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[timmeh]

I knew I missed something!  I'll get to work on this first thing tomorrow.

It's game-time.  I haven't really decided what it's supposed to be yet though.  Basically, each round the player and all enemies are given some AP, but they only get to move if they have enough AP ("enough" is decided by dexterity).  So each time you move it adds to step, but it adds to the time each round, weather you got to take an action or not.

[Outcast Orange]

It all sounds very interesting.

Once again, I look forward to playing the next version.
Also, I'm finally free, so there will be work put into finishing my map generation system.

We'll have a fun time bug testing our games together.

[Bricks]

So I'm guessing each action has an associated AP?  Or are they all the same as movement?  If it's the latter, it might be simpler to just run through whatever enemies are on the stage when it loads, and then make a turn schedule based on their dexterity.  If each action has different AP, you have to give each critter a chance to move if they have any move available, or the choice to save their turns (with a potential upper limit).  I think that would make for an awfully complicated system.

The equipment display looks fine, but the style is kind of inconsistent with how the other info is displayed.  You might want to line up those values, too.

[timmeh]

@Outcast Orange - Thanks, and good to hear!

@Bricks - At the moment, yes, but it's only because I haven't set up picking up/dropping items with AP costs yet, I don't want them to take as much time as moving or attacking.  Opening a door may take a little less time, and casting a spell and ranged attacks may take a little longer.

No real progress to announce yet, I'll rearrange the equipment display to either line up with the values above it or just make it use the same style as everything else, then work on getting equipment actually set up


[EDIT]:  This is completely unrelated to equipment (well, not completely I guess, but just about...), but I just had an idea for the future development of ToA... unfortunately, I have no idea where to even begin.  Normally I'd explain the idea, and ask for advice, but I'm excited about it still, and would prefer to keep it under wraps until I can get it to a presentable state.

After some consideration, the only way I can see it working is to get some form of a very basic scripting language set up.  My question is this, will I have to write my own interpreter, or is there a library available that would make it easier and speed up development?  I looked myself but only for a couple minutes, and I'm going to try some more after I finish getting some other things done this morning, but if anyone already knows about something like this it'd be great.

Basically, all it needs to be able to do is modify the variables (probably through function calls, since the variables are private within classes) of a couple different objects.  The variables that could be modified would be the same in both objects (as far as the name) as would the functions that change them.  I gotta go now, but I'll be back to look and maybe expand here in a bit.

[EDIT2]:  I've found a couple tutorials on using LUA in C++ and it looks pretty simple, so once I've got equipment done I will begin work on my "secret" addition.

On another note, when equipment get's effects the effects with a duration of -2 will be permanent until the item is unequipped, and the others will depend on the item.  Weapons will cause their effects on strike, armor will cause their effects when the player is hit.  What about accessories though, when should they trigger temporary effects?

[alfie275]

Perhaps in times of need?
So like if your health goes too low, you get teleported to random tile.

[Bricks]

If you want to restrict accessories to one effect, "in times of need" sounds like a good trigger.  That somewhat limits the effects they can have unless you put in some smart code for each effect.  A possibly irrelevant example: an accessory that freezes your opponents would be useful if you were low on health, or they were trying to flee, or if they were too fast to hit.  Accessories could be like wearable spells, too, so the player can use them at their discretion but they would still draw from the player's energy.  Then you'd need to combat the potential for a player to tote around a bunch of magic amulets instead of legitimately training up their magical knowledge.  That could be accomplished just by making the accessories rare enough, or making the energy cost of these accessory-based spells very high.  Or the accessory could cost additional energy to equip, or, you have to allocate energy to it over time to charge it up, and they only remained charged while they are equipped.  Sort of like item-based prayers.

That should be enough ideas .

[timmeh]

The idea of doing them in times of need would be a little trickier to set up, since I'd have to hard-code what exactly "need" is for each effect.  The wearable spells idea sounds good, and I should be able to limit it somehow.  Maybe have most accessory spells be either very minor things or have some negative effects to balance them out...

Thanks for he ideas guys!  I've just about got the player equipping items (even if they don't have any real effect yet...), just need to figure out how to pass a pointer to an array of pointers... I thought getting used to pointers in the first place was bad, this is just really weird...

[EDIT]:  Theoretically, equipment is working.  I'm going to hard-code a couple test items just to see (instant and over-time effects don't work yet, but that's because there's nothing to attack/be attacked by).  Then try moving the equipment into an external file.  Items will have a simple [rare] tag that I will later expand into a rarity system of sorts.  In the mean time, it just means they won't be available in shops, so you have to find them by killing things.

