Messages

Are the download links still valid? I am not able to connect to http://shatten.sonores.de, at all.

My intention was to check the latest version of the template and see if it has same problem as the one shipped with AGS 3.2.1:
The "Quit" button on the Options gui sais "QuitätÖ" when using English translation (I have a feeling I reported this back in 2011).

Other than that, are you still planning on removing old-style Audio support? In my previous response I suggested using "#ifdef STRICT_AUDIO", but that's not a fully proper solution, because in AGS >=3.2 users may mix audio styles, e.g. turn backwards compatible mode to only use old-style functions in particular cases. Perhaps a new macro may be introduced, like "#define USE_OLD_AUDIO", which may only be enabled if STRICT_AUDIO is on:

Code: ags

#ifdef STRICT_AUDIO
#define USE_OLD_AUDIO // comment this line if you want this template essential functions use only new style audio
#endif

EDIT: trying to get screenshot to work.

Here:

Spoiler

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When sharing from Mediafire, click on "Share" then "Embed". It displays links for embedding on other sites.

The time's almost over (couple of hrs left till 1st July GMT).

There's alot of splashes posted in the thread.
I hereby ask everyone who participated post a list of links to their splashes (or links to posts in this thread) they want to officially put for voting, just in case if they want to select only particular ones.

I am giving couple of days more to arrange things, then start voting.

[AGS 3.3.0 BETA 5 released (engine version 3.3.0.1136)]

AGS 3.3.0 BETA 5 released (engine version 3.3.0.1136)
-------------------------------------------------------
Changes from BETA 4:

Features:
- Introducing new Speech class to the AGS Script with several static properties replacing old-style global functions and variables.

Spoiler

Added extra constant to enum eKeyCode:

Code: ags

eNoKey // self-explanatory

Introducing enum SkipSpeech.
Defines how player may skip speech:

Code: ags

  eSkipKeyMouseTime,
  eSkipKeyTime,
  eSkipTime,
  eSkipKeyMouse,
  eSkipMouseTime

Introducing class Speech:

Code: ags

  /// Enables/disables the custom speech portrait placement.
  bool Speech.CustomPortraitPlacement;
  /// Gets/sets speech portrait x offset relative to screen side.
  int  Speech.PortraitXOffset;
  /// Gets/sets speech portrait y position.
  int  Speech.PortraitY;
  /// Gets/sets special key which can skip speech text.
  eKeyCode Speech.SkipKey;
  /// Gets/sets how the player can skip speech lines.
  SkipSpeech Speech.SkipStyle;
  /// Gets/sets the style in which speech is displayed.
  eSpeechStyle Speech.Style;
  /// Gets/sets how text in message boxes and Sierra-style speech is aligned.
  Alignment Speech.TextAlignment;
  /// Gets/sets whether voice and/or text are used in the game.
  eVoiceMode Speech.VoiceMode;

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** WARNING **
Following functions and variables are now deprecated. If you have any of them in script you will likely receive compilation errors.
Either turn Backwards Compatibility mode in Global Settings, or consider using corresponding property from Speech class.

Spoiler

Code: ags

void SetVoiceMode(eVoiceMode);       // use Speech.VoiceMode
void SetSkipSpeech(int skipFlag);    // use Speech.SkipSpeech
void SetSpeechStyle(eSpeechStyle);   // use Speech.Style

int game.speech_text_align;          // use Speech.TextAlignment
int game.skip_speech_specific_key;   // use Speech.SkipKey

(introduced in 3.3.0 beta 4)
int game.speech_portrait_placement;  // use Speech.CustomPortraitPlacement
int game.speech_portrait_x;          // use Speech.PortraitXOffset
int game.speech_portrait_y;          // use Speech.PortraitY

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Bug fixes:
- Fixed crash when displaying certain styles of text windows (regression).

Download links (also updated at first page):
Official: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/betas/AGS-3.3.0-beta5.exe
ZIP:
Official: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/betas/AGS-3.3.0-beta5.zip


Still need to find time to update manual, also waiting for corrected BASS template from Ghost.

Could I paypal you some money to do it? I am a tad bit stuck :/

Lol, no, those advices are free.

What exactly is a problem?

File writing is done simply as:

Code: ags

File *f = File.Open("mydata.dat", eFileWrite);
if (f)
{
   f.WriteString(player.Name);
   f.Close();
}

Reading:

Code: ags

File *f = File.Open("mydata.dat", eFileRead);
if (f)
{
   player.Name = f.ReadStringBack();
   f.Close();
}

Also check manual, there are more examples.

Would it be possible to make an external text file which holds the info such as name etc that players can modify?

Yes, ofcourse. You can store any information you want in the file and then reload back, even from other game.
Files in AGS can work with both text and binary data(see File.WriteString and File.ReadStringBack in the manual).

I think it is  Roberto Benigni's "Life is Beautiful".

I never did this myself, but looking into the editor's interfaces I found this:

Code: csharp

/// Sets the project tree's internal marker to the specified node.
/// Any AddTreeLeaf commands will add them as children of this node.
/// </summary>
void StartFromNode(IEditorComponent component, string id);

Maybe it should be called before adding leaves?
Otherwise, there's no other obvious way to tell it where to add leaves.

