How do you jump?
I know it's probably back there somewhere but I don't wanna read, I wanna play. 😉
Zodiac, the Side-Quest
Use "L"
R is important too, as it activates the dash once you get it.
I set up my controller to have controls as follows: B, A on top, L, R on the bottom. Then Start and Select go where those keys are, and Map goes on top, on the controller's Left button.
EDIT: Oh, and once in a blue moon the custom boss will just ... vanish. Still trying to work out why that happens.
I'm using a keyboard with default settings.
I've been following along with your screenshots and all but this is the first time I've really had to try it.
Looks really impressive C-Dawg.
Did you get your superbombs working from that post above?
I'll look at that passive subscreen invisibility thing too and see if I can maybe offer a hint.
I was playing the latest ver of Zodiac and I fell through a trick floor into a place where I got stuck w/ no way out, you might want to check it out.
Screenshot---> http://www.mediafire.com/?2dfmw4jjxjm
Btw, your subscreen is very cool. Did you do all the graphics yourself?
Also are you changeing the starting point in each new version? I have not played a new one in awile, last time I played I started from the spaceship shooter part and went into Aquaries after that (I think). All and all this quest is looking sweet keep it up 😊
Yep. This quest is entirely my own artwork. No ripping, no using any standard tiles. I've still got a few default tiles floating around (hearts, for instance) but I'm going to clear them from the quest eventually. Sprite-sized graphics arn't so bad, but doing large pictures in MS Paint is a pain in the ass. I can sort of cartoon and I can sort of program, though, so I sort of have to put them together. You can eventually expect the plot to involve all sorts of animated characters like that.
As to start location: yea, I move the starting point to highlight whatever I've most recently worked on.
-C
That's awesome scripting work as usual C. I can't wait to play the final version. It's constantly giving me new idea's to try and script up myself, albeit nowhere near as advanced as what you've got going.
The subscreen's looking good btw.
Updated again. Tons of new stuff in every nook and cranny. A few new items, including the Level 2 dash, which lets you punch right through one-tile-wide vertical walls. (Use with your ice beam to get into tricky places!) Custom enemies galore (scripted, I mean - not using the editor) including the rapid fire chaser, the volcano spitting turtle thing, bouncy things from Adventure of Link, other stuff. And one major new boss, the Zodiac Boss of the Cancer Zone. Fucking' sweet, he is.
The quest file starts you out in Virgo with a random assortment of items because that's the area I happen to be working on. New developments in practically every Zone.
Anyway, check it out. Uses beta 584.
Wow, man, this one rocks.
Did you manage to find your Sabotage Dragoon demo? I'm thinking about playing it again, but its missing.
Another update. Some new areas, one new Zodiac boss (although he doesn't really behave how I'd like, yet).
The big new thing here is I've put alot of work into the SHMUP levels. If you like scripted enemy attack patterns coming in waves, or rapid-fire ship gun, you should probably check this one out.
(Uses beta 584).
http://users.sephiroth.ws/C-Dawg/zodiac10-11-07.zip
Only two levels of ship gun are implemented now. Eventually there will be five levels, scattered throughout the world to find. Each level will make the beam stronger, faster, and at levels 4 and 5, will fire multiple beams in a spread. I dont think I'm going to do rockets, as I was originally intending, because I need the FFCs for enemies.
Another update as I continue work on the custom shoot em up areas. I've finished corridor enemies for Aries and Cancer now. (Quest file starts you in Cancer).
(Uses beta 584)
http://users.sephiroth.ws/C-Dawg/zodiac10-19-07.zip
I did a bit of experimentation with the weapons, and I absolutely love how they feel. I love how the chargeup beam (I don't have the quest open in front of me in the school PC labs to recall its name. .. Cancer Charge?) acts similar to the sword beam in that there is only one of them onscreen at a time, so you have to ensure the first one hits before you go charging another, but I also LOVE how you can walk around with it. Seriously, that made me foam at the mouth. What other amazing weapons are you planning, o' Mastermind sir?
Also, your subscreen kicks our collective asses. You underrate your "cartooning" skills. Few here can match your skill with proportions. How do you get it done initially? Is it trial and error? Do you plot the basic positions of the head and limbs and torso, or just start drawing and plot your art around there?