[EDIT2]:  Weapons and shields are loaded and equip/un-equip properly now.  I'm going to change the character sheet to actually display them now.  I've also made effects track what created them, so I can make the effects list write the name of the item/spell that added the equipment if I want to.  It's currently used to remove the correct effects when an item is unequipped.

[timmeh]

All the items should be working.  I'd release a tech demo, but I had to add a test function to actually give them to the player.  I'm going to look back at my room code and try and get some sort of loot weighting thing in, so you can have different rooms have different kinds of items and such at random.

[EDIT]:  Items are being placed in rooms now, but it's revealed a whole new bug... it's not drawing the items correctly.  For some reason it's getting seemingly random results for the symbol instead of the one I load from the file.  I'm going to do a bit more testing and see if I can figure out where it's getting screwed up...

Ah, I wasn't copying the symbol when I made a copy of a base item to put on a map... now I feel real smart

[EDIT2]:  Okay, items are just about as done as they can be without enemies to whack.  I'm going to do some cleanup and fixes tomorrow and see about releasing another tech-demo to show off the items/room spawns.

[Outcast Orange]

I would be intrigued by a version with working objects.

I look forward to it when it is ready.

[timmeh]

Version 0.302 Tech Demo Released.

Download Link

Normally I'd update the blog as well, but I'm rather tight for time at the moment.  I won't have internet access Sunday or Monday, and I'll probably be busy Tuesday, and obviously next Friday is likely to be a bit of a busy day... progress may slow, but it won't stop.

[alfie275]

Whats up with the latin in the source?

Spoiler: What the translator spat out (click to show/hide)

Lor itself the pain may be he/she/it may love, he/she/it may seek the adipiscing My God. Twice I lend he/she/it undertakes the earth of the life to equip. While even the earth nor, even the edge/fringe/hem of garment the sapien. The entrance but the nisl the cat. While before the mass, will bestow he/she/it needs the valley but, sometimes may be he/she/it may love the pot. The kidney-bean the euismod the nibh flatters to the pharynxes of the god of the underworld the accumsanus.

Spoiler: Means something like (click to show/hide)

I see that he pains for his love, he seeks to overcome God (god of death?).  I give him twice what he needs to get the life under the ground. While not the land, or even a small group of people. On the contrary, a cat (nethack reference?).While before the sea ("mass" mass of water?), I give barely what he needs, just a pot. The light ship (the pot, maybe it refers to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_Boat) is attracted to the mouth of the underworld.

I think this refers to some dude going into the underworld to bring someone back to life?

Am I right?

[Nivim]

 Aww, you missed the point of my "comestible" room. I was using the stair that crashes the game to insta-kill the player. The room isn't a trap (isn't fun) now.
 I note that the "pretzel room" or twisting passageway has far too many places where there should be "0"s instead of "2"s. I also note there are some rooms that could do with the "double doors for variability", unless there is a particular reason you want them centered?
 I realize they don't do anything yet, but why did you pick those symbols for the assorted items? They might be the first letter but that doesn't mean they resemble the item.
 You probably want to boost the "winged shoes" up to 10 or so dexterity, and add another type of shoe in place for the 3 dexterity.

 You've done very well with the items (from value to effect to placement), but will the room item tags expand into allowing specific items? Like scrolls/books in the library. Will there also be the ability to change the rarity of specific rooms, or make certain rooms more likely on later levels? I assume this sort of thing will happen eventually, but I'm wondering how soon you might try it (in terms of before-and-after).

 What would this do?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[shield:Blue Sand Hourglass]
[desc:The sand in this hourglass falls very slowly.]
[symbol:x]
[value:300]
[weight:3]
[dext:-4:-2:ENEMY]
[dext:-1:-2:SELF]

Specifically the part about permanent enemy effects. I mostly ask because I don't want to crash the game needlessly right now. In case it works...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[shield:Red Sand Hourglass]
[desc:The sand in this hourglass falls very fast!]
[symbol:x]
[value:300]
[weight:3]
[dext:1:-2:ENEMY]
[dext:4:-2:SELF]

(Why do I feel so sleepy?)

