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I did these as sort of a personal project and thought I'd share the result with you.

Here's the newest image.  It's one of the meadow scenes where the unicorn may appear.



The first one is the Fisherman's House.



The second one, the one I previously posted in the Critics Lounge, is the Dwarve's House.



There's also a short animation of the Dwarve's House, which is a slightly older version, but is still pleasant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wRAZszBStA

Anyways, I thought they may (or may not) be enjoyed by others, so here there they are.

visionmind

Hey.  I thought I'd try my hand at animating the ocean.  It's a six frame animation that should be ping-pong (forward and then backward) to make twelve frames at 6 frames a second.





I hope that works okay for you.

visionmind

Thanks for everyone's input.  I've updated the second image to the most recent version.

Grass (along with trees, as I mentioned earlier) is another bane of my existence.  I've tried multiple methods, but only ever end up with 'okay'.  I've accentuated the shadow underneath the grass to help the issue.

@Neil Dnuma I liked the light from the windows you put on the tree, so I've added them to the picture.  I've also upped the contrast.  Thanks for the input.

visionmind

I updated the image just above as a PNG.

@DeadSuperHero thank you.

Here's a modified version, doing the best I can to incorporate the advice.  I didn't change the roof and chimney all that much because I sort of like the rough look.



Thanks everyone.

PS looking at the JPEG I see that the compression blurs out the fine details in the waterwheel.  Just know that it is there, I swear!

EDIT: So here's a PNG, as per requested.  It's pretty subtle, so...

@snoopy thanks!

@SticeyMcCricey thanks for your input.

Hey everyone.  I just thought I'd pass along a little practice session that I did of the Dwarve's House from King's Quest 4.  I especially wanted to find a method for doing trees that looked good, but not photo realistic, but was never completely satisfied.  I was curious about how well I could give some life to it, so there's a video with sound too.  Either way I thought some of you guys and gals may (or may not) enjoy it.

I've already spent more time on it than I should have, so while you can critique it, it would be more for future reference.

Here's the link to the video:

https://youtu.be/_RRPSCu7Azk



Old Version


I hope you enjoy it.

Visionmind

After rereading Chris' original post, the most preferred option would be to have an assistant, which I'd agree probably isn't very feasible unless financial incentives were involved.
But in the spirit of that, as has already been suggested, I'd say the next best thing would be to release the code to a panel/group of dedicated programmers who are all motivated to move AGS forward.  I'm not sure how realistic/feasible this is either, but spreading out the load in a controlled environment sounds like it would be the most similar to having a single assistant, without involving money.  IE instead of recruiting one assistant with limited amount of time, recruiting multiple assistants with limited amounts of time.

In my opinion, I'd say that is the best way to go to best progress AGS with Chris' vision.

The appeal of AGS, for me, is not it's price.  My appeal to AGS is that it's a solid program that can make adventure games (3rd person avatar games and other kinds of games) with a ton of good features, including code-completion, a feature that I've discovered is disappointingly rare in other (commercial) game makers.
Personally, I'm interested in the AGS whether it's completely open source, or completely commercial ($40-60), or maybe even some in between like a free non-commercial-use edition for hobbyists.  While open source is nice, I've come across too many dead projects for me to love the idea.  And while it's nice to get something for free, I totally think AGS is worth paying for, if that's what it takes to continue it's development. Not only that but I'd agree with Joseph DiPerla in that paying for something can be motivating.  Not that making it commercial was an original option/suggestion but...  I just like AGS and look forward to it's future.

Ultimately, though, I agree with ProgZmax, and am cool with whatever CJ feels good about.

visionmind

PS thanks for all your work CJ.

I haven't been here for a while, but I remember looking at this game a while ago.  Congratulations on it's release!

Good luck!

visionmind

The line is the one marked.

Code: ags

  function Change_Mood(int patient_object, int person_object) {
      if ((object[patient_object].Frame>2) && (object[patient_object].Frame<4)) {
        person_view=object[person_object].View;
        object[person_object].SetView(person_view, 2, 0);
      }
      if (object[patient_object].Frame>4) {
             person_view=object[person_object].View;
560 >> object[person_object].SetView(person_view, 3, 0);
          }
      }

The only 'if' is that maybe the object might be invisible, but I believe I have checks against that.  Would that cause the problem?  What care should be taken?

Thanks for your attention.

visionmind

Hey All,

I get this fatal error when previewing my program.  It happens when I ChangeRoom in debug mode (CTRL-X), with the only significant issue is that I have a ResetRoom command for all the other rooms (you can't change the current room) in the When Player Leaves Room interaction.

