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Thread: ZC [2.future] Feature Requests

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    The Timelord
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    ZC [2.future] Feature Requests

    Post feature requests for future 2.xx versions (e.g. 2.55) here. We will consider reasonable, and possibly even unreasonable requests.

    Please refer to the 2.future Plans topic before submitting a request.

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    Onward with Life! Demonlink's Avatar
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    Hmmm, a few features I would like you guys to consider are the following:

    1) Sideview ladders (given the variety of scripts at PureZC are either broken or don't have all functions to work properly).
    2) Sideview water (because why not?)
    3) I'm not sure if this would directly affect the engine, but another request would be expanding the Palette table to use more than just CSets 2, 3, 4 and 9.
    4) Lastly, a few new items wouldn't hurt, like the Pegasus Boots, Shovel, and such. I know they're already existent as scripts, but I feel they would work better being hardcoded in the engine, because by doing this, you can save a lot of scripting space, flags and misc. Plus, sometimes setup is a bit quirky, especially when you want to combine them with other scripts.

    So far, those are the only things that I could come up with.
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    Gel
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    Sideview Castlevania-styled staircases. Just like in Link stuck in Castlevania.
    Extend combo type and combo flag tables. 5 scripted entries in both tables sometimes is not enough.
    Screen->SecretCombos[] r/w.
    Screen->UndoSecrets(). Flicking gates on and off, rotating bridges are examples.
    Syntax highlighting in buffer.

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    Faith, Trust, and Sexydust. Lynker's Avatar
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    I'm gonna be that annoying guy.

    I'm sure it's going to be worked on, but of course ALttP scrolling. Another thing I feel is important is some sort of way to talk to NPCs/signs without the use of a script.

    A big one would be to get rid of the subscreen, and use subscreen elements ON the actual screen, like a normal 3D Zelda games. I know some ZC quests have attempted and succeeded with this! It would be amazing to use from the get-go.

    Good luck on making this semi-new engine!



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    Here lies mero. Died by his own dumbassitude.
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    @Lynker
    That would actually belong in the ZC 3.0 Suggestions. ZC Scrolling would requiring rewriting most of 2.x.
    It's something I've thought about myself, it's possible. But it would be a pain in the ass to code.

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    The Timelord
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    Quote Originally Posted by Demonlink View Post
    Hmmm, a few features I would like you guys to consider are the following:

    1) Sideview ladders (given the variety of scripts at PureZC are either broken or don't have all functions to work properly).
    2) Sideview water (because why not?)
    3) I'm not sure if this would directly affect the engine, but another request would be expanding the Palette table to use more than just CSets 2, 3, 4 and 9.
    4) Lastly, a few new items wouldn't hurt, like the Pegasus Boots, Shovel, and such. I know they're already existent as scripts, but I feel they would work better being hardcoded in the engine, because by doing this, you can save a lot of scripting space, flags and misc. Plus, sometimes setup is a bit quirky, especially when you want to combine them with other scripts.

    So far, those are the only things that I could come up with.
    We'll certainly be goinginto some sideview fixes. I think that was on the to-do list already, but if not, I'll add it.

    I've had a list of hardcoded item requests, and to be fair, some might be viable, however, here's the catch:

    All new item classes would need to be added to the table. We wouldn't use any of the 256 classes, as doing that could break quests. Say that we made zz95 the boots: Anyone using that for a custom item, would have a broken quest in 2.55. I also don;t want us to add items that are easy to do with scripts. Boots, maybe, but I was thinking of making Link's walking speed, and animation, a variable.

    A shovel would be easy to add, but people might want it to work differently. Plus, it could end up being a Link class item if we did it traditionally. I might do that though, as it's a common Zelda item that wouldn't be terrible, however we'll need to define a new Link->Action (LA_DIGGING) and animation.

    My main concern with hardcoding new items is that people will want them to work differently, like the sword, now. Soke though, would in fact make sense.

    I was actually thinking of doing something different: Making pre-packaged quest templates, for quest styles, that have pre-included and compiled items, and engine effects. I've already been working on one that emulates the Gameboy style games, and we could include thingslike thatto allow expandeditem lists, without needing to hardcode them.

    If we hardcode anything, i think the ice rod, fire rod, and cane of somaria are the most popular requests. We do need to fix/change magic consumption on a frame basis, and add a timed consumption value to all the items, particularly the Cane of Byrna.

