Messages

Everything is possible for him who doesn't have to do it himself. Wink

Hehehe, I'll have to remember this one, it may come in handy some day!       

Perahps I could re-ask my question in a bit of a different way?  Isn't the frame speed parameter currently currently just added to the character's default walking speed (i.e. Speed = FrameSpeed+DefaultSpeed).  So why not have an option to make this calculation in another way (i.e. Speed = FrameSpeed%*DefaultSpeed).   Actually I think this is something like Misj or someone else already suggested.

Isn't what's really needed is the ability to specify how many pixels each frame advances.  Maybe the check box could be used to allow the frame speed number to be interpreted as pixels.

I agree with your idea, Radiant, but surely the problem lies in the creation of the text file itself. If I want to have any kind of music more complicated than Three Blind Mice, this sort of thing would take me hours.

Radiant is on the right track here.  Just add the ability to record the text file by playing the desired tune using the same keys as the player would.   This could be a developer only tool or an extra feature of the game.   

The thing I would be concerned about playing and then syncing to an MP3 or other format file is that unless you are implementing the low level code that actually plays the file you don't have any control over how or when it's done.  You could have a situation where it works fine on one computer or OS and poorly or not at all on another.   The other thing to note in this kind of setup is that sync error is cummulative so that the longer the track the larger the error.

If one could persuade oneself that the game engine keeps adequate pace with the music player or if one devises a way of periodiacly re-synching  everything then the above key recording method could also be used here to create the text file.

If a key recording method is used to create the text files then you may want to consider using a binary file.  You could create a struc
to define the attributes of each note and then read and write these to the file.  The file would be smaller, more efficient,  and less hackable.

struct beat {
   int note;
   int duration;
   int other;
}

Hehe,  Terran, I taught my cat to climb the ladder so every now and then he and I go up there and hang for a while.   

Here is the error I get using beta-7 on a WinME machine.  Yes, .NET, was installed downloaded directly from M$ and then installed.   

When I start the editor and select "default game" from the new game wizard.   The "Start"  page is displayed and then the error box pops up displaying the following text.  If I click the OK button I am returned to the open game dialog box.  If I click continue there then the editor exits.

There was an eror creating your game.  The error was: Feature requires Windows NT

Error Details: System.PlatformNotSupportedException: Feature requires Windows NT
   at System.IO.FileSystemWatcher.StartRaisingEvents)_
   at System.IO.FileSystemWatcher.set_EnableRaisingEvents(Boolean value)
   at AGS.Editor.EngineCommunication.ResetWithCurrentPath()
   at AGS.Editor.RefreshEditorAfterGameLoad(Game newGame)
   at AGS.Editor.TasksLoadgameFromDisk(String gameToLoad, Boolean interactive)
   at AGS.Editor.GUIController.ShowNewGameWizzard()

==============

On another note, I was wondering since there are a lot of changes, perhaps a "paths configuration" feature could be added so that we could specify different default directories for different types of items such as fonts, sprites, modules, etc.   This would be handy for folks who work on or maintain multiple games.  It would also be nice to have the option of separating the AGSEditor's executable from the game directory(s).  Yeah, I know it's probably too late for feature requests this go round but hopefully there's no harm in asking.   

Is it intended that AGS2.8 will run on Win ME/98?  I got a error creating a default game when I tried the latest beta.   The error message mentions something about some NT thing not being present.  I'm on a linux computer at the moment so I can't quote the error exactly.   If it's supposed to run on ME/98 then I will gladly recreate the error message and post it here.

Seems like Gregjazz has correctly identified the device.  The imprint of what it replaced looks like the water meter reading socket on my house.   So the city/county or who ever provides water probably installed it as an upgrade so they can read the water meter more easily.

Have you looked on your or any other neighbor's house lately?  It's likely that such a device is your near future also.   

I have wireless internet.  The radio and antenna are self-contained and sealed in a shallow rectangular box which is mounted on a pole that sticks out of my roof about 6 feet or so.  At night you can see a number of multi-colored, blinking, LEDs.  I think that some of my neighbours think I'm a space alien or something bgut who cares! 

LUniqueDan: You are right, thanks for the correction. According to this Mylar was introduced in 1952.   

Dupont's polyester research lead to a whole range of trademarked products, one example is Mylar (1952), an extraordinarily strong polyester (PET) film that grew out of the development of Dacron in the early 1950s.

However, it is quite common for the military to have access to technology 5-10 years before the general public.  Although I don't have any idea what material the debris in the photo is actually made from it is not unreasonable to think that it is something similar to mylar.

Afflict:  Hehe, I was responding to Evenwolf. 

I was responding to the question "Are weather ballons made of tin foil?".   My intent was to point out that they are made from mylar and many have a shiny metalic finish similar to what is depicted in the photo of the Roswell crash debris.

Thanks Eric for the great link.   

