[RELEASE] RPG Demo V5

[Xteaph-N]

There are lots updates none of which pertain to the battle system. Everything now has collision. All the buildings can be entered. There is a menu in the town only, which is almost done(honestly!). I also changed how all the collisions work, and I've also changed how the camera works. there is also a demo of how speaking to NPC's will work. The battle system has remained untouched.

Also I'm starting to get a good idea of what kind story my game will have, and how everything will work together. I think people will agree that it would be the best direction for my game, that is when I show what it will be.

I highly recommend you guys download this to check out the progress I've made.

Also just as a quick PSA: Sprite Artists Contact Me!



RPG Demo V5

[Miclowgunman]

on the battle:not bad, but a little slow.
on the map: good speed, but i would recommend a tile based map system. I don't know if lua can handle that though, i've never coded it before. It would help for the larger maps and you would need less images in the long run for repeating tiles on separate maps. It's how most of the big wigs do it. All in all it is pretty good. I'd love to help with the spriting and game art. Just let me know what you need.

[Xteaph-N]

Originally Posted by Miclowgunman

on the battle:not bad, but a little slow.
on the map: good speed, but i would recommend a tile based map system. I don't know if lua can handle that though, i've never coded it before. It would help for the larger maps and you would need less images in the long run for repeating tiles on separate maps. It's how most of the big wigs do it. All in all it is pretty good. I'd love to help with the spriting and game art. Just let me know what you need.

I know what you mean. I only used big images because it was a town. However for the overworld there is obviously not enough ram for those big images so it will be mostly time based, a mixture of both.

Also I just want to point out that while not coded in tiles it does follow a 16x16 tile grid. Thanks for the comment.

[slicer4ever]

well, the 16x16 tile grid is a start, but as Miclowgunman said, doing a tile map is defiantly the way to go, regardless if it's in town or not

one thing that does concern me(well several things, but this sticks out the most) on how you've coded is that you say the menu only works in the town, can i ask why that is, you don't have a seperate menu handling function that you can call on, regardless of your location

however, qj's seen it's share of rpg's that were barely playable(and died in that stage regardless of what the coders said), don't expect too much until you actually show some good quality stuff

[Xteaph-N]

Originally Posted by slicer4ever

well, the 16x16 tile grid is a start, but as Miclowgunman said, doing a tile map is defiantly the way to go, regardless if it's in town or not

one thing that does concern me(well several things, but this sticks out the most) on how you've coded is that you say the menu only works in the town, can i ask why that is, you don't have a seperate menu handling function that you can call on, regardless of your location

however, qj's seen it's share of rpg's that were barely playable(and died in that stage regardless of what the coders said), don't expect too much until you actually show some good quality stuff

Regarding the menu; if you look at my main code the town you'll see it's easy to add the way the menu is called in the buildings. The only reason there not there is because I want to make sure it works before I put the function into the other files.

Died in what stage? The stage where the town and battle system where nearly complete. I don't want to sound pompous but point out one homebrew RPG that is at the current level mine is at.

Because from what I've see they all died before the battle system was made. Also to my knowledge no other RPG has my scrolling. Also in all the other versions I've tried pressing up and right would make the character have a seizure. Even the best ones like the zelda one made by dan had that. I'm just saying that I think this game has brought enough "quality" relative to the others for some attention from the community.

[FaT3oYCG]

for people like me who dont download things unless they sound really good which and unfinished rpg never does as we have seen so many a few screenshots on the first post help a lot.

[dan369]

My little zelda game was horrible, the game itself was okay in appearence. But the code that operated was horrific. I could do what i did in that game 100 times better. I defiantly won't regard that as 'one of the best ones'.
I think slicer is just trying to say that, there's been many RPG attempts, none have ever come through. 1 maybe two releases then nothing, thats way when people see the words RPG they always have this thought of 'is this going to be another rubbish RPG game'. Not saying yours is though, people don't get too hyped up about these things because of the past experience.

p.s the animation code in my game was horrible, can be done 200x better than i had it. Though there were a few nice things about it. Just not that :P

[Xteaph-N]

Originally Posted by dan369

My little zelda game was horrible, the game itself was okay in appearence. But the code that operated was horrific. I could do what i did in that game 100 times better. I defiantly won't regard that as 'one of the best ones'.
I think slicer is just trying to say that, there's been many RPG attempts, none have ever come through. 1 maybe two releases then nothing, thats way when people see the words RPG they always have this thought of 'is this going to be another rubbish RPG game'. Not saying yours is though, people don't get too hyped up about these things because of the past experience.

p.s the animation code in my game was horrible, can be done 200x better than i had it. Though there were a few nice things about it. Just not that :P

It goes without saying you have increased your skill significantly since then. I was just using that as an example of how my game doesn't have all the "rubbish" people are used to. Also this is my 5th release. 5th! I know there hasn't been a huge time interval between releases but come on people.


