Alpha quality code served hot and fresh
After 4-5 days of serious work, I've got something to show, though it's not ready for the official channels yet.
Looking for Sweetpea, build 0009 is available for those interested in alpha testing the code. I come from the "release early and often" school of development.
It's a 9 area map, a romp. I built this dmod to learn how to make dmods. The music isn't quite done and there's a side quest I'd like to add. There are no new graphics, except for the title screen.
All the source code comes with. I haven't reduced the package yet, in case you want to modify the map or something.
If you do play with this ALPHA CODE dmod, please let me know the following:
1) Are there hardness bugs? (There's one that affects the large boulder that I can't fix, but goes away if you reenter the screen)
2) Are there plot/state bugs? Do you get reactions for NPCs that are inappropriate to where you are in the game?
3) Are there sprite issues?
4) AI issues?
5) Does the dmod seem interesting enough for more work?
6) Is there too much dialog? Too little?
7) Does the game, which I admit is very linear, provide enough direction?
8) I need some ducks, don't I?
9) What's good about the music? What's bad about it?
10) Are the sound FX ok?
11) I'd like a "bigger" ending. I need to figure out cut scenes...
All comments are welcome. Some will even be listened to.
Looking for Sweetpea, build 0009 is available for those interested in alpha testing the code. I come from the "release early and often" school of development.
It's a 9 area map, a romp. I built this dmod to learn how to make dmods. The music isn't quite done and there's a side quest I'd like to add. There are no new graphics, except for the title screen.
All the source code comes with. I haven't reduced the package yet, in case you want to modify the map or something.
If you do play with this ALPHA CODE dmod, please let me know the following:
1) Are there hardness bugs? (There's one that affects the large boulder that I can't fix, but goes away if you reenter the screen)
2) Are there plot/state bugs? Do you get reactions for NPCs that are inappropriate to where you are in the game?
3) Are there sprite issues?
4) AI issues?
5) Does the dmod seem interesting enough for more work?
6) Is there too much dialog? Too little?
7) Does the game, which I admit is very linear, provide enough direction?
8) I need some ducks, don't I?
9) What's good about the music? What's bad about it?
10) Are the sound FX ok?
11) I'd like a "bigger" ending. I need to figure out cut scenes...
All comments are welcome. Some will even be listened to.
1 I noticed hardnessbugs on screen 434. (You can walk through the fence)
2 Plot bugs? I'm not a really good storyteller myself, I can't really tell.
3 Sprite issues: I think persons need no hardness, for me it caused me to be stuck in the farmer's hardness after talking to him after beating the pillbug.
4 AI issues: The same, no hardness for persons.
5 It doesn't have the potential to become a magnificent DMOD, but it's pretty good for a romp. So it's interesting enough for more work.
6 Nope
7 Absolutely, it shouldn't be made much easier.
8 That's up to you.
9 Didn't really listen carefully to the music, it's not my thing
but it sounded reasonably well. I just didn't really like the titlemusic... A bit to boring I guess.
10 It's Ok, but it's implemented on the places where it's not really neccessary.
Furthermore you should check out screen 433, it's got some screenmatch issues. (A lot of other screens have this too, but it's most noticable on screen 433,(I guess you're not using windinkedit)) There are also some screenmatch hardness errors. Grass should have no hardness and nohit in my opinion, as do mushrooms. One other piece of advice is about your coding. If you do comment your source code do it like this:
command();
//this works like a command
instead of
command(); //this works like a command
It might cause problems with some commands.
Oh, and don't you think that the boards are a pretty official channel?
2 Plot bugs? I'm not a really good storyteller myself, I can't really tell.
3 Sprite issues: I think persons need no hardness, for me it caused me to be stuck in the farmer's hardness after talking to him after beating the pillbug.
4 AI issues: The same, no hardness for persons.
5 It doesn't have the potential to become a magnificent DMOD, but it's pretty good for a romp. So it's interesting enough for more work.
6 Nope
7 Absolutely, it shouldn't be made much easier.
8 That's up to you.
9 Didn't really listen carefully to the music, it's not my thing
but it sounded reasonably well. I just didn't really like the titlemusic... A bit to boring I guess.10 It's Ok, but it's implemented on the places where it's not really neccessary.
Furthermore you should check out screen 433, it's got some screenmatch issues. (A lot of other screens have this too, but it's most noticable on screen 433,(I guess you're not using windinkedit)) There are also some screenmatch hardness errors. Grass should have no hardness and nohit in my opinion, as do mushrooms. One other piece of advice is about your coding. If you do comment your source code do it like this:
command();
//this works like a command
instead of
command(); //this works like a command
It might cause problems with some commands.
Oh, and don't you think that the boards are a pretty official channel?
Thanks for the feedback. QA is a thankless, tedious job, so thank you for your efforts, Metatarsal.
I struggled with the issue of plant-life hardness. I think you're right that it's generally a bad idea. I will revisit the people hardness values too.
I am using wineditedit and windinkedit plus. Screenmatching is still a bit of mystery to me, but I'm getting the hang of it.
I'll have a look at 433.
I do find the most extraordinary limitations in the dinkC parser. Sigh...
When I ready for a more official release, I'll post the dmod on DN. Right now, the file is hosted on one of my web servers.
Thanks again,
--Joe
I struggled with the issue of plant-life hardness. I think you're right that it's generally a bad idea. I will revisit the people hardness values too.
I am using wineditedit and windinkedit plus. Screenmatching is still a bit of mystery to me, but I'm getting the hang of it.
I'll have a look at 433.
I do find the most extraordinary limitations in the dinkC parser. Sigh...
When I ready for a more official release, I'll post the dmod on DN. Right now, the file is hosted on one of my web servers.
Thanks again,
--Joe