[Number of dimensions in string theory]

Well put Vince Twelve.  Let me add to what you said..

Before, there were three (four if you include time but I don't)...

This is also just plain wrong.  Time is a dimension.  If you want to meet with some one you must specify 3 spatial coordinates and a time coordinate.  Just no other way aroud it.  The spatial dimensions (i.e. up/down, left,right, forward,backward) and the time dimension are all affected (i.e. shaped, warped, dilated, etc) by mass and velocity.

... when they'd spent far too much time trying to get people to believe in string-theory but couldn't get the maths to work so they fabricated [I think it was] 6 or 7 new dimensions and said "they're there, they're just too complicated for the human brain to comprehend".

This is also inaccurate.  The idea of more than four dimensions originated in the 1920's with Kaluza and Klein.  They started with the theory of general relativity in 5 dimensions, curled up on of the spacial dimensions in a very very small circle, and ended up with a 4-dimensional theory of relativity plus electromagnetism.   They didn't just throw in an extra dimension to make the math work, rather they were attempting to formulate a relativistic explanation of magnetism.   The extra dimension allows the electron and it's electric field, to move around to create a magnetic field. 

In string theory extra dimensions were not added to make the math work out.  Rather string theory predicts and/or provides a means of calculating the number of dimensions in our universe from first principals.  It's explained much better in Wikipedia ...

Number of dimensions in string theory

One intriguing feature of string theory is that it predicts the possible number of dimensions in the universe, in the sense that it is consistent only in a certain number of dimensions. Nothing in Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism or Einstein's theory of relativity makes this kind of prediction; these theories require physicists to insert the number of dimensions "by hand". The first person to add a fifth dimension to Einstein's general relativity was German mathematician Theodor Kaluza in 1919. The reason for the unobservability of the fifth dimension (its compactness) was suggested by the Swedish physicist Oskar Klein in 1926 (see Kaluzaâ€"Klein theory).

One intriguing feature of string theory is that it predicts the possible number of dimensions in the universe, in the sense that it is consistent only in a certain number of dimensions. Nothing in Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism or Einstein's theory of relativity makes this kind of prediction; these theories require physicists to insert the number of dimensions "by hand". The first person to add a fifth dimension to Einstein's general relativity was German mathematician Theodor Kaluza in 1919. The reason for the unobservability of the fifth dimension (its compactness) was suggested by the Swedish physicist Oskar Klein in 1926 (see Kaluzaâ€"Klein theory).

Unlike general relativity, string theory allows one to compute the number of spacetime dimensions from first principles.
...

Are weather balloons made out of foil?

The better ones are made of Mylar, the same kind of plastic used to make magnetic recording tape.   Apparently helium molecules, because of their small size, are able to through rubber more easily than mylar.  Mylar is also used (for the same reason) to make happy birthday balloons like this one ..


This company, Meteorological Products Inc. makes mylar weather balloons like this one.  Very UFOish isn't it?   

I'm not arguing that he couldn't have had alzheimers or something, but a top military official in possession of his faculties (if he was indeed) making such a statement isn't something I would derive a joke or lie from.

There is also the possibility that he was asked by the military to pass on dis-information via a death bed statement.

[Big Bang]

Big Bang
Hmmm, Lets see if  I can get it right.

• The  universe, that is all of time, space, matter, and energy began as a singularity.   This singularity is not a point in space because all of space and time is contained within that point.  There is no such thing as "outside" or "before".
  
• At time=0s our universe came into exsistence.  At time=10^-43s, The universe was very small, dense, and hot.  Atoms could not even form at this time because of the energy density.    Nobody knows why it started or what happened before time=10^-43s (google Planck time, Max Planck, Heisenber, Uncertanity Principle).  Blame it on God if you like.
  
• After time=10^-43s space began expanding and carried everything else (matter and energy) along with it.  This is quite different than an explosion where a dense collection of matter and energy expands into pre-existing space.
  
• As time passes and space expands and everthing gets cooler.  At some point atoms are able to form and gravtationally attract each other and eventually form gallaxies, stars, planets, etc.  About 14 billions years later here we are with the present universe.
  
• The universe contains a finite amount of energy and matter.  It's ultimate  fate depends upon how much there is.  If there is more than a certain amount then the universe is said to be closed (spherical shaped) and will end in a "Big Crunch" as described by Stupot.   If there is less than a certain amount of matter and enegry then the universe is said to be open (saddle shaped) and will expannd for eternity.  If the amount of energy and matter is exactly a certain amount then the universe is said to be flat and I can't remember if the expansion continues indefinately or stops at some point.   Current measurements show that it is very close to being flat however there is recent evidence that the expansion is accelerating (google dark eneryg, dark matter).
  