    Quote Originally Posted by Alucard View Post
    Sideview Castlevania-styled staircases. Just like in Link stuck in Castlevania.
    Extend combo type and combo flag tables. 5 scripted entries in both tables sometimes is not enough.
    Screen->SecretCombos[] r/w.
    Screen->UndoSecrets(). Flicking gates on and off, rotating bridges are examples.
    Syntax highlighting in buffer.

    A flag editor is planned, as are additional custom flag IDs.
    I like Screen->Secrets(false), and I can;t believe that I forgot about this. Really, I'd like to make it possible to individually set/unset screen secrets.

    r/w Undercombos, is good.

    Not sure about stairs internally, as that would require massive reworking, but grawswandir might be willing to do it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynker View Post
    I'm gonna be that annoying guy.

    I'm sure it's going to be worked on, but of course ALttP scrolling. Another thing I feel is important is some sort of way to talk to NPCs/signs without the use of a script.

    A big one would be to get rid of the subscreen, and use subscreen elements ON the actual screen, like a normal 3D Zelda games. I know some ZC quests have attempted and succeeded with this! It would be amazing to use from the get-go.

    Good luck on making this semi-new engine!
    Quote Originally Posted by Tamamo View Post
    @Lynker
    That would actually belong in the ZC 3.0 Suggestions. ZC Scrolling would requiring rewriting most of 2.x.
    It's something I've thought about myself, it's possible. But it would be a pain in the ass to code.
    Precisely. I'll just say it now: Z3 scrolling (internally) is not planned for 2.future. This is the most anticipated feature request of the lot, and I'm not saying it's impossible, but some of the changes that we're making could greatly improve custom scrolling engines. I've already made a scrolling engine, and with some of the changes that we're making, if this becomes viable, I'd rather include a template quest for it.

    Reading enemy lists from any screen is the biggest single thing that we plan to add that will improve scrolling engines, and the npcdata class is a close second.

    The same applies to changing the screen dimensions. Making subscreens invisible is on the list, but making the screen square is not, for very good reasons. Most of how ZC operates depends on a fixed screen size, so the amount of engine redesign to do this would be immense.

    I do have 'make screen boundaries(where scrolling occurs) a variable' on the to-do list, so it would be possible to change the ultimate screen dimensions downward, but this would in turn make the internal maps look very odd, as the questmaker would need to fill the area outside the boundary space with combo 0, so there'd be a big black grid around the screens when viewing the map.

    I'm not sure there would be any resolution to this, unless we make a combo type 'Screen Edge' and somehow rework maps to tile screens ignoring the areas outside the bounds; but that likewise would be a mess.

    To be fair, this is something that I've wanted personally as well; but that doesn't give it any higher priority. We will of course consider these things 'down the road', but not for any initial 2.future things.

    Anyhow, keep the requests flowing. I'm only responding to this one directly, because a few of these are repeated from other members.

    Sideview fixing though, that's going to happen eventually.

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    Bored Potato Nicholas Steel's Avatar
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    Unsure what feature to request so I'll request something crazy:

    The ability to freely move between Maze screens that are adjacent with each other (No looping when trying to move to an adjacent Maze screen) and to have the Maze solution somehow involve all of the adjacent Maze screens instead of just a single screen. I believe this is possible with scripting already and maaaybe tile warps, but a more simplified intuitive approach that doesn't involve manual scripting would be neat.
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    Gel
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    I like Screen->Secrets(false), and I can;t believe that I forgot about this. Really, I'd like to make it possible to individually set/unset screen secrets.
    Have you ever used the Age of Kings scenario editor? In particular, the trigger editor? If Zquest could do anything remotely like that, that would streamline an enormous amount of design and script work.

    I was actually thinking of doing something different: Making pre-packaged quest templates, for quest styles, that have pre-included and compiled items, and engine effects. I've already been working on one that emulates the Gameboy style games, and we could include things like that to allow expandeditem lists, without needing to hardcode them.
    This sounds FANTASTIC. Would love to hear more/update status.

    For my own needs:
    More utility in using secrets/flags.
    Talking NPCs hardcoded.
    FFC's movement behavior that can be manipulated by secrets.
    In sum: the ability to make a basic cutscene without using scripts, with NPCs having a conversation, moving around, and performing actions.
    I think these have been requested already, just adding them as my own wishlist:
    Sideview ladders
    Enemy type editor
    Map sizes increased (16x16?)
    View menu: Ability to set palette per map in addition to per screen.
    Subscreen editor: ability to place/move elements with a mouse.
    Pie-in-the-sky, prolly 3.0 feature instead: all layers compounded into a single map screen, with a toggle to work on different layers.