BTW the only reason I don't post screen shots is because I never bothered to figure out how it works in luaplayer HM.

[dan369]

screen:save(Image)

Image being say "image.png", look at a simple multiple screenshot function i did in the Lua example scripts thread

[Xteaph-N]

Originally Posted by dan369

screen:save(Image)

Image being say "image.png", look at a simple multiple screenshot function i did in the Lua example scripts thread

I've already tried it the way it was intended plus just tried your method. None worked. Can you add in that function to my code then post some images, pretty please.

[_df_]

Originally Posted by Xteaph-N

I don't want to sound pompous but point out one homebrew RPG that is at the current level mine is at.

Because from what I've see they all died before the battle system was made. Also to my knowledge no other RPG has my scrolling. Also in all the other versions I've tried pressing up and right would make the character have a seizure. Even the best ones like the zelda one made by dan had that. I'm just saying that I think this game has brought enough "quality" relative to the others for some attention from the community.

of course, yours is the best unfinished rpg ever released on the qj forums. without a doubt, hands down the best ever.

your collisions are fully hard coded instead of using maps.
you haven't even integrated the combat script into the town script
you got a 52k lua script for hard coded collisions for 1 small town, how are you going to manage an overland, multiple towns, etc?

I like the scrolling but its a tad slow as stated in another post.

[Xteaph-N]

Originally Posted by _df_

of course, yours is the best unfinished rpg ever released on the qj forums. without a doubt, hands down the best ever.

your collisions are fully hard coded instead of using maps.
you haven't even integrated the combat script into the town script
you got a 52k lua script for hard coded collisions for 1 small town, how are you going to manage an overland, multiple towns, etc?

I like the scrolling but its a tad slow as stated in another post.

There's nothing wrong with hard coded collisions, and integrating scripts is simple. So basically all your problems aren't really problems. As for the speed of scrolling I will make it scroll faster when X is pressed or something like that. Also I'm not bragging about the code I bragging about the demo.

Also while you've trash talked my project you haven't provided a demo better then mine! Unconventional is key!

[Miclowgunman]

lol....things have gotten a bit heated since i was last here.
Xteaph-N, Keep up the good work and look at the silver lining of even the negative posts. each has a reason for saying what they do. Dont waist time responding to negative feedback, just learn from it. That is...unless you find it fun to respond. Then do whatever floats your boat. You have more silent support then you realize. Keep on working and you will see the fan bas come out of the woodwork. Right now we are just singin if your boat will sink or float before we get aboard... Good Luck

[jbirdta2]

Xteaph-N im interested in helping you with your project. ive got experience with lua programing for the psp and pixel/sprite art. if you would like to check out some of my previous work its here: Alpha Triple Triad PSP
you can contact me directly thru my email: jbirdta2@yahoo.com

[FaT3oYCG]

Originally Posted by Xteaph-N

There's nothing wrong with hard coded collisions

There is everything wrong with hardcoded collisions.

Originally Posted by Xteaph-N

So basically all your problems aren't really problems.

Yes they are take the advice.

Originally Posted by Xteaph-N

As for the speed of scrolling I will make it scroll faster when X is pressed or something like that.

Analougue or directional pad use the opposite one you are using for controlling the character.

Originally Posted by Xteaph-N

Also I'm not bragging about the code I bragging about the demo.

A demo would be a fully complete first town with the possobility of a coupple of fights and transition into another fully complete area.

Originally Posted by Xteaph-N

Also while you've trash talked my project you haven't provided a demo better then mine! Unconventional is key!

Maybe if you took it as advice instead of trash talking you would get somewhere, atleast 3 people have told you to use a tile system and do collisions based on the tiles in this thread alone.

The larger you make your files the more complex they get and the harder it is to fix a problem or change something.

My comments and opinions and some good advice, take it or leave it but don't downtalk me.

[_df_]

Originally Posted by Xteaph-N

There's nothing wrong with hard coded collisions, and integrating scripts is simple. So basically all your problems aren't really problems. As for the speed of scrolling I will make it scroll faster when X is pressed or something like that. Also I'm not bragging about the code I bragging about the demo.

There is everything wrong with hard coded collisions. The technique does not scale. If you need to make a change in your maps you have to change code, thats REALLY piss poor and something you DON'T want to be doing. You got 52k script for 1 town that does sweet FA. If you had 10 towns that's suddenly 520k and a nightmare to debug, maintain and test. If you used tilemaps your script would be 10k and if you added 100 towns the script would still be 10k!

