hyphz
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Snacko, I had not mean to publicise the arrangements quite yet since they aren't fixed, but I didn't actually ask about Beethro's name - I'll ask about that.

Also, I'm sorry I haven't done very much on the project recently - my PC is acting up very badly, and might wind up having to be replaced, so I need to sort that out..

Hikari
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If everything pans out properly, I may manage to give a copy of TCB to a Kongregate admin tomorrow, in hopes that it may find its way to someone like greg who might like it so's we can get front-page billing and badges and stuff when this gets dev'd all the way.

Not that this helps with creating FlashDROD, but hey, at least it gives Kong a heads-up as to what's coming.




EDIT: ......and...... never managed to cross paths with the Kong admins who were running around today. Drat. Oh well, we can just surprise them or something.

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[Last edited by Hikari at 09-01-2008 07:27 AM]

Snacko
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File: Flash DROD Hub.hold (1.6 KB)
Downloaded 42 times.
License: Public Domain

I made a hub level, I used the name "Smitemaster Sam" and put six staircases, but the amount of staircases will obviously change depending on how many levels there are. As you can guess by the entrance description, this will ideally take place after the tutorial.

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[Last edited by Snacko at 08-31-2008 09:19 PM]

Someone Else
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Remember to make the tutorial part optional, or at least skippable (as in most flash games with a tutorial).

techant
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Don't leave out us ladies. Maybe a choice between Sam or Samatha.

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Briareos
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techant wrote:
Don't leave out us ladies. Maybe a choice between Sam or Samatha.

What DROD needs is a RPG-like "create your hero" type screen at the beginning...

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hyphz
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Snacko wrote:
I made a hub level, I used the name "Smitemaster Sam"]

I've checked up, and we're OK to use Beethro (if we want to).

Edit: Did someone change the framerate?

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[Last edited by hyphz at 09-03-2008 03:59 PM]

Chaco
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Reading techant's comment - "Sam" is a gender-neutral name, since it can either be an abbreviation for "Samuel" (male) or "Samantha" (female).

This may be irrelevant if we end up using Beethro as our protagonist after all.

Snacko, your hub is too large and uses most of DROD's room space. You should shrink it so that it fits in FlashDROD's space.

(As an aside, I've discovered a trivial solution to my Second Level 3S (second constant room template series room with the wraithwing) where it would be possible to just trivially kill the wraithwing against the side of the room. I don't want that, so I'll have to fix that at some point.)

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[Last edited by Chaco at 09-03-2008 08:24 PM]

hyphz
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I'm not sure that we need a separate tutorial level, if the levels are carefully designed. For example, the first few rooms of Chaco's hold are fantastic for that. The first room is simple - kill the roaches and the door drops - and combined with the fact they get a Diploma for killing a roach, and another for dropping the door, there's a lot of guidance there.

The second room would perhaps need a scroll explaining oremites and orbs, but otherwise it'd be fine. The only problem comes in the room 1N1W of the entrance, as the wraithwing puzzle is one that nobody'd get if they didn't understand how WWs move.

Snacko
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I was thinking a tutorial covering mainly the controls, but I suppose a help screen would help the pacing.

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Syntax
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First of all, I'd like to say I'm really impressed with this project. It seems a lot of progress has been made and it could have been very easy to dismiss the whole thing early on as it's a huge task.

Regarding level design, I'm in the "emulate KDD" camp. Having each "level" introduce a new element is classic but I believe it grips the player more - learning one skill/technique at a time.

In fact, if KDD wasn't so well designed I personally may have overlooked DROD completely. Understanding the backswipe for the first time will stay with me for the rest of my days.

Also, even though it's a flash game does not mean completion time needs to be short. I think borrowing a lot of the concepts from KDD would be a great idea. You can fit a lot of rooms into 5 MB (or whatever), and I think the added depth is more important than the instant action. DROD is, after all, about adventure.

Sillyman
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Just make sure to allow for savegames.

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hyphz
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Just a quick update..

I've taken a look at the Caravel assets via MetakitExtract - they have almost all of the tiles in one huge image file (GeneralTiles.png), while floors and walls have a variety of different tiles for each in the City*.png files (is this the "sublayer" that's exported, but that the Flash version currently ignores?).

