Adventure Game Studio

AGS Support => Advanced Technical Forum => Topic started by: Monsieur OUXX on Sat 03/11/2007 16:29:59

Title: What KEYBOARD modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Sat 03/11/2007 16:29:59
I'm starting this thread similar to CJ's "what templates should be included to the future release of AGS", but here are the differences :

- RULE 1 - the modules should be usefull and not too "specific" (which exludes the "naval battle" modules, the "safe combination" modules, etc.) good modules would be : "characters control", or the one that removes the maximum limit of rooms, or the "downhill" one, or the ones that extend the fonts, or etc. You know, all that stuff that makes AGS more powerfull by using workarounds.

- RULE 2 - no plugins!

- RULE 3 - the modules must not be too outdated (2.72 is OK)

Any ideas ?

PS : prolific "modules contributors" may propose their own modules, since some of them may not be used very often, and are therefore a bit forgotten, but still very usefull

PS2 : such modules that work in combination with plugins (e.g. 3D modules) may be proposed, but only provided the code could be translated not too hardly into a pure module (regardless of the awful speed that would result...).
For example, if you only have to use some other Mathematics module to acheive the calculations in the converted 3D module, then it's OK, but if the original plugin uses some system calls that CANNOT be done in AGS script, then it's not OK.

[EDIT] Could you please add links to the modules you mention? (At least a link to the thread that mention them)[/EDIT]
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Dualnames on Sun 04/11/2007 00:21:21
I think Akumayo's Particle Engine, Multi-Response and QBGSpeech should make it. Also AGS console?
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Sun 04/11/2007 02:11:50
Quote from: Jim "Dualnames" Span on Sun 04/11/2007 00:21:21
I think ...

Great ideas, that's exactly what I'm looking for... especially the multi-response one.
Thanks dualname... If anyone else has other ideas...

PS : would you be kind enough and put the links to the modules?
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: SSH on Sun 04/11/2007 08:47:39
Everything under http://ssh.me.uk/moddoc ;)

Seriously though:

Description Module    
Credits Module    
Digraphs Module    
MusicC Module
QBGSpeechST Module
SpriteFont11 Module
MultiResponse Module
ScreenshotsSaveLoad Module
Hypertext Module
DeNGVaT Module
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: GarageGothic on Sun 04/11/2007 12:15:06
I don't really understand, are you going to put all these module into one big module? If so, what's the purpose? Most AGSers use one or two modules per game, so why bloat the code and create possible conflicts by adding a ton of unused modules (which would, by the way, also be a lot more work to keep updated)? But perhaps I'm misunderstanding the whole thing.
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Sun 04/11/2007 12:34:36
Quote from: GarageGothic on Sun 04/11/2007 12:15:06
I don't really understand, are you going to put all these modules into one big module?
Why bloat the code and create possible conflicts by adding a ton of unused modules (which would, by the way, also be a lot more work to keep updated)?

I don't want to say too much, because I already said too much about AGSH before it was ready and the only thing it did is that it semt to be unfinished, too complicated, useless (some will think : "it is useless", but I know it's not!  ;)).
The idea is : the users can activate or deactivate a module with only one click (oh, what if I added a mirror there? I click on the wall and it's done).
And I had an idea that would allow to maintain the original module and the "embedded version" at the same time very easily.


SSH :
your modules are cool, I'm just not really sure how "generic" is your credits module.
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: SSH on Sun 04/11/2007 16:34:07
Well, it seems to be one of the most-used modules. And most games have credits. Sometimes the credits are longer than the game!
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: LimpingFish on Sun 04/11/2007 20:51:27
Some useful modules, with clear and concise manuals included, would indeed be handy.

I'm sure we're all grateful for the work authors put in to their modules, but having a readme file which more or less says "I'm too lazy to explain how this module works, so just figure it for yourself out from this hastily coded test game" is a kick in the balls to those less that capable in the coding department.

If you're going to take the time to make a module, at least put the effort into making it user-friendly.

Again not to sound ungrateful, but a lot of the time it seems modules only get written to enable the author to impress other module authors with their l33t coding skillz0rz.
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Mon 05/11/2007 09:36:21
Quote from: LimpingFish on Sun 04/11/2007 20:51:27
Some useful modules, with clear and concise manuals included, would indeed be handy.
If you're going to take the time to make a module, at least put the effort into making it user-friendly.

sir, yes sir!  8)


Quote from: LimpingFish on Sun 04/11/2007 20:51:27
Again not to sound ungrateful, but a lot of the time it seems modules only get written to enable the author to impress other module authors with their l33t coding skillz0rz.