I've been able replicate it twice, or rather, it's happened twice.

---------------------------
Illegal exception
---------------------------
An exception 0xC0000005 occurred in ACWIN.EXE at EIP = 0x0043CE2D ; program pointer is +6, ACI version 2.72.920NMP, gtags (1,2)

AGS cannot continue, this exception was fatal. Please note down the numbers above, remember what you were doing at the time and notify CJ on the Tech forum.

in Global script (line 560)
from Room 1 script (line 282)


Most versions of Windows allow you to press Ctrl+C now to copy this entire message to the clipboard for easy reporting.
---------------------------
OK   
---------------------------

The Room script only calls the function (Change_Mood (7,0)) which is in the global script:

Code: ags

function Change_Mood(int patient_object, int person_object) {
  if ((object[patient_object].Frame>2) && (object[patient_object].Frame<4)) {
	person_view=object[person_object].View;
	object[person_object].SetView(person_view, 2, 0);
  }
  if (object[patient_object].Frame>4) {
	person_view=object[person_object].View;
	object[person_object].SetView(person_view, 3, 0);
  }
}

I don't see any problems within that.

Is there any known weaknesses or warnings concerning reset room?  Or does anyone know what this error is?

Thanks,

visionmind

I would probably make the tumble weed a character (unless you only need it for one room) and then put a random timer in repeatedly_execute calling a custom function;

Code: ags

//in Global Script
function get_tumbleweed(int whichway) {
if (whichway=1) { //the tumbleweed travels from left to right
 Ã, ctumbleweed.changeroom(player.room, 0, 100);
 Ã, ctumbleweed.walk(319, 100, enoblock, anywhere); //send it off screen
}
else { //the tumbleweed travels from right to left
 Ã, ctumbleweed.changeroom(player.room, 320,100);
 Ã, ctumbleweed.walk(0,100, enoblock, anywhere); //get it offscreen
}


//in script header

import function get_tumbleweed(int whichway)


//When player enters room
settimer(4, random(400)+200); //randomly sends the tumble weed along between 5-10 seconds after they enter the room


//in repeatedly_execute
if (istimerexpired(4)==1) {
get_tumbleweed(random(1));//randomly chooses one or zero
settimer(4,random(400)+200);// resets timer for tumbleweed to come in between 5-10 seconds
}

I'm not at a computer with ags so I haven't tested it or anything and it needs proper capitalization, but that's what I'd do.

good luck,

visionmind

Thanks Chris for putting the time into that.  It really is much appreciated.

Thank you

visionmind

Hey All,

I'm simply wondering if one taxes the system more than the other?  I'm at a point where I can do either or, but I'm wondering if one is more efficient than the other?

I understand the other benefits (characters can move rooms etc...).

The reason why I wonder is that I'm in a situation where there would be a slight advantage to using objects but that advantage would be out weighed if objects aren't as efficient on the system.

Thanks everyone,

visionmind

Wow, thank guys for your help guys.  This will be extremely valuable for me, especially the introduction to bools.

Babar, yeah, that's what I meant, using a int pran[9] array instead of pran1-pran8.

Thanks everyone.

visionmind

Hey All,

I have a situation where I have eight variables that all need to pick a random number (1-8) but I don't want any of them to have the same number (so if variable1=5 I don't want the other seven variables to be able to pick 5)?

Right now the code I'm using to do this is long and bulky.Ã,  Does anyone have suggestions for a better, more efficient way? (I think duplicates occasionally slip through)

Code: ags

int pran1;
int pran2;
int pran3;
int pran4;
int pran5;
int pran6;
int pran7;
int pran8;
int pran9;

