C-Dawg wrote:
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.
Well whatever you're doing is working great, so just keep it up.😊 I can tell you what my favorite existing ability using the energy meter would be though, and that's the dash. Simple, but is necesarry to gain a temporary tactical advantage over enemies. I use that the most. I always like more interactive abilities than say...a bomb that blows everything up.
Question for you: Have you noticed that weapons like the saber do 4-8 times the damage that is specified by damage;..sometimes more..? I was looking at this today and it looks to be enemy_1_damaged through enemy_4_damaged can point to the same enemy via 4 frames of script for each ffc. For instance, current_enemy(1) = damaged_enemy_1, then next frame current_enemy(1) = damaged_enemy_2..., Is this intentional?
Question 2: At any point is ffc 29,30,31 being used for anything but weapons?
joe123 wrote:I don't understand what's so confusing about the subscreen
I found it really easy to learn how to use
The subscreen is very confusing. Let me put it this way: I learned scripting, but I still can't make a decent subscreen.😉
Question: Yes, saber-based weapons can score multiple hits if the enemy is pushed from FFC to FFC. I could work around this, but I think I'll leave it the way it is. That way, long range weapons are less devastating that close range weapons, which is as it should be.
Along those same lines, the Virgo Whip has some unexpected special abilities. It recovers your HP when it hits something, as expected. However, in addition to scoring multiple hits like the saber, the whip also strikes rapidly and repeatedly on its own if you hit something with it at very close range.
These sorts of quirky, unexpected behaviors are welcome. I'll keep them.
Question 2: Nope. 29-31 are devoted ONLY to custom weapons. 32 is devoted ONLY to Ice Beam. And 28 will (shortly) be ONLY to custom hookshot.
Another update. Three more custom weapons complete. File starts you in Capricorn with the Libra Crystal. (Cheat to check out other weapons).
Build still uses b365.
http://users.sephiroth.ws/C-Dawg/Zodiac11-30-07.zip
Libra Crystal fires three crystals at a downward angle. They rebound off of walls and may be re-fired at any time.
Taurus Flame fires spinning flames at an upward angle. Very powerful.
Virgo Whip is similar to the Aries Saber, except it follows the player, restores 1/4 a heart with each hit, and goes berserk if you land a hit really close to the enemy. Also, Castlevania fans will like this one.
The Libra crystals stay on screen when you changes screen, C.
All custom weapons do. It's a necessary part of having the general weapon script run on carryover combos. I have no way of checking when the player moves to another screen. I could check when the player is right at the edge, but that might lead to weird results. I figure the current behavior is quirky but not too buggy.
It's easy to check screen change. Set up a global variable...
int prevscreen;
and initialize it to the screen the player starts on when the main script starts.
Then, in your while loop...
if(Game->GetCurrentScreen() != prevscreen)
{
//You're on a new screen...
//Reset weapons...
prevscreen = Game->GetCurrentScreen();
}
Praethus wrote:It's easy to check screen change. Set up a global variable...int prevscreen;
and initialize it to the screen the player starts on when the main script starts.
Then, in your while loop...
if(Game->GetCurrentScreen() != prevscreen)
{
//You're on a new screen...
//Reset weapons...
prevscreen = Game->GetCurrentScreen();
}
Or you could check the box "script restarts on carry over".
Praetheus' method would work, but Gleeok's wouldnt. The script just checks what combo the FFC has. If the "scripts restart" flag doesn't change the combo of the FFC, it won't do anything to the FFC's behavior.
Huh? I don't see why it wouldn't work. I haven't tested it but all you should need to do is add: this_ffc->Data=1; right before the true loop. In fact i'll try it out right now, and it may even cut down those annoying crash bugs. Stupid isValid.
