The Dink Network

Starter kit

October 7th 2011, 09:19 PM
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MsDink
Peasant She/Her New Zealand
Tag - Umm.. tag, you're it? 
Having noticed the ages of young dinkers joining up lately, their questions re dmod making, those starting and giving up and the lack of new mods (with the exception of the contest)that have been made over the last year and after some discussion with those wanting to make one but unsure how to get going, I have been quietly making a private starter kit for some of these fellas. The plan was that this would encourage the production of some more games and not be quite the steep learning curve for these youngsters starting out in the hope their interest is piqued to explore dink mods and get their creative juices flowing a bit more indepth after getting a taste of success.

But, due to the work I am putting into it I have been thinking about uploading it here when its done as well. However... I realise some may see this as just another skeleton (which isnt allowed), so, I wanna ask if there would be any use me finishing it with everything I had planned for it and upload here, or, if there is no interest , then I will just send it to those who already know about it and have said they would like a copy when its done?

So... What this starter kit has/or is planned – is as follows:
1. Title screens and button placement, loading screen is all identified and written on to help change the look of your mod. All graphics are where they should be - you click on them and change and save - keeping it as simple as possible. This includes the menu and status graphics. Instructions how to delete the additional files if you dont change anything (though you HAVE to change the title as I wrote all over it LOL.)

2. All basic sprites used in most dmods have one copy on the help screens, their properties preset and any scripts needed already attached. These are starter screens with one of - the npc's, the hearts, boxes, ducks, pigs, potions, monsters, fish, flames, water fountains and so on and so on all working. All that is needed unless changing things, is click the sprite stamp a copy (keeping one on your help screen and place into your map and you are off. I assume helper screens will be deleted before their game is packaged)

3. Shady is added and working as a new npc only, as well as (not yet completed) all the social sprites people asked me to do (hugging, shaking hands, drinking and a sequence of a fat dink stuffing his face) and a couple of other new npc's (walk 4 dir and death sprite only). Dink also has my death sequence included (die dink die).

4. Some new graphics to freshen up things map wise, new rocks, stones, mossy stones, grass, trees, hopefully these will increase the different locale's for choices in setting the mod. Thought later 'Settings graphic files' can be added with more indepth sprites for different locales increasing the imagination for places to have adventures.

5. Lines and folders preloaded for adding their own new graphics (so many have trouble doing this) and all lines for the new sprites and sequences (above) clearly marked so they can be used/changed commented out etc

6. The path tiles fixed up without the grass in the centre of circles (man i hated that) and some new tiles added.

7. Other tiles - one square with the wooden floor, forest, some beach, grass, snow and path tiles prestamped ( I hate tiles that dont match up lol).

8. Choice of new graphics for savebots

Also included is an extensive help list pointing to files on the forum that are very useful, including scripting etc as I am not trying to reinvent the wheel here and there are others with way more expertise in those areas.

I would also love to have a go at a tutevideo on mapping/sprites one day... but for now what do you think, shall I do this for the community or just keep it to the 5 (possibly 6) people that this idea started with? Anyone interested or will this just be seen as a skeleton and not of any use - comments?
October 7th 2011, 10:14 PM
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It sounds like a great resource! You must have put a lot of work into it. If the mods don't want it here, maybe you can upload it somewhere else and link to it from this thread.
October 7th 2011, 11:33 PM
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Sounds awesome.

Happily dappily starter kit for me ... I mean, us!
October 7th 2011, 11:38 PM
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yeoldetoast
Peasant They/Them Australia
LOOK UPON MY DEFORMED FACE! 
The rule against uploading "skeleton dmods" was probably put in place to discourage everyone uploading their own personalised editions.
October 8th 2011, 04:35 AM
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Tooth
Ghost They/Them
 
Just one word... scripting...
October 8th 2011, 04:45 AM
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MsDink
Peasant She/Her New Zealand
Tag - Umm.. tag, you're it? 
another few word(s) you have to do some of it yourself lol and there is better tutes out there than i can do so ...
October 8th 2011, 06:04 AM
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Skull
Peasant He/Him Finland bloop
A Disembodied Sod 
I feel that people happily create a D-Mod once they start it, but it's the problem of starting one. And although this is a great idea in theory, I don't think it would increase the amount of D-Mods. If people feel lazy, then they feel lazy. There's really nothing we can do about it. I don't think this would help it, cause the things you mentioned are so minor in the creation of a D-Mod. As you said "you have to do some of it yourself", and that's really where it all falls. People are just expecting the prize to be there for them in an instant.

I do like the new graphics ideas you mentioned.
October 8th 2011, 06:06 AM
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zeddexx
Peasant He/Him New Zealand
I'm pretty sure I'm worth atleast SIX goats... 
Yep, msdink is right there are some awesome scripting help files on the DN if you take the time to look.

