Messages

@monkey:  "Ryan is specifically referring to the linkage of the built-in events."  Perhaps I'm reading more into his comments that I should.  I was thinking he was just using built-in events to illustrate his idea, so I thought I'd help the discussion along.  If we are only talking about built-in events I agree with you.

Btw, is it possible for built-in event handlers to reside inside modules?

@Steve:  Didn't intend to imply anything at all about your comments.   I just wanted to express my interest in having function pointers.  I agree that function pointers could be put to good use.

@Ryan Timothy:  What you describe would be very useful in creating modules that call user functions that are not known or knowable when the module is created.  Consider a module that generates or manages events or states.  When an event occurs or a new state becomes active then the module is to perform some action (presumably by calling  one or more functions).   The problem is that these functions are unknown when the module is written and would be different for every use of the module.  Module pointers would allow the user to tell the module which functions to execute when specific module events occur and which parameters arfe to be passed.

Personally I would like to have function pointers to recreate the Thread module I wrote a couple of years ago and lost to a HD crash.   This module allows one to create and execute concurrent threads in an AGS script.   To do this a byte code interpreter is required to execute AGS builtin functions so as to manage/emulate script blocking.   Function pointers would make the byte  code interpreter much cleaner and efficient.

@Monkey:  A better example of what Ryan Timothy is talking about would be something like the following.   He defines some arbitrary function with some arbitrary parameters.  The function knows what what the parameters and what they are used for but not the actual variable references.  

He wants to use a module that manages some kind of events.  He defines an event named "SomeEvent", assigns a callback function, and specifies the conditions under which the event is triggered.  

Code: ags

// Global or Room Script

// Some function for my current game
function SomeAction(int x, int x) {
    // Do something
   cEgo.Walk(x,y);
   cNonPlayer.Walk(x+10. y-10);
}

// Use a cool event module written by monkey years before
CoolEvent SomeModule;
SomeModule.Event("SomeEvent", SomeAction(160, 100), ...);

I've wanted to have function pointers forever as they can be very useful especially in the context of modules.  Currently there is no mechanism for a pre-written module to call user written functions.   Pointer to function would allow user defined functions to be assigned module events or to over-ride generic or virtual module functions.   It would also make jump tables, case functions etc possible.   

Currently AGS mechanisms do not provide for indirection or dynamic assignments of function calls making the above very difficult or impossible.

Are there any good quality AGS Doctor Who games recently completed  or currently in active development?  And yes I did search the GIP and completed threads but didn't find what I was looking for.

markus,

Thanks for taking this on, it's something that's been needed for some time.   

Over the past year I've noticed the price of all-in-one touch screen PC's has fallen to the $600-$700 range.   AGS would be a great tool for creating kiosk type games/applications for these platforms provided that it could populate the entire screen area with content.  Your efforts are certainly an important step in being able to run AGS in native monitgor resolutions and aspect rations.

Please allow me to pass along a related and interesting idea I've had for quite some time.  During game development It would be useful to have a game window larger than the actual game background so that debug or development aid type GUIs could reside in these areas instead of obscuring the game play area.  Perhaps you could give some thought to this as you go through the process.  Who knows it may not require as much effort as it seems? 

Thanks

Title says it all, thought I would share the info with friends.   
http://tardisblue.net/

Why not just use binary files in the release version.   If the game is in debug mode then prompt to read ascii or binary file(s).  If ascii is selected the current parser to populate your struct from the ascii file and save to binary file.  If binary is selected then rad from the binary file.  

Commentary, Critique, Ridicule, etc  is also covered under fair use.

Nice one, Rick! But at least beer is a lot less expensive, ...

Depends on your taste.  I prefer expensive beer and cheap women...

I once said "Women are like beer - you have to enjoy it while it lasts and after that you just have to go to the bar to get another one."

It's a sure bet she stopped calling every night because she met (copulated with) someone else.   She is being nice now because the other guy doesn't see any point in talking on the phone when no booty is to be had and so told her to piss off, IMHO.

Put edbuntu on it and give it to your daughter.   She will especially like  gcompris.

Sreenies here..

@HaroldCamping:  Harold, I have some good  news and bad news. 

The good news:

Spoiler

The rapture did indeed happen as you predicted.  Those deemed worthy were in fact taken up to heaven.

[close]

The Bad news:

Spoiler

You and your followers were not on the list.   

[close]

Here's a rapture ad from craigslist 

http://spokane.craigslist.org/zip/2393561754.html

I have been using the free version of Gale and find that it saves an incredible amount of time.  The free version is minus a couple of "webie" features but does not have any nag screens or other "free version" annoyances, so 
Abstauber you may want to update your original post to bnote there is a free version.

ASE sounds pretty good also, I'll have to give it a try.  Thanks for the info.

Or maybe this one ...
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=42066.msg578201#msg578201

@monkey:  My hangup was having a button that doesn't do anything useful unless custom script is attached.  However now that I think about it I'm intrigued.

What if the TestRoom button compiled and executed as is done now except that the PC starts in the current room and places the PC on a walkable area.   This part is uninteresting, unnecessary, and not worth much consideration from my point of view.   

However,  suppose that in addition and event handler called something like RoomTest(...) was also executed before any of the other event handlers?   There could also be an #iftest macro as well.   Now this would be interesting because people could leave test code in their source permanently.   If debug mode is not set in game settings then the test code would be omitted from the exe and would have no affect on release  versions.

Yes,  I would find use for something like this and it would not be complicated to implement (probably a bit of work though since both editor and runtime would need to be changed.    I'm persuaded...

@tzachs:  If I understand correctly, the button we are talking about here would compile the game and transport the player to some specified room.   How would AGS know in which room and at which coordinates to place the character,  if he should be visible or not,  and what inventory items he should have?   It would be necessary to pop-up a dialog box to allow the user to enter the above information.   In the very least it would be necessary to enter the room number to be tested.   So - honestly - no, I doubt I would find much utility in such a button.   

@monkey:  I don't see any advantage of compiling only one room.   Currently only the rooms that have changed are compiled and so if one is working on one room at a time then AGS currently produces the same result.  On the other if changes are made in multiple rooms isn't it better to compile everything that has changed; the programmer would get immediate feedback would likely know where to fix any errors that occurred?

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

I think time would be better spent improving the GUI import/export mechanism to include code/module and other resources and so that it could easily be "unimported" when no longer needed.  This would make it a little easier to create and use reusable debugers.

Really, the most important thing is to design code in manner that makes it easily testable.  There is no magic button that will do it for you.

I'm too lazy to press a button on every iteration!  Wise up and just put a change room debug statement in Room0 like everyone else.   

Being even more clever why not add a test function to each room that would execute every time the player entered the room.  If a global variable called "Test" is set true then if would continue to execute and exit if "Test"  is false.   What would it execute?   "Whatever is necessary" to test the room such as giving inventory articles or setting other variable states.

Why doesn't it make sense to make this a feature of the editor?   As everyone explained above the essential part is the "Whatever is necessary to test the room" bit that can only be determined by the programmer and is likely to change quite often and on programmer whim.

IMHO what is being  proposed is in the same class of feature as the "Make my game" button.   

Crippled VCRs, root kits, Geo Holtz, etc, Sony are scumm; deal with them at your own risk.  Sorry but no sympathy here.

[edit]
In addition to the above they also failed to take basic security precautions on their server and used obsolete and un-patched Apache web server software.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Sony-Networks-Lacked-Firewall-Ran-Obsolete-Software-Testimony-103450/

Happy Birthday to Squinky