The essence of a d-mod - For newbies
This file is designed to help newbies thinking about making a d-mod. It may have things useful for more experienced authors, but that is up to opinion. I would have released this file properly, but the staff didn't want it, so here ya go.
The essence of a d-mod
Everybody who reads this, will have an obvious love for Dink. Dink is the one great game/editing tool of our time, and many of you are dreaming of creating your own monstrous epic, with a plot, music and graphics to match the divine status you wish to achieve.
Sadly, I have to tell you, this will almost certainly not happen! Creating a good romp or quest can be difficult enough, while an epic can be incredibly hard to do. I would certainly recommend creating a few romps or quests before embarking on an epic.
I seem to be going off topic here, and the main function of this article is to tell you my thoughts on what I call the "essence" of a d-mod.
I will go through some essentials for all d-mods, and then go into particular types in more detail.
5 Phases to making a d-mod!
PHASE 1 - Simple planning
Before staring on mapping or scripting, it is useful to have at least a broad idea of what you want to include in your d-mod. Don't plan ahead too much however, as this can stifle your creativity, as you already know what you are going to put in, and may not feel up to those small touches of brilliance that make a good d-mod. I believe that the main functions of the d-mod should maybe be put in a list, and all the small quests, new spells etc should be made from just being inspired suddenly by a graphic, or a new bit of code you have learnt.
For example, in my d-mod "Cloud Castle", I decided on having...
1) A Castle in the clouds that Dink must go to
2)A series of kidnappings
3)An evil wizard
4) A twist end with the wizard not the final boss.
And that was it!! Only 4 simple ideas, that with a bit of flair, imagination and a bit of luck created a good (though i say it myself) d-mod. Of course, those of you have played CC will know that there is much more to the game then those 4 points, but the rest was generally me thinking on my feet (or bum, as I was sitting down!).
Of course an epic will have MANY more things to put in than a romp would, and the list should be longer accordingly (CC was only just a quest).
PHASE 2 - Mapping
I must confess that mapping is one of my favourite parts to creating a d-mod. It allows for your imagination to run wild, and for you to make your gameworld all the more believable.
The core of almost all good d-mods is a well designed map, with many trees, logs, rivers, bushes, rocks and all sorts of scenery. I cannot remember a single d-mod I have played which has a bad map, that I have enjoyed. I would heartily recommend that when designing your map, you spend a lot of time adding detail, and don't feel you have to rush through it. Be careful when it comes to depth and hardness, as if these are badly done, it can spoil a d-mod.
You must not go to the extreme though! I HATE d-mod's with large empty maps, but I hate d-mods which use the same graphic a ridiculous amount of time on the same screen, as this looks very tacky!
There are many varieties of maps to have as well. For a romp you should stick to one type in your d-mod, maybe 2 for a quest, and as many as you want for an epic!
They are...
1) Grassland (usually used)
2) Snowy (a favourite of mine)
3) Desert (I would recommend SimonK's desert tiles, as they are very good, but also check out Dethlord's, as you may prefer them!)
4) Evil Darkland (The grey/blue tiles, from the badland area near the end of Dink)
5) Forest (Basic grassland, but with many trees, including the tree tiles)
...and probably more I have not mentioned!
I would also say that it does pay off to experiment with graphics, by trimming them, shrinking them, or any other way you can think of. Using combinations of sprites can make a cool new effect too, with my favourite being a tree stump, with a log and a bush to make a fallen tree graphic.
PHASE 3 - Scripting
There is not much that I can tell you here, as this is not a scripting tutorial, but I can lay out a few pointers, as well as discussing the traditional idea of scripting, that of plot of dialogue.
SCRIPTING
1) Examine as many scripts as you can! This may seem like a silly or obvious idea especially with the many tutorials around, but there is no substitute for going through a script yourself, tinkering with it, and seeing what you can do.
2) One of my favourite sayings is "CUT AND PASTE!!!", and that is my philosophy for quick scripting. Why type out something again when you can copy it from another script and change the important variables? This technique saves a lot of time in the long run, especially once you get used to it.
3) Get source for d-mods you have played (if the source is not open) and see how the creator made an effect you thought was good. You can then modify it for use in your own d-mod.
STORY AND DIALOGUE
It takes practice, and I am not brilliant at it, but a good story and well thought out dialogue can make a huge difference on the quality of a d-mod. For a romp (and small quests) the thing I cannot stress enough is keep it simple! A romp is not designed to have a conveluted plot, as it simply is not large enough. Make a simple idea (Save a girl from slayers, Find out who spilt your pint etc), and just have a little combat, followed with a cool boss (by cool I mean original, not just big!).