It's also a good time to decide if we want to go on using bitmaps or use vectors. I've tried using Flash to "trace" the GeneralTiles bitmap, although it produces some strange results it might work (on defaults it produces a rather neat "DROD: watercolour edition" )

Sillyman
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Huh. I would use vectors because that's what Flash normally uses and might speed things up, though my question was more about the fact that it's a FLASH game with a back-end. I mean, I could probably code a Beethro, Sword, and Roach (maybe even Roach Queen) that use just hitdetection and keyboard listening, and other such things, no internal representation of the grid... That is, if I had that dratted commercial product from Adobe.

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Briareos
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Sillyman wrote:
Huh. I would use vectors because that's what Flash normally uses and might speed things up,

I really doubt that. Having to calculate all those outlines then fill them is rather timeconsuming, and if you want to go to the same level of detail as the bitmap tiles DROD has nowadays it'll surely be slower than just copying a n by n bitmap graphic to the screen.

though my question was more about the fact that it's a FLASH game with a back-end. I mean, I could probably code a Beethro, Sword, and Roach (maybe even Roach Queen) that use just hitdetection and keyboard listening, and other such things, no internal representation of the grid...

But the game mostly *is* about the grid. And if you want to implement brains, bombs or tar anything but using an internal representation of the whole playfield is right out.

Also, having a backend that handles a full turn by itself gives you consistency as far as movement order, collisions, hit detection, growth etc. is concerned...

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Sillyman
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Ah, that makes sense now.

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lopsidation
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File: drodflash.fla (128 KB)
Downloaded 62 times.
License: Public Domain

Not sure what most of you are talking about, I'm just a beginner in flash, but I've made something that seems playable.

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hyphz
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lopsidation wrote:
Not sure what most of you are talking about, I'm just a beginner in flash, but I've made something that seems playable.

That's not bad - grab TortoiseSVN and have a go at our project though

Snacko
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...anyone?

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halyavin
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Snacko wrote:
...anyone?

A couple of more important projects are pressuring me.

Snacko
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...anyone else?

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Chaco
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I'm still available for architectural work, but I'm currently working on Fetch the Pie (a DROD: RPG hold by me) and am quite busy observing HA progress on my next DROD hold "Kenundrems". (It won't be released soon, though.)

Since I've already produced two usable levels for FlashDROD and there are several other levels not yet included, I'm more interested in seeing progress on the program than in room content.

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Jeff_Ray...
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I wouldn't mind drawing a few graphics if you wish. Just give me the size, and I'll give it a shot.

Don't expect a quick answer, though, for real life is making me busy.

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skell
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I don't want to participate in this project, because of lots of other things I have on my head, but I wanted how the development is going? The engine?
There are too many posts to read, but I wanted to ask - which AS? Made in Flash, Flex or Builder?

I have some experience in Flash (Trapdoorer and other project, currently being sold on flashgamelicense.com) so if there is lack of coders, I might as well take a quick peek and see if I can be helpful.

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Snacko
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The size is 24X28, hyphz has disappeared, but he's the one with the knowledge to make the engine and has contributed far more than anyone else, if you want to help, tyr and contract him.

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skell
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That's pretty confusing way of coding so I am not even sure if I will be able to decipher it, not to mention doing any changes.
But I will try to find some free time soon to check it out in detail.

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Jeff_Ray...
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No, I just meant the pixel size of each tile. Besides, I doubt DROD would ever be a rectangular game!

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halyavin
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Jeff_Ray... wrote:
No, I just meant the pixel size of each tile. Besides, I doubt DROD would ever be a rectangular game!

Tiles are 14x14 for "free" version. Non-free version can use caravel styles as I understand and so do not need graphics.

eb0ny
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halyavin wrote:
Tiles are 14x14 for "free" version. Non-free version can use caravel styles as I understand and so do not need graphics.

Why make a non-free flash version of DROD? I though that this is supposed to be a bait to attract more people to play "original" DROD.

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Briareos
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eb0ny wrote:

halyavin wrote:
Tiles are 14x14 for "free" version. Non-free version can use caravel styles as I understand and so do not need graphics.

Why make a non-free flash version of DROD? I though that this is supposed to be a bait to attract more people to play "original" DROD.

I think he's referring to DROD:AE as free and everything after it as "non-free", as far as graphics are concerned.

np: T.Raumschmiere - E (I Tank U)

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