As for additional weapons: one for each Zodiac sign. I've got a general idea that Taurus will be a rapid-fire, upwards-angled flame thrower kind of thing, Virgo will take enemy health and give it to the player, and Leo will be a laser of the sort someone was asking for over in Scripting Requests. Other than that, I dont have any specifics in mind yet.
As for the artwork: Here's what I'm doing. I draw the initial picture I want in paint at a reasonable size. The mouse is a little cumbersome, but I can do alright with it. (I'm much better with pen and paper, of course). I thought of scanning and all that, but I need precisely black and white pixels, so that doesn't work well. Then I reduce the picture to ZQuest size and clean up the reduced pixels. It is REALLY hard to draw using ZQuest style pixels directly! Next, I copy and paste the reduced picture into a ZQuest screenshot displaying the palette I want the picture to show in the quest. From here I can use the eyedrop to copy the precise colors I need and color in the picture at size. Finally, save it and rip into ZQuest.
The whole process takes about two hours for something the size of the subscreen. You'll be seeing alot more of that after I get the mechanics done and start focusing on adding storyline.
The mouse is a little cumbersome, but I can do alright with it. (I'm much better with pen and paper, of course). I thought of scanning and all that, but I need precisely black and white pixels, so that doesn't work well. Then I reduce the picture to ZQuest size and clean up the reduced pixels. It is REALLY hard to draw using ZQuest style pixels directly!Aye, I hear that. :-/ I thought of drawing and scanning it in, but the paper gets in the way, color-wise, and reduction is spotty and iffy, and generally incorrect. There are some useful color reduction tools available to ZC's artists. First, I'd considering taking the image, opening it in Photoshop, and removing any of the background possible, often on a pixel by pixel basis. Very time consuming, but since the image tends to be fairly small, it's really not that bad. The Select and contract/expand selection tools are actually quite useful in removing stray pixels on the boundary. Then, there are color manipulation programs out there. You can use either Often both!) IRFanview and GIF Movie Gear for Palette reduction without so very much reduction in quality. I'm not really sure which is better. IRFanview gets a slightly more "desirable" result, while GIF Movie Gear gets a bit of a more controllable result. Either way, Human Balance's "GraphicsGale" has the most control over it. You can even move around the individual colors (Via clicking and dragging.) to match the position of the colors on your palette, preventing coloring. You'd have to do this pretty much via eyeballing the palettes of both though.
ZQuest's "R" feature isn't really that bad though. It actually works, and not poorly either.
Updated again. I'm still working on the SHMUP levels, but the mechanics are pretty well finished. Now it's just the process of making new enemies for each zone, scripting new bosses, etc. But the skeleton scripts are done, and its easy to add to them, so I should be adding new SHUMP levels at about two a week. Still, I've got twenty to do, so there's alot of work to do.
Still uses Beta 584.
http://users.sephiroth.ws/C-Dawg/Zodiac10-26-07.zip
Here are some screenies of SOME of the SHUMP bosses completed so far.
How did you script most of this stuff? It is amazing what you've done with this quest.
Lifelong love of the Guardian Legend and alot of work.
But it's un-passworded like always, so you can dissect what I'm doing at your leisure.
having it unpassworded is probably the best thing you could have done for the community C-dawg. Good show!
That's the whole idea. We still only have four, maybe five active scripters working for the community. We should have more of them. The only way I know to encourage people to script is to show what you can do with it, and let people go look at how it's done to learn.
To those who are scripting already - thanks, and keep it up!
We're getting to the point in Zelda Classic where there are (virtually) no limits except the designer's plan. But the program is still simple to use, intuitive, and lets beginners start slow by making Z1 style games while they learn about the more advanced features. The GUI might be clunky at times, and some features are implemented in confusing ways (subscreen!)... but considering power, accessibility, community, ease of use... ZC is still the greatest game design program out there, probably the greatest game design suite ever made.
I don't understand what's so confusing about the subscreen 😕
I found it really easy to learn how to use
C-Dawg wrote:We still only have four, maybe five active scripters working for the community. We should have more of them. The only way I know to encourage people to script is to show what you can do with it, and let people go look at how it's done to learn.
Well, letting people see how scripting is done may not be enough. If people are stupid like me, they will not learn anything by looking at scripts they cannot figure out. I'm still waiting for that scripting guide to be made... 😞
but considering power, accessibility, community, ease of use... ZC is still the greatest game design program out there, probably the greatest game design suite ever made.
That's so true, nothing comes even close beating ZC. However, ZC's popularity will continue to decrease if we don't get any guides/manuals and a new stable version some time this decade...
Geez, you're a machine when you're motivated. Lots and lots of crap done after pretty much mowing through everything done so far. Had to employ a lot of cheating though as, per your standard, the game is freaking insane hard. Not necessarily the bosses either (although the Gemini boss made me tear my hair out), but some of the jumps required as well as the trap placement just makes me want to sigh in defeat.
In other words, you're doing an awesome job.
don't worry Jman, once Zodiac is done, I plan on making a Mega Man like game with 8 chooseable bosses at the start based on most of his scripts which should cater to a more less-skilled audience. But what he's done is quite amazing.
jman2050 wrote:Geez, you're a machine when you're motivated. Lots and lots of crap done after pretty much mowing through everything done so far. Had to employ a lot of cheating though as, per your standard, the game is freaking insane hard. Not necessarily the bosses either (although the Gemini boss made me tear my hair out), but some of the jumps required as well as the trap placement just makes me want to sigh in defeat.In other words, you're doing an awesome job.
Thanks, I appreciate the compliment.
As to difficulty: I will be tweaking the jumps a little bit. Some of them are simply too hard or require too much backtracking when you fall. The other parts of the quest that are difficult, like some bosses and most of the Corridor SHMUP levels, should be easier because you can stockpile up to nine potions. It's sort of like MM3 in that regard - the game is hard, but it becomes easy because you can stockpile energy replenishment.
Updated.
This update includes alot of work on the Corridors (Cancer, Scorpio, and Aries are totally done; Gemini and Pieces are half done). Also includes my preliminary 2-D hookshot (currently attached to the Level 2 sword) that doesn't interfere with sidescrolling like the normal hookshot does.
And, my favorite, the Leo Lazer. Beo beo! (Game file starts you in Leo with the lazer).
Uses beta 635.
That lazer is fun!
AAaaaaaaaaaah! 6 fps! Hooboy, i'll probably pm you later and ask you about stuff when I get time.
In other news: Giant lasers = sweet. Man, you've got eneough shmup enemies to recreate just about any nes or snes shoot em up's ever made. Nice work. I did find the new corridor bosses a bit on the easy side though, perhaps you're not meant to have that strong of weapons in the final version.?
Nah, the bosses can't be IMPOSSIBLE. But there will be some tweaking here and there, after its all done and in final play testing and all that.
Where are you getting 6 fps?
Yeah, your right. Probably 'cause I used to play tons of shmup games growing up. I think Guardian Legend and Smash TV were of the first 4 or 5 games I owned. And, oh: small annoyance: Pressing the rapid-fire-gun...uh, rapidly, causes the player to stutter, while holding it down allows continuous movement. Maybe a custom non-sword item would work better? DD added 20 new item classes for custom items in 675, so you could actually have every Z1 item plus Zodiac item available at any time. Just is pretty neat, is all.
I got 6 at aries??? I can't remember...and a consistant 12 at every shmup sequence. Don't worry, it's actually very easily fixable.😉 I was testing this with mine the other day with 5 ffc weapons at once instead of three and wen't super smooth. Peice of cake.
Gleeok wrote:DD added 20 new item classes for custom items in 675, so you could actually have every Z1 item plus Zodiac item available at any time. Just is pretty neat, is all.
I kind of like the creative decisions that are forced by limiting how many items I have to work with. Yea, I could toss everything and the kitchen sink into the mix, but I think it forces me to make more interesting decisions if I dont.
As is, I have four spare item slots to play with as follows:
Weapon - boomerang?
Item - Energy Refill? Radio Transmitter?
Ship - Ship accellerator, ship sheilding?
Some additional things, like Screw Attack, will be upgrades of existing items.
I'm working on ways to make the player's energy meter more important. Right now the only things that use energy are dashing, beam weapons (Energy and Ice Beam), and Black Hole Attack. When I get around to it, energy will also be used for massive "bomb" attacks in the Corridors that hit all enemies on the screen. And energy might also be used to limit flying in the most powerful armor in the game.
Any thoughts on other ways to integrate the player's disposable energy more deeply into the game? I'm tempted to use the Energy meter as a sheild ala Halo, but I hear every game under the sun is doing that.