E: The implementation sets _lastAddedNode:

Code: csharp

public void StartFromNode(IEditorComponent plugin, string id)
{
    TreeNode[] results = _projectTree.Nodes.Find(id, true);
    if (results.Length > 0)
    {
       _lastAddedNode = results[0];
    }

2) Would it be possible to release updates of the game with new locations, characters, items etc for people to download. But the player gets to keep all their progress from the previous update?

No, AGS does not support this.
What people usually do is making separate games and some kind of password with encrypted information about game progress (like first letter A means one choice, letter B - another, etc); btw this is how Ponch made his famous "Barn Runner" series.
If the transferred data is large (or you don't want to encumber players making them remember password) you can save file at the end of the first game and load it at the start of the second game; this way they transferred characters, and sometimes progress, in many RPG games, including Quest for Glory.

Make a universal launcher for your game, not AGS program.
It will let to choose a language and create a temporary file with secret code, then start appropriate AGS game. AGS game will read temporary file, and delete it, and continue only if code is right. For better security the code may be based on date/time of launch.
This launcher, being written not in AGS script but on programming language with wider functionality, will be able to make any possible checks, perhaps even md5 checksumm, of the existing exe files.

I've got following notifications

It looks like your *** pledge to Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet! (Retro Pirate Adventure) was declined by your card provider.
This error is usually caused by a recently expired, canceled, or maxed-out credit or debit card.
To correct this error and complete your pledge, just click the link below and choose a different payment method (or enter in a new card):

Which is weird, since my card is not expired, or cancelled...
I'll try PayPal.

What I'm trying to do is admitedely a bit complex and stupid

But what are you trying to do exactly?

Now that I think about this, it's a bit surprising there's no File.Length.

http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=43947.0


E: It is not listed on Wiki's Modules page.

Since I was asked by Ascovel about this, also FYI.
I checked the repository I previously mentioned: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=48278.msg636455388#msg636455388

The custom resolution code there is essentially the SkyGoblin's one, just little changed to match code style of our repository it was applied on.

The real problem, however, is that it was merged with "develop" branch, which is in potentially unstable and untested state. For that reason I'd rather recommended to not use it.

I don't want to blame anyone, but frankly I don't like how this discussions goes: a bit of mess IMHO.
I think you are starting to mix numbers being Keys and numbers being Order, which is different things.
Like in above example:

hatModule_SetStartCharacterIndex(50);

What is 50? Is it an order of item in internal array, or a key? If it is a key, it is as valid as a string, or a pointer. The only serious difference is that remembering the string or object name may be easier for us, people (at least for normal ones ).
E: err, I should have said - "holds more obvious meaning", of course.

Edit: Can you explain me, what is ugly?

In the new editor the panes could be docked to any place and also made into floating windows, which means they could be resized.
This does not look good with panes that do not set any contraint on their size (like minimal window size) or do not re-arrange controls to better fit the resized client area.

Well, to illustrate what's going on:
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2222/0r9r.png

That's a problem of editor rather than your plugin; some other panes behave the same. Or maybe it is not a problem at all, because people may minimize those windows on purpose.
So, on second thought, do not mind this.


Regarding testing, I found two serious problems:
1. When I open font editor in either stand-alone or plugin form, and the font list is empty, interacting with almost any control results in "NullReferenceException".
2. When in the AGS, I can't figure out how to populate font list, or load any font, at all. Therefore, I can't select a font to edit. .

The only thing I know is possible:

Code: ags

if (File.Exists("winsetup.exe"))
  Display("found winsetup.exe!!");

Tested, working.

I want to tell one idea of mine, for I am not yet sure whether I will be working on this UI stuff soon (in the worst case I can just increase Regions, Walkable Areas and Walk Behinds to 50, same number as Hotspots, and leave it for now).

First of all, I think we should note that every editor component is a separate thing, and it is even more true now when you can dock them around as you like, or even hide ones you don't want.
Therefore it is not something extraordinary if there's object selection in two panels at once. For example, we may select hotspot on Properties pane, or in the Room Editor. So, I don't really want to remove the combo box from Properties: it may be useful in some cases too, and it does not take much space. It also has its own logic telling which items to display.

C# is a very interesting language, it's a pity I haven't used it for a long period. I found there's an Attribute that tells whether the class should have extra page (Events or Interactions) when displayed on Properties pane.
This gave me another idea. What if there will be some kind of "Object Group Type" meta class, that will define available object selection in the Properties list.
Like "Room hotspots", or "Palette color", or "GUI parent and child controls" (like it does now). Now, if we have this "meta-class", we may apply an Attribute that will tell what kind of object Selector(s) the Property pane should have.

For example, for regions and palette colors there could be an extra control near combo box (or replacing combo box), something like I mentioned above: a simple button, which, when being clicked, displays a temporary window with palette-like selection of items, represented as colored rectangles with numbers (IDs) drawn over them. This way the selector will allow to see much more items at once, but won't take much space when closed. Something like extended combo box, but looking like a big icons view.

Wooohooo, it's working . Tried it out with 7 songs.
I am really happy now, because it was a while since I coded something cool in AGS.

FYI, here's an easy way to debug a result of Shuffle(). Put this in the very end of function:

Code: ags

#ifdef DEBUG
   String tunes_order = "";
   slot = 0;
   while (slot < MAX_TUNES)
   {
     tunes_order = tunes_order.Append(String.Format("%d, ", FIRST_TUNE_ID + OrderList[slot]));
     slot++;
   }
   Display("Order of the tunes: %s", tunes_order);
#endif