You can't argue for hard coded collisions when you have zero experience. Do you think Sierra's 3d games used hard coded collisions? Lucas Arts Monkey Island games? No. Do you think the Ultima goes did? Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior? no.

Nobody uses hard coded collisions because its not the best way to handle it. Moving a tile on the map should not result in ANY code change AT ALL.

Were just trying to open your eyes to a better way of doing things, you don't have to, but you just don't realise how easier life would be any other way.

Also while you've trash talked my project you haven't provided a demo better then mine! Unconventional is key!

Well, I didnt trash talk it at all, where did I say you should give up or that its crap. You came in here with the ego with your

I don't want to sound pompous but

I even said I LIKED the scrolling.

But since you seen bent on comparing your uber demo to mine, lets see... its kinda like comparing apples and oranges

Does your game have
- full save + load? no... mine does.
- full overworld? no.. mine does.
- 10+ towns? no.. mine does.
- randomly generated dungeons using templates and cellular automata? no... mine does.
- a full stat + skill + leveling system? no.. mine does
- Lots of items/weapons/armour? no... mine does
- Lots of enemies? no.. mine does
- Is it cross platform? no.. mine is (gp2x/wiz/pc/psp)
- Can you travel by foot, horse, ship? no.. mine can
- Does your combat engine have AI for NPCs? no.. mine does
- Do you have a full NPC interactive system to talk to and hire NPCs? no.. mine does.
- Can you cast spells outside of combat? no.. mine can
- Can you alter your maps and change all collisions without changing code? no.. mine can
- Do you have a quest log? no.. mine does
- Do you have NPC + Town state that is remembered when you leave and re-enter town? no... mine has
- Can the player impact the map and the game remember it? no.. mine can
- Do you have item wear+tear and player fatigue system? no... mine does
- Can you buy and sell weapons, armour and other items? mine can
- Can you learn new skills and new magic disciplines? mine can
- Can fighters cross train and learn magic if they to invest in the skills? mine can
thats just off the top of my head.

I don't want compare our combat engines since they are of a completely different nature, I have a full turn based tactical combat system (Gold Box style) and its nothing like the standard NES/SNES Final Fantasy/Dragon Warrior combat system which yours is using, only that your combat system didn't do much of anything, nobody took damage, the bad guy/enemy didn't do anything at all.. (I played I think 5 rounds on the combat engine, once I realised nobody was doing any damage...)

but since you want to get into this;

- You got 1 bad guy... Mine can handle up to 9216 (my combat maps are 96*96 tiles of 32x32 pixels per tile).
- My PC's can be charmed to the bad guys side and controlled by the computer to attack the other PC's or anyone else.. can yours?
- Computer controls any NPC's in the players party that you hired to join
- Everyone can die in combat... yours didn't to didlysquat
- I can have up to 64k different factions in combat (every enemy/pc in combat can be aligned to different faction, factions have alliances with other factions, etc)
- My monsters have the same skills and stats that the players have to determine combat outcome
- I have ranged bow/missile combat with each weapon having different ranges.. does yours?
- Spells can impact the map state
- A* path finding for any computer controlled movement
- Monsters and players can flee the map, be turned to stone, frozen, summon other monsters to join combat, teleport etc
- Opt to have the computer fight for you if you like
- Can use spells, wands and anything else in your inventory in combat
- monsters have inventories and can wield and use anything like players can (only for humanoid monsters tho, non humanoids only have whatever they are 'equipped' with).
- different levels of monster intelligence alter what choices they can make in combat, requiring different tactics (ie: undead dont care about walking through the middle of poison gas clouds)


does that satisfy your

you haven't provided a demo better then mine!

I think it does. Oh you wanted a demo, I dont release WIP demos, until its ready for beta testing, and beta testing means the game is complete except for bugfixes and I'm not close enough to that point yet. there is a demo up on youtube if you search for it (work bans youtube so I cant test the link until after tonight, but I think its http://www.youtube.com/v/gKZBM9Y63lk )

[Nielkie]

@_df_ Nice.

@Xteaph-N Stop being so god damn stubborn. Accept the fact that most people on this forum are significantly more experienced than you, and LEARN from them.

All of us were in your position at some point or another. Most of us still are. The difference is that we accept help and take suggestions.

We should have something somewhere telling beginners NOT to write RPGs. They seem to be breeding grounds for horrendous practices, and when done incorrectly are huge resource sucks - beginners put heaps of time into their projects, and are then offended when they learn it is effectively worthless.

[dan369]

A bit harsh, i mean there's a difference between telling someone that there wrong & ultimately bragging about something.
I know your trying to prove a point but that's over the top really. Also he didn't compare his game to yours, i bet he didn't even know you made a game.

