The Dink Network

Hey Guys,
I've been thinking about this for the past few weeks, and I think it's time I(we) created a new engine for Dink. I've been toying around with a few ideas, i.e. features for the new engine, how to maintain compaibility, ability for a cross-platform.
So far, It's just me. If you would wish to lend assistance (with your name in the credits, of course ), please contact me.
I currently have a small prototype up and running, but all it does so far is move dink around via sprites. I have not yet implemented the code for him to turn to different directions (one step at a time! ). If you would like to know more, E-Mail me!
So far, I have come to know that [at least] the following will implemented:

- Simple Direct media Layer (SDL)
* Audio
* Video
* Event Handling
* Keyboard & Joystick input
- Hopefully, no more screen-based play
* I'll have to take a vote to
see whetheer the people want
no screen-based play, or
more compatibility.
- Better .d script encryption &
compilation
* Again, depends on compatibil-
ity factor

I will try as much as possible to keep the same Dink C coding functions. I would HATE to have everyone learn a "Dink C v. 2.0" That would suck.
Anyway, thank you for your [wasted?] 5 minutes of my raving.

Good luck.
I think your like the 4th person to attempt this.
Still, good luck.

respect!! but i think that everyone's too lazy to help...I'd help but i'm stupid

but just know-I support you spiritualy

Rusted Sorrow -
You may think you can't help, but you can! Every good D-Mod has a beta tester. Hey, while I'm offering you a position . Just remember, I have determination (and maybe a little too much time on my hands ). I don't have a job, and I don't have to go to school (Summer's great!), but I'm FREAKIN' bored.
So, anyway, think about it.

arent there legal rights to dink? can you do this?

I take the job!

Yes, I can do this!

The original license agreement:

THIS COMPUTER PROGRAM IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW AND INTERNATIONAL TREATIES.

^: Has no effect since I'm starting from scratch

UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PROGRAM, OR ANY PORTION OF IT, MAY RESULT IN SEVERE CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES, AND WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE UNDER THE LAW.

^: Unauthorized reporduction, however this is not the same program

This Software License Agreement (the Agreement") is a legal agreement between you, the end-user, and RTsoft, Inc., ("RTsoft"). By continuing the installation of this game program entitled DINK SMALLWOOD(tm), by loading or running the game program, or by placing or copying the game program onto your computer hard drive, computer RAM or other storage, you are agreeing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement.

^ Has no relevance

Dink Smallwood is now freeware but RTsoft still owns Dink and all materials within, including but not limited to Graphics, Sounds and concepts. (you may NOT use any of dink's original graphics and sounds in any project that you charge for without prior permission from RTsoft Inc.. except for DMODs (Dink Modules that
require the Dink engine to run), in which case you can charge what you wish. )

^: They own the graphics, so what? I'm not charging for the engine

Dink may not be repackaged in any way. You may distribute it in its unmodified form freely as long as no fee is charged.

^: I'm not repackaging it, just creating a new version

RTsoft shall not be held accountable for any negetive effects Dink may have on your system, we believe it is bug free but this is impossible
to guarantee. You use this software at your own risk.
Please contact sethable@rtsoft.com if you have any questions about this license.

^: Has no relevance

However, as the project nears completion in the future, I will be sure to e-mail Seth to let him know what's going on.

yeah, and then he says you can't do it.
oops!
I really think you should ask him befóre you start working on it, but hey, that's just me

Think of it lilke this, If he builds the engine and the emails seth and gets shot down he could easily change it to be non dink game

That's very true, bunnieman! - or bunniedude! It is only an engine, and it's the content that counts.
However, just to make it all clear, I have indeed e-mailed Seth about this. I only sent it this afternoon. Since he lives in Japan, I probably won't get a response until around midnight -- IF he's quick. So, hopefully midday tomorrow!

i think that seth dosen't care about dink for a long time...he cares about his wife and makin' money in rtsoft

Making an engine better than Dink's isn't easy. Its not something you'll do in 2 months of summer vacation.

And as long as its free I don't see any problems with the licensing part.

