attacks are not random, but instead situational. The attack used depends on whether 'A' or 'B' was pressed, if you are moving or not (arrow key input), and if you are in the air or not.

Battle Tip: Attacks factor in accuracy in the Z axis. In other words, you can jump over most attacks, and some attacks will fly over battlers on the ground. The bomb is the best solution to jumpy foes (which the AI is not really jumpy yet), since it has a better chance to hit enemies in the air.

The last thing you may or may not have noticed is the rupee count in the shop menu. Every time you or your team wins a battler, you earn at least one rupee.

In kills mode, you gain rupees equal to your score plus one for every enemy you have minus one (so in one on one, you only get rupees from the score).
However, this bonus is divided evenly among any allies (one ally halves your bonus for example).

In lives mode, you gain rupees equal to the lives you have left at the end of the battle. You also gain two additional rupees for the number of enemies you have minus one (basically double the bonus from kills mode, since more enemies makes it harder to avoid losing lives) but the bonus is reduced by three for every ally.

No matter what, you will get at least one rupee if you win a battle.

If you die in a battle and are waiting for it to end or just want to end it anyway, just press 'Start'. A slightly hard to see message tells you that pressing 'R' will quit the battle. You won't win any rupees by doing this however...

As for the AI, that is on my to do list, but I have a few other improvements to make first (collision is the big one right now). The first AI change planned is simple homing, followed by A* pathfinding if possible given the restrictions of the engine. While you are waiting, try having some interesting rounds by having random characters. You never know what might happen...

I'm working on commented my script file for an "open source" version right now. Once I release it, you'll learn of my cunning tricks to handle the characters, unlocking stuff, and how I worked around the global array bug.

[gray0x]

This quest is so damn amazing. I love you.

[_L_]

ZC Link is a representation of what the LOZ Link has become capable of in the Zelda Classic quests. His Hookshot and Hammer could lead some to believe he is the Link from LTTP, but the Fire Boomerang is specific to Zelda Classic.

Not quite... the red flashy Boomerang is in fact from BSZelda (http://www.shardstorm.com/ZCwiki/List%20of%20Zelda%20series%20references%20in%20Zel da%20Classic).

The built-in ZC items that have genuinely sprung up from nowhere but myself are the Peril Ring*, the Wealth Medals, the Cross Beams scroll, and, um, the Magic Rings.

I think it'd be neat if the "Hero of ZC" got Remote Bombs, even though not many quests use them yet.

* Ring != Beam

[_L_]

ZC Link is a representation of what the LOZ Link has become capable of in the Zelda Classic quests. His Hookshot and Hammer could lead some to believe he is the Link from LTTP, but the Fire Boomerang is specific to Zelda Classic.

Not quite... the red flashy Boomerang is in fact from BSZelda (http://www.shardstorm.com/ZCwiki/List%20of%20Zelda%20series%20references%20in%20Zel da%20Classic).

The built-in ZC items that have genuinely sprung up from nowhere but myself are the Peril Rings*, the Wealth Medals, the Tiger Scrolls for Cross Beams, and Super Quake**, the Magic Rings and, um, the Stomp Boots.

* Ring != Beam
** A "Quake Hammer"-esque technique was in Four Swords Adventures.

[gray0x]

Just asking, are you planning on adding more stages and characters? You could have so much more in the Shop. That would be great. Also, do you plan on adding any SFX besides for the death sound? I'm sure you could make it work.

[HeroOfFire]

I hope to have lots of fun making more stages and characters. Both have a true cap of 256...try to guess why such an odd number or wait until I release the scripts.

In the near future, I have at least 2 more characters lined up, but I need to implement 2 new attack types first. However, the default available 4 characters will always be the only 4 available by default, while the rest will be hidden and need to be unlocked. Also, battlers will eventually have up to 8 different CSets.

On an unrelated and clearly not a red herring subject, hidden characters and unlocking them is implemented in the prototype...