Simple ideas will always work the best, but try to avoid the cliches that so often come up in d-mods, such as saving the girl from a wizard (Hang on, I did that in Cloud!! Doh!). A recommendation I have for epic storylines is that they have a large overall plot, but this unfolds as you find bigger and badder main enemies (For example, in Baldurs Gate, the big baddy is Sarevok, but you initially are against people such as Mulahey and others).
Keep speech in your d-mod simple, as by making the language/structure of the speech complicated, this makes it difficult to read. Always use different coloured letters for characters, as this sets them apart more, but be aware that some colours look terrible on certain tiles, so be careful.
PHASE 4 - Beta-testing
When you have finished your d-mod, which may not happen for a LONG time, you will need to get it beta-tested, to get rid of most of the bugs that could ruin your game. Most people from the network would be willing to help, so just post a message on the board, or e-mail a few people. They will intensively play your game through, and tell you of any bugs in it. After fixing these, you may want to add something new to the d-mod just before release. This can work out well, with a cool additional feature, but if it is bugged, it could really damage your game.
PHASE 5 - Release!!
The time has come! You have slaved long and hard on your d-mod and you want the public to experience your dream, which means that it is time to release it!! By going to the submitting section of the network, you can send redink1 your file, and wait for him to upload it.
Then sit back and see what response you get…
Thanks for reading, I hope this helps beginning d-mod authors.
SabreTrout
The essence of a d-mod
Everybody who reads this, will have an obvious love for Dink. Dink is the one great game/editing tool of our time, and many of you are dreaming of creating your own monstrous epic, with a plot, music and graphics to match the divine status you wish to achieve.
Sadly, I have to tell you, this will almost certainly not happen! Creating a good romp or quest can be difficult enough, while an epic can be incredibly hard to do. I would certainly recommend creating a few romps or quests before embarking on an epic.
I seem to be going off topic here, and the main function of this article is to tell you my thoughts on what I call the "essence" of a d-mod.
I will go through some essentials for all d-mods, and then go into particular types in more detail.
5 Phases to making a d-mod!
PHASE 1 - Simple planning
Before staring on mapping or scripting, it is useful to have at least a broad idea of what you want to include in your d-mod. Don't plan ahead too much however, as this can stifle your creativity, as you already know what you are going to put in, and may not feel up to those small touches of brilliance that make a good d-mod. I believe that the main functions of the d-mod should maybe be put in a list, and all the small quests, new spells etc should be made from just being inspired suddenly by a graphic, or a new bit of code you have learnt.
For example, in my d-mod "Cloud Castle", I decided on having...
1) A Castle in the clouds that Dink must go to
2)A series of kidnappings
3)An evil wizard
4) A twist end with the wizard not the final boss.
And that was it!! Only 4 simple ideas, that with a bit of flair, imagination and a bit of luck created a good (though i say it myself) d-mod. Of course, those of you have played CC will know that there is much more to the game then those 4 points, but the rest was generally me thinking on my feet (or bum, as I was sitting down!).
Of course an epic will have MANY more things to put in than a romp would, and the list should be longer accordingly (CC was only just a quest).
PHASE 2 - Mapping
I must confess that mapping is one of my favourite parts to creating a d-mod. It allows for your imagination to run wild, and for you to make your gameworld all the more believable.
The core of almost all good d-mods is a well designed map, with many trees, logs, rivers, bushes, rocks and all sorts of scenery. I cannot remember a single d-mod I have played which has a bad map, that I have enjoyed. I would heartily recommend that when designing your map, you spend a lot of time adding detail, and don't feel you have to rush through it. Be careful when it comes to depth and hardness, as if these are badly done, it can spoil a d-mod.
You must not go to the extreme though! I HATE d-mod's with large empty maps, but I hate d-mods which use the same graphic a ridiculous amount of time on the same screen, as this looks very tacky!
There are many varieties of maps to have as well. For a romp you should stick to one type in your d-mod, maybe 2 for a quest, and as many as you want for an epic!
They are...
1) Grassland (usually used)
2) Snowy (a favourite of mine)
3) Desert (I would recommend SimonK's desert tiles, as they are very good, but also check out Dethlord's, as you may prefer them!)