We are his sales and advertising, I wouldn't be suprised if half of his sales are bought by us. If he doesn't let us have the engine, we can make him by boycotting The Dink Network for a week or two. We can send him a nice letter saying that we're done with Dink, the harsh reality of no new engine has sent us away to (insert game here). Then, we simply all go to that game and play it and post on the messsage board for a while until Seth comes begging us back. I'm sure we're his major buyers.

great idea and all but 1 thing
you will be creating a whole new engine (not easy) the dink engine was created by a team not 1 or 2 people
also im not sure if seth would like the idea that you are trying to create your own engine but still use his sprites and everything
also it would take people a while to adjust to the new engine cause it would be slightly diffrent

that was three things but i got carried away
now do me a favour if you do make this please give seth half the credit for it as he created the original engine

what áre you talking about? dink is free anyway, seth cares shyte if we even exist

also im not sure if seth would like the idea that you are trying to create your own engine but still use his sprites and everything


Well, likes it or not, he states that all that stuff is free to use in other freeware games as long as Seth is given some credit. So.

Well, likes it or not, he states that all that stuff is free to use in other freeware games as long as Seth is given some credit. So.

uh didnt u read what i also said?

now do me a favour if you do make this please give seth half the credit for it as he created the original engine

also Christiaan he may not care about dink or us but he still created dink and if it wernt for him we wouldnt be talking about this now
or be making dmods

Thanks for all your input, guys. I'll go ahead and start on the project. Any volunteering, or would you like a prototype first? It's just about ready. (Dink just walks around the screen).

That's the furthest anyone has ever gotten to Dink 2, keep going

Dukie -

Thank you VERY VERY much for your encouragement -- every little bit helps!

We have had this discussion several times, and I for one am all for it !!. I even looked into learning c++ just to do it myself. If I did that, with my life and schedule, it would be ready by 2016 or so...
Before you get too far, I STRONGLY urge you to look at the IETME editor used for the Infinity engine (Baldurs Gate) The editor is freeware;
http://www.teambg.com/?page=tools/graphicalarea and enables you to make maps in a way that the dink community could instantly use and love. I wouldn't even be too worried about making the new engine reverse compatable with the current mods, because after all, we do have an engine to run them.
<edit>
Your list?, sure, I'd like to keep in touch with this project. For the curious, Infinity games like Baldurs Gate are very similar to Dink, mabey desended from Dink, but the maps made by IETME are large, and scroll sideways and verticaly while the player moves around. Yet the maps are simpler, when a tree, rock or other object is placed on the map, it becomes part of the bitmap. parallel images are made for hardness, and where sprites dissapear behind buildings. That way the only sprites needed are active creatures. But for scripting Dinkc realy is the best. It might be so easy to make an engine that looks great, yet is as easy as Dink.

I'm keeping your name on my list. I may need your help in something non-coding related, if you don't mind
Oh, and thanks for the suggestion. I was hoping I wouldn't have to make an editor.

Merlin, if you need help with anything non-coding, like beta testing or.. uh... well, anything, feel free to ask me. I have nothing better to do with my summer.

Thinkdink: you're right, Dink wasn't created by one or two people. I believe it was actually created by three.

I don't like the idea of Dink2. Does this mean "normal" dmods are passé and we're all gonna develop with this 'new' editor?
I like Dink as it is now. It's perfect. If I want to make a Baldur's Gate game, I would have joined that community. This project is like Dink Suicide.
Dunno how others think of this. I, for one, don't like the idea. It just isn't Dink anymore.

Christiaan:

You didn't read that right. I might use the Baldur's Gate EDITOR. It will still be dink.

Which means you'll change the editor, no?

Its what you make it.
And the real spirit of Dink isn't in that old engine, it is in this community! I would have given up on dink long ago if it weren't for the people on this board. I would seek to preserve this board for ever! But not that old engine that we don't even have the source for.

Who Gives a shoot? I'm with you man. But I think that you should try and contact Seth, cause y'know, he the man who started the whole job. But if you can make the engine better, then what are you waiting for, dude? Go ahead, and I offer myself to work at the first Dmod for Dink 2 with you (i'm a ~good graphician).

Even if you do make a great engine, Dink 2 won't have that kind of twisted humor the original had. Seth even planned on making Dink 2 once, he sent me the title screen. If you do use an editor, that's just making a dink-themed map for whatever game you make it for. I think you should have a lot of Seth's input before you start making the game.

