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Problem found!

One of my friends from outside the AGS community is involved in my game, and I asked him to sign up for an account here so I could add him in the credits.

Well... it won't allow me to update the page with his user name.  It's not verified.  I can only guess that it's because he signed up after the server swap.

A couple of work arounds for clickable character problem:

Use inv item on same inv item to use on self.
Make "SELF" icon in inventory window.
Make character not clickable unless in a room where he is clickable. (I think you can change that in-game.)
Use "general pointer" to pickup item from inv, and use "interact cursor" to use item self.

Thanks, ciborium!Ã,  I'll probably end up making the character clickable just inside that one room.Ã,  I don't have AGS handy, but I'm sure that there's a "character.clickable" property.

Everyone:Ã,  I'm already overhauling the original GUI pretty deeply to correct my original n00b-ups.Ã,  I'm hoping to have some other resources (graphics, sounds, text) ready pretty soon so that I can release a Beta Demo 2.Ã,  Also, I'm adding a couple of console line commands including one that simply displays the keyboard/mouse controls.

In case anyone else is stuck (sorry if this is in the intro, but I can't view it as you'll have seen):

- Click the middle mouse button to access the inventory
- In the inventory, you can cycle through the cursors only when the cursor is over an item
- Use the "walk" icon to select an item from the inventory (I think)

...but how do you save the game? F5 has been disabled.

Thanks.

Save has not been implemented, and probably won't be for the demo.Ã,  It's actually a very short demo once you get the puzzles down.

Tina:

Spoiler

The sequence is different every time you play.Ã,  In order to solve the puzzle, you need to watch the light blink.Ã,  Some flashes are long, some are short.Ã,  It may be "long, short, short, short," for instance.Ã,  Then it'll stop blinking for a moment, and that's the second sequence.Ã,  Remember that one too, and then the third.Ã,  Then, when you go over to the number panel, listen to the beeps when you press the buttons.Ã,  When you figure out which numbers on the panel beep the same as the flashing lights, you'll have the sequence.Ã,  Press "SET" and then enter the numbers.

[close]

I seem to have run into a bug before I even start. When I click on "New game" it hangs for a moment before reporting that the file intro.avi in the Cutscenes directory cannot be opened.

The file is there, but the error suggests the wrong slash is being used, as it says it is looking for (as I have installed it on my machine):

F:\game\Prototypical\Cutscenes/intro.avi

Then again, if I try to load the file, it tells me I don't have the right codec... not a good start. What codec should I have, and where can I download it ? (It would have been helpful to include it in with the installation.)

Is there any way of starting the game without running the intro video?

I'll check on the slash and update if needed.  As for the codec, DivX will work but I used XviD, so that will probably work better.  I've personally had issues with AGS playing the video back incorrectly on a computer without XviD.

As for codec distribution, I'm looking into legal issues there.

There is no save feature in the demo.  The "save" and "load" GUIs have not yet been implemented, therefore the hotkeys for those functions have been deactivated.

As it stands, the inventory is called via the "I" key or the middle mouse button.  There is no "standard" quit game button as of yet because the game is designed to run in windowed mode, but I'll be sure to build one into the next release.

Vince Twelve:Ã,  Thank you for your quality post.Ã,  It gave me a lot to think about.

Let me start my response off by asking about the alpha channel situation.Ã,  Blender will, in fact, export PNG.Ã,  Would I not, however, be forced to convert to 32-bit color in order to take advantage of said feature?

As for the rest:

I apologize about the cursor hotspots.Ã,  I designed all of the inventory items thus far so that the top-left "point" of the icon could (and does) work as the hotspot.Ã,  My two mistakes there: not telling the gamer about this, and having some icons that don't have distinct "points."Ã,  I'll look into designing a reasonably non-intrusive graphical cue.

The decision to make the character clickable was made in full knowledge that it could cause problems.Ã,  I went ahead with it because there will be some future puzzle that uses it.Ã,  Obviously, I should deal with the fact that the entire game should not be lessened for the sake of one puzzle.Ã,  I'll find a workaround when the time comes to implement that puzzle.

Making the inventory system more intuitive should be pretty easy.Ã,  I'll take care of that.  I'll also include a shortcut to save, load, and console mode while I'm at it.

As for the cursors... well, based on the philosophy that the game was designed on, the cursors actually aren't inconsistent.Ã,  I just described their functions in a way that did not match my actual intentions.

Actually, the cursor that I wrongly refer to as "walk to" is in fact meant to serve as a general pointer.Ã,  It pushes buttons in GUIs and tells the character where to walk.Ã,  I see now, however, that simply calling it something else isn't going to help since this game is being designed for an audience that is used to having those concepts seperated.

Having the "interact" function seperate from the pointer is actually quite important to me... so if I use a new cursor for "walk to" (and I likely will), the screw will remain the cursor of choice for inventory clicks and button presses.

Thanks again for your post.Ã,  It was not harsh at all, it simply pointed out some valid problems.Ã,  That's what an open beta is all about!

Please see the top post!

Also, visit the newly updated Prototypical Website!

Thanks, folks!

Production is running hot and heavy, and a demo lurks around the corner.

Nathan23:Ã,  Thanks for the suggestion, but it's important that this particular character stays in perpetual motion.

monkey:Ã,  Your snippet worked great!

