Messages

What i mean is, autotracking does "work". But i'm expecting it to auto follow the character in the newly set room camera code, that is in the repeatedly_execute() function. Is that making it clearer to you? Would be neat if that worked, but ofc not 

No, I am afraid I still don't understand... what do you mean by that?

For example, the code you posted above

Code: ags

Game.Camera.SetAt(5, 4);

This code locks camera at room's x=5, y=4. It won't scroll like this, it will stay locked at the exact coordinates that you provide. Were you expecting something else? Why did you use this code and these parameters, what's their meaning to you?


Could you try explaining what you are trying to achieve in simple language, without refering to code? Like, you want camera to follow after character, but not like default ags, and do ... what instead?


EDIT: ok... a blind guess, are you trying to make camera follow character, but positioned always with few pixels offset?

Exactly, it's locked. It should be locked, until the player moves to either RIght or Left side ends of the sides. Just like a normal untouched camera room would react.

This is quite funny. I am so dumb with words since English is not the native language.

I want the room to scroll to the sides like normal AGS behaviour after that code is set. How can this be so hard to explain. Damn it!  and i THOUGHT in my mind that Autotracking would enable that

EDIT: I'm drawing pictures to demonstrate instead.

EDIT: Sorry imgur is giving me errors the low resolution probably fucks it up........It will not upload the pictures drawn in 240-320px, or such. At least not for me. and zoom image do not recognise the links....................


The fixed code version is how it looks after pushing F5 which is exactly right, but then it's locked. It needs to able to scroll to the sides, and keep it's "locked Y" Setting.........

This is how the room looks IMPORTED in AGS when pushing F5 (not teh room just a visual demonstration).

Image 1: http://www.mediafire.com/view/1y6sga1jnavjjk3/AGSEDITOR.png/file


Room is "fixed" with code, so everything that should be seen is seen in the Camera view.

IMAGE 2: http://www.mediafire.com/view/p0m55ecq6r8xrn7/AGS2.png/file#

Please clarify what are you trying to do, I guess you want to scroll the room but how? What does "Autotracking not working" mean, what did you expect and what happened?

What i mean is, autotracking does "work". But i'm expecting it to auto follow the character in the newly set room camera code, that is in the repeatedly_execute() function. Is that making it clearer to you? Would be neat if that worked, but ofc not 

What happens is once autotracking is enabled. It just goes back to "normal room settings when you import the image into AGS" type of look, which is wrong, hence i've tried to play around with the camera to get it right (which it is, with that code above). But once that code is set. How do i make the room scroll to the sides like normal AGS behaviour would if the image was larger then 320 - 200px. Without it resetting itself? That is what i'm wondering.

And the question after that would be, say the room then after  x>700 goes downwards, then the cameras needs to be changed once again, so it instead scrolls downwards. Yes, it's complicated. But it would be neat to know how to change the camera very much to ones liking, for cutscenes, and such! and before you say read the manual. That's all i try to do everyday when i use this Editor. F1 is my second best friend, or "autofill" feature of AGS, Best friend is you guys!

It's sad that some of than fan games didn't get completed due to loss of motivation. If I knew how, I would pick up where some left off and finish them myself and post them.

Like "Night of the meteor", will it ever come out? Which funny enough. Was one of my first encounters with AGS

I'm guessing i need to set something else, to make the room scroll only via X perhaps. Since if i let go of the

Code: ags

 
 
   Game.Camera.SetAt(5, 4);
  

in RepExec it just rearanges the room wrong again, once autotracking is enabled. It's a sidescroller so the room should eventually go downwards sorta like if you were using an elevator, but i'm guessing the scrolling has to be done manually for this entire room. So the X cordinate for when it should be able to scroll Y again is around 700. It's a very wide room. I just need to get a feel for how to work the custom cameras.

I've tried a bunch of things and none of them work. Forexample i thought i could change the x, value and have it go x++; when the player reaches and ends certain spots. But it did not work out as anticipated.

All my scroll attempts ended up with a bump to the new cordinates looking aweful.

In general you use on_key_press to handle a single key press (like taking a screenshot, or a hotkey to switch to a different cursor mode).

Using IsKeyPressed(), which only makes sense in repeatedly_execute type functions, is usually used to handle the user holding down a button (like walking in a jump'n'run type game).

