Messages

I cannot tell which exactly manual is not working, since you did not mention that, but the online manual is available here:
https://adventuregamestudio.github.io/ags-manual/

The history of major changes may be found in "Upgrading from a previous version" section:
https://adventuregamestudio.github.io/ags-manual/UpgradingFromPreviousVersion.html

-Export each layer as a .pcx (alternative is .bmp, those are the only two AGS export formats)
-Choose a specific layer to export as a walkable area mask (tiles will not be walkable, everything else will--this is required by my platformer game template I'm making)
-Convert .pcx files to .png using outside program (AGS cannot import .pcx). I don't like this step, but the alternative is exporting as .bmp, which is space-inefficient.
-Import each tile layer as an object in the room
-Import walkable area mask (which should match the "normal" ground tile layer).

I did not realize that the purpose of this is to export room images with intent to reimport them back.
Usually, with the level editor, one would expect it to save a level as a data (either in binary, or a textual format) that may be loaded in game and have level imagery recreated at runtime from the same tiles. This way:
* the workflow will speed up significantly;
* you may also have unlimited number of levels in the same room;
* you may edit the level and test run it right away from the same game.

On another hand, if you prefer to have levels as series of images that may be imported in the AGS room editor, then there are existing tools that let create such "levels". For example, there's a Tiled level editor, which, I assume, may be used for that purpose.

EDIT: Of course, none of the above excuses AGS from not supporting loading and saving PNGs at runtime, that is something that should have been added years ago, but still is not. Also, Editor could let import PCX files, since AGS engine saves these.

Question: who is trying 3.6.2 right now? I know that greg does, but is there anyone else?
I noticed that no more serious bugs were found since the last RC update (there were couple of new bugs found in earlier versions, that also affect 3.6.2, but these relate to uncommon situations), and I think that I may announce a stable release in this month.

I didn't encounter the buttons' bug with your last build ! Do you really need my game so ?

That last build posted here is not latest made, it's earlier made. The first one that I posted here was the latest made. If it has errors, then I will need to fix it.

@Baguettator , I tried testing few small games using the previous build, and could not notice any mistakes.

Is there a way to get your game privately, to let me look into these issues you had with buttons?

So should I try your last build first ?

The last link is a link to the earlier build which contains just the fix to the screenshots.
The link that I posted earlier today was a build which contains more changes, and it seems broken, as you say.

So, it's broken even more now.

Please try this, this is a earlier build made just with a fix:
https://cirrus-ci.com/task/6097909818589184

EDIT 2 : OK, it seems this temp build you sent me messes up with call functions. What happened is that clicking on some buttons that DON't HAVE onclick functions in editor calls the onclick functions of OTHER BUTTONS which don't react when I click on them.

Is there a way to get your game build again? Or can I use the one that you sent previously?
I am not sure if there's a specific scenario that I need to be testing.

But I didn't make any screenshot... From what I investigated, it happenned during a player.ChangeRoom function.

Are you using a Crossfade or Dissolve transition? they make screenshots.

The message says :
(Engine version 4.0.0.17)
Error : GetRenderTargetData failed

There's this error again! It happens when you make a screenshot of the game.
I fixed it recently, but did not realize that it's already in the release.

It's being displayed by our automatic tests too, but I don't know how come that I did not notice that!

I will have to make a urgent update.

Here's a temp build from our build server, but it has more changes, so idk if it messes anything else:
https://cirrus-ci.com/task/4615289289048064

The engine versions between 3.6.0 and 3.6.1 had an intentional master volume multiplier of 0.7. This was added by a person who prepared engine transition from old sound subsystem to a newer one based on SDL2. I think that this was an attempt to sync the sound with the pre-3.6.0 levels, but I am not sure. I did not question that at first, but later removed this factor. It should no longer be applied in 3.6.2. Please try 3.6.2 and tell if that sounds better?

Is this a text-based or voice-based lipsync?
Voice based lipsync was not working with Lucas-Arts style speech in AGS, and is only implemented in v3.6.2.
https://adventuregamestudio.github.io/ags-manual/Lipsync.html#voice-based-lip-sync

If it's text based, then please give more details about how did you configure it and your character speech.

I found a pack of unnamed "SCI" fonts on my computer, although I cannot remember where I got them from.
Uploaded them to a Dropbox, if you like to try:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/owvn8d5o9y99yjnl7ql54/scifonts.zip?rlkey=8wt20iq1snpzcjtjonib3mha0&st=sh57x530&dl=0

Various Sierra and LucasArts fonts are also available here: https://helmet.kafuka.org/sci/fonts/ (in .fon format, which AGS doesn't read—unless it's actually the same as the SCI .001 (etc.) format—but it's easy to find converters to more common formats).

