5/25/98
-=Intro=-
Arg, its 2:18am. I'm just a little too tired to do a very full update. This month I think I might try altering the style of my weekly updates a bit. I'm going to try to catagorize the information with a quick title for each section. Nothing overly amazing, just a slight adjustment.
Also, note the cool new "Talibah Now" graphic on the menu. Please feel free to copy this all over the place. Link it to the same URL as I did. If you use this graphic, let me know. I'm thinking about compiling a page of links to sites that have a link to me... I'm haven't decided to do this yet, I'm just thinking.
-=TLOT Progress=-
Near the start of the week I got some interior tiles done for the monk tile set (as seen in this week's shot). Its mostly cut/paste from other tile sets, but that also creates a standard look throughout the game. I've still got lots of monk tiles to do.
I also found someone who might be able to do some rendered backgrounds for my battle scenes. I won't reveal this fellow's name just yet, but I will give you a quick sample. Bear in mind, this sample was his first offering to me. The perspective is a little off and its still a bit bare, but I still find it very impressive. Just click on this week's screen shot to see a sample of the caslte battle background.
I'm starting to reach a coder's block (like "writer's block") as I don't know how/what to do next. I am working on the inventory but I'm not sure which way to go. Ok, when you select "item" from the main menu then select "use", you'll need a list of items to pick from. Should I list it down the right side on the menu like everything else, bring up a full screen of selections so you can easily see what you want on the list or should I bring up the text box window and display an items list there? A whole new full screen window would make for slower access to the items list as there would be a quick fade in and fade out as the screen came up. Listing the items on the menu panel might not offer much viewing space making it more tedious to find things. Useing the text box would be a fairly good medium, but it might just plain look funny and out of place. I really don't want to code all three just to see wich one is best... arg, the life of an RPG designer/coder.
-=Links=-
She only needs a few more guesses, go on over to Aphrodite's page and try to guess the midi.
-=Personal Stuff=-
This week I got very sick and missed a day of work. I've been sick pretty much all week. Just as I think its getting better, it gets bad again. I think I'm ok now, but who knows. It must be all this damn Mexican smoke in the air.
This Saturday we went apartment hunting. Looks like I'm going to start full time with Gathering of Developers sometime around June 15th. I'm trying to get an apartment in Denton before then. Tomorrow I go water skiing, I'm not really eager to go anymore. I hope I have fun. Why do I tell you people all this stuff anyway?
bye
5/17/98
As the image this week suggests, I did do some playing with the battle engine. I've coded in some random encounters. Basically, when you walk around in a forest (atleast for right now) you have a 1 in 8 chance of a battle occuring. When the battle occurs, this image is shown, then it just fades back into the game. I also added in a bit of code to decrease the players hitpoints and another key to add them back while displaying a magic effect. This was all temporary as I ponder just how I'm going to do things for real. This little bit of coding has made me curious about other RPG's algorythm for random encounters. I've noticed that with striaght random numbers (pseudo random), you end up sometimes hitting enemies every other step and sometimes you end up not hitting one for a VERY long time. Its just a little too random. I'm thinking about having a very low chance of an encounter with your first few steps after a battle, but with each additional steps your chances increase. That way you can always count on a battle atleast every so many steps, but not have to worry about one for atleast a few. I donno, I'm still thinking it over. After all, having plain random battles is much easier.
Anyway, I've got lots to talk about this week, but I don't have time for a lengthy update. I'm trying to catch up after being gone so much. I had exams this week, then I had an outting friday night, then I was gone all day yesterday to 6 Flags. In the meantime, several projects stacked up for me around the house and I've got to get to work. (One just presented itself as I was trying to get this update done and uploaded.)
One important note about the battle background in this image. I donno what happen to the artist who did it. There is very little chance that this background will show up in the final version of Talibah.
Gotta get, later!
5/10/98
This week's image shows a rather simple but useful technique, invisable treasure chests. This way I can stick items in book cases and in pots. In this image, Seth finds some gold stashed in a pot in front of the Inn in the desert town.
If you click on this week's image, you'll get the first image taken inside the Monk's place. All I've got is a floor and some walls. Thats what I spent my time on this week actually. I've been fairly busy with finals. I've only got one more this friday so I should have a fairly productive week.
Next weekend is Medieval Times one night and then Six Flags the next day. I'm going to have more fun than you can shake a stick at.. Somehow, just thinking about it makes me tired. Oh well, I guess I'll survive. So, did anyone else like the scene in Cable Guy where they battle it out in the arena at Medieval Times? Anyone know what episode of Star Trek the music was from? (Its a classic!)
Unfortunately, I've been thinking alot about making another game lately. This is taking away from time normally spent thinking about TLOT. This new game idea is pretty good. Its just another RPG, but the story line I got just gives me the willies. I've been checking into the S3D engine. Unfortunately a license would cost around $100,000. After asking a bit more about it, I think the engine offers much more than I'm interested in, but the initial idea I got from the screenshots is what I want. Notice on the screen shot that the buildings do not bend according to perspective, the walls go straight up. This takes away from the 3D effect, but it works good for an overhead view. Additionally, notice the shadows and how the contour to the ground. Anyway, if at all possible, I want to license an already created engine for TLoT 2.. Unless, of course, I were to find a programmer much better than myself.
Its late and I'm tired... I had some links around here to post this week but they'll just have to wait until next week. g' night.
5/3/98
I've added a bit more to the monk tile set, however I haven't done the inside yet. I've drawn some new sprites as well. I am also working on implmenting some faster font routines sent to me by Scott Earnest. I donno if I'll be able to take advantage of them for sure or not.
I was offered the job with Gathering of Developers! Looks like I may very well be moving soon. In addition, I may be in the office about twice a week, thus I would have a lot of time on my hands to work on Talibah! Things do indeed look promising. I've also wirtten GT interactive. I told them a little about my game (very little) and asked if GT might possibly be interested in distributing it. Here's the responce I got back from them:
I'm very interested. What kind of game is it? Why is it so cool?
Who's on your team? What's your background and theirs? Please send
me as much information as you can.
Thanks, Jim
For anyone who isn't familiar with the game yet, you must take a look at Dink Smallwood. I had downloaded the game before and not liked it. For some reason I downloaded it again the other day and decided to look it over a bit more. I was really surprised, it was a hoot. Then yesterday I got my PC gamer and the CD had a copy of the demo on it, so I played it some more. This is a cool game.
In addition to Dink, the PC Gamer CD has another RPG demo on it, Final Fantasy 7. I can't play it, I don't have a 3D accelerator. =( I think I know what I'll be investing in next.
Two bits of news for ya. First, a new Sceptre of Shalimar build was just released. Second, there's a rather negative MuriaWarrior review on KiLLa GaMiN. This kinda upset me. First of all, they reviewed a beta demo. I guess thats one problem with letting your demos go public, some people don't understand that demos are nothing close to being polished. Second, he complains that he can't identify a story. ?????? I guess he doesn't bother to read text when it scrolls on the screen in front of him or something. Third, he complained that the graphics were cartoony.. ????? Yeah, is that bad? He also stated that this game reminds him of a console title. Even though he said it with a negative connotation, it was the most positive thing in the review. I'm gonna take the time to e-mail him and review his review.. [cough] If you've got time, you should too. (Kinda interesting, they just reviewed Dink a little while back too)
I guess thats about it this week. Tune in next week, same TLOT time, same TLOT channel.