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    The Timelord
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nicholas Steel View Post
    Unsure what feature to request so I'll request something crazy:

    The ability to freely move between Maze screens that are adjacent with each other (No looping when trying to move to an adjacent Maze screen) and to have the Maze solution somehow involve all of the adjacent Maze screens instead of just a single screen. I believe this is possible with scripting already and maaaybe tile warps, but a more simplified intuitive approach that doesn't involve manual scripting would be neat.
    I don't outright reject this, but to be honest, I'm not sure that I comprehend what you want out of this request. You can already make mazes of any number of screens, that deposit the player into a boundary that is more then one screen in size, using basic side warps, so...how do you want this to work, exactly?

    Quote Originally Posted by EJSnowden View Post
    Have you ever used the Age of Kings scenario editor? In particular, the trigger editor? If Zquest could do anything remotely like that, that would streamline an enormous amount of design and script work.


    This sounds FANTASTIC. Would love to hear more/update status.

    For my own needs:
    More utility in using secrets/flags.
    Talking NPCs hardcoded.
    FFC's movement behavior that can be manipulated by secrets.
    In sum: the ability to make a basic cutscene without using scripts, with NPCs having a conversation, moving around, and performing actions.
    I think these have been requested already, just adding them as my own wishlist:
    Sideview ladders
    Enemy type editor
    Map sizes increased (16x16?)
    View menu: Ability to set palette per map in addition to per screen.
    Subscreen editor: ability to place/move elements with a mouse.
    Pie-in-the-sky, prolly 3.0 feature instead: all layers compounded into a single map screen, with a toggle to work on different layers.
    For the moment, we haven't been discussing adding any new hardcoded engine things, be they items, npcs, or the like. If we did add internal NPCs, they'd need to work differently, and we'd need to change them to some kind of class, or add to the npc class used for enemies. That might be the best solution, to add an 'enemy type' of 'speaking npc', that has some kind of hardcoded path style movement, that doesn;t damage Link, but will allow speaking with a button press. That press would need to be its own variable, as well, to allow people to modify it.


    It may be possible to add turn combos, that cause an npc to change directions, that affect any npc object, including enemies to control movement.

    I'm not sure how ffcs being modified by secrets would work, but I think it would require some heavy rewriting of the ffc object type. We want to add solidity variables to ffcs, and possibly some memory management so that they don't eat up RAM constantly, so I suppose we could look into that; however, I do not know what kind of control events you'd want, or how you would want to implement them.

    Many of the changes that we plan, are toward shifting to using ZScript more readily, and possibly by default for some things. That doesn't mean that we will force people to use scripting, but it may mean that (at least initially), many of the things that we add will be script-mandatory, until we can figure out what kind of interface to use to manipulate them with the editor.

    The non-enemy npc type seems to be something feasible though. Instead of attacks, it would have a movement value, and probably a string value. We might be able to do that in one of the next few releases.

  10. #10
    Gel
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    I think a better way to explain my intentions:
    Say you set a Trigger(1):
    Trigger(1) has any number of assigned Flags and Secret Combos. These can be general (e.g. all Script 98 flags present) or specific (e.g. assign Custom Secret Combo 1 to X/Y coordinate). If all Flags are activated, Trigger(1) activates and initiates all assigned Secret Combos. Trigger(2) can be set with its own unique set of Flags and Secret Combos, and 3, 4, etc.

    This is basically how the AoK editor worked, and although I understand it might not even be technically feasible, I think if it were possible, it would enormously reduce reliance on scripting, or even allow more power for scripters, especially if the system were expanded in the future. Examples of more advanced functionality might be: Triggers that can initiate scripts, or be initiated by scripts. A set of global values that can be referenced and manipulated. Triggers that are designated inactive/active by default, and can be activated by another or run in a loop. Flags based on time intervals. Commands that manipulate FFC or NPC behavior- telling them to move to a specific place, cycle to the next combo, cycle to a different FFC, bringing up a text string, or spawning an enemy.

    Pie-in-the-sky stuff, I know.

    Something maybe more possible: the ability to assign scripts to a screen, in the same way FFC and items already do? Or is this too similar to using an invisible FFC to be useful?

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