The Dink Network

Hi guys.

I've finished most of my engine tweaking for Dink Smallwood v1.08, and I'm releasing the first alpha now.

My purpose in releasing this is to determine if it works. If it doesn't run for you at all, I know that I have further adventures in problem solving ahead of me.

Just extract the contents of the zip file in your Dink Smallwood directory, and I would like you to run all three files:

1) dink108.exe
2) dink108_truecolor.bat
3) dink108_window.bat

So, for every person that downloads this, I would appreciate a short message with what worked and what didn't. Just starting up a new game of Dink and walking around would be sufficient, but if you want to do more extensive testing with D-Mods you're welcome to.

Future releases will explain the new features and tweaks.

This executable has NOT been extensively tested, and may freeze, lockup, or crash your computer.

Download it now!

Fixes thus far:

* Alpha 2 works in normal 256-color mode.
* Alpha 3 runs much faster.
* Alpha 3 fixes loading screen issues.
* Alpha 4 fixes location-pointer on map screen.
* Alpha 4 fixes some graphics not appearing.
* Alpha 5 fixed 're-count' gold bug on fade up.

Known bugs:

* Initiation: Blackjack game in casino doesn't work (but will with modifications).
* Outlander demo: Does not fade up after you go to hell (due to bug in Outlander script, v1.08 acting correctly).

dink108.exe - Brought up a black screen and a loading hourglass, but never finished loading.

dink108_truecolor.bat - Successfully loaded Dink, but the areas surrounding the graphics on the title screen were reddish. Also, the game ran about half or a third as fast as usual (maybe my computer just sucks with true color?).

dink108_window.bat - Same as above, but in a window.

Ok, Alpha 2 should fix the forever-loading problem of (1), and the reddish tint should be gone.

Edit: and yes, true color mode may decrease your performance noticeably.

My new Alpha 2 report:

dink108.exe - It actually loads now, yay. But after the loading screen disappears, a black screen pops up very briefly, then the loading screen again very briefly, and then the title screen arrives. Also, the game seems very slightly slower than usual.

dink108_truecolor.bat - Still has the major slowness problem I reported for Alpha 1, but again, I suppose that's my sucktacular computer. Like dink108.exe, I witnessed the initial loading peculiarity here. The red tint is indeed fixed for me, though.

dink108_window.bat - Also still has the slowness, and also shows no more funky redness. I didn't see the loading screen oddness though.

Here's my run of version 1.08 (alpha 2).. basically the same issues mentioned by Tal:

dink108.exe: The same loading "black-screen-flash" occurs on my computer and Dink's walking speed is a bit slower than usual (and perhaps other actions too?)

dink108.exe -truecolor: See dink108.exe (loading thingy and slightly slower speed). Fades take longer as well but that's probably normal. Also, when I ran the Outlander D-Mod, some (usually all) of the sprites in the intro were invisible..

dink108.exe -window: Indeed a window, not the loading flash this time and (walking) speed slightly slower.

I had the same results as Simeon, and as you know I am still using a Win95.

Alright, thanks. I've fixed the slowness problem of regular dink108.exe (I sent some versions to Tal), but I need to fix a few other problems before I release a new alpha.

Thanks guys.

I've uploaded Alpha 3. I need to figure out why the intro sprites don't load in Outlander, hrm.

Tested by me (only original Dink) -- the only oddity I could find was that the map (M or button6) was funky. It would place the indicator up in the darklands and stuff when I was in Dink's village. It fixes itself when you go from one "outside" screen to another, but if you go into a house and out again, it screws up again. I dunno if this is a v1.08 issue or not, though, but it should be fixed, nonetheless.

Ooh, right, thanks. I attempted to fix the bug where the indicator wasn't properly displayed when you changed the map with DinkC or via a warp, but it seemed to mess it up.

Alpha 3 results:

dink108.exe - Fine and dandy. No more slowness. The game seemed to take a while to load the first time or two I used the .exe, but I didn't notice anything afterward. Hrm.

dink108_truecolor.bat - This seems to run at normal speed now. Yay. Though fades are still slow, alas. I wish you could find a way to fix this. I shall weep in my sleep over this.

dink108_window.bat - Same as above.

Hmm, I encountered a bug in Initiation: the sprites on the title screen (that you select to watch an intro) don't appear. Also in Outlander demo, the screen doesn't fade up after you're sent to hell.

Sprites that don't appear correctly will be fixed in Alpha 4. Some fixes I made so the game would run smoother prevented it from automatically loading sprites if they weren't pre-loaded.

Fade up problem... hrm. Could you give send me a save game right before that happens?

I uploaded Alpha 4. Still a few more issues to work out, so there will probably be more Alphas in the near future.

Tyrsis reported some very odd problems...

In the original game when Dink gets the map it was lower in the corner. Not every time I played though. And every time you enter or exit a house the money count repeats. Is it me or a glitch?

Has anyone else experienced these?

sp_move_nohard() works now. Rejoice.

I'll send a save game to your gmail account.

Edit: It's sent.

Downloaded Alpha 4:
The letter in the house is now where it should be.
Dink keeps counting his money after every warp. But only in the standard mode. Nothing of the kind happens in windowed and truecolor. Interesting.

I downloaded alpha 4 but it wouldn't work. The title screen was black and said 1.06 at the bottom.

Did you follow the instructions? From your symptoms, it sounds like you tried to install it like a D-Mod (i.e. create a 'dink108' folder and put the contents of the zip file in it).

Did anyone else have this problem?

Nvm, i forgot to put the stuff in the folder

Okay, the gold-re-count on fade_up bug was Seth's fault, somehow. He manages to create bugs even when he's not messing with the code

A buffer-overflow set the status-gold variable to 0 whenever the screen had a fade_up. I think the compiler re-organized variables around, sort of explaining why this didn't happen in previous versions.

I noticed on a screen when 2 royal guards attack a guy who can't pay them, i noticed one of the squares behind a tree was flashing probably from a piece of a save machine.

It seems to be a left-over tile from a firepit. I think Tal has it fixed in his version of the game changes.

dink108.exe: No problem.

dink108_truecolor.bat: No noticeable improvement in colour at all over dink108.exe. Slow fades. Also the text is blurry when you press Esc.

dink108_window.bat: Slower than dink108_truecolor.bat. Don't like the way the window can't be moved or properly selected. Also that it can't be resized. At 1024 by 768 resolution the window is a bit small, let alone at my usual resolution of 1280 by 1024. Also it would be nice if the arrow was visable when pointing at the close button and a menu bar would be nice.

Thats about all for now. I may do more extensive testing later, but I'm not sure I will have the time since it looks like I will have to test the beta of Dink.ini Rewrite 1.2 myself (and that'll take quite the time since there is a lot to test and I have limited time).

No noticeable improvement in colour at all over dink108.exe.

Yeah. I can't make new colors magically pop into existence... truecolor mode will be used for D-Mods that wish to include higher-quality graphics.

Also the text is blurry when you press Esc.

That's very weird... can you explain more?

Sorry I should of thought that the graphics themselves wouldn't have been in true colour (sorry it was about 11:30PM here in NZ when I done it so I was understandably tired (my own fault perhaps... maybe I should go to bed earlier )).

As for the request for more explanation it gets fater and a little less jagged, but is a little blurry (berely noticeable). It is also more blurry. I think it looks a little better maybe since it is less jagged. But I am a little uncertain of that opinion and others may not agree, so I thought I should mention just in case others didn't like it or if you didn't want it there.