The Dink Network

Hi all. I have been playing Dink for awhile now and decided to finally join in. I'm 16 (not that that matters) and I need a little help.

I have been experimenting with different things on the Dink Edit, for I want to make a real DMOD one day. I started messing with it yesterday and I have already got the basics down such as how to pick up gold hearts, big hearts, money, red potions, blue potions, purple potions, and I even managed to sorta get a throwing axe. (I'll ask for help on that later.) I also figured out things such as getting monsters to work and adding HP to make them stronger. Savebots were easy to figure out as well. I also figured out how to make Dink say different things by pressing different keys on the keyboard and how to add music to different maps. That's a few things I have learned in that past day or so. Now if anyone could be so kind as to help me that would be awesome! I still don't really understand DinkC scripts.

Okay, the first thing is the hole in a cave. I thought the DinkC script for it was "hole" but when I tried it it didn't do the animation of Dink crawling through it. He just pushes on it like it has hardness all around it. I set the warp level thingy to the map I wanted to go to once going through it but that didn't do anything. I also tried adding it to the background. I even put DinkEdit on the original game to see the creators settings for a hole and couldn't figure it out.

Second thing. How do I get things into my inventory? The only thing I could get to work was a throwing axe. I went into DinkEdit and took the axe sprite and used the dink script "axe" and it puts it into my inventory. From there I can equip it and use it. It doesn't visually increase my strength, but when I use it on a monster it does more damage than my fists do. When it is on the map before I pick it up though it spins over and over. I want it to just lie still. Also, I want to know how to get swords and hammers. Those don't have sprites on the edit sprites list of things. I would like to know how to get them, and/or how to start the game with them. That would be awesome. Thanks!

Finally for now...How do you do conversations? Like previosly mentioned, I already know how to get him to say things by pressing keys on the keyboard. i.e.

"void main(void)
{
say("I can't believe you pressed the B button!", 1);
}

And then make a script in your story subfolder named "key-66.c" I don't know what any of it means, I just know that's how you do it...for that one thing. But I don't know how to make him talk to other people, or other things. Perhaps if someone could explain this to me, that would be awesome. For example though, how could I have this...

Dink-"Hello Bill."
Bill-"Hello Dink."
Dink-"Lovely weather we are having."
Bill-"Why yes, yes it is."

And in that have Dink talk in the default yellow while as Bill talks in blue. Then have Dink walk over to bill and kill him without having the player do anything. How would you do that? If anyone can help with any of these questions that would be awesome. And also if there is anything else that you think I may need to know for the future and you want to go ahead and tell me now (because you know I will probably have to ask in the future) that would be most appreciated.

(Few last small things...how do .wav sound effects get added to Dink, and how come the other day I posted a review for "Zach: The Marine" and it never showed up? I didn't cuss or do anything inopropriote I don't believe. Not that important, just wondering.)

Thanks guys and gals!

Anything else you want to tell me just email me at...

cloudnaeris@hotmail.com (Yes, it has reference to Final Fantasy VII much.)

Here is the script for the hole:

void main( void )
{
preload_seq(452);
sp_touch_damage(&current_sprite, -1);
}
void touch( void )
{
freeze(1);
sp_x(1, 472);
sp_y(1, 330);
sp_seq(1, 452);
sp_frame(1, 1);
sp_nocontrol(1, 1); sp_touch_damage(&current_sprite, 0);
sp_brain(1, 0);
wait(2000);
script_attach(1000);
//--------------------This is warp! Modify these!
fade_down();
&player_map = 182;
sp_x(1, 401);
sp_y(1, 283);
load_screen(182);
sp_brain(1, 1);
draw_screen();
fade_up();
kill_this_task();
}

add_item("[the script]", [the sequence], [the frame]); You need to make a script for the item, graphics aren't nessesary to USE the item. Dink's strength is stored in a variable, in the weapon script, put &strength += 10(or whatever); into the void arm (void) part/function and then put &strength -= 10; after, you don't want it to keep adding strength every time you equip it do you? Put the command into the 'Start-1.c' file to start out with it.

The makers of dink made a way to 'label' each button eg: key-80 is P, key-67 is C. Start up Dinkedit and press any key, at the bottom somewhere it should say [key-(number)].