So the main question is how you want your game to behave. Is the user supposed to hold down the keys? If not, what do you want to happen if they do that?

Ok! Thanks that cleared it up. Well, a lot of things is happening that is not very point & clicky, that's all i can say, right now . It's a sidescroller "plattformer", i guess kind of attempt. And the character should NOT just go to "a normal idle view" simply cause there is no "down pose" or "up pose" in a sidescroller.  Maybe if i'm lucky i do not need to do the change to On_Key_press at all, changing the Punch to a single View made all the difference. Now the punch brings itself back which should in theory i suppose make it less keen to introduce "unwanted hits" unless ofc  holding down the button, which i guess could still be an alternative game play style. The story continues!


Thanks as always for all the help!

I meant to run the animation in on_key_press, not to stop it in there.

Also yes, put the animation in a separate view, then use LockView, Animate, UnlockView.

I think i misunderstood the logic completely. I thought "on_key_press" is when it's already been triggered by IsKeyPressed.

So when creating custom functions for action buttons in my own script. I should use On_Key_press and not Iskeypressed?

What's the prefered method?

Reason i ask is when the character hits another character. Sometimes (if holding the button, or pressing the button). It registers two or three hits instead of One, which is the intended behaviour.
I'm not sure On_key_press would actually solve that issue alone. I hope it will tho.

I'm unsure what to call in it tho.


I'm confused. It's the same result as before. The function do get called  i've checked that with the Display("");
So it must be something else to cancel his ongoing frame and go back to the position/idle he was in before the punch.

Should the Punch Attack be in another view then his basic moveset i mean (Left, Right, Down, Up)? Maybe that's what i'm doing wrong.

Code: ags

function on_key_press(eKeyCode keycode) 
{
  if (IsGamePaused()) keycode = 0; // game paused, so don't react to keypresses
  
  if (keycode == eKeyCtrlQ) QuitGame(1); // Ctrl-Q
  if (keycode == eKeyF9) RestartGame(); // F9
  if (keycode == eKeyF12) SaveScreenShot("scrnshot.pcx");  // F12
  if (keycode == eKeyCtrlS) Debug(0,0); // Ctrl-S, give all inventory
  if (keycode == eKeyCtrlV) Debug(1,0); // Ctrl-V, version
  if (keycode == eKeyCtrlA) Debug(2,0); // Ctrl-A, show walkable areas
  if (keycode == eKeyCtrlX) Debug(3,0); // Ctrl-X, teleport to room
  if (keycode == eKeyZ) cAxl.StopMoving();
}

Use on_key_press for that.

Regarding the idle view, it should contain a bunch one loop for each direction, that way it will use the proper loop automatically.

I stand corrected as always. Thanks!

I'm using player.Stopmoving(); that releases the frame eventually. But it's way too slow, and the players punch is stuck in the air for a second (just guessing).
Learnt that  from looking at the Keyboard Module, however it does something else too, that i can't really replicate as of yet.

Question: Which is I would like for the action button Z not to be held down, but triggered only when pushing it and released instantly after releasing the button.

How would i create such a function? This is what i use so far, it's too much code to paste here, but you  get the idea. Very basic!


IsButtonDown only works for mouse it seems..or i'm probably missing something obvious

Code: ags

if (IsKeyPressed(eKeyZ))
   
   
   
{
    
    
    
    
    

    if (cAxl.Loop==2 || cAxl.Loop==3 || cAxl.Loop==4 || cAxl.Loop==5) //RIGHT Hit

{
    


      cAxl.Animate (10, 0, eOnce, eNoBlock); 

      cAxl.SetIdleView(5, 0);                           //This is a idle view to the RIGHT, so after he punches, he stays at the same side.                            

      cAxl.Baseline=0;
}
  

I’m publishing a game soon, and I’d like it to be a success (no way of knowing if it will make $500k or $57.80, but hey).
I’ll be putting out a demo - how long should it be? Should I even bother with one, and just put an enticing video/screenshot package?

It’s being sold on Steam, windows exe (er, when I can be bothered getting a publisher); Gameplay is about 3.5 hours at the quickest, full dialogue.

What’s a good length for a demo? 30min, 15min, 1 hour? Should I leave them hanging or make it obvious when the demo is done? And do I even need one?

