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Developer's Log

Started by CraigStern, February 11, 2013, 07:19:44 PM

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CraigStern

You can now use placeholder values within replies and dialog script actions! All of these will now be auto-converted into the appropriate text before the game runs them:

-VAL:-
-STR:-
-STAT:-
-NAME-
-LNAME-
-FNAME-


Also: you can now nest the -FNAME- placeholder text within the -VAL-, -STR- and (most importantly) -STAT- placeholders.

Why is this important? Basically, this opens up a ton of new possibilities. Here is a sample dialog I just tested out using nested placeholders and the -FNAME- placeholder within the SetStat action:

  <Dialog>OnReachingSpace/5,3//-FNAME- has reached the magic space! Strength increased by 20! -FNAME-'s Strength is now -STAT:-FNAME-,Strength-.
<Action>SetStat/-FNAME-,Strength,+,20</Action>
  <Reply>.../EndConv</Reply></Dialog>


Moving Emma Strider onto space 5,3 thus resulted in the following:





Pretty sweet, eh? ;)

CraigStern

After testing, I've made some further changes to random item drops in multiplayer. Instead of 40%, the game now prohibits item drops in spaces closer than or equal to 30% of the map's averaged length and width away from spawn locations.

To make up for this increased leniency, the game now actually weights each space according to its average distance from all spawn locations, meaning that item drops are much more likely to occur in places more or less equidistant from all players.

In your typical map where players spawn around the edges, item drops will occur almost entirely in the center of the map; if the spawn points are shifted inwards a bit from the edges of the map, there may also be isolated spots around the outside of the map where items can drop as well, exactly between two of the players.

I've tested it and I can confirm that it is pretty cool. ;)

CraigStern

The installers have been updated online; go to it, alpha backers!

CraigStern

Another update: fixed a bug that was causing the game to freeze when using attacks that don't yet have animations. The installers have been updated online.

CraigStern

I've done a fair bit of work beneath the hood to make the game more easily support different window resolutions; I changed the game's default window resolution from 768 x 640 to 800 x 640; and I used that extra width to change the positioning of the dialog screen and where character portraits appear inscreen. (Specifically, characters now appear at the bottom of the screen, with the dialog box now appearing roughly at mouth level.) Personally, I think this looks much much better than having the portraits sitting up on top of the dialog box.

I also fixed an issue that was preventing the dialog window from being centered on the screen, and made the game intelligently reposition all of the dialog box elements and portraits whenever the game is switched between fullscreen and windowed mode.

I'm currently working on a new cut scene type that uses click-to-continue text instead of scrolling text.

CraigStern

The game now supports two separate types of cut scenes! The cut scene with scrolling text is now called Cut Scene: Scrolling--that is now joined by a new type of cut scene, Cut Scene: Static.

Static cut scenes show a linear progression of text blocks and require the user to click in order to proceed through them. Static cut scenes use a medium-sized font, positioned in the bottom quarter of the screen, and allow you to use a picture (or a series of pictures!) to accompany the text.

You can create static cut scenes in the exact same way you do scrolling ones, with a few differences:


  • At the top of the XML file, you'll use maptype="Cut Scene: Static" instead of maptype="Cut Scene: Scrolling";
  • Within the <Narration> tag, use double-forward slashes (that is, //) to denote a new block of text;
  • Attach a picture (recommended dimensions: 800 x 490) to a text block by including -PIC:Name of the picture- anywhere within that block; "Name of picture" should match the name of a PNG file within Data > Backgrounds, minus the file extension (e.g. -PIC:Title Screen- will make the game try to load Data > Backgrounds > Title Screen.png);
  • Remove the picture (i.e. make the area above the text go black) by using -PIC:None- or -PIC:Clear- instead.

CraigStern

Fixed a bug I inadvertently introduced re: the game saving Emma Strider's info.

The installers have been updated.

CraigStern

This took a lot of work to implement, but the game now supports dialog within static cut scenes! There's just one annoying little bug that's causing the dialog screen to load offscreen; as soon as that's fixed, I'll be ready to update the installers with the new feature. ;)

CraigStern

Bug fixed! Create dialog in a static cut scene the same way you do in a normal map: with <Dialog> tags. (Conversations you create in the map editor will work just fine.)

To trigger a conversation in a static cut scene, use this special format: -DIA:OnTurn/0-, where "OnTurn/0" is whatever trigger your conversation is grouped under.

The dialog will be called in whichever text block you place that call in.

Many dialog actions won't work in a static cut scene (in particular, the ones that require a battlefield or access specific characters on the battlefield), but all of the following are working as of now:

--portrait manipulation actions
--actions to add or remove characters from the roster
--screen shake
--the Run action to run scripts

I'm going to work on getting more actions working in cut scene mode, particularly ones involving custom variables. Stay tuned!

CraigStern

You can now use actions related to custom numerical variables and custom strings (e.g. IfValGoTo, SetVal, IfStringGoTo, SetString) within static cut scenes. This means that the game now supports dynamic cut scenes where consequential choices can be reflected (or made!) without the need to construct an entire battlefield to play host to the proceedings.

CraigStern

I've fixed a couple of bugs in the map editor; the map editor installers have been updated online.

CraigStern

New condition: Post-Battle Looting! Has one parameter: true or false.

If set to true in a given battle, if the player wins the battle and there are loose item sacks lying around the battlefield, the game will turn on exploration mode and allow the player to gather loose item sacks. It will also add a new button to the Actions Menu, "Leave Battlefield." The player can click this when he or she is done to move on to the next scene.

CraigStern

Just fixed a bug where the game would freeze when a character attempted to swim out of water or lava.

Currently adding portraits to the remaining dialog in the Kovit mini-campaign.

CraigStern

I've now added all of the portraits I currently have to every scene in the Kovit mini-campaign.

I also just spent a couple of hours playtesting and fixing random bugs; this build should be more stable than the last few. I've updated the installers online for early access backers.

CraigStern

I've updated the manual online with documentation about creating cut scenes.