Zodiac, the Side-Quest

[C-Dawg]

Right on the money about what the sh'mup areas need. As I go, I'll add doodads that move down at the same rate as the background scrolls. Mounted guns, asteroids, volcanoes, that sort of thing.

And the music, like everything else, is in a constant state of flux.

If you weren't busy improving the engine, I'd ask if you wanted to help on this project, _L_.

[dagon]

I can half answer your question.

The "fire" button stopped working because you ran out of ammunition. The normal gun is actually the bow and arrows, and true arrows are used to track ammo. Ammo refills at the energy stations with your hit points. I'm not sure whether to keep ammo limited for the player (as it's really irritating to run out) or not. I will probably eventually set it up where, as you run down to 10 or below, the ammo will slowly recover using your energy. Sort of like Earthworm Jim's main weapon, if you remember.

For now, just hit level 4 cheats and refill the player's arrow stock. (Starting arrows, I think it's called.)

As for the jump button - no idea why that would stop working unless you found a room with an error. The jumping is scripted for each side scrolling room, it should never turn off.

I'll have to try that with the ammo. I can live with having a limited amount but not knowing when i'll run out is killing me.

I'm also having the same problem with the jump. After getting a couple of items i've realized instead of jumping it starts scrolling through the items. Happens in random rooms, sometimes just starting over stops it sometimes i have to close out the whole thing and reopen it.

Being a zelda idiot i can't figure out how to use the cheat as it keeps saying invalid code so i'll keep guessing on my ammo. Another little thing was i uncovered a chamber in aquarius with a bunch of worms in it, i killed them and a green bottle appears. The problem is it doesn't fall down where you can reach it and you can't move up past about midway in the room so there's no apparent way to get it.

[C-Dawg]

I'll have to try that with the ammo. I can live with having a limited amount but not knowing when i'll run out is killing me.

I'm also having the same problem with the jump. After getting a couple of items i've realized instead of jumping it starts scrolling through the items. Happens in random rooms, sometimes just starting over stops it sometimes i have to close out the whole thing and reopen it.

Being a zelda idiot i can't figure out how to use the cheat as it keeps saying invalid code so i'll keep guessing on my ammo. Another little thing was i uncovered a chamber in aquarius with a bunch of worms in it, i killed them and a green bottle appears. The problem is it doesn't fall down where you can reach it and you can't move up past about midway in the room so there's no apparent way to get it.

I tried using Z3 subscreens (which display the arrows) but it caused repeated crashing. Maybe I'll try that again. Use cheat code "4" to access level four cheats.

The jumping is odd. Is it room-specific? If so, do you remember which rooms? If it's not room-specific, there's something really weird going on.

[dagon]

I can't remember the rooms but it just happened again at the bottom of the scorpio map a room to the right of where i saw a key block next to a silver square that's black in the middle. I'd take a snapshot but that's never wanted to work with this computer.

This is only the fourth time it's happened so it's not a constant occurence.



Ok, i can't say about the other rooms since i can't remember them but i'd have to say this one is room-specific. I went back and it didn't work again. I walk back one screen and it works, go back and it cycles through the items again. It looks like i'm going to have to jump on that screen too since you have to dig through all the sand and then jump up on the ledge.

[C-Dawg]

I'll go back and check which rooms don't have the jump script activated. Screenshot em if you want me catch em faster.

I'm thinking of making a custom beam for each Zodiac sign - Aquarius Shield, Scorpio Sting, that sort of thing - that would be scripts running on custom sword items. Thing is, I need four or five utility FFCs on each screen in the whole quest to do this. Anyone interested in going through and setting five FFCs (the top five, so as not to interfere with other scripts) as invisible tiles at 0,0 on every screen in the quest? :)

_L_, I'll use the Smash Bros. song you keep suggesting.

Here's a new boss just finished. Moves back and forth and fires a giant beam weapon down at you.

[Gleeok]

I kept running out of ammo and had to use the lv4 cheat. Also there is a green potion that is impossible to get due to a barrier or something. but thats not why I posted.

Anyway to get a copy of Sabotage dragoon demo?

[C-Dawg]

I'm not sure where Sabotage Dragoon is uploaded right now. At one point it was hosted by Jman, I think. I'll try to get a copy uploaded this weekend.

And yes, I know that nothing has been done on that quest for years. I'm a bad man. My main problem is that I designed all of the bosses and special effects and so on in Sabotage Dragoon for the limitations of ZC earlier than 2.10. Now numerous changes, especially scripting, provide easier and more elegant solutions to those I used. So I've got to go back and fix pretty much everything. Which is fine, it just requires more time than I've got.

Zodaic, on the other hand, is really, really easy to design. Because I'm using a black background, I'm saving tons of time on screen setup. And scripting makes custom bosses half-hour, maybe an hour jobs instead of week-long jobs. So I'm mostly tinkering with this right now. Plus, I think this will make a bigger impact because there is literally NO decent side-scrolling tileset out there yet. It's fun to be making everything from scratch.

I've noticed no one has volunteered to help out with mindless FFC setup on every screen...

[Petoe]

Wow wow wowza! You, C-Dawg, never cease to amaze me. High five!

Even though I don't support the idea of sidescrolling in ZC and the scripts won't be useful for me, this quest looks fun and therefore it is a must download. I'll give this one a try whenever I have time from my questbuilding hurries. :)

[C-Dawg]

the scripts won't be useful for me.

I'd check them out before drawing that kind of conclusion. Except for the general sideview jumping/dashing script, all scripts in this quest should apply just hunky dory to a traditional top-view format.

[Petoe]

I'd check them out before drawing that kind of conclusion. Except for the general sideview jumping/dashing script, all scripts in this quest should apply just hunky dory to a traditional top-view format.

Oh silly me...

In that case, I'll check the quest out right now. Scripts are the best thing ever, I gotta admit. Too bad I still have to rely on other's help/ready examples with scripting, but maybe someday with lots of training I'll come up with almost as brilliant scripts as you and the few other scripting freaks here.

But anyways, it is so goddamn awesome that you still are doing stuff with ZQuest. At one point I thought you were a goner... that would have been a huge loss for Zc community.