Seeking your sage advice

5-10 minutes? Doesn't have to be long, you don't want to spoil too much since it's just a point & click, I'm guessing?!  . Look at my demo for MAGS. I think that gives a idea of "my style". Imagine that with unlimited colours, finished animations = my end product, fixed bugs, easier puzzle too perhaps, it was too tough for the player, i've learnt my lesson there. Who knows. People get the idea, if you put something out there. Just go for it. However.
I think you should just make some small games first to get noticed by people, that's what i did with my little Mags entry. Now a couple of guys and gals on here know about me, and are interested in what i will put out next, that's a first step. Before putting out my more serious stuff on Steam, i'll probably keep doing that for a while. I mean Social media is like it is today. You have to play a bit "by the unwritten rules". With no following, you ain't going nowhere, these days.

How or why would anybody bother to care about your game if you haven't shown anything before that is impressive? I'm not saying it has to be a demo, but something. I should visit your page now and see if i can see anything, if i can't. Then you need to put something out there, asap!    Forexample Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, sure they perhaps didn't have a giant Social Mediafollowing, but what they did have was names that people foundly remember = sales, or kickstarter money. I hate to sound discouraging. I'm really trying not too. I too want to release my game in the future on Steam, and get all the girls in sexy cosplay outfits screaming for me . But i'm facing the harsh truth, that i SUCK on socialmedia presence, how to get famous thru it, that is. I did an attempt some weeks ago, resulted in nothing. "This is brilliant, now i will get followers". I got a couple of likes, that was it. .

Without followers, or people recognising your name/our names = few sales, if any. Mostlikely. Sad truth to face. Unless winning the lottery ofc.  We can hope for that, i suppose 
Do you have a big Instagram or Facebook Account or any social media with thousands of followers? Or perhaps steam will give you a little spotlight?.
I don't know how Steam works, so i guess i could be wrong, but i doubt it. Life is tough for us unknown game creators. No matter how talented one may be at his or her craft!
Perhaps it is totally possible for us unknowns to upload a game that looks like a Lucasarts or Sierra classic and get a fat paycheck, who knows. Time will tell!

Good luck with your game release, once you do deicide to release it! I'll check it out, for sure, or i can playtest. I wish you all the best of luck. If not, at least the guys here on AGS will play your game most likely. I'm really surprised by how many that have given my shit demo a test drive, i didn't even bother to announce it, cause it was never really finished to any satisfaction for myself, but i had a good laugh at all getting stuck still.

I'm soon (i hope) into my tenth year with my custom built computer.

My computer is from 2010. And I still use Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8 to draw, although I've been testing other softwares lately in anticipation of its demise.

Until the beginning of this year, I had a Nokia Lumia phone that I bought about 10 years ago. I'd still use it if Whatsapp had not dropped support for Windows Phones.

My Wacom Graphire 4 tablet died a couple of weeks ago. I had it for more than 10 years too.

Sorry to hear about your Graphics tablet! That sucks. May i give you a suggestion? A little upgrade for a cheap buck. I used to do my stuff on a Wacom aswell. Three years ago i instead bought a unknown product similar to Wacom's Cintiq models, after looking it up on youtube and reviews, an Artisul d13 and they are SO CHEAP right now, i can't believe it. I actually feel like they are getting robbed for selling it that cheap. Maybe i should buy one more just in case this one breaks down, ha ha. Then you get an actual screen (look up it's stats and compare it to a similar model Cintiq and you'll see for yourself. Pretty much the same deal, but way cheaper. It's so much nicer to look into and draw onto a screen instead. I paid way more for mine, but it was still cheaper then the cintiq's of similar sizes. It's not a big screen but it's big enough to do pixelart or gameart/drawings in general, i'd say. Take a look and see if it's not something for you. Good luck with your future art, and about Paint shop pro. I used that back in the day, then i've got a copy of Photoshops CS6 and now that is all i use. I love it for pixelart animations, and such. It's so nice to have everything in "a software" and not, "a animation software" "a drawing software" etc.

Good luck for whatever you'll settle with. Gears for the artist today no matter what medium music or drawing is insanely cheap, and most of the time really good. Compared to back in the old days..

Maniac Mansion blew my head apart but real lifechanger was Duke Nukem 3D. We stole this game (few hours of downloading from the pirate FTP) and played on LAN in my school in public open computer room. Making long story shor: for 4 month I was walking to the building, passing the guard, walking to the classroom and played DN3D for 6 hours. I never managed to get to a lecture or class. It was the end of my IT studies. I took a break and went to study filmmaking.