pran1=Random(7)+1;
//weeding out duplicates
pran2=Random(7)+1;
if (pran2==pran1) {
Ã,  while (pran2==pran1) {
Ã,  Ã,  Ã, pran2=Random(7)+1;
Ã,  Ã, Ã,  }
}
pran3=Random(7)+1;
if ((pran3==pran1) || (pran3==pran2)) {
Ã,  Ã, while ((pran3==pran1) || (pran3==pran2)) {
Ã,  Ã,  Ã, Ã,  pran3=Random(7)+1;
Ã,  Ã,  }
}
pran4=Random(7)+1;
if ((pran4==pran3) || (pran4==pran2) || (pran4==pran1)) {
Ã,  Ã, while ((pran4==pran3) || (pran4==pran2) || (pran4==pran1)) {
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  pran4=Random(7)+1;
Ã,  Ã, }
}
pran5=Random(7)+1;
if ((pran5==pran3) || (pran5==pran2) || (pran5==pran1) || (pran5==pran4)) {
Ã,  Ã, while ((pran5==pran3) || (pran5==pran2) || (pran5==pran1) || (pran5==pran4)) {
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  pran5=Random(7)+1;
Ã,  Ã, }
}
pran6=Random(7)+1;
if ((pran6==pran3) || (pran6==pran2) || (pran6==pran1) || (pran6==pran4) || (pran6==pran5)) {
 Ã,  while ((pran6==pran3) || (pran6==pran2) || (pran6==pran1) || (pran6==pran4) || (pran6==pran5)) {
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  pran6=Random(7)+1;
Ã,  Ã,  }
}
pran7=Random(7)+1;
if ((pran7==pran3) || (pran7==pran2) || (pran7==pran1) || (pran7==pran4) || (pran7==pran5) || (pran7==pran6)) {
Ã,  Ã, while ((pran7==pran3) || (pran7==pran2) || (pran7==pran1) || (pran7==pran4) || (pran7==pran5) || (pran7==pran6)) {
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  pran7=Random(7)+1;
Ã,  Ã,  }
}
pran8=Random(7)+1;
if ((pran8==pran3) || (pran8==pran2) || (pran8==pran1) || (pran8==pran4) || (pran8==pran5) || (pran8==pran6) || (pran8==pran7)) {
 Ã,  while ((pran8==pran3) || (pran8==pran2) || (pran8==pran1) || (pran8==pran4) || (pran8==pran5) || (pran8==pran6) || (pran8==pran7)) {
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  pran8=Random(7)+1;
Ã,  Ã,  }
}

I know I can make it slightly shorter by using an int array (instead of eight seperate variables) so it's on my to-do list, but not priority.

Thanks for your help in advance.

visionmind

Yeah, you were right I got that mixed up:

Here's the current code:

Code: ags

if (GetGraphicalVariable("toppings_order")==1) {
  cMustard.ChangeRoom(cPlayer.Room, cDogbun.x, (cDogbun.y)-9);
  cMustard.LockViewOffset(6, 0, -19);
  cMustard.FollowCharacter(cDogbun, FOLLOW_EXACTLY,0);
  SetGraphicalVariable("toppings_order", 2);
  cMustard.Baseline = 190;
}

This was placed in the Character Interaction editor.

I'm going to try the method you suggested as that would probably work the best.  I'll update the with the results.

UPDATE:  I actually got it working, I just needed to update some other areas of the program.

So I understand in theory how it works, but like before I'm also puzzled how it automatically connected with my characters.  Mainly how the 'Following' variable connected up?  What exactly is happening?

Does it have to do with the first 'Characters *Following[8]'?  (which seems to be a pointer to the characters, but I'm still perplexed how it automatically connected).

Thanks so much for your help Ashen.

Visionmind

Unfortunately I'm not at the computer with the code;

But the biggest problem is that the order determined by the user (meaning never a preset pattern).

Here's the code:

Code: ags

if (GetGraphicalVariable("toppings_order")==1) {
  cMustard.ChangeRoom(cPlayer.Room, cDogbun.x, (cDogbun.y)-9);
  cMustard.LockViewOffset(6, 0, -19);
  cMustard.FollowCharacter(cDogbun, FOLLOW_EXACTLY,0);
  SetGraphicalVariable("toppings_order", 2);
  cMustard.Baseline = 190;
}

This was placed in the Character Interaction editor.

There are more checks for what order the character it is and the baseline is set accordingly.

I'm afraid the 'Eagerness' does manually override the manual the set baseline, I'm just hoping there's a way around it.

The idea of each character following the one before it is a good idea, but since there's no preset order I don't know how to code that.

Thanks.

visionmind

Hey All,

I'm wondering if it's possible to change the baseline of a character(s) exactly following a main character. (not the player character, though)

My dilemna is that I want to have the last character to follow always on top (whether there is two or three characters following).  Instead the characters with lowest default baseline are automatically on top, regardless of how I manually set the baselines.

I have tried setting the baselines for the characters (setting the baseline lower for characters the start following later), but it doesn't change.

Does follow_exactly always lock the baseline? (which seems to be the case) Is there a way around this?

Thanks for your help.

visionmind