As for stages, I want to improve collision first so instead of checking the tile as a whole, it instead checks each bit of walkability (like the default engine does for Link). I know how to test each bit, I just need to plan how to loop for each bit of walkability to test. At least 3 stages will be unlocked by default in future versions, and some stages will have additional tile effects, such as conveyors, damaging and sudden death tiles, and tiles the hookshot can fire over or even grab.

The last shop item will be used to buy more modes of play for battles. Some planned modes include sudden death (HP always 1), one life (lives but always one life, you instead choose the amount of bonus HP the battlers get), and leveling (kills, but as you get kills your max HP increases and you do more damage). It will likely be a while before some of these get implemented though.

Then there are the main gameplay modes.
Arcade:
Choose a battler and a number of lives, then play 9 battles against random enemies on random stages. Some battles may be 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, 3 vs 3, 1 vs 5 of the same character, 1 vs 1 with an enemy with better HP and damage than normal, 4 way free for all, and bosses. Bosses are the only thing keeping me from implementing arcade mode quickly, since they are not normal battlers but more like scripted versions of major enemies, such as Gohma or Gleeok.

Adventure:
All I can say about plans for this mode at the moment is "Overworld".

Options:
Notice how a battler no longer displays at the top when they lose all their lives in lives mode? Not bad, but I want an option so they don't dissapear.
I have no other options in mind at the moment, unless I want a delete data option (which may be easier to implement than you think...).

Sounds:
The only thing I really have not played with much... The death sound is because npcs are used to handle taking damage and hold battler HP. I could add more sounds, but they would need to be generic to all characters and/or attack types (for now that is).

Hero Of ZC...
I had the four beams attack type considered for some characters, but the remote bombs...
Now I have to make them too. But with the hookshot, standard bombs, and hammer, ZC Link has already got an awsome arsenal...

Maybe the Hero Of ZC will be a really hidden, over the top Link with graphics from a tileset other than pure (or custom graphics representing someone important to the ZC community dressed like Link). Come to think of it, that would make a fun battler!

Hero Of ZC (#really high) 36HP, 4MS, 7Jump
A: Sword Swing A+Moving: Cross Beams A+Air: Remote Bomb
B: Hurricane Spin B+Moving: Longshot B+Air: Hammer Slam with large AOE

But until then, I have a Link-styled character who isn't Link planned for the near future.

-Identity Unknown- (#6) 40HP, 3MS, 6Jump
A: Sword Swing A+Moving: Sword Beam A+Air: Din's Fire
B: Enchanted Arrow B+Moving: -Unknown Magic- B+Air: Whistle Whirlwind

Hint: There is a 99.9% chance you don't know his name. His name was revealed in the final final version of my first and only quest, Hero Of Elements. I never properly submitted the quest to the quest database, and the rapidshare link has most likely long since expired.

[bigjoe]

More enemy-themed battlers would be cool.

Can you do enemies that are invulnerable in certain directions? If so, you could do a darknut. You'd have to balance him though, kinda like the wizzrobe. Take some hp away to compensate.

[bobrocks95]

Both have a true cap of 256...try to guess why such an odd number or wait until I release the scripts.

Well, after watching The King of Kong, I know that the 256th level of Pac-Man is a kill screen because there's not enough data to hold the supposed "infinite" levels. I wouldn't think ZC would have this sort of cap or anything, but that's just a number I recognize.

[Gleeok]

Hah! :P That's pretty impressive. Very cool.

Maybe fine tune the AI a little, add in some items? maybe, or a one-on-one deathmatch perhaps. Looking forward to the arcade mode.

Also yeah, rapidshare sucks. Try www.filespace.org -gives direct links, no ads, and a 5mb limit to free users.

[HeroOfFire]

Version 0.02 is out! Check the first post for the link.
Also...
Open Version 1 is out! This is an unpassworded version of the quest so you can see the massive scripts used for the quest and a few of my more unusual approches.

Version 0.02 Changes: Too Many to Remember!

Improved Collision: Now the battlers collide with each bit of a tile instead of the tile as a whole. Weapons also follow these changes. In theoroy, the hookshot attacks should ignore hookshot combos, although I have not tested this and I don't need this feature until adventure mode.