• Stephen Hawking points out similarities between the Big Bang and black holes.  Being in our universe is in some ways like being in a black hole.   This leads others to speculate about      multiple universes, before/after our universe, etc..  Some even take this idea to the point of meta-physical and/or mystical nonsense.
  
• Relativity and Quantum Mechanics have almost nothing to say about what actually happens inside black holes or before 10^-43 seconds in the Big bang.  String Theory, fully developed, may provide some future insights into these topics.
  

Roswell
I used Occam's Razor to make the following conclusions:

• The incident happened just after WWII and at the beginning of the cold war between the Soviets and the US.  This was a time when there were massive amounts of top secret military research, espionage and counter-espionage.
  
• Top secret military research was being conducted at the nearby air base.  The something that crashed was the product of military research, not alien intelligence.   
  
• The US didn't want the Soviets to know what they were doing so they quickly picked up the debris, suppressed news stories, planted fake news stories, etc.  The public's imagination did the rest.
  
• During this time science fiction was in it's golden age.  Assimov, Heinlien, Phol, Ray Bradbury and many others were writting for radio programs magazines, etc.  Rockets were used quite successfully near the end of the war and so there were on everyone's mind. 
  

Now really, do you actually think that a spacecraft capable of greater than light speed would be constructed of the tin foil shown in the photo below?   And don't you think that such a craft would make a bigger kaboom if it crashed than what was reported in Roswell in 1947?     

Nice IDE for python ...
http://boa-constructor.sourceforge.net/

Glad to see you back kido!  You've been missed by all.     

Hehe, I had the same initial reaction as Nikolas and then you said "Linux".      Nikolas correctly points out that if you have an absolute need to use a specific windows program Linux may not be for you.   For example AGS2.8beta does not run in Linux while AGS2.72 does with the help of a program/library called "wine".   

Although the decision ultimately depends on what purpose you intend for this laptop, I strongly encourage you to try Linux.   Since it seems that you intend to scrap Vista anyway, you may as well take the opportunity install Linux.  I have recently switched from openSUSE to Kubuntu.   I think Kubuntu, in many ways, is easier to work with so that's what I would recommend.  Everyone has their preferences  so I don't think there any right or wrong choices. 

• http://www.kubuntu.org/
  
  
• http://en.opensuse.org/Welcome_to_openSUSE.org
  

Sorry about that SPYDAVE.  Changing web host ,  website will up when process is complete. Thanks for your patience. 

[$20 Solution]

Here are a couple of things you could try.

$20 Solution

• Fill a 5 gallon gas can with 1-5 pounds of sugar and gasoline.
  
• Store in locked basement.
  
• Wait for neighbor to turn up with F#@KED UP car, motorcycle, or whatever.
  
  $200 Solution
  
• Buy wireless low light webcam.
  
• Record webcam daily to your computer.
  
• Wait until breakin and then review recording for that day.
  
  

AGS: Free as in Beer

[Source of DreamsDream On ...Dream It -- Make ItStuff of DreamsLimited Only by Imagination It's a Journey, Enjoy the RideA Journey into Your Imagination]

I really liked CJ's  initial dream theme so here are a few more variations,

Source of Dreams
Dream On ...
Dream It -- Make It
Stuff of Dreams
Limited Only by Imagination
It's  a Journey, Enjoy the Ride
A Journey into Your Imagination


a few smart as ones as well,

Go ahead,  make my day game. punk!
Got game?
Don't Play Around with Me...;
When Play'in Ain;t Enough!
"In days of old, when knights were bold, and video games weren't invented ..."


and a couple deliciously malicious ones.

Please wait while AGS removes all your files to make room for your game 
Windows has detected an illegal copy of itself, please standby for the Blue Screen of Death

If my theory that only one person can handle a CRM file per time is correct, the only way I could parallelize the game development would be to organize the team so that only one member has a CRM or script module per time?

This is essentially correct and, I believe, would pretty much be the case regardless if any (or what) version control was used.   Since only a portion of the CRM file is in a human readable format (i.e. text) I can't imagine how one would go about merging non-textual changes submitted from multiple developers?

At this point I would advise you to institute some kind of manual version control system,  Come up with a file naming convention that incorporates a version number, document it in a text file and insist that everyone use it.  Come up with a release procedure where developers submit new versions of files they have been assigned to work on.    Have a maintainer (with a big hard drive  ) keep a copy of every version of every submission.

The only wrinkle in this kind of scheme is that sprites, animation loops,  etc are stored in the main game file.  I once suggested that room objects and characters should own their animation loops, associated sprites, and possibly their interactions, making it possible to store the asprites and views of objects in the room in which they are used.  The idea never generated enough interest to go anywhere.  In AGS 2.8 there seems to be some effort to distribute some more of the game content into individual files but I am not sure how far this will go towards facilitating  multi-developer projects.

Btw, you may find some of the DemoQuest documents to be of interest and/or helpful to your project.   

http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=23083.0