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[IndigoFenix]

The main purpose of the Acolytes is to convey "meta" knowledge, for instance, telling players about bugs, hints, or details concerning the world's construction.  They are the "placeholder" NPC when no other will do.

Lore wise, they are similar to monsters but have made it their purpose to help the player in order to give meaning to their existence - they are to some extent aware they are in a game and that you are the player.  I wouldn't expect them to make a significant impact in a story - at least not a normal one.

Their sprite may change in the future.

[Kamani]

I may want to switch whichever of Elen and Alend is the acolyte to a different monster. Or maybe not. Unsure.
There will be one in my town, I think.
When will shopkeepers exist (or are they out and I missed it/don’t know how to do it?)? I have a plan that needs them that I want to use in my new dungeon.

Edit: Ugh, I hate browsing for monsters. I am going to start building the outlines of the dungeon instead.

[IndigoFenix]

A built-in shopkeeper system will be made alongside the ability to transport items from world to world.  It will be the only way a world can remove "accumulated" sparks from the player.  I haven't quite worked out the details of how it will work though.

In the meantime, you can make event-based shops that trade sparks for items using dialogue options.  The sparks variable is {@.$} and the item variable is {@.$itemname}.  However, you can only use sparks that the player collected from your world during the current session, and the value of items will be lost, which kind of ruins the purpose of having a shop.

[Kamani]

In this case, that is actually exactly what I want. The player can use their starting money in the dungeon (once started, you win or you die), but every spark they spend is a spark less they get to keep. They get to choose their difficulty by spending more or less of their starting sparks.

Edit: I could do it with variables, thinking about it, but it wouldn’t work right.

[IndigoFenix]

Hmm, that's an interesting setup.  It might work better with a "token" system: use one kind of item as the "currency" which you can exchange for items, exchange it for sparks at the end.  This would make it more clear for players why you can only spend a limited amount on items (rather than all they have accumulated).

I actually plan on having a "go to location on death" option - right now you just go to the beginning of the world, resetting everything since your last "save", but world builders should have more control over that.

[Kamani]

I’ll go with the token system. It will be better long run.

Go to location on death (with a few rooms preserved) will be massively helpful. The dungeon is through a town, and entering gets you a brief cutscene. Also, I decided what to do with the alcolyte in town. They may be tough to find. But, assuming anyone EVER finds them, they will reference the lore about who the player character is.

Edit: Using mementos as gates would also help with a larger project I have planned, which spans multiple worlds. My current project actually links to it slightly (as does my first, to a lesser extent, and Batelier world, to an even lesser extent), for reasons that should make sense more once mementos come out.

[IndigoFenix]

It is certainly possible to create an item that transports you to a given location when used - even an item that transports you to an area you could not access otherwise.  The problem is that even after item saving is implemented, an item must be specifically included in a world (through a package) before the player can use it (otherwise it wouldn't be possible to limit the use of game-breaking items), so a player wouldn't be able to use it in other player's worlds unless the builder of that world chose to import it.

Using items as unrestricted gates would require a separate system unconnected to the usual use of an item, and that system would need to be regulated - using it while in a world would be functionally the same as quitting to the main menu.  It would be essentially the same as "favoriting" a gate - which is a system that should be implemented anyway.  Maybe if you tell me what the items you have planned are, I can work out a solution.

The new physics system is nearly ready, I'm just ironing out some bugs.  It will be possible to jump up short walls, or fly up them if you are able to fly.

[Kamani]

Oh, good, the new physics system should let me work on the Batelier project once I am done with my current.

The items basically would all send you to a central world (the hub world of this concept, basically), from which gates could be taken to other relevant worlds. The items that would get you to the central hub would be obtained in any world with Elen and Alend (I should consider new names, but I am atrocious at names. Of the names used so far, two are based on names from a book (although the characters aren't), and one is a terrible pun based on a french word (Batelier from atelier). But, back to the topic), or from one of the dungeons I make (exclusively if it is relevant to the project. For example, my current dungeon project is planned to give you an item for completing it that will open a room in the hub world if complete twoish other worlds), or from a couple other things in worlds I make (Putting gates at the end of each of them wouldn't have the right aesthetics). Don't know how well this project will turn out, but if it goes well, it should be neat. I am hoping to spread the lore throughout and to have neat dungeons. It probably won't turn out well, but that isn't going to stop me from trying.

[IndigoFenix]

The new physics system is up.