In fact, AGS does open the *.FONT files too, it just does not let select them in the "open file dialog". That was an old oversight that has not been fixed for a long time.
It's now fixed in AGS v3.6.2.
In earlier versions this may be solved manually:

1. Click "Import over this font" button.
2. Navigate to the folder where the *.FONT files are located on disk.
3. Manually type "*.*" in the filename field and press Enter.
4. The dialog will now override extensions filter and display all files.
5. Double click any *.FONT file.

I was able to import a random file from the above link.

2. save and close the editor
3. open the game's folder and look for the agsfntX.wfn files.
4. replace the last font (agsfnt3.wfn for me) with the properly renamed downloaded font file

Why do you have to replace this manually instead of using "import over this font" button?

The savegame files are bigger than 17...20 MB

I am only able to try the beginning of the game, and the saves are around 1.3 MB there, so it's difficult to judge.
Anyway, the experimental build mentioned above compresses them down to 120 KB, practically 10 times.

I opened an experimental PR that introduces an optional save contents compression, and non-optional screenshot compression (in save's header).
https://github.com/adventuregamestudio/ags/pull/2721

Haven't tried this with the "Rosewater" yet (planning to), but in the recently released "Old Skies" this reduces save file made on game start from 17.8 MB to 3.2 MB (so down to ~18%).

Engine download link:
https://cirrus-ci.com/task/5485984655081472
Compression is enabled in them setup (or config file) as:

Code: ags

[misc]
compress_saves=1

setup program may be run for the engine executable as "acwin.exe --setup".

I double checked, in the thread about web port, it's written "you can't compile games more than 300Mo". But not a big problem for me, I think I will not port my game for the web

To be precise what it sais:

the port won't work in any big ags game (like a game beyond 300MB

That does not mean that you "can't compile", that means that it won't work when running.
Here's an explanation why:
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/engine-development/ags-engine-web-port/msg636642456/#msg636642456

Also, I have to ask about AGS 4.0 : currently, if I delete some rooms, the ID numbers don't change. I think it's intended, while it could be confusing (but not a real problem...). What do you think ?

The rooms have arbitrary numbers. You may have room 1, 10 and 100. Therefore it makes no sense to update their numbers if any room is deleted.
The rooms are referenced in script by their numbers. If numbers will shift on room deletion, then your scripts will break.

If you need to change some room ID, then you can edit room's Number property (and recent update also has a context menu command for that).

More information is required to diagnose the problem:
- What font
- What are font's properties
- Where the font is applied to (speech, gui, etc)

I would like to know how AGS 4.0 is "good" to manage games with high resolution (1920*1080), high quality graphics (like photos as rooms' background), BUT no animation ? I'm thinking about another Point'n click game of this kind, so I'm asking here.

3.6.1 is already good enough for that, and there's a 1920*1080 game just released in 3.6.1:
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/ags-games-in-production/old-skies-time-travel-adventure-by-wadjet-eye!-demo-available!/

ALso, if it's not a secret, what are the next improvement AGS 4.0 will get about that ? (speed in scripts/sprites management/memory...)

It's not a secret, I do not know what it will get. My planning in this project rarely gets beyond 3-4 tasks.
There's one idea about having sprites loaded as a background task, where they are scheduled and loaded ahead while the game keeps playing. Right now AGS can preload sprites and views by a script command, but it's a blocking operation that stops the rest of the game. Loading resources in background (in a free time between game updates) is the basic way of loading resources today, but when I tried to add this to AGS engine I've met with few issues because of how its code is organized. I might look again later, after I'm done with my current work.

The best for me would be to host my game on the web, but I don't know if the game's size allowed to be hosted on web will be increased ? (with 1920*1080 sprites, it can be quickly heavy, and if I remember well, I have read that it was for about 300Mo max for a web port).

I never heard about such limit. It may be the matter of the web server you're hosting or running on.
EDIT: actually, I suspect that web version may require to load everything into the memory before launching? that's why it takes so long to start up games. I'd need to double check that. Better ask here in the dedicated Web Port thread:
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/engine-development/ags-engine-web-port/

But obviously each platform has its own limitations. Something that works well on desktop (Windows, Linux, Mac) may not work as well on consoles with less CPU/GPU power like Switch, or when you run in a web browser. Normally you should make separate versions of the game if the same game does not work well everywhere. (Not to mention that these may require different controls)

I'm using the last version of AGS 4.0, and it seems giving a slider a background image doesn't give it the same size as the image itself. So it's a bit annoying because you have to drag it manually or enter the right values in the editor panel.

If you mean that the slider does not resize when you add a image, similar to button, then it has always been like this.
Buttons are the only controls that resize to a new image.
I suppose it's not too hard to implement such behavior though.