Though your right, he shouldn't be making a RPG. Well at least not the way he's has done it. I had they EXACT same experience, and i mean EXACT!

[_df_]

Originally Posted by dan369

A bit harsh, i mean there's a difference between telling someone that there wrong & ultimately bragging about something.
I know your trying to prove a point but that's over the top really. Also he didn't compare his game to yours, i bet he didn't even know you made a game.

I guess it can be construed as bragging. He basically asked me to provide something better than his, so I did. I mean, how often on qj here do you see me post about my game and what it does or what I added to it? never, as I don't release WIP demos or such.

But if someone is going to call me out, I'll deal with it and show what I have.

when someone says

you haven't provided a demo better then mine

and

I don't want to sound pompous but

like a petulent 5 year old child, what would you like me to do?

its that whole xkcd thing

xkcd - A Webcomic - Duty Calls

and I wouldn't argue he shouldn't make an RPG. It shows a lot of promise with the scrolling and animation, its just going to be very hard to make it a full size game using the methods he is using. I don't think that realisation will hit until he starts to move beyond a 1 room demo and he finds the way he is doing things doesn't scale well. Moving to tiles would fix the scalability issues and make it leaner and easier to develop.

[dan369]

Now i agree with you _df_. :P. I also wouldn't say don't make an RPG but you, like the other lua devs (and me included) are thinking about the future when he suffers slow downs, the script is like as you said 52k.

[Mraellis]

_df_ : Indeed you've said nothing about yours. Glad you have now because it sounds pretty damn good. Are you sticking with the graphics in that youtube video though as there a bit bad? Or is it just basic graphics till the coding is done and you find a spriter?

[_df_]

Originally Posted by mraellis

_df_ : Indeed you've said nothing about yours. Glad you have now because it sounds pretty damn good. Are you sticking with the graphics in that youtube video though as there a bit bad? Or is it just basic graphics till the coding is done and you find a spriter?

I've drawn all of them so far, and I'm no artist youtube resolution ate most of the graphics, the combat graphics are the worst of the bunch right now, its all just placeholder stuff.

I wont contact a spriter or musician until its 100% complete and I stop changing things.

[Miclowgunman]

Originally Posted by _df_

I wont contact a spriter or musician until its 100% complete and I stop changing things.

Probably not a good idea, but thats just my opinion.
Although i would recommend waiting until your game structure is solid. waiting until you are done will just lengthen release time unnecessarily. You could have someone working on graphics far before you finish. Even on things like enemies or player graphics...just my opinion though. Graphics can take almost as much time as the game to make if there art a lot.

[Xteaph-N]

There have been a significant amount of posts since my own so I will just generally respond with something short.

Perhaps I'm just a stupid kid, but this is my choice. I know I'm stubborn, I know I do things "poorly". But I just want to point something out people have neglected.

[RELEASE] RPG Demo

This is my first release. There is barely anything there. 05-30-2009, this is the date of post. I went from there to here in a very short amount of development time. Less then 30 days.

As for the collisions I know it's hard coded but this is what I figured. How long does it take? 1 hour for a town. Therefore if I make 15 towns, which is on par with final fantasy, it will take 15 hours, which isn't a lot of time.

I'm not going to keep going on though. Only time will tell the true fate of this project.

[Mraellis]

Originally Posted by _df_

I've drawn all of them so far, and I'm no artist youtube resolution ate most of the graphics, the combat graphics are the worst of the bunch right now, its all just placeholder stuff.

I wont contact a spriter or musician until its 100% complete and I stop changing things.

I agree with Miclowgunman that you should get them started before the 100% mark. Good to hear there placeholder though and that we might finally get an awesome rpg. Have you got story pinned out?

[slicer4ever]

Originally Posted by Xteaph-N

I'm not going to keep going on though. Only time will tell the true fate of this project.

we'll let the weight of time show you the error of your ways than

[Mraellis]

Originally Posted by slicer4ever

we'll let the weight of time show you the error of your ways than

I wonder how heavy time is.

[FaT3oYCG]

weight is directly proportional to the ammount of time relative to the time that has passed in your own relative dimension. or something like that lol.

so did einstein XD

[Mraellis]

Lol.

[_df_]

Originally Posted by mraellis

Have you got story pinned out?

yeah main story arc is all written. the hard part is writing dialogue for a hundred npc's where each npc knowledge base has anywhere up to 100 words they might know (think, Ultima III, npcs knew 1 or 2 words? Ultima IV they knew 4 words I think....) and how that dialogue can change depending on how the NPCs perceive your public reputation (ie: you can work for the bad guys or work for the good guys, change allegiances etc, be good/bad etcetcetc).

The main story changes depending on how you choose to participate in it.