Dammit, I just don't understand why Seth doesn't want to release the source code. It's 6 years since Dink was released, so there's nothing to be embrassed about it...

Oh well. it's pretty useless to talk about this since it's not making Seth to release the source. Maybe if we'd all send him crtizising email, or blackmail him with something.

I don't get it either, but that won't fix the problem and won't answer the man's question. Is it OK to launch Dink 2 without the help of people like Seth? I mean we all are great fans of his, but well, we cannot reach his performance.
Now that's a subject for a blog.

Hello-
I read the main page - Seth is releasing the Dink source code next week. Well, this sucks for me! Maybe it was the e-mail I sent him. Now, I have to work really really fast.

Oh, Anyone know C++. I need to thoroughly comment my source code (i.e. more comments).

Here are some of the features that WILL be in my Dink2:

800x600 16bpp resolution supported
(1024x768 if requested by the people)

SDL Libraries for multi-platform portability

Infinity Engine Editor Support

Possible MP3 support

If you guys would like some (realistic) features, keep posting!

ok i have changed some of my views

dink 2 might be made by seth so change the name
also be realistic! it wont be out for ages and by the time it is out everyone would have lost intrest!
it wont be the same if you create this

BTW, this is for you Merlin and all the peeps who are going to make a sequel to Dink or modify the existing Dink source... Be kind to us dialup users. Eg. mp3 support would probably lead to 1000 mb dmods that would have 999 mb of mp3:s and 10 minutes of game play...

madstalker i agree but alot of broadband cable people want mp3 support
maybe merlin should make a vote to see what more people want

A lot of broadband people may want mp3 support, but that doesn't mean it's any less difficult for dialup people if they get it. I don't know about the rest of the dinkers with dialup, but if Dmods start coming out in sizes higher than about 50 megs, I'm simply going to stop downloading them - it's just not worth the time it takes to do so.

Seth said on the forum of his site that no one can create a 'superdink' or 'dink 2' or anything like that. Have you gotten a reply from him on that?

I sent him an e-mail. No reply. Besides, I just wont call it Dink2.

If the 'Dink2' will have mp3 support and dmods, why not make two versions of dmods, one with mp3's and one without. But then again, the mp3's aren't the only thing that could make a dmod too huge sized. And I agree there allikitten, if I encounter a 50 mb dmod, I won't download it either.

Personally, I think Dink should be kept just how it is. If a new version is made, supporting MP3's and suchlike, not only will us dial-up Dinkers be royally screwed, but I think that magic WILL be lost.
OK, the strength of Dink is it's community, but I think a new version would ruin it. I'm not sure why, perhaps due to losing the simplicity which makes Dink so great.

exactly. Sabre, I love you

Like I said, it just isn't Dink anymore. Sure you could fix some bugs and have some extra features and stuff, but 32 bit graphics? mp3 support? mpeg movies? completely new dinkeditor? Dude, if I wanted all that, I'd be playing some other, newer game. But I don't. Dink's perfect (well, not perfect, but super fun anyway) the way it is now. Please don't ruin it.
Oh and what about the 'old' dmods? what aobut the people developing a giant epic at the moment? (like me ). Why make dmods now while dink is gonna become a different game soon anyway?
meh. I hate it.

I Agree
Dont Make This New Engine It Will Change Everything
Merlin I Support You But It Wont Work
Just Quit Before You Dig A Hole You Cant Climb
Out Of

I gotta agree with SabreTrout here. I would certainly leave the community if a new engine was made.

I'd leave too. Slightly modify the engine is cool, but a new Dink? nah. Maybe a good idea for the next poll, though I have a bad feeling about the results

i see exactly where you're coming from, but not everything has to be changed for a new engine to be made. my own opinion about mpegs and mp3's is that if you DON'T want someone to download your dmod, you put those in there...as for adding new things to dinkc, i seriously doubt much will be actually changed, but some new commands will definitely be added, but think about this...everything changed or added will be noted and made available for you to see.

I still doubt the old dmods would work with the new engine.

Don't try to corrupt us!

in that case, the old engine could be preserved and you could still run old dmods with that, but then you could have the new engine kept seperate from that, but unless something dramatic changed, the old dmods should work with the new engine