It might still have a few bugs but overall should be more consistent than the earlier system.  The main point of the new system is to be more spatially cohesive; anywhere you can cross from one tile to another, you should be able to cross back by going the same way (barring logical barriers like gravity).  Anywhere that this rule doesn't hold up is a bug and will be fixed.

It's more restrictive than before.  Boundworlds was not intended to use a seamless blend of top-down and sidescrolling physics; each area should be either one or the other.  The new physics should encourage this - there are certain geometries where it's possible to cross from top-down to sidescrolling, in other locations drop tiles will act as barriers.  You can drop in from above, climb or fly up from below, and cross from the side on tiles where there is a clearly-placed solid floor in the sidescrolling region at the point of entry.

Ladders no longer work automatically when you cross their tile, you must press the up key to grab a ladder.

The only existing rooms where the new physics pose a problem (that I know about) are Trials 2 and 3 in the Treasure Dungeon, but they can be pretty easily adapted by replacing the floor tiles with solid tiles.

The items basically would all send you to a central world (the hub world of this concept, basically), from which gates could be taken to other relevant worlds. The items that would get you to the central hub would be obtained in any world with Elen and Alend (I should consider new names, but I am atrocious at names. Of the names used so far, two are based on names from a book (although the characters aren't), and one is a terrible pun based on a french word (Batelier from atelier). But, back to the topic), or from one of the dungeons I make (exclusively if it is relevant to the project. For example, my current dungeon project is planned to give you an item for completing it that will open a room in the hub world if complete twoish other worlds), or from a couple other things in worlds I make (Putting gates at the end of each of them wouldn't have the right aesthetics). Don't know how well this project will turn out, but if it goes well, it should be neat. I am hoping to spread the lore throughout and to have neat dungeons. It probably won't turn out well, but that isn't going to stop me from trying.

All of this will be doable once item transportation is implemented - the only questionable bit is the items transporting you to the hub from other players' worlds without the world builder permitting it, but they would work in any of your own worlds.  You can already do this, kind of - just make the "use" function send the player to the gate of your choice.
To "share" an item between worlds, even your own, you need to package it; this will allow the same item to be accessed by multiple worlds.

If the dungeons are "open" to public gates, players might run into them at random; they could return to the hub at the end of the dungeon (if they have the transport item) and use the items they collect from each dungeon to unlock new areas in the hub.

One possibility is to make a teleport pad that does nothing unless you have the teleport item, but sends you to the hub if you have it.  The hub could be a private area, but there would be a pad at the end of each dungeon, and maybe one public area with an easily-accessible pad.

[Kamani]

Yay!

Okay. Teleporting with items just feels more right for the quest than hoping people favorite the hub world gate. Edit: Plus, people might not immediately go to it with the item, meaning that they have to find it again to progress. Edit: Oh, and they are lorewise linked with teleporting to places, so it feels right. Edit: Possibly they could be used AT a gate to go to a specific one if equipped?

Edit: One thing that might improve ladders: making the top block stand able on if the next block up isn't a ladder and slightly extending their height. Right now, you can't have a word enter on a ladder going up (you'll drop right down). It also means that if you have a ladder next to a solid block, you can't climb up to the block at all, which feels odd.

Edit: Oh, you can't enter a 2d area from a topdown area by using ladders (moving up). This is kind of a pain.

Edit: It is still sometimes possible to jump on death void tiles if you hold space.

Edit: I have two dialogue boxes, and are activated at the same time if you hit space in the right spot, but if you do, one always takes priority over the other, and I would prefer if the other one did that. Any advice? Oh, right, this is Treasure Dungeon (I need a new name) floor one with the sign and secret switch.

Edit: Is there a world version of _room? Like _world or something? It would really help with the token thing.

Edit: Treasure Dungeon closed until renovations (and hopefully a new name...) are complete.

[IndigoFenix]

I fixed the issue with pit tiles, and also made the player automatically grab a ladder if they begin the room on one.

You can move from top-down to sidescrolling from below using a ladder, but you have to fall off the ladder from the side and land on a solid tile.  If you try to move off onto a solid tile this will be evaluated as if you are in front of the wall.  Maybe this should be changed though, since it's kind of counterintuitive.

Climbing to the top of ladders... Most sidescrolling platformers don't allow this (since you would be able to stand on top of the ladder as well, which looks weird).  Though usually  they allow jumping off of ladders.  Hmm...

_world is a valid variable that affects the whole world.  You can also associate variables with the player, which are not reset when entering a new room within the same world.  Or use an item for the tokens, which lets them show up on the inventory screen.