Edit: Looks like going up a placed stair no longer crashes the game ... "Duration" only has one "r", for the character sheet. Would it be possible to use whitespace there to line up the columns? And remove the space before the "endu" (stre, dext) to line it up with the "type"; it would be nice to just have the "/" lined up there...You did a nice job on the scrolling; other games tend to just make the screen jumps only after you get near the edge...Are you handling hallways different? I keep having this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

111221
111221
11@∩∩1    Semi-converted to tag format.
111221
111221

Yet other times there is only one door in the same wall-configuration. I'm guessing it has to do with the new node set-up (I feel like I aught to read the code).
 I'd like to note that Orange's hallway is rather annoying; it would be nice if such things where only placed if there was room to add more rooms.

Edit2: To Orange;

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

2^2200000
<11220000
221122000
022112200
002211220
000221122
00002211>
0000022v2

[Outcast Orange]

All very impressive Timmeh! I am happy to scour every last tile of each level in search of extra loots.
Also, this thing is large enough and elaborate enough to feel like a real labyrinth.

If we all added like ten more rooms each, you would never know what to expect.

[timmeh]

I'm back(ish)!  My laptop just got back, the hard-drive has been wiped so I'll have to copy everything back from the back-up, but it should all be pretty quick.  I just got my SAT scores back (above 85th percentile, and that's all I'm going to say... not happy about them, but they'll get me where I want to go.) so I may be a bit busy tomorrow getting them all sent out, and doing some extra house work.  The 25th will be busy for obvious reasons, and I should probably start my two-page Government/Economics essay that's due first week of January soon...  Besides that I'll be pretty free though.
@Alfie - The Latin is just some place-holder text I use to test the screen drawing stuff.  It's just Lorem Ipsum, so I think it's pretty much a passage from a random book.

@Nivm - Wow, thanks for all the input, let's see what I can cover...

The stair thing was a bug, and while I think it's hilarious, it'd be less so to anyone who decided to try the game at random... hopefully traps will be in at some point, and then we can have lots of Fun!  As far as the pretzel room, I don't actually have the source code back on my computer yet, but I'll fix it as soon as I do.

The items were more of a place-holder than anything else, but I'll go ahead and up the winged shoes, and I'm definitely open to any ideas for better symbols!  I considered a 't' for the swords, kinda hoping it wouldn't have the curled bottom in the console... I'll probably still use either a curved or curly bracket for bows, and a slash or other line for arrows...  The placement and stuff isn't finished yet, I'm thinking I'll start by adding a way to limit it to certain types of item (Usable, equipment, and eventually: magic/scrolls).  As far as rooms are concerned, one of the big things I want to finish there before I move on is adding a sort of rarity tag, I just need to figure out how to weigh the rooms when adding them to the list.  Once I figure out how I want to figure rarity into room placement it'll be in very quickly.

Well, at the moment it should make the player permanently move slower (-1 Dext).  The enemy thing won't have any effect yet.  Which brings up another problem, should I let the player choose a target when they use an item with a targeted effect?  If so, how should I deal with ranges?

I think it might depend what floor you're on too.  I only had that problem on the first floor before...  I'll fix the spelling (there, and in numerous places inside the code ) and try re-aligning the effects columns.  I may also try and add the source of the effect to the list, if it doesn't make it go outside the box or anything...  As far as the hallways, I don't know how the second bit is happening (singe door), but the other part is just because it doesn't currently check the length of the hallway before placing the doors.  I may change it soon to only place the second door if the hallway is at least a certain length...

I like the diagonal hallway, I may have to put that in soon...


@Outcast Orange - Thanks!  I'm going to work on the rooms, although I think adding some way for the game to try rotating them would make it a lot easier.  Just need to figure out how to do it efficiently.  My first thought is to loop through the tiles in a room starting in the bottom left corner, reading up and to the right, copying it into a new room from the top-left corner.  But there's got to be a more efficient way...
As far as room placement and rarity are concerned, at the moment it goes through the file and loads them all into a vector, then each time it adds a room it makes a new vector and adds the rooms to it in a random order.  I just need to find a way to factor rarity into it (maybe by how high up they are on the list).  I may have to find a way to balance that with room sizes though, since smaller rooms are far more common at the moment...

Anyways, progress should resume soon.  I'll try and move the files back onto my computer tonight, and get some work done on them tomorrow evening.

[Outcast Orange]

Hmm...

The best way I could think of would be to read them into another array using the method you mentioned.
It is probably hard to do, but it would be sweet if the rooms had another tag (after description) for rareness.
Maybe have only rooms with a 1 come up in the standard method, and if the tag is lower than one, have it make a random test before placing the room.

The room size/fit thing does complicate it though.

You'll think of something.