xibalba's Profile
Questions 3 and 4 are about changing the displays for stats and other stuff into stuff that's superimposed over the field area, instead of outside the field area as it currently is.
Here are some examples of a HUD hack for Mega Man X.
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/553/regularlifebar.png
^Before the hack. Notice that health and remaining ammo are represented by tabs inside of bars.
http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/2728/numberlifebar.png
^After the hack. Not only do the numeric health and ammo counters take up less space than the bar-based health and ammo counters, but their display limit is only limited by the number of places you put in them. You could concievably increase health to two bytes, if you have five number places for health.
1. Less space taken up = more room for other stuff
2. Numeric counters = higher stat caps
I didn't realize that mana doesn't have a bar, instead the equipped spell has a recharge rate. In that case, you could display the equipped spells icon, and next to it a cool-down timer that counts down to zero. When it hits zero, you can cast that spell again. The rate at which it counts down varying depending on your Magic stat (or is it called intelligence - I don't remember).
HUD is anything that display's aspects of the game which is not part of the game environment, or a menu. Shooting game's have HUDs, platform games have HUDs - almost every game has a HUD of some kind, at some point in the game. Myst being the only exception I can think of.
I'm fine with every screen being the exact same size. TLEZ: Link's Awakening does the exact same thing (I believe this is what inspired FreeDink in the first place). This was done as a way to save RAM, since you only had to load 9 screens at any given time, plus go-to for the menu. 9 Screens being the screen you're currently on, and the 8 screens around it. With this built-in limitation, TLEZ:LA could spend more of it's meager Game Boy RAM on better graphics, better sound, more events, and more actors.
I woke up this morning with everything clear in my mind, and now I have to try to remember it.
I'm aware that FreeDink's graphics are actually 2D; that's why I referred to them as pseudo-3D. I think they were made by making a 3D model, and then taking 2D pictures of that model, and then combining those 2D pictures into an animation. Super Mario RPG does the exact same thing with sprites and I think the pre-rendered backgrounds, though it is somewhat 3D to begin with (because the pre-rendered backgrounds are superimposed on top of a 3D model, and there are collision physics for Mario's interactions with other actors and his environment).
And I see I forgot to ask the question for which this topic was named - how much work does FreeDink need for 16 bit (or *gasp* 32-bit) graphics?
Here are some examples of a HUD hack for Mega Man X.
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/553/regularlifebar.png
^Before the hack. Notice that health and remaining ammo are represented by tabs inside of bars.
http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/2728/numberlifebar.png
^After the hack. Not only do the numeric health and ammo counters take up less space than the bar-based health and ammo counters, but their display limit is only limited by the number of places you put in them. You could concievably increase health to two bytes, if you have five number places for health.
1. Less space taken up = more room for other stuff
2. Numeric counters = higher stat caps
I didn't realize that mana doesn't have a bar, instead the equipped spell has a recharge rate. In that case, you could display the equipped spells icon, and next to it a cool-down timer that counts down to zero. When it hits zero, you can cast that spell again. The rate at which it counts down varying depending on your Magic stat (or is it called intelligence - I don't remember).
HUD is anything that display's aspects of the game which is not part of the game environment, or a menu. Shooting game's have HUDs, platform games have HUDs - almost every game has a HUD of some kind, at some point in the game. Myst being the only exception I can think of.
I'm fine with every screen being the exact same size. TLEZ: Link's Awakening does the exact same thing (I believe this is what inspired FreeDink in the first place). This was done as a way to save RAM, since you only had to load 9 screens at any given time, plus go-to for the menu. 9 Screens being the screen you're currently on, and the 8 screens around it. With this built-in limitation, TLEZ:LA could spend more of it's meager Game Boy RAM on better graphics, better sound, more events, and more actors.
I woke up this morning with everything clear in my mind, and now I have to try to remember it.
I'm aware that FreeDink's graphics are actually 2D; that's why I referred to them as pseudo-3D. I think they were made by making a 3D model, and then taking 2D pictures of that model, and then combining those 2D pictures into an animation. Super Mario RPG does the exact same thing with sprites and I think the pre-rendered backgrounds, though it is somewhat 3D to begin with (because the pre-rendered backgrounds are superimposed on top of a 3D model, and there are collision physics for Mario's interactions with other actors and his environment).
And I see I forgot to ask the question for which this topic was named - how much work does FreeDink need for 16 bit (or *gasp* 32-bit) graphics?