I'll see what I can do about the dialogue box issue.

[Kamani]

Okay, thank you. Oddly enough, the ladder thing wasn’t working for me. Just worked like a wall. Edit: Oh, look, I phrased that horribly. I meant that when I tried to fall off a ladder from the side when the ladder was above a topdown tile, it was like I had run into a wall. I ended up fixing it with some adding of topdown tiles that moved right into the 2d stuff.

Edit: In the Marble Hall Teleport, I found a NPC who was a duplicate of the "This cave is surprisingly tidy." person. Odd. More importantly, I accidentally clicked somewhere, and now there is nowhere I can click to stop walking. Is there a button to stop the move to click thing? If not, that should be added. Niche glitch, but still a possible issue.

Edit: I might keep Deadly Treasure or Treasure Dungeon or whatever its lousy name is (any suggestions for new names anyone?) closed until mementos get added. Or at least until I can find a non-humanoid monster (after some indecision, I decided I would prefer to have Alend (again, name suggestions?) be non-humanoid) who's appearance works with the game (and my likes and dislikes). Question: If a memento is edited, will all copies of it in players' inventories be edited?

[IndigoFenix]

Question: If a memento is edited, will all copies of it in players' inventories be edited?

Yes - the player's file only stores a value and a link to the actual item's data, which will be updated whenever they pass to a new world.  The place where this gets most interesting is prices - basically, it will not be possible to alter another player's "net worth" by changing the price of an item.  Raising the price will cause all players to lose a number of items to compensate, and lowering the price will add the "value lost" to their spark count.  It will also be possible to "force recall" an item, converting them all into their spark value.  It seems weird, but basically the system would be far to easy to exploit otherwise.  The total value of a player's sparks and items are still ultimately capped by the player's in-game time and the time other players spend in their worlds.

I've updated the physics some more; there are still some bugs at the boundaries between regions (mostly related to low ceilings and dashing off ledges) but the ladders should be a bit more intuitive.  I'll work on fixing up the bugs.

I've also added some new abilities for the avatar.  Nothing too game-changing, but you can now dive-roll and cliff-dive.  I am not sure whether or not I will leave in the ability to swan-dive onto solid ground and kill yourself.

Concerning Elen and Alend, if their main role is to show up in many different worlds and do more or less the same thing in each (give you an item and tell you something), you might want to package them - that way, you can use them as a placeholder and update them all at the same time later.  You can use "special variables" to give each instance minor differences.  For example, you can make a special variable called "quote" that is individually editable, then call that variable in the talking function.  You can display variables in text fields (for example, Display events) by putting them in {curly brackets}.

EDIT: Also, for the sign's switch - you can do this by using only the sign object itself, and have it check whether the player's _y value is higher or lower than its own to determine which side the player is on.

[Kamani]

Okay, fixing the sign should help a lot.
With Elen and Alend: I am planning on packaging them, but I need to A. get a new appearance for Alend (I want a non-humanoid monster, but I am no pro at finding this stuff) and possibly Elen (The old character art wasn't quite as good as I would like). and B. Put them in another world so I can see what kind of generic text I want them to use.

Edit: Oh, right, on complex tilesets: I suggest for using them: Since tilesets aren't copieable, make a new tileset and, for the URL, use /med/000000000001.png. Set the tiles accordingly to their normal uses and set the opacity to .2 (or .33, or .4, or whatever else you prefer). Move this tileset to the highest point on the list. Now place either the complex or translucent tileset (your choice), and then the other of the two. Set the opacity on the translucent tileset to 0. This way, you can see if you made a block the right type (invisible tilesets can mess you up easily). Edit: a tileset that clearly showed what tile type each was would make it easier.

[IndigoFenix]

Ah!  I hadn't realized the semi-transparency on invisible tilesets was no longer working.  It must have broken when I made the global tilemap system.  I fixed it - now invisible tilesets will be semi-transparent when you are editing them.

EDIT: Somehow I accidentally undid all of the physics changes back to the way they were this morning... I'll have access to a copy tomorrow so I can merge them back together.

In the meantime, I've added respawn gates - you can set a global one for the world, and also make one for each room.  These gates will let you keep transformations and items provided you are going to a location in the same world; they simply revive you and place you at the gate's location.  You can handle any custom behaviors by making a separate object that creates an effect when the room starts (for example, an object that takes away all of the player's coins if you want them to lose them).