Good choice in life! Both duke and filmmaking. IT? Booooring. I actually also thought Maniac Mansion was really cool, i bought it cause of the cover art. Even tho i didn't get any far in the game as a kid on Nintendo. Which version did you play?

Hi Olleh 19

If some of your screens are 17 years old and still giving good service then it just goes to show how
well things were made in the past. Nowadays, it's a throw away society with gadgets being released
every six months. Do we really need companies churning out several models of the same item, which
basically do the same thing.
Hear! Hear! I'm no fan of the apps looking Windows 10 system, either. Microsoft has the monopoly and
we have no choice in the matter. In my view apps are for mobiles and tablets. Another thing I don't like
is the linking of Computers, mobiles and tablets.
Most of the updates on Windows 10 are essential, but they can cause some people issues sometimes.
Thankfully, I have managed fairly well with the OS and I suppose Windows 7, like XP, will one day no
longer be supported. Bloody Microsoft. 

Exactly! Maybe i should've named the thread "how old is your computer or and phone" I've ran a Samsung Galaxy s2 for so many years, then when the bank app forced me to upgrade. I didn't buy a new phone instantly. I got a custom Os running instead.
However later i bought a used S6, and when i was out for a bikeride had the phone in my backpack, unfortunaly somehow the screen got crushed. So i bought a s7.
And that's where i am now.

Those phones are basically very much the same. There is no huge difference, It's juts a different name, screen size perhaps changed a little. It's like who cares? It's basically the same deal. Looking at the specs the S6 edge even had some better features then the basic s7 i have now. If i don't remember wrong.  . I remember when i first could play Zelda 64 or Goldeneye on the phone, or any game emulator for that matter. How cool that was!

Hi Olleh 19

The oldest computer, in our house, is a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo M 3438G. Laptop. It must be at least 15 years old,
but is still in working order. Nowadays, it is mostly used for storing music and films. I suppose you  could say it's
a family heirloom and we can't bear to part with it.
As for computer problems....... The other day in my start menu the Settings went missing. After googling the issue,
I found a few lines of programming which rectified the problem. Great, I thought, all back to normal.  Next day I
switched on the PC and Windows would not appear.  This prompted a computer reset. Only trouble, was when it
started up there was no sound because no audio drivers had been installed. After visiting various sites I found the
drivers I needed, and was finally able to resume gaming. Aint technology grand. 

Cool! I have one laptop that i use to demo my games on my tvscreen, which is great cause then i get a feeling for how my art "really" looks. Lately i have had calibration color issues with my old screens. Btw, they are even older then 15years some of them!
Probably 17years old, ha ha ha. Should have changed those long ago! 
Sounds like a lot of strange issues going on there! Did you do the typical Windows updates? As i've understod it, if you have windows home you are forced to do those updates with windows 10 , which is one reason i am still on the old Windows 7 machine. All i update is the windows security essentials, or search & destroy. Both have saved my ass many times. And do not lag up the computer completely like some virus protection has a tendency to do.
I'm too scared to change to Win10 actually.
From what i have seen of it and the changes that have been made. I do not approve
I just wished one could mod windows 10, so it's more like that classic Windows look. With normal start meny, etc. I'm not a fan of the "app" looking modern windows.

I've never made translation, so I found it a little difficult to follow. Are you adding Swedish to the template or fixing Swedish that was already there?

Here is what i have done. Open a Thumbleed new project, and replace the Verbs gui scripts with this, that's all i've done. The Quit game = Avsluta spel (Swedish), all such things is in the Verbs.Gui, done by me. All Swedish = Done by me.
I think you get the issue, once you see the scripts (hopefully).
See if you can discover why the Swedish Verb Sprites do not stay on screen, while the others do, cause i dont know why.
Everytime i have to call this in either a Gui, or Globalscripts start:

Code: ags

Verbs.VerbGuiOptions[eVerbGuiTemplateLanguage] = eLangSE;
Verbs.LocalizeActionButton(eLangSE, eGA_Open, 485, 486, 's');
Verbs.LocalizeActionButton(eLangSE, eGA_Close, 487, 488, 's');
Verbs.LocalizeActionButton(eLangSE, eGA_GiveTo, 489, 490, 's');
Verbs.LocalizeActionButton(eLangSE, eGA_Push, 491, 492, 's');
Verbs.LocalizeActionButton(eLangSE, eGA_Pull, 493, 494, 's');
Verbs.LocalizeActionButton(eLangSE, eGA_Use, 495, 496, 's');
Verbs.LocalizeActionButton(eLangSE, eGA_PickUp, 497, 498, 's');
Verbs.LocalizeActionButton(eLangSE, eGA_LookAt, 499, 500, 's');
Verbs.LocalizeActionButton(eLangSE, eGA_TalkTo, 501, 502, 's');

I'm "missing something", it could ofc be other scripts, i've only added Swedish code, where i saw there were other languages code, "basic logic" there. Or if the code should go elsewhere to "get it to stay inside the template". However big warning now ofc.
The sprites need to be added again into "your" basic template, so the numbers of the sprites that i have written needs to be replaced with new valid sprite numbers.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/9z433isgz3cchvk/Swedish.zip/file

Yes, simply change the game setting from Sierra speech to LucasArts speech between each of their lines. To save time, you probably want to create some simple helper functions, something like .SaySierra() and .SayLEC().

The task is similar to the one in this thread (where it was about using different fonts for different characters talking), and you might find it useful to have a look at the explanation there.

Oh, so it does work! Maybe a beginner shouldn't help in the beginners forum. . I was of the impression that the portrait indeed dissapear when he switches to Lucasarts. And i believe he still wants to keep the portrait on the screen?

Edit to further evolve Snarky's answer. Hit the F1 button and search scripting and search for "your own custom functions" that's what you need to do. It's really useful, a must to be able to create your functions, for such special cases as this.

Ok, thanks!

Is it also possible to define Sierra-style speech animations for one character, and LucasArts -style speech for other?

For example:
If I want the main character (with a dialogue portrait) to have a conversation with a minor character that doesn't have portrait, and should have a LucasArts -styled speech animation instead?

I think this could be done but it's tricky, and it's not created for it. So this is just a theory. You need to insert a empty frame (green, transparent color frame) for the minor character's speech view, or else a portrait will show up for him aswell (or a picture of his normal sprite, a miniture version). Does his mouth have to move? If so it's trickier. I'm guessing you don't have voice acting so lipsyncing is a none entity. Then all you could do is create a custom Speech view, for those events. Where you have to call it in dialog before he or she starts speaking.
Something like this...

Code: ags

// Dialog script file
@S  // Dialog startup entry point
return
@1
Player: Hi everybody i'm set to sierra style portrait, since JLM_82 chose that. //main characters now comes the minor

       cMinor.Animate(8,2,eRepeat,eNoBlock); //8 is a no special view loop number, that you could set to whatever you'd like. 
                                                                      //Speech animation forexample.

Minor: Hi now he should have changed to another view, and his mouth vill move endlessly, until you tell it to quit. 

return

Hi,

I'm currently working with an AGS-game that is based on Sierra-style UI, conversations etc.

But is it possible to customize some of characters to have a LucasArts -style speech animation in a same game, too?

I have thought that the main characters would have a "normal" Sierra-style dialogue portraits ("talking heads"), but for some minor characters it would be enough to make them talk without a close-up portraits, and just animate them "on their place". Actually, in many of the Sierra's classic games there are several characters that don't have close-up portraits (like the rotten tomato in King's Quest 6).

What are the correct settings to customize this?

Thanks!

I think what you are looking for is this.

Code: ags

Speech.Style = eSpeechSierra;

or

Code: ags

Speech.Style = eSpeechLucasarts;

So where you want to change you simply call any of those.

I've fixed the Swedish Verbs and they are just waiting to be added to the template.

Which files need to be modified to fix it?

I wished i knew the answer. I believe it's something with the language needs to be written to a config file while it has been choosen, so the game "remembers" it. It does not remember my custom language Verbs, but all the other languages graphic Verbs are remembered. I have tried to explain this in beginners forum, but it's hard. I hope you get the "issue".

Maybe it's just me but couldn't you just export the "CRT grid" or whatever you wanna call it at the "pleasant" setting. Have the "right" settings so it blends over the images correctly.
Then just use it as a gui unclickable, or object unclickable and with a option have it go on/off?