New Battlers: Now there are 7 battlers to play as. Of course, they are both hidden by default and must be unlocked.

No one seemed to mention the "odd" character that showed up in the prototype on occasion when randomed. That was a hidden character.
Hidden characters can be unlocked in 3 ways:
Encounter one in a battle randomly, win, and get lucky (you have a better chance if you are the hidden character).
Pay 100 rupees to unlock one. Hidden characters include a level of rarity, and buying one may still yield a 75 rupee refund if the game cannot find a hidden character with a low enough rarity. Currently, 2 of the 3 hidden characters have a higher rarity level, and will only be unlocked through the shop around 30% of the time.
If you win 50 or more rupees from a match, the game acts as if you just spent 100 rupees at the shop to unlock a character. Just like the shop, the game will look for hidden characters of a certain rarity level, so there are no guarantuees to unlock a character this way.

New character data, including the hidden one from the prototype:

-Identity Still Unknown- (#5) 30HP, 9MS, 6Jump
A: Double Sword Swing A+Moving: Double Sword Beam A+Air: Double Sword Spin Attack
B: Fire Shuriken B+Moving: Dash Attack B+Air: Fire Shuriken Storm
Not a lot to say about this guy, except he is fast. Really fast. His dash attack is really hard to hit with, but his spin attack is deadly.

Rafael (#6) 40HP, 3MS, 6Jump
A: Sword Swing A+Moving: Sword Beam A+Air: Din's Fire
B: Enchanted Arrow B+Moving: Elementa B+Air: Wistle Whirlwind
The main hero from Hero Of Elements, Rafael is a master of both swordplay and magic. Elementa is a very powerful magic, and it can even hit multiple opponents in a line. Overall, this guy is a little strong, but he leaves himself open when he casts Din's Fire.

Arcana (#7) 32HP, 4MS, 7Jump
A: Magic Spread A+Moving: Elementa A+Air: Bomb Medalion
B: Energy Aura B+Moving: Energy Beam B+Air: Force Teleport
Arcana is also from Hero Of Elements, but I won't say where. Her magic is powerful, including Elementa, and her screen spanning beam attack is dangerous. However, she is open to attack when using the beam, and her magic spread sometimes needs a delay to use again. Just don't get to close if she uses her Energy Aura or Bomb Medalion. Also, her Force Teleport will do minor damage to enenmies she touches in the air.

New Stages: 3 new stages!
Stage List:
Battlefield (from the prototype)
Hyrule Enterance (a revamped version of the starting screen from the original LOZ)
Death Mountain (a revamped version of the enterance to level 9 from the original 1st quest) - the lava will damage characters on it!
Final Arena (a reference to Final Destination from the Smash Brothers series, but more Zelda like. This stage is hidden.)

To unlock a stage, either spend 200 rupees at the shop or random the stage, win, and get lucky.

More victory icons: The victory screen in battle mode now shows how many rupees you won and will show an icon if you unlock a hidden stage.

New Attack Types: The newcomers use some new attack types, including a screen-spanning beam, area-of-effect attacks similar to dins fire, and projectiles that act like golden arrows (the don't stop upon enemy collision).

Better AI: Now the AI will home in on enemies and occasionally wander around a bit (in case two enemies get stuck when homing in on each other)

New Options: Show Dead and Show HP
Show Dead: When toggled on, battlers with 0 lives in lives mode will still have their icons appear at the top.
Show HP: When toggled on, the actual amount of HP each battler has will be displayed below their icon (so you can see how much damage an attack does)

Better tile management for battlers. But since the prototype wasn't open, you wouldn't guess that would you?

Shadows for characters in the air!

A momentum system for characters to go with the new collision. Specifically, characters need to accelerate up to their top speed, instead of automatically moving at top speed.

EDIT: I rembered one other cool new feature. If you select random for a battler of the stage, it will remain random when you return to the battle menu. No more switching battlers back to random after every battle or every time you leave the battle menu.