That's true, but that's how artists work  ;)
But the primary goal here is precisely to have noobs include anything they want into their games, just as easily as they use the main AGS IDE.


Any other ideas for the usefull modules?
I think the "states machine" one would be cool because a LOT of new users dream of adding some AI or RPG elements in their games, but it'd need to code some sort of GUI to draw the states graph so that even noobZorZ could use it  :)
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Dualnames on Mon 05/11/2007 10:45:40
Posting the links
Akumayos Engine
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=26379.0
Ags Console
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=32787.0

In the meantime I'll think of more...
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: monkey0506 on Tue 06/11/2007 19:13:46
Quote from: Monsieur OUXX on Mon 05/11/2007 09:36:21I think the "states machine" one would be cool because a LOT of new users dream of adding some AI or RPG elements in their games

I actually scripted up a AGS 3.0 Flying Spaghetti Module...I mean...Finite State Machine module :D with named machines, states, and transitions...however I've noticed that initializing it (especially from a file) is very slow. My test used a completely random 37 machines each consisting of (the same) 5 states and 7 transitions. That might seem like a lot, but if you consider the average number of enemies in an RPG, the states they would share, and then any additional states the individual enemies might have...I am using dynamic arrays, but even when preallocating them it's still taking several seconds to iterate through the literally thousands of different items to initialize them.

Unfortunately however, even setting up a similar situation with HoN's FSM module bears similar results. My module is actually slower but this is primarily because it offers virtually infinite numbers of machines, states, and transitions. Setting static limits would likely reduce this by quite a bit. If anyone's interested in an FSM module with the abilities to name machines, states, and transitions, let me know and I may explore speeding my module up. Otherwise I'll probably just let it fall by the wayside like so many before it. ;)
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Wed 07/11/2007 10:24:01
Quote from: monkey_05_06 link=topic=32837.msg425128#msg425128If anyone's interested in an FSM module with the abilities to name machines, states, and transitions, let me know and I may explore speeding my module up

It's much too early to discuss optimization, but I'll keep your module in mind. Thanks Monkey. Any other modules? (Monkey : your own modules?)
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Radiant on Wed 07/11/2007 10:58:43
Radiant FontEdit (http://crystalshard.net/zip/FONTEDIT.ZIP).
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Wed 07/11/2007 13:18:47
Quote from: Radiant on Wed 07/11/2007 10:58:43
Radiant FontEdit (http://crystalshard.net/zip/FONTEDIT.ZIP).

Nice "module", Radiant! (<-- mockery inside)  ;)
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Dualnames on Thu 08/11/2007 07:58:21
Also put SSH Description module if it's not there.
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Fri 09/11/2007 10:27:16
Quote from: Jim "Dualnames" Span on Thu 08/11/2007 07:58:21
Also put SSH Description module if it's not there.

It was posted by SSH himslef a few replies ago  :D
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Dualnames on Fri 09/11/2007 16:20:30
Nevemind me. Well, I guess we have it all.
Title: Re: What modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Mon 12/11/2007 09:26:28
Question :

Is there some sort of "international key-mapping" module?

Some stuff that replaces the input key "A" with a "Q" on an AZERTY keyboard (French) so that the game behaves as expected using a QWERTY keyboard.

Title: Re: What KEYBOARD modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Dualnames on Mon 12/11/2007 12:05:19
About keyboard modules Rui's and Akumayo's make worth adding. Also a module for RPG based games by the author of Reactor 09.
Title: Re: What KEYBOARD modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Mon 12/11/2007 15:25:17
Quote from: Jim "Dualnames" Span on Mon 12/11/2007 12:05:19
About keyboard modules Rui's and Akumayo's make worth adding. Also a module for RPG based games by the author of Reactor 09.

Could you at least give the names of the modules?
A quick search on "keyboard" by "akumayo" or "rui" doesn't give any result
Title: Re: What KEYBOARD modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: SSH on Mon 12/11/2007 16:27:48
http://americangirlscouts.org/agswiki/Coding_Contest#Keyboard_Control
Title: Re: What KEYBOARD modules would you include to a more global system?
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Mon 12/11/2007 17:27:18
Quote from: SSH on Mon 12/11/2007 16:27:48
http://americangirlscouts.org/agswiki/Coding_Contest#Keyboard_Control

these modules only seem to allow some keyboard control, but do not handle regional settings for keyboards, do they ?