The Legend of Beryl Reichardt

[Opry99er]

Just gave "Legends" a good go-through. Very cool, but I think we can do better. I am pretty sure it uses assembly routines to augment the XB engine, but it's still slow and a bit cumbersome--- particularly in combat. I love the graphics, however. I think if I can develop a better combat engine alongside the scroller I've got going now, it could stand up with these other TI RPGs... Having the benefit of an extra 15 years of games to learn from, modern programmers can do great things!! Modern tools and emulators make doing this stuff much easier. I'm very encouraged now--- I'm just excited to get back into this stuff heavy again. Been a crazy month and a half--- but I fully intend on getting into some nitty gritty coding soon. This is gonna be fun fun fun, guys--- thanks for your continued interest and support.

[Opry99er]

Found an excellent RPG building forum!!! Reading this has been very educational.

http://rpgcodex.net

 

I have learned so much in the last hour!!

[JamesD]

Some new thoughts--- while I have been writing up some more extensive docs on the game design, it occurred to me that there are really only 4 "phases" or "modes" of this game.

 

-Exploration

-Battle

-Menu

-Story

For the Story portion you could implement a simple scripting language of sorts. Then you just load and play the script from a file.

The script could do things like:

Load Picture

Clear Screen

Play Music

Display text box

Speak

wait for input

 

Then you can build fairly complex scripts that combine all that to tell your story.

I believe these would be cut scenes on current hardware.

With a little work you could even play back animated sequences.

 

You'd need to build a script editor on the PC and subroutines to handle the different commands.

[Opry99er]

Fascinating.... I had intended on having my World-Intermissions on disk and going to one after a world.... Then that program would run the next world from disk as well... Scripting language and a script editor on the PC.... What exactly would that accomplish, if you don't mind me asking..... Never done anything like that before. Thanks!

[Opry99er]

Here ya go... Updated Forest World section including Karsten's trees... I have a cool tree from UnderExtended I will be adding as well this week. =)

 

[Opry99er]

I have the following stuff planned for the intermissions:

 

LOAD

*Clear screen--make screen black

*Load up intermission screen images from disk into VDP memory

*Load up speech routines from disk (courtesy of Mark Wills) into VDP memory

 

RUN

*Display speech text on screen along with image

*Run speech routine

*Wait for user input (enter key)

 

*Repeat this until intermission sequence is finished

 

I have been working recently on each world's unique properties, what "CO" items much be retrieved (condition-oriented items), and enemies you will face during the exploration. I have added all this to the development document, but haven't posted it yet... want to do a few more things first. Anyway, I am interested to know whether it is possible to have bitmap images during this intermission sequence.... Since the game is in graphics mode 1, I would need to switch graphics modes TO bitmap at the start of the intermission sequence and FROM bitmap at the resuming of the game by loading the map and properties of the next world... Ideas anyone?

 

 

[Opry99er]

Quick bump---- I added to the Berylupdate.zip development file in the first post of this thread. Please feel free to DL it and take a gander. I have the requirements and goals for each of the first 3 worlds complete and added in. I will go ahead and post it here as well. Making progress.... though it may be slow. =)

Berylupdate.zip

[Opry99er]

Been playing "Forgotten Realms" today... Very very cool. I absolutely adore this game and the user interface!!

 

 

I'm a big fan of the first person perspective here, where I DIDN'T like it in Wolfenstein. I very much enjoyed Tunnels of Doom's 1st person perspective, but not until THIS game have I found another one I liked. My time, lately, has been dedicated to playing DOS RPGs and really getting a feel for the genre... beyond Tunnels of Doom and Final Fantasy. =)

[The Codex]

To me, the best of those classic D&D dungeon crawls are the Eye Of The Beholder series. You can find them all over the web as "abandonware" if you look. Anyway, they are the direct descendant of Forgotten Realms, down to the way the compass looks, only with better graphics and gameplay.

 

 

And for a more fluid old-school 3D dungeon feel, while staying in D&D world, check out Menzoberranzan.

 

[Opry99er]

Excellent suggestions!! I will be DLing these tonight. Forgotten Realms has really opened up my eyes to some stuff I DEFINITELY want to implement. . DOS RPGs,man....wow!

[Opry99er]

I have made some significant progress in my development document. Playing these old RPGs has really inspired the shit out of me!! I've been re-working many of my pre-existing sections of information and have added several more. I now have lists of each NPC in the game and their roles, I have a completed section for each world detailing the goals, enemies, and quest items, I have added a significant chunk to my "Battle" handling system, and I have made a good deal of progress on the "exploration-mode" section. When I get a bit more complete, I will update the thread with my new doc. Exciting times! =)

[Opry99er]

Okay--- another cool graphic from UnderExtended!!! The one in the top left is my absolute favorite. The Willow there actually just inspired a new NPC in the Forest World..."The Witherwillow"--- an ancient tree who speaks to you as you enter the Forest World... It's already added to the development document. Fun stuff!

 

Edited June 30, 2010 by Opry99er

[Opry99er]

My second attempt at the dungeon layout.... These are not the graphics, by any means--- just the possible layout. Get key to unlock door to get another key to unlock door to get another key to exit the level. Get it?

 

Gold--Blue--Red. Start top left, end bottom right.

 

There will be no mapping feature in the dungeon... it's dark.

 

[Opry99er]

Seems like there should be more chambers there.... In "The Sword of Fargoal," the use of chambers is abundant and it is necessary for the gameplay... Which leads me to my next question.... Do you think the dungeons should be randomly generated--- as they are in "S-o-F"? Could be interesting.

[Opry99er]

How much is "controllable" in a randomly generated dungeon? Can one determine the number of chambers, locations of randomly spawned items (for instance, "Treasure chest in two chambers, 3 enemies per chamber"). I'm working on some ideas and I'm curious about this subject... I'll be doing some online research this weekend. There are several people here who know this subject backwards and forwards. I am eager to hear some ideas... This would apply specifically to the dungeons near the end of the game.

[+adamantyr]

How much is "controllable" in a randomly generated dungeon? Can one determine the number of chambers, locations of randomly spawned items (for instance, "Treasure chest in two chambers, 3 enemies per chamber"). I'm working on some ideas and I'm curious about this subject... I'll be doing some online research this weekend. There are several people here who know this subject backwards and forwards. I am eager to hear some ideas... This would apply specifically to the dungeons near the end of the game.

 

You can look at "Dark Maze" to see a very simple maze algorithm at work.

 

Here's how the design works:

 

1. Start with a blank map of nothing but walls
   
2. Plot random chambers on the map
   
   • You can either make them fixed sizes or slightly random in height/width
     
   • Overlapping is okay if you don't mind that, but it can make oddball shaped chambers
     

[*]From each chamber, plot a corridor from the center

• Plot anywhere from 1-4 cardinal directions from the center
  
• Don't start plotting until you hit the edge
  
• If a border is reached, change direction
  
• You'll need some logic for direction random changes, otherwise you may just backtrack on your path and end early
  
• If another empty chamber or corridor is struck, end the plotting for that direction
  

[*]Populate items, monsters, etc. in the maze, either totally random or use the center coordinates of chambers as guides

 

Adamantyr

[Opry99er]

Thank you, Adamantyr... Question for you--- what would my variables be which could be adjusted to determine the complexity of the tunneling system. You mentioned a randomization of turns.... I infer from that that frequency of "turns" and connecting tunnels could be "massaged" as well with a diverse enough algorithm?

[+adamantyr]

Thank you, Adamantyr... Question for you--- what would my variables be which could be adjusted to determine the complexity of the tunneling system. You mentioned a randomization of turns.... I infer from that that frequency of "turns" and connecting tunnels could be "massaged" as well with a diverse enough algorithm?

 

That's right. If you have a very small map area, you don't really need "random" turns much because you'll be hitting borders frequently, and the connections will just make themselves.

 

For the most part, the design above is a "Dig out a corridor until you hit another chamber" algorithm. It won't, for example, create T-sections, four ways, etc. except by accident.

 

One algorithm you can take a look at is the original random dungeon generator in the 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide. It was later reprinted in the 3rd Edition DMG as well. Not everything there could be used (and what is there does need a little common sense to make work), but it would generate a random dungeon for you in a slightly different way.

 

Adamantyr

[Opry99er]

Thanks--- I will definitely take a look at that. Right now I've got battle sequence pseudo-code running through my head like a river, so I may attack that first.... I'm gonna do it in XB first, work on the math and variable handling there before I try it in assembly.

[+retroclouds]

Okay--- another cool graphic from UnderExtended!!! The one in the top left is my absolute favorite. The Willow there actually just inspired a new NPC in the Forest World..."The Witherwillow"--- an ancient tree who speaks to you as you enter the Forest World... It's already added to the development document. Fun stuff!

 

 

Very nice!

[Opry99er]

Someone on our Beryl Reichardt "team" deserves a raise!! And since you can count the active contributors on one hand, this picture should tell you who's getting the last jelly doughnut. . Ladies and gentlemen--- the Helm(s) of Wooldridge.... And holy crap, this is some real talent on display here---

 

[UnderExtended]

I sure hope that "last" donut wasn't the one that fell on the floor!

 

The story behind this sheet is: Owen sent me three pictures of helms to use as a basis for the Helm of Wooldridge. I usually do several variations of whatever I'm working on, then pick the best one. Even after I get to one I really like, I may do a few more variations just in case I might get an even better one (or, in this case, to give Owen a wide selection to choose from). So that's why there are 300 helms there. They're grouped in the three different styles, and they kind of progress left-to-right or top-to-bottom.

 

Very nice!

 

Thanks

 

The weeping willow type tree was based on Sometime99er's oak tree. Very cool, Owen, that it inspired a character!

 

--Rich

[UnderExtended]

...still catching up...

 

 

I'd like to have this guy without sword animated. He should jump and duck, and run for his life. With or without sword, he's extremely cute. Very well done !

 

 

Thanks very much! I'm sure Owen will have me animate him eventually (but I doubt badass B.R. ever ran for his life from anything! ).

 

Please let me email you some other little characters I've made, and then I can animate one, either as a possible hero for Atariventure, or whatever. (I've been a fan of your demos for years, so I'd be honored. )

 

The situation with one or more sprites being displaced in relation to one another is something I've been giving some thought too. This might happen more than I like to know.

 

I want to cram as much in each 16x16 box as I can, so that's why I often design sprites displaced like that. I don't know how much of a hassle it is to a programmer, but to an artist, it's great!

 

I guess UnderExtended does what I would do anyway, and that's using a "proper" paint program, then break it apart and convert the bits (for which I'll be using my own Grapefruit).

 

Yes, I've been using Paint Shop Pro 4 for many years. But then getting the hex values is usually agony for me because all my old computer can run (at least, of what I've been able to find to download) is a simple 8x8 Character Grid Converter. So I am VERY interested in trying Grapefruit, and all the other utilities you guys have made -- if I can ever tear myself away from "Old Betsy" and get my "new" (only three years old!) computer set up!

 

Now the real trick will be figuring out how to take that sword and shield graphic and make it happen on the TI in standard graphics mode and with the 4 SPRITE limit per scanline.

 

Owen, I've been meaning to tell you that sword & shield graphic you picked was the last, and most complex of the bunch, and by then I wasn't being quite as careful about watching the sprite limits. But I think it is probably, possibly do-able. Maybe.

 

--Rich

[Opry99er]

Yea man--- I'm very pleased with everything. I'm working primarily on the battle engine right now, so having your graphical prowess augmenting the development is really an excellent help and an honor for me. Thanks again, bud.

 

So--- about this battle engine... I've got a program I'm working on in XB to be the mock-up battle engine, and I'm struggling a bit on how to progress. What I want is a simulation of a battle against one enemy using all four of my PCs. I've got the whole thing set up nicely with the my variables initialized--- so far my code is using 42 different variables. Wow. Anyway, it's hard to figure out the right combination of equations to determine

 

A) Did you score a hit?

B) How much HP damage did it do?

 

Now--- since this combat system is turn based, the actual structure is a bit tricky as well... I have a good amount of code worked up to handle this, but it's a bit inefficient. I will post a sample chunk of this battle engine in the morning--- so you all can get a sense of what I'm working with. . It's good fun trying to make this engine work--- but it's very challenging!!!

Edited July 3, 2010 by Opry99er

[sometimes99er]

 

Some cool graphical experiments there.