Now for the quiz answer: The cap is 256 because there are 256 DMaps! To properly keep track of unlocked stages and characters, I use the map and boss key items of the DMaps. I also have the compass reserved for progress made in adventure mode.

Coming Attractions:
More battlers, attack types, and stages. Pretty obvious.
Character defenses and attack damage types: Characters will reduce damage taken from attacks if they have a defense against the damage type of the attack. For example, Zelda will take less damage from most of Wizzrobe's attacks because she will resist magic attacks, which the Wizzrobe uses.
Character Special Abilities: Though not all are planned out, this will give some characters the ability to double jump, ignore most tile affects, or even use a shield. bigjoe's Darknut is among the planned battlers, who will use a shield and have good defense at the expense of limited movement.
More CSets for battlers: Expect at least 1 to 2 more.

Long Distance Attractions:
Arcade Mode (excluding bosses)
Items
Some Adventure Mode Stuff
More Battle Modes
Team Colors Option (needs all 8 battler CSets made first)
Gambling on Battles you are not in
FFCs for special effects in stages (such as custom traps)

Finally, I have a little to talk about regarding the open version...
But this post is already very long and I don't want to double post either...
So if you have a particular subject regarding how I did things in the quest (after viewing the open version), let me know. This includes character creation, in case you have an idea for a character you want to demonstrate.

Oh, and newcomer "The Arrow" in the open version as a base to see how characters are set up.

[Din]

Hahaha! I remember this idea from long ago! Great job Hero of Fire! I now have something to look forward to. Keep it up!

EDIT: Urgh, I hate AOL. I can't download the file with Rapidshare. I have to agree with Gleeok to use Fileshare, I just can't download the quest.

[HeroOfFire]

This thread gets quiet way too quickly...

Anyway, I have some good news... and a little contest of sorts...

First, I have made some progress on the next version.

What's new so far:

5 new attack types, including a temporary invincibility barrier (hard to time though), an interesting variation of the spin attacks, and a pair of really unique "attacks".

3 and 1/2 new characters. The 1/2 character is Darknut, who is functional but without his tiles at the moment.

Character defenses. Now attacks have a damage type some battlers may resist. Shields are also working, and will double the damage reduction against resisted attacks if the attack hits them head on (for example, both Links can pretty much avoid all damage from arrows if they face the attack).

Revamped CSets. All 8 character CSets are finished, and the pre-existing ones have had some major changes.

New Option: Team CSets. Now characters can have their CSet determined by their team.

New Stage: It will be hidden, but I will give out this much info: extra FFCs cause some really interesting effects in the stage. And remember... Din's Fire does not make you immune to lava.

First Glimpse of ????????? ????. I'm not spoiling everything here, but you will be able to check it out in the next version.

Before the next version is released, I want to add another stage and another character. Here is where you come in...

I want your input on what characters you want to see in Zelda Classic Battle. They are not required to be related to the Zelda series; in fact, I would like to see some out-there suggestions.

However, the last character I will add for the next version should be Zelda related. Don't suggest another version of Link or Zelda, Gannondorf, or Vatti; they are already planned to be added down the line. Also, don't give any suggestions regarding the Hero of ZC...yet.

One last thing. When suggesting a character, give a brief description of the attacks the character might use. If the character is difficult to give six reasonably different attacks, don't suggest it (you don't need to list six attacks, just the ones you really want the character to use). On the other hand, some characters that have limited attacks could make good enemies in adventure mode, but that is not what I'm looking for right now.

Oh, and I plan to give Fileshare a test run soon and if it works well, I'll start using it. The 5MB limit is the only thing that worries me.

The next version (0.03) should be released by the end of the weekend. I also plan to release another open version with it.

[Din]

Thank heavens for Internet Explorer. Anyway, here's my suggestion.