Btw, id like JUST to say msdink is a very welcome addition to the DN, shes been here for a while now but her creations are legendary in my book. Keep up the good work hmm?
October 8th 2011, 06:20 AM
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Kyle
Peasant He/Him Belgium
 
I think this would be "just" a skeleton, but it would be the be-all-end-all skeleton out there and for that reason TOTALLY worth it. Consider this: people still use quick skeletons for short d-mods, side projects and especially contest d-mods. This would be such a big timesaver.

And for new d-modders, this is an invaluable reason, lazy or not, they'll appreciate it.
October 8th 2011, 11:13 AM
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Pillbug
Peasant He/Him United States
Love! True love! 
If you want, I have a slightly improved Escape menu that adds a 'Tweaks' section where you can toggle if MIDIs loop and change the font. Might be a nice addition to add as a standard script.
October 8th 2011, 12:09 PM
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Tooth
Ghost They/Them
 
It's easy for you guys to say that learning how scripting works is not so hard. Some people are talented for that, others are not. I personally don't have a problem with it, I had to learn it in school, so I figured DinkC relatively quick. But I still hate it, and I'm not good with it.
October 8th 2011, 01:20 PM
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darksign13
Peasant He/Him United States
Hungry, Horney, and Helpless... Take me home. 
If you don't post it here, at least send me a copy! I think it sounds awesome!
October 8th 2011, 08:33 PM
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MsDink
Peasant She/Her New Zealand
Tag - Umm.. tag, you're it? 
@Zed: wow! Thanks for the very generous comments

@pilly: Yus pleaseee, love to have a look!

@tooth: Believe me - I never found learning scripting easy (just ask the guys with no hair left from trying to teach me heh) Mapping however, that I did, because I am a visual person that was easy and a lot of fun for me to learn.

@darksign: sure

I feel your pain! When I started having a go at dmods, being totally new to all this sort of stuff, I found even putting the basic everyday scripts on potion bottles, making chests open the right way, man even making the water repeat was rather hard with no knowledge at the begining. Dunno what works so a little wary of changing things (we didnt do this stuff at school).

Reading the many scripting tutes out there didnt help me because they skipped this stage as being too basic and therefore not needing instructions. I had nothing to relate what I read to, so, it ended up taking me hours simply to locate the right script to make a potion bottle bounce and actually give the defence I knew it could hehe (yeah yeah)

With the basics already done like this file intends, some new stuff added and some tiles, many cant seem to get lined up, predone and ready to copy, you lot can get into the real scripting and game creation like your stories, puzzles, bosses etc and less *how do you u do xxx* repeated all the time. The forum lurkers can be getting their teeth into the gritty questions and stretch dink to his limits instead of ..."other things". I recon with the help of the vid tutes rob and pilly do, I am sure together we are all gunna have some really good stuff coming out in the future. Well thats the plan

So although its a staff decision as to whether this will be acceptable for upload or not, I guess I will continue to finish it and if they say no - well we can look at that if its rejected huh
Thanks so much for your encouragement fellas.
October 9th 2011, 01:16 AM
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Skull
Peasant He/Him Finland bloop
A Disembodied Sod 
I don't see why it wouldn't get accepted.
October 9th 2011, 03:46 AM
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yeoldetoast
Peasant They/Them Australia
LOOK UPON MY DEFORMED FACE! 
There's a rule against uploading skeleton dmods.
October 9th 2011, 03:54 AM
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Then how did Skeleton S and Skeleton B get accepted?
It's a starter kit that I want accepted
October 9th 2011, 03:54 AM
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Raven
Peasant He/Him Sweden
 
Do it!

A good easy startup tutorial can get more people making DMODs.

If it is more than a skeleton, I mean there is more like a tutorial for beginners including a skeleton I can not see why it should not be accepted.

October 9th 2011, 07:02 AM
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Skull
Peasant He/Him Finland bloop
A Disembodied Sod 
Yeah, well we know this site doesn't rely on rules all that much.
October 9th 2011, 07:33 AM
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Kyle
Peasant He/Him Belgium
 
I guarantee you it would be gladly accepted

The rule against skeletons was originally made because various people were making tiny, TINY changes to an existing skeleton to have at least something appear in the news and under their "files" history
October 9th 2011, 08:50 AM
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SabreTrout
Noble He/Him United Kingdom
Tigertigertiger. 
I would accept this file into my heart.
October 9th 2011, 09:04 AM
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I would accept it into my butt.
October 9th 2011, 03:03 PM
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It would be useful to me
October 9th 2011, 04:59 PM
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Marpro
Peasant He/Him bloop
 
I would accept it into my butt.

Well, yeah, but you accept a lot of things into your butt so...

I like the idea of merging new graphics into the package, making it more likely for modders to use them.
October 9th 2011, 05:46 PM
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Well, yeah, but you accept a lot of things into your butt so...

I must admit there is a lot of traffic there, but it has been exclusively outgoing to date.

That is, until I meet MsDink's Starter Kit. ♥ (Technically, isn't a female dinker's file also female? Food for thought!)
October 9th 2011, 07:39 PM
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MsDink
Peasant She/Her New Zealand
Tag - Umm.. tag, you're it? 
Hey graphics are my thing, i can always add a 'tube of lube' just for u scratcher