I made a couple of modifications to better suit my particular needs and I ended up with this:

Code: ags

int rand = Random(99)+1;
if ((rand < 5) && (cChar.Frame==7)) {
Ã,  cChar.LockView(2);
Ã,  cChar.Animate(cChar.Loop, cChar.AnimationSpeed, eOnce, eNoBlock, eForwards);
Ã,  }

// rep_ex
if ((cChar.View == 2) && (!cChar.Animating)) cChar.UnlockView();

Basically, all I did is make sure that the secondary idle isn't called unless the character is on a specific frame.

Thanks again, guys!

Confusing topic, maybe... but here's what I'm up to.

I have a character who constantly idles, and this is accomplished using the SetIdle(n, 0) command.  Works fine.

However, I need to have this character occasionally run a different idle loop... just once through, and then resume the standard idle.

I can set up a function that gets a Random(99) passed to it and sets the Idle Animation based on that number (say, for example, to make the secondary idle animation run 5% of the time), but I'm just not experienced enough with programming to have it work out so that the animation will run in its entirety and then resume with the old.  I get some sort of odd seizure-like clash of animations competing with one another to play out.

Help?

Try cAlvin instead of cALVIN

Also note that the Script O-Name will need to be set.

Just put... whatever in the normal loop, and in the game_start part of the room script, put this:

cCharactername.SetIdleView(view number, 0);

Charactername is the name of your character's O-script, "view number" is just to be replaced by the... view number... and the "0" is there to keep AGS from putting a pause in the animation between cycles.

Very solid animwork. Dare I ask what software you use for this?

Certainly!  I'm actually using Blender.  They're models rendered with shadeless materials so that they don't pick up highlights or shadows (the few shadowy areas are just given different, darker materials).

Getting the edges to render that way took some fanangling with Blender's node editor.

your robots remind me of the crazy robot in futurama... any influenes?

Not a conscious one, no.  I like Futurama, but I didn't watch it regularly when it was new, and I never think to watch the repeats.  I can certainly see the resemblance, though.

EagerMind:Ã,  Yeah, that's true.Ã,  Like I said, I mimicked the movements of an actual fitness instructor performing that very motion, and that's how she was moving.Ã,  For this robot, though, it does look a bit off.

Buckethead:Ã,  It sorta is.Ã,  The robot is incapable of standing still, and its prototypical ability is super-speed, so I thought that running in place would be a good way to characterize it.Ã,  It also happens to be a popular aerobic exersize, so whaddayadoo?Ã, 

alimpo83:Ã,  Thanks

EDIT:Ã,  To demonstrate my statement about carrying out character through animation:

I think that twitching idea is good... it might be neat if one eye started flashing (like it's twitching), then his head rapidly goes back and forth to "shake it off" ^_^

That's a great idea, thanks!  I have to go out of my way to give them lots of personality through their animations, so this is wonderful!

I hope you're not offended by this, but I find your robots very cute ^_^
Maybe if he's an insane robot, have his eyes flash different colours? (it may look completely stupid, I'm just throwing an idea out there)

Not offended at all!Ã,  In fact, that was my aim.Ã,  In the story, these robots are being hunted down by their creators in an attempt to destroy them (they are, after all, only prototypes).Ã,  The cuteness is an attempt on my part to make the player feel sorry for them even if they're only machines.Ã,  So... thanks

I'm a bit worried that the flashing eyes may be a bit repetitive, but you gave me an idea that I think will work beautifully... I think I'll add an "idle" animation that's identical except that one of the eyes flickers on and off, so that it looks like it's twitching.Ã,  What do you think about that?

Gilbot:  It's a different robot
It looks so similar because it's a prototype like the red one.  As for your suggestion, that will be perfect.  It'll work really well because I plan to make the "talking" animation exactly the same except that the head will be facing more toward the side... so having it go from motion to still will add a bit of humor, I think.  Thanks!

MadReizka:  This prototype burns a bit too hot.  He IS the machine version of insane.

jasonjkay:  When it's actually in transport, you won't even see it move

Thanks, all!

Hello again, folks.

This time it's a running-in-place animation.  I actually downloaded a video of someone running in place and based this animation upon that footage... folks, this version is MORE animated than the fitness instructor in the video.



Now, I think this animation is pretty good... but I'm not in the business of pretty good

Anybody got a suggestion to make it great?  I should mention that this character is a ball of perpetual motion... running in place is just its default state.

It's certainly not perfect, but here's what I did:

moved pixels in the bridge of the nose over a couple of ticks to the left... changed the line to a curve.

Removed a bit of the black line from the left breast.

Thickened arms, especially forearms.  Gave her an elbow.

Rounded shoulders and lifted the armpits, resulting in alteration of the curve of the breast.

Shortened torso and, by extension, the arms.

Moved the belly button a couple of pixels to the right.

Inverted curve on the left knee and thickened both legs.

Altered bulge of kneecaps and added hint of shadow to right kneecap.

I realize that my edits changed a few things about the core design, so sorry if I strayed from your intentions.  Feel free to nick it or disregard it.  If you decide to use it, please take a look at the upper arms.  I can't tell, but I might have left one longer than the other.  EDIT:  On my second look, I definitely made her right forearm much longer.

aren't video game females supposed to be attractive? She looks like a $2 whore to be quite honest.

Uhh... you go right ahead and find that in the rulebook for us.