Character: Swiftblade
From: Minish Cap
Stats: 40 HP 5 MP 4 Jump
Moves: A: Sword Slash A+Jump: Down Thrust A+Side: Sword Rush
B: Spin Attack B+Side: Sword Beam B+Jump: Up Thrust
Information: This proves the theory true that the sword may be sharpened metal, but in the hands of a master, it is the most versitile of weapons. All of the attacks he uses involve techniques he or his brothers taught Link in Zelda 2 and Minish Cap. Up Thrust only works if there is a foe above Swiftblade. What does it do? First, it keeps him off the ground a bit longer, it is also a high power move which is used rarely, but if it hits, it does around 10 damage. Down Thrust lets out a shockwave, harming any foe within a 1 square radius of Swiftblade. This does 8 damage, as well as stunning the opponent, but after that attack, Swiftblade must pull his blade out, leaving him vulnurable for a 2 seconds period to any attack. Swiftblade is known to be quick and agile as a Swordmaster. Sword Rush is the last attack I will cover. When he uses this, he rushes 3 squares at double speed, if he hits a foe, they take 5 damage as well as be knockedback 1 square, making it an excellent defense move. If he misses and hits a solid object, well, running face first into a wall really stings, so he takes 2 damage, as well as be stunned for 1 second. Swiftblade is a master of swordsmanship. He will prove to be a worthy ally or enemy.

Unlock Criteria:
Fairly Rare: 50% of the time he is in the shop.

Good job so far!

[HeroOfFire]

At long last version 0.03 is out. And with an open version to boot!

5 new battlers. 2 new stages. 5 new attack types and special features for bombs. Controllable AI. Improved jumping algorithms. Better dash collision. Completed character CSets. 1 new game option. So much new in one version.

Battlers: Not much to say about them this time. They are all hidden and most use new attack types. Darknut is one newcomer, who uses a special version of the spin attack known as the ball and chain attack type. The last newcomer is what held up this version, as the nearly from scratch graphics were "fun" to create. But you'll never see this Zelda character coming...
I also nerfed Rafael slightly. Now he has 36 HP instead of 40, and less defense, but how would you know about that second one?

Stages:
Topaz Mountain Depths: A small stage complicated by a fun little script. Areial dashes will do well here.
Dragon Wing Isle: Not to be confused with Dragon Roost Isle. Although the dragons look fierce, nothing in this stage will harm you, though there are several strategic locations you may use to your advantage.

Other Cool Updates:
Controllable AI: Now you can set the aggression level of the enemy battlers. Low values cause them to wander often. High values make them chase other battlers down to the ends of the earth... or the edge of the stage, whichever comes first.
True "Team 0": Now setting a battler to team 0 makes them dissapear from the battle menu. This makes it easy to tell how many battlers are still going to be active in the next battle.
CSets: All the character CSets have been made. Need I say more?
Better Jumping Algorithm: Just a balancing fix. Now bad jumpers don't suffer too much and good jumpers don't appear to fly into space.
First Glimpse of the Future: Should you find this, press "ENTER" to exit when you want.

I don't have any characters or stages planned for the near future, so I'll work on the modes of play for the next version. Arcade mode shouldn't be too bad once I get a boss or two made. Sudden death battle modes should be a snap, so I'll be sure to have at least one other new battle mode type. I also hope to start implementing basic items, such as hearts, rupees, and some sort of weapons.

Now for something fun...
Character Creation in the Open Version!

Want to make your own character? It may be easier than you think.
In the open version, head to map 1. Copy any of the five character data screens and paste the copy into the next empty screen to their right.
Now go to map 11 and locate the title menu screen (screen 40).
Load up FFC #1 and increment D1 by 1.
Finally, go to init data and give Link the Boss Key for the next DMap he doesn't have one in (the first one will be DMap 5).
Congratuations! You just added a new character to the game.

Return to map 1 and go to the screen you pasted.
This screen is the data used by the quest to control the character's stats and attacks, as well as graphics.
Look at the default characters for examples while I get a .txt file available for more infromation.

For the basicis...
Some combos display a large number between 0 and 9. These 10 combos must be used for all character values.