A conversation script looks like this:

void main( void )
{
freeze(1)
choice_start();
"Talk" //(You can put anything in these)
"Leave"
choice_end();
if (&result == 1)
{
say_stop("Hello Bill.", 1);
say_stop("`2Hello Dink.", &current_sprite);
say_stop("Lovely weather we are having.", 1);
say_stop("`2Why yes, yes it is.", &current_sprite);
unfreeze(1)
unfreeze(&current_sprite)
}
if (&result == 2)
{
unfreeze(1)
unfreeze(&current_sprite)
}
}
(2 is dark green, thats the only one I've memorized)

To change voice color, put a " `1 " 1 can be replaced by any number between 1-9 and some other keys (too lazy to list)

You can make Dink kill Bill with several methods, change the sequence, etc

Reviews take a while to 'validate' and then be put on the site, because the staff is lazy.

Phew, finally I'm done.

sp_nocontrol(1, 1); sp_touch_damage(&current_sprite, 0);

Darnit! This line is messed up!

Thank you!! I didn't know if anyone would actually help me there for awhile. I really appreciate the help!! In between earlier when I posted and now when I read your comment I have been tinkering with opening and editing the start files and the main.c file. I figured out some simple things like how to start with money, stats, exp, and higher lv's. I still didn't figure out how to start with a different weapon. In time, in time. I used to do RPG maker, this is tons better! If anyone else could help me with the other stuff that would rock! Thanks.

Is that line messed up because of multiple semicolons?

Yeh, in DinkC you can only have one command/thing at a line. Even [command] [//comment] is generally not accepted.

Actually, you need to modify more than Chaotic says.

void touch( void )
{
freeze(1);
sp_x(1, 472);
sp_y(1, 330);
sp_seq(1, 452);
sp_frame(1, 1);
sp_nocontrol(1, 1);
sp_touch_damage(&current_sprite, 0);
sp_brain(1, 0);
wait(2000);
script_attach(1000);

You must change the highlighted line so that the Dink crawling through a hole sequence lines up with the hole. Hope that's clear enough...

To be more precise, if x is the x-coordinate of the hole, and y the y-coordinate, you'll get a nice effect if you:

sp_x(1, [x-1]);
sp_y(1, [y+33]);

you must calculate them yourself and fill them in. Don't use the square brackets.

These are the numbers as used in the hole that leads to the bonca-cave in the main game.

"add_item("[the script]", [the sequence], [the frame]); You need to make a script for the item, graphics aren't nessesary to USE the item."

How do I make the weapon script? I have the DinkC script maker thing...but I don't know how to go about making it. As in I don't know what to type. How would I make a regular sword that gives you +10 strength?

Look in the source.zip file in the develop directory, it has all the source files of the original game including the weapon files though you can find all the items with item-xxx.c. Take the source code of a normal sword and modify it. For example, in item-sw1.c you can find the source of a sword. To change the strength of the sword, look in void arm(void) and void disarm(void) and change these lines:

&strength -= 4; (in disarm)
&strength += 4; (in arm)

to:

&strength -= 10; (in disarm)
&strength += 10; (in arm)

Thanks. Yeah, that's what I did. I took it and copied it and added it to mine. I also figured out how to get the correct picture in my inventory. I then copied it and changed it to my own script and changed the name to Clawsword, or item-sw2 and the same for the light sword. Item-sw3. And just made the strength higher and changed what Dink said when he gets the item. The only problems I have now are...
A. I would like to pick it up off of the ground but there isn't a sprite for it.

B. I tried the same thing for the boomerang and when I use the boomerang it shuts the game down. Why is this?

c. How come when I set a light sword to +50 strength it only brings it up to about 20 in game?

Oh, and for anyone else who needs it...

`1 - Pink
`2 - Dark Green
`3 - Light Blue
`4 - Orange
`5 - Purple
`6 - Brown
`7 - Light Gray
`8 - Dark Gray
`9 - Light Blue
`0 - Light Green
`# - Rose
`$ - Yellow (default)
`% - White

There is a list of colors for talking. The little ` symbols are required to make it work properly.

I don't think the original Dink had a working boomerang script

Okay, new questions all together.

1. I read T.R.O.S. and it helps s-loads. Still though, there is one thing that was unclear to me. When you make a "void main(void)" scipt that is supposed to be attached to a screen...how do you do that? I went on the big purple/red block screen...put the square over the screen desired...hit the "B" button...and typed the name of the script in which I was going to use. I have went back and checked to see if I typed it correctly...I did. So what's up?

2. This is a series of small questions that I believe should all be relative to one another. Okay...

How do I make a .midi play on the title screen? I figure it has to do with start.c

//If you're going to play a title midi, uncomment & change the following:
playmidi("memories.mid"); kill_this_task();
}

I have put in "memories" as that is what I am trying to play. I also renamed it "1" at one point and changed it to

playmidi("1.mid");

It still didn't work.

Another thing...How do I change the Splash loading screen?...The Title screen?

