Beta 150 Progress...

[Dark Nation]

1. Added a test feature to ZQuest (under the Quest menu). All it does is run Zelda, so you need to save before you use it or you won't see your changes. Also, in the DOS version (haven't tested the Windows version yet), when you come back from testing, the menu is blacked out and mouse movement is jerky. No idea why. If I can't get this problem licked soon, I'll take it back out.

2. How best to describe this... Um... Just look at the pic, I guess...


(nam)

Note:
-No, that's not 16 or 24-bit, it's still 8-bit color (using a translucency table).
-I haven't tested it with palette cycling, but I bet it won't work right. Colors that cycle probably won't appear to cycle any time they go under a translucent layer.
-No, the fog isn't scrolling. It's stationary.
-No, that's not an environmental effect, it's a layer. In fact, if you walk under the archway, it will cast a shadow on you.
-No, I don't want you telling anyone about this. This is probably not a production feature and will most likely not be given to the custom quest contest participants as it is still buggy. For instance, when the image is the size of your screen, the colors look a little odd. However, just for your enjoyment, I will probably stick it in beta 150 to get your opinions. I will have to make a different version for the custom quest people, though, I suppose.

3. Working on custom dmap minimaps.

[Warlock]

OMG that is so cool!!!

[VEL]

That looks really cool!

[Daarkseid]

My god that is neat... even if its destined to wind up like another lantern feature...

[KJAZZ]

COOL!!!

[Cyclone]

Looks nice, but I don't wanna give it to my group unless it's perfectly stable (or even close). So I might pass up this one for the group based on how this goes.

Can the other two items (1 and 3) be posted outside?

Cyclone

[Sludge]

That looks really cool

I know (from experience) that 8bit translucensy (sp?) can produce some weird color effects, but on the other hand, some could make interesting effects with that.
Also using the 14th cset (reserved for bosses) for some extra colors can also help making it look better. That could also slow the game down on the other hand...

Anyway, when you do try to switch to 16bit graphics, I suggest you make it a quest rule. Palette cycling doesn't work then obviously (but it isn't used anymore very often, is it?), but the number of csets can be increased to an infinite number.

Anyway, I would like to know how the custom minimaps work. Do they look like the z3 maps? If so, it would be best to activate them using the map key (like the big overworld maps).

[Dark Dude]

Originally posted by Dark Nation
1. Added a test feature to ZQuest (under the Quest menu). All it does is run Zelda, so you need to save before you use it or you won't see your changes. Also, in the DOS version (haven't tested the Windows version yet), when you come back from testing, the menu is blacked out and mouse movement is jerky. No idea why. If I can't get this problem licked soon, I'll take it back out.

I was sort of doing this earlier. I was making the quest in ZQUEST then alt+ctrl+esc and opened zelda.exe, but then zelda.exe didn't have any sound, so my question is, when using the test feature, will zelda.exe have sound? Also, this would elminate my need for extra sprite palletes for dark rooms because you could just put a black translucent layer over it to make the sprites darker, right?

[texasdex]

Well if you do put that in 150 be sure to send a quest with it, so we don't have to figure out how to do it on our own. That looks really cool

[fatcatfan]

how is the translucency specified? on a per-layer basis? such as:

layer 3 map:
layer 3 screen:
layer 3 alpha: