Wow! when I started out doing the GDPL & Logic block instruction manual (as a way to learn it myself), I had no idea the monster I was unleashing. This has become what may be the difinative guide to designing. I did all kinds of experiments with DC and what it can do. I even did some experimenting with events For example, did you know a "give experience" event can also take experience, too??? this is a useful quirk.

So the designers guide is geared towards someone who understands the basics of event programming but wants to know GDPL & Logic block and see examples of how to do some advanced procedures.

As another tidbit to throw out to you fellow fans of DC: Solo combat is possible. You can set the status of any character to "tempgone" (actually numeric "7") and they will not show up for a combat. ALSO, this removes characters from combat (like a spell to "flee" for example...)

This is going to show serious attention into details such as syntax and examples and basically answer all the questions I had previously about GDPL & Logic block as well as give a newbie (or an oldie) plenty of new ideas. Who knows, you might even read something about how to do character kits (Monk, Bard, Assassin, PSIONICIST maybe (wink wink))

SilentThief

[ 01-19-2007, 06:59 PM: Message edited by: SilentThief ]

Sounds awesome. Will there be screenshots?

This thing about solo combat is really interesting to know, thank you for mentioning that!

Actually, I was thinking that I'd release it in 2 formats. a plain text file and a similar file with a module for examples of spells and such. I would zip this up together for ease of storage.

Oh, and BTW if you haven't tried yet, if you set all your characters status to temp gone then it ends the game as if you lost the combat (even tho they all are still alive ;) ). It should return you to the place where you were as if you fled the combat off the map, but it doesn't. This is a bug I think.


SilentThief
P.S. I'll be keeping you up to date on this, and soon I'll be asking for editors/spell checkers/someone to check the first (text) draft of this.

[ 01-22-2007, 04:56 PM: Message edited by: SilentThief ]

will u release the manual to be able for download?

Yes, for all. Most likely at the yahoo webpage.

SilentThief

are u at the end of it, or not yet? [img]smile.gif[/img]

I'm looking forward to seeing it. If you need someone to check it over... :D

Hey SilentThief (or anyone else who has experience with logic blocks), perhaps you might able to help me. I found out myself how to change walls with the logic block event

(Set Level ASL $Wall,X,Y,viewdirection=number of wallslot) :D

but yesterday I realized that only the wall is changed, but doors or overlays will remain the same as before. Do you know how doors and overlays can be chained? I experimented al little bit, but was not able to do it...

Sorry, I certainly meant "how doors and overlays can be CHANGED". [img]smile.gif[/img] Perhaps I'm thinking too much on chained events!

Sure. I've also finally made the announcement @ Yahoo. I was thinking of giving the current state of the manual (which is about a third done) to some people to get their opinions/feedback.

So, give me an email address or some place to send it and you can check it out.

SilentThief

I haven't tried much with the wall changing, but I'll play around with it if you haven't figured it out. I seem to recall there were ways to change graphics if you made them with more than 1 (for lack of better term) animation. I recall some talk about changing character icons thru logic block from 1 2-frame animation (ready and attack) to another. I believe that similar can be done with ANY pic (you make a door or overlay with 2 frames of animation, and the second is blank, and use the function to change to the blank pic), but I don't remember where I read it.

So I'll see what I can find
SilentThief

Do you want to post it in the files section at Yahoo? My email has been a bit wonky for the last week or so (it's yahoo, too :( ) so I haven't been getting everything sent to me, nor has everything I've been sending arrived where it was intended to go.

In your graphics program you could combine the door/overlay with the wall and then just have it be a wall in DC. It doesn't look quite the same in area view, but should work just fine for 3d view.

I did exactly that, Manikus, [img]smile.gif[/img] and furthermore I have made an empty wall template that I use as the door instead, so that the wall is displayed as a door in the area view. :D

However, the Set Level ASL thing would have been more elegant because no extra wall would have to be created.

How's the Designers Guide coming?

been on hold. I've been without a laptop for a while. I will not only give out some work-in-progress copies (so that I don't have the only copy) but also I'm still working on it.

SilentThief

This is great news. Always glad to see a familiar face around these parts. :D

You could post a copy in the files section of the Yahoo group if'n you want to just point people to a place instead of emailing it multiple times.