Gleeok wrote:Huh? I don't see why it wouldn't work. I haven't tested it but all you should need to do is add: this_ffc->Data=1; right before the true loop. In fact i'll try it out right now, and it may even cut down those annoying crash bugs. Stupid isValid.
edit: I don't see the problem, It works great. The ffc never is even visible once in the newly scrolled to room. :shrug: In fact, C-, this does seem to eliminate the annoying switching screens "random crash" npc pointer bug without using isValid everywhere. 😉
edit-damnit; I thought I was editing my previous post. ....oh, hehe..I clicked on quote instead of edit.
Update. More fun with draw functions this time around.
1. Finished the Capricorn Wave weapon. Fires in more than eight directions, wide hit radius. One of, if not the, highest level weapon that will be in the game.
2. Finished ship cannons 4 and 5. Cheat to check out the progressively more devestating ship weapons.
3. Finished ship Jets. Cheat to check out speed boosts with higher level jets. (Item class 254).
4. Finished ship bombs. Push "L" in ship mode to fire massive blasts to clear out enemies. Uses energy quickly. There are four levels of blasts: 1. twin cannons; 2. one large cannon; 3. a larger blast that protects your ship on all sides; and 4. needle lazers that hit everything on the screen.
The file starts you in a Pieces corridor. Uses beta 699
http://users.sephiroth.ws/C-Dawg/zodiac%2012-16-07.zip
Aha! I'm finally able to actually play all of this now. 😃 -On a 3.2 ghz, 1 gig ram comp. 😊
So I was going through the corridors now that i'm able to check these out, but I'm assuming that the current level of weaponry is unbalanced in the players favor as I'm tapping into an entire keg of whoop-ass over here. Instead of just "downgrade cheating" all items to lv.1, is there an order to which the player should have stronger weapons for the gunship in mind on the corridor levels?
Also what's that one enemy that reverts ffc data to 1 when you shoot at it? That'd be a neat boss having a bunch of those guys protecting it's vulnerable point. And you've got the piranas from Guardian Legend down.
Balance issues remain. My plan is to finish up the coding by next summer, then take the next six months adding plot (most of the time will be artwork) and finally be asking people to help beta test about this time next year, while I create a walk-through. I'm meeting some friends about replacing all of the game's music with custom arranged midis this week, too.
The balance issues you're seeing will be worked out somewhere along the way. Right now, I anticipate that Level 1 Ship Gun will be used in all or part of Aries, Cancer, and Scorpio; Level 2 will be used in Cancer, Scorpio, and Gemini; Level 3 probably won't be around until late Gemini and Pieces.
Ideally, I want to balance the game so that the player has a sense of "I'm kicking serious ass" during the flying levels. That might make it a little on the easy side, but I think it'll make the product more fun.
Gleeok wrote:Aha! I'm finally able to actually play all of this now. 😃 -On a 3.2 ghz, 1 gig ram comp. 😊
Also what's that one enemy that reverts ffc data to 1 when you shoot at it? That'd be a neat boss having a bunch of those guys protecting it's vulnerable point. And you've got the piranas from Guardian Legend down.
Yea, he absorbs (mostly) your standard weapon so you need to use special weapons on him. I do have bosses protected by similar enemies in the planning stage. It'll be like the level 2 darkworld boss in LttP, sort of.
Long time, no update. Most of what I've been doing is code optimization for the corridors. Now, your ship cannon fires much more reliably, and slowdown is non-existent on my machine (2.6ghz, 1 gig ram). I've also added new bosses and SHMUP enemies using the draw functions, and started work on the Libra corridors.
This file starts you in Libra. Go west to encounter the first of many cameos in this game. Kudos to the first person to identify the (respectfully hard) miniboss.
Use beta 718.
http://users.sephiroth.ws/C-Dawg/zodiac02-03-08.zip
Once again, thanks to Sepiroth for the hosting space.
The mini boss is Kain from final fantasy 2 (or 5 in America i believe) right?
Kain, but yes, that's him. I was wondering how his attack would translate to a sidescrolling action game, and I think it translates rather well.