4) Evil Darkland (The grey/blue tiles, from the badland area near the end of Dink)
5) Forest (Basic grassland, but with many trees, including the tree tiles)
...and probably more I have not mentioned!
I would also say that it does pay off to experiment with graphics, by trimming them, shrinking them, or any other way you can think of. Using combinations of sprites can make a cool new effect too, with my favourite being a tree stump, with a log and a bush to make a fallen tree graphic.
PHASE 3 - Scripting
There is not much that I can tell you here, as this is not a scripting tutorial, but I can lay out a few pointers, as well as discussing the traditional idea of scripting, that of plot of dialogue.
SCRIPTING
1) Examine as many scripts as you can! This may seem like a silly or obvious idea especially with the many tutorials around, but there is no substitute for going through a script yourself, tinkering with it, and seeing what you can do.
2) One of my favourite sayings is "CUT AND PASTE!!!", and that is my philosophy for quick scripting. Why type out something again when you can copy it from another script and change the important variables? This technique saves a lot of time in the long run, especially once you get used to it.
3) Get source for d-mods you have played (if the source is not open) and see how the creator made an effect you thought was good. You can then modify it for use in your own d-mod.
STORY AND DIALOGUE
It takes practice, and I am not brilliant at it, but a good story and well thought out dialogue can make a huge difference on the quality of a d-mod. For a romp (and small quests) the thing I cannot stress enough is keep it simple! A romp is not designed to have a conveluted plot, as it simply is not large enough. Make a simple idea (Save a girl from slayers, Find out who spilt your pint etc), and just have a little combat, followed with a cool boss (by cool I mean original, not just big!).
Simple ideas will always work the best, but try to avoid the cliches that so often come up in d-mods, such as saving the girl from a wizard (Hang on, I did that in Cloud!! Doh!). A recommendation I have for epic storylines is that they have a large overall plot, but this unfolds as you find bigger and badder main enemies (For example, in Baldurs Gate, the big baddy is Sarevok, but you initially are against people such as Mulahey and others).
Keep speech in your d-mod simple, as by making the language/structure of the speech complicated, this makes it difficult to read. Always use different coloured letters for characters, as this sets them apart more, but be aware that some colours look terrible on certain tiles, so be careful.
PHASE 4 - Beta-testing
When you have finished your d-mod, which may not happen for a LONG time, you will need to get it beta-tested, to get rid of most of the bugs that could ruin your game. Most people from the network would be willing to help, so just post a message on the board, or e-mail a few people. They will intensively play your game through, and tell you of any bugs in it. After fixing these, you may want to add something new to the d-mod just before release. This can work out well, with a cool additional feature, but if it is bugged, it could really damage your game.
PHASE 5 - Release!!
The time has come! You have slaved long and hard on your d-mod and you want the public to experience your dream, which means that it is time to release it!! By going to the submitting section of the network, you can send redink1 your file, and wait for him to upload it.
Then sit back and see what response you get…
Thanks for reading, I hope this helps beginning d-mod authors.
SabreTrout
I Do have a comment. If you were to put detail in it like for instance 'important parts of mapping' (ala make sure the hardness alligned on the tiles, grass should be set, diffrent things to do with sprites to make the game more realalistic, ect.. In all of the parts, I'll reconsider uplaoding. BTW, I wasn't the only staff member to turn it down.
--WC
--WC
yeah, in teh beta testing bit, mention teh beta testers roster!! it's an easy way to get testers.
"BTW, I wasn't the only staff member to turn it down."
Who else did then? Redink asked me to send it to Tal, and Tal was just too lazy, so I sent it to you.
But I may make a better version soon...
Who else did then? Redink asked me to send it to Tal, and Tal was just too lazy, so I sent it to you.
But I may make a better version soon...
: "BTW, I wasn't the only staff member to turn it down."
: Who else did then? Redink asked me to send it to Tal, and Tal was just too lazy, so I sent it to you.
: But I may make a better version soon...
I did, cause I hate you
No, really, it's not that good
: Who else did then? Redink asked me to send it to Tal, and Tal was just too lazy, so I sent it to you.
: But I may make a better version soon...
I did, cause I hate you
No, really, it's not that good
: I did, cause I hate you
: No, really, it's not that good
And all the files on the network are?? I think not!
Hence why we now control the quality of files!
--WC
--WC
: Hence why we now control the quality of files!
: --WC
*SIGH* Fair enough I suppose...
: --WC
*SIGH* Fair enough I suppose...