The first row has the index to the tiles used by the character (graphics for the character and weapons), the number of attack animations (must be 1 - 6), and the battler rarity (0 - 2, but you should not have to worry about this). The icon on the far left is optional, but it will have its CSet used in the future to set default CSets for characters in adventure mode.
The second row has the HP, the jump power (has 3 added to in gameplay), the move speed, the damage reduction, the special abilities, and the resistances of the character (for now, don't worry about the last 3 until I supply a .txt file).
The third row is the character name. The name must use the combos that display the large number or letters; all other combos will count as black spaces. Names will be used for something later on.
The last six rows are the attacks.
Each attack starts with a icon combo (the combo is not important, but the CSet of the combo is used for the CSet of the weapon tiles), the attack type of the weapon (give a value between 1 and 30, the upcoming .txt file will explain more), the weapon damage, the weapon option, the attack animation used by the weapon, the sound the weapon makes when used (not yet implemented), and the damage type of the weapon (just use 0 until I give you the .txt file).

If you make interesting characters, don't hesitate to put links to your versions with them up. If I like a character, I may add it to the game.

And as always, suggestions are always welcome. Have an idea for another attack type? Maybe a special ability some characters may have?

Oh, and yes, I'm still using rapidshare. The other shareware link is broken, so I'm still trying to find another site to host my files on.

[bobrocks95]

Haven't tried it yet, but the updates sound great!

[SpacemanDan]

I just downloaded this. I'll give it a shot as soon as I can, because it seems so interesting.

[Gleeok]

This might sound odd coming from me but, there is a whole lot of action going down...I have no idea whats goin on right now. The trick is to let them kill eachother off one-by-one while you just sit around dodging stuff it seems.

Suggestion! Maybe a battle arena of sorts during adventure mode where you can win powerups, hearts, or items. Maybe a one-on-one battle where the enemy AI is slightly more effecient also. (meaning cheese kills).

[Gleeok]

All your links are dead. :\ Any chance of an update?

[HeroOfFire]

I have good news and bad news. The good news is, I worked on many nice features in the new version, including double jumping and hovering (ignore most damage combos) for battlers, with 3 new battlers to use them. I also redid the battler unlocking system where a battler is in "parts", and you need all the parts to get the battler. Some battlers are missing only 4 by default, but a few are missing more than 10, enforcing their unlock difficulty. I got arcade mode functional, minus the boss battle. A few new battle types are added, including sudden death versions of kills and score, and a very interesting "one life to live" battle mode. I also have added items...

The bad news. First, my schedule has gotten worse since the last update, and I haven't worked on the latest version for some time. Second, I may have to "upgrade" the project due to the following engine limitations:
Lack of Single Item Removal
NPCs and FFCs losing data offscreen (to fix the "too much action", I would need larger stages, meaning the NPCs and FFCs could potentially end up offscreen).

Upgrading is both good and bad. It means I take the scripts and make an engine in C++ designed for the demonstrated gameplay. Gameplay would improve in multiple areas, including AI and more complex stages. However, that means no more versions would appear in Zelda Classic. I knew this would eventually happen from the beginning, but the limitations have hit a little sooner than expected. A shame too, as I hoped to upgrade with more functional in the last Zelda Classic version.

I still plan to release at least one or two more versions in the future via MediaFire (due to recomendations against Rapidshare), although I don't know how soon. Also, the last release will be fully open for use (which is the same as the open versions, except with all the battlers I made, which includes the custom tiles made for them). Before the final release I will have a boss battle for arcade mode and may attempt to have a single stage playable in adventure mode, although there is no guarantuee on the second feature.

The scripts in ZCB are open to the public (once I release the next version), but they could be a little difficult to use as not every part of the scripts are commented (and the script file size is huge!).

[Din]

Oh, well that can be good! So, you're just going to release the next few versions for ZC, then it's upgrade time with C++? Well, that'll give a wider array of options at your disposal I suppose. The only thing I'd gripe about over that is file size, not too much of a bad thing. Whatever it takes to get this great quest (or game) out. Good luck!