Update with four or five new bosses. I'm upgrading some early bosses and adding new ones. Libra's boss is another familiar face from the Final Fantasy series.
I'm also experimenting with bullet hell. Gleeok complained that the bosses were too easy, so...
Good luck getting past this one without a few energy tanks. And it'll get better from here on out.
Download: (Uses beta 718)
http://users.sephiroth.ws/C-Dawg/zodiac02-09-08.zip
Some folks were wondering how to access the scripts in the quest buffer. Zodiac is always unpassworded. Just open it in ZQuest 718. Then go to Compile script, and click on Export. Save it as a text file ("ZodiacScript.txt" maybe) and open it in word. You can copy the scripts and do whatever else you need.
I thought you said you weren't using any ripped graphics?
If I am correct, there is a script that lets you jump only in side view areas in this quest, right? If I put this into a top down quest, would it make it where Link could jump only when he is in a side view area, and not in a top down area?
Didn't check this thread for a while. Anyway, cool! Also, that health meter...wow.:surprise:
russadwan wrote:If I am correct, there is a script that lets you jump only in side view areas in this quest, right? If I put this into a top down quest, would it make it where Link could jump only when he is in a side view area, and not in a top down area?
I think it'd be rather funky in top-down areas.
An easy way to do it would be to edit the script so that it depended on Link having a certain item to function, then disable that item in the DMap disable box for top-down DMaps.
russadwan wrote:If I am correct, there is a script that lets you jump only in side view areas in this quest, right? If I put this into a top down quest, would it make it where Link could jump only when he is in a side view area, and not in a top down area?
It's already set up that way. I dont let the player jump in the SHUMP levels, after all.
The Jump Script handles jumping, dashing, wall climbing, and all other assorted passive abilities. It's an FFC script and it runs on FFC1 on every sideview area of the quest. So if you want to use it in your own quest, just don't assign the script to FFCs in top-down areas.
And Joe - I'm not using ripped graphics. Kain and Golbez are redrawn by me based generally on how they look. (Actually there is ONE ripped sprite in the game now because I couldnt get it to work right ... can YOU find it?)
Ah right ok.
No, I can't find it =P
I haven't played this since quite a few months ago, I should give it another try.
Why not use the global script?
Joe123 wrote:Ah right ok.
No, I can't find it =PI haven't played this since quite a few months ago, I should give it another try.
Why not use the global script?
Could have, with item or DMap based wrangling. But I started this way, so no problem keeping it that way.
If you're looking for new material, check out these highlights:
1. Location of the first boss (where you get your level 1 saber). Boss has been changed and updated. (Pheagon)
2. Disentigration beam (in Cancer) now shoots a bullet as well as cuts sand.
3. New boss (Ray Crystal) guarding the High Jump in Aries.
4. New bosses in Libra (Kain, Golbez)
5. New enemies and bosses in Libra and Gemini corridors.
6. New bosses in Taurus (Ray Crystal2 guarding the Black Hole Armor and Pheagon2).
I'm working on re-vamping all of the old bosses to add the enemy life meter and explosion I've developed, so they'll all be getting a facelift.
Hey C- I think you linked the wrong one, especially since it say's 12-16-07...You tease you.
When I tried the newest boss, the framerate dropped to, um, 9.
But then again, the fairly tame crystalline boss next door to it only permits a framerate of 28, so maybe I just need more than 1GHz to work with. (It's been awhile since I last checked this quest out, I admit sheepishly.)
I'm running a 2.6ghz box and I dont get any slowdown in 718. However, I get horrible slowdown exactly as you describe in the latest beta (735?). I think DarkDragon explained that he added alot of exceptions for testing purposes and forgot to take them out.
The more heavy portions of the script drop down to 40-45 FPS. I'm running a 1.3 Ghz laptop with a crappy video card though, so take that as you will.
This is in beta 718 btw.
