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Yep, there is! I wrote a small fix: Call FolExPre() in GameStart() before using any of the other FolEx commands, and off you go! You only need to do this once in GameStart(), it will work without that command everywhere else.

http://www.origamihero.com/files/FolEx02d.zip

FolExPre();
FolEx (BRYN, EGO);
FolExStopDist(10,10);
FolExStartDist(20,20);
FolExStopWhenClose(1);
FolExOffset(2);

Uh oh! Sounds like I have some sort of mistake in there. I'll look into it, shouldn't take long.

EDIT:

Okay, it should work now. However, it's not possible to make characters follow character 0 at the moment, all the others are fine. I need to work around the array bounds somehow.

http://www.origamihero.com/files/FolEx02c.zip

Also, a new option is available:
function FolExTimer(int loops)

It makes characters stop briefly before they start walking towards the player. Default is 30 loops, set it to 0 to make them follow instantly.

Note that the characters always walk exactly towards the player, the StopDist and StartDist commands define the distance needed to make the following characters walk or stop (x or y < or > distance). Try this (provided EGO isn't character 0):

(Put them in GameStart() to try it out, that messed up earlier because of some mistakes on my part. You can call the command from anywhere in your game.)

FolEx (BRYN, EGO);
FolExStopDist(10,10);
FolExStartDist(20,20);
FolExStopWhenClose(1);
FolExOffset(2); //makes the character appear 2 pixels behind the player when changing rooms. Gotta be careful to make sure he's on a walkable area in the new room.

I updated the module. It supports multiple characters now and following characters also appear at the player's position when changing rooms. I also added an offset value that makes characters appear behind the character they follow upon room change.

http://www.origamihero.com/files/FolEx02b.zip

I uploaded a small example game to show you (both Kinoko and Yurina) what it could look like - it shows 2 characters following the main character in a queue:

http://www.origamihero.com/files/Compiled.zip

Yes, FOLLOW_EXACTLY makes them stick to the player. That is intentional.

I'd recommend writing your own follow code. Just compare the x and y values and have the NPCs move towards the player's x/y coordinates when they're too far away. You can also compare to the player's current direction (loop) and make the NPCs walk to a point behind the player character depending on those.

EDIT - I made a small module:

http://www.origamihero.com/files/customfollow01a.zip (~1 KB)

You can use FolEx(folchar, mainchar) to make a character tag along. There also are a few options you can set:

FolEx(folchar1, mainchar1);
(Pass -1 to deactivate)

FolExStopDist(int x,int y);
(Stopping distance)

FolExStartDist(int x,int y);
(Starting distance)

FolExTimer(int time);
(Loops to wait after moving)

FolExStopWhenClose(int yesno);
(Whether to stop if close to player if within stopping distance)

Note: Only supports 1 following character at the moment.

Orieac: Oops, too late. I don't have the old version anymore. But it's only a single typo, so I guess it wouldn't be much of an issue if you don't download the fixed version.

Mr. Rex: Thanks for the offer and good luck with your game, I say!

Thanks for letting me know! I uploaded a fixed version.

Ah, a 6 frame animation? It's a good choice for a comical low res game. DOTT also had those, if I remember right.

Your sketches are looking great. Can't wait to see some in-game screenshots. Keep it up!

I updated my first post with some more info (everything under 'Random Info') and some art:

Anarcho: The whole building has those shiney floors and I've drawn so many rooms already. However, I'm considering adding a shadow to the characters as a seperate sprite. If it works out.

Helm: Aye, I'll be more careful with my backgrounds from now on.

EDIT - I drew a new corridor background. It scrolls now and isn't 'dynamic', but it seems to fit in fine:

I have a lot of these 'dynamic' backgrounds and only two involve scaling so far. Most of them are kind of like this:



The 4-dir sprites seem fine on it. The hallway seems to be the only troublesome one so far.

I liked your background, so I gave it a quick paintover. It may not be what you want since it's a completely different style now, but maybe it'll give you a few ideas:



-Added a bit of texture to the grass/street/house
-Added a lamp
-Added more shape to the barrel
-Added a water drain pipe (is that the right term?)

I wouldn't go commercial, anyway. Money makes everything so complicated. Besides, who would by a noname indie game that looks like 1992?

I think I'll just keep pimping (the game everywhere)!

Thanks to everyone who gave my game a go so far.

It needs to be a hallway, yes. I might redraw it completely, but for now I'll leave it at that. If I redraw it to a more frontal perspective, it would become two rooms or a scrolling room... oh well, we'll see.

Thanks for the comments!

rocier: If 'expanding my audience' equals 'pimping my game wherever I can', then I'm already doing that! :3

www.the-underdogs.org added my game to their database recently (see HERE). Hooray for me! Mr. Underdogs probably checks on new AGS games regularly. He also added Stargate Adventure and Mind's Eye. Good man, that.

Those are lovely sprites! I think it will depend on their up/down walking animation whether they will look fine with the background or not.

EDIT:

You could still try something like that:


About the original - I think it only looked weird because we couldn't see enough of the ceiling. Maybe the eye needs more of those ceiling lines to actually 'get' it:


Whatever you decide for, round windows would look cool either way! :3

Hallo Mr. Gilbert. Do not despare!

The choice of color on the wall confuses me slightly. You could try to tone them down and leave out the lines between the different colors.

The bar at the back doesn't align with the perspective, the egdes should go with the line on the wall. As it is now, drinks would just slide off and shatter.

Another thing you could try would be... round windows! They have something very cruiser-y about them.

Never feel that you have to use a vanishing point that's on the screen. For a background like that, you could also have one further up without a visible ceiling.

Additionally, here are a few ideas you could also try:


EDIT: Here's a perspective you could try using:

vict0r: Photoshop 7.0 and a tablet. I'd recommend a tablet to anyone planning to make games with Sierra style backgrounds.

ProgZmax: Thanks. I'll edit it a little to get rid of the bluriness caused by scaling it, then it should be usable.

Minimi: I'm not sure if I get what you're trying to tell me. Sometimes I'm unbelievably dense.

Bastos: Yep, the characters only walk on the visible ground.

Thanks for all the comments! :3

rhape: Yeah, I've done foreground silhouettes on a few backgrounds, they do help! :3

ProgZmax/Darth: While the scaling itself isn't a problem, it does look a little funny with only 4 direction characters. The character's movement also stutters a little because of the speed changes caused by the scaling.

So I tried this (cheap edit):


It seems to work a lot better now.

I'd like to get rid of 'straight-on' views (with the vanishing point being in the center), so I've been trying to use different perspectives. Two examples:



1. Some rooms aren't big enough to fill a screen, so there's going to be black nothingness in a few of them. Does anyone find this disturbing, especially in the 2nd picture?

2. I guessed on the first picture's perspective because I had a hard time doing that one with vanishing points. Does it show?

This is a good game overall. It may have a few minor issues, but they didn't really disturb me or keep me from playing through twice (to get the other ending). I'd love to see more games by you. Keep it up!

It also has been added to underdogs: http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=5317