Finally for now, how can I decrease Dinks size in between events? Like from...
(&story == 4) to (&story == 6) or something?

The splash screen is easy, make the graphic and save it as "Splash" in the tiles folder

For the change in story, can't you just randomly add to any script the change in variable as well as the other acheivement?

If you want to change dink size, then you just have to use this command

sp_size(1, 50);

Thanks. The size thing isn't a problem anymore.

When I make my own Splash.bmp it doesn't work. I set it to the correct size...and I tried saving in 256 color scheme. *also tried 24 bit* It isn't that important, just thought it'd be cool to have something other than the usual.

Still need help on how to make a title screen and how to run a midi on it.

The image must be in dink palette!

Isn't 265 colours, the dink pallete?

256 colors. Unless you've changed the source, or downloaded the 24-bit color .exe from the network.

Like I said, I used that 256 colors. But it didn't work. How would I go about getting Dink pallette? Would I have to use something other than paint? *begins downloading photo shop 7*

I had eight...but it didn't work on windows me.

download the dink palette movie by Redink1!

Yeah, but you can also download IrfanView, grab the palette from an existing file and then apply it to any other image. Or you can download Ted's Tools & Toys which contains a palette file already.

I d/l Teds tools and toys. It has the pallets but I don't know how to put them into my adobe photo shop 7.0. (I just got it and I don't know how to do really anything on it. When I say I just got it...I mean I got it this morning.)

Well this past week was my highschools spring break. (I'm American. I don't know if other countries give spring break or not.) On my time off I had a lot of experimental time. I have figure out that whole pallete thing and have even made a loading screen and a title screen with all new buttons. I have completly changed it around to my liking so it will be something new when and if I ever come out with my D-mod. I have workded like a dog on scripts and was even writing some in school today when I finished my work early. I've gotten most of this stuff down now. The only real trouble I have is with warps. I haven't experimented with them though so that's why they are still hazy to me. I appreciate the help people! Thanks a lot. I'm going to try and make my first D-mod be fairly great. I mean, I am a perfectionest. So if I find an error I won't rest until it is fixed. *has been up many late nights* I haven't decided on a size. I'm guessing that an epic wouldn't be wise as a first D-mod...but who knows? There aren't very many epics on the download list. As soon as I figure out warps I can begin to use more of the mini-map quicker. Umm...I hope you guess enjoy it if it ever comes out. I will still probably come back for help in the future, so thanks for the help you have given me and any help you may give me in the future.

You can actually teach yourself a lot by actually looking at examples of similar things in the original dink, not only at codes but what the sprites are set as in dinkedit.

Australians don't get spring break, but I guess we get too many holidays, In Western Australia We get about 40 week split into four terms with about 2 weeks of in between tho more around xmas. we get all of january off, We take advantage of public holidays and if they're on the weekend we give ourselves a public holiday the following weekdays so we actually get to make use of it.

It's interesting, I'm also working on my first DMod and don't want it to be cheap and crappy. I'm still not sure if Simon K is going to make my main character graphics because he's busy with other more important graphics. and I am so hopeless at Blender that I doubt I'll eva be able to make anything with it. I am good at adapting so if I bother I could prob learn it but even the BlendTut is not particularly helpful. *sigh*

Oh yeah. Blender. Not the easiest thing to learn on your own. I too tried to tutorial to no avail. I messed around a little but never figured out how to do it. Luckily for me though, I have based my story around Dink. So that made it easier because I don't need a new character. Though it would be nice to know Blender so that I could put new sprites in the game. Same ones over and over are quite repetitive. I am having fun selecting midis, but my western taste in music may not be the same as most of the people that will be playing. Which I am making the assumption they are mostly from the Eastern Hemisphere. *Is thinking mostly Europe.* I just hear a lot of complaints on other peoples dmods that the music was bad. So hopefully people will enjoy what I have in store for them.

Good luck Kmaikl on your first D-mod. Maybe we can help each other out in the future.

Hmm, though not strictly relevant, I've been toying with a "My First D-mod" sort of tutorial. One that comes with a few generic scripts, and tutorial on mapping and essentially everything you need to know to make a (very) simple d-mod.

Mind you, if it's like most of my ideas it will simply vanish into the ether, never to return...

Haha. I have figured out a lot of things on here. Scripting is a lot easier than I thought. I have always caught on quick to things though. Guitar only took me half a year and I became the best in my school where people have been playing for five years or more. Dmod making is fairly simple and I always go over things to make sure I didn't error that way I don't have to find the file I messed up by going through all of my scripts and things. Go over them two or three times, test each script before forgetting about it and make sure it always works. Time consuming, but can also save a lot of time.