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FPSC Classic Product Chat / Possible to build separate exe's and combine them into one game?

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TerrorNation
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Posted: 22nd Mar 2010 20:52
Is it possible to build different levels into different games and link them together into one game?
chidem
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Posted: 22nd Mar 2010 21:07
Can you be more specific about what you're trying to accomplish?

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TerrorNation
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Posted: 22nd Mar 2010 21:14
Let's say, because of the FPSC RAM cap, I cannot build my whole game into one exe file. However, you can overcome this by building lots of smaller exe files. I was just wondering if you could link them all together somehow.
Kravenwolf
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Posted: 22nd Mar 2010 21:26
So, for example, you make three levels seperate builds, and after the player beats the first level, the second .exe automatically runs?

Kravenwolf

TerrorNation
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Posted: 22nd Mar 2010 21:49
Yes, just like that.
chidem
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Posted: 22nd Mar 2010 22:13
Best way to do it is this - let's say you have a 9 level game that won't build. First build a game that contains 9 placeholder levels - i.e. levels with a single segment room and nothing else. The only one of these levels that is important is level 1 - this needs to contain EVERY segment, entity, etc, that appears in the game. It doesnt need lighting but it does need every peice of media that appears. Once you've done this build this project - this is your master file.

Then create three build games, each continaing three levels from your final project. In your master file delete ALL the place holder levels (they appear in the level bank as zip files) - copy levels 1, 2 and 3 over from build game 1. In build game 2 rename the level files to level 4, 5 and 6 and copy them to the master file. Then in build game 3 rename the level files 7, 8, 9 - copy these into the master file. You can now delete build games 1-3. The master file will now contain your complete nine level game.

Hope this helps

Pioneering: Explore the Early American West - Website: http://www.thehistoryforge.com
TerrorNation
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Posted: 22nd Mar 2010 23:04 Edited at: 22nd Mar 2010 23:34
What do you mean by nine 'single segment' areas?

EDIT: I understand what you mean, but why do there have to be 8 empty levels and one with all the media?
Hockeykid
DBPro Tool Maker
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 00:50
Quote: "Best way to do it is this - let's say you have a 9 level game that won't build. First build a game that contains 9 placeholder levels - i.e. levels with a single segment room and nothing else. The only one of these levels that is important is level 1 - this needs to contain EVERY segment, entity, etc, that appears in the game. It doesnt need lighting but it does need every peice of media that appears. Once you've done this build this project - this is your master file."


Why not combine the files folder from the 3 builds?

raymondlee306
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 01:35
I actually do this. But I use a separate program called gamemaker. I started using it before I discovered FPSC and DarkBasic pro. I use it to create large games with infinite levels. For example if I had a cop game, I make a screen that looks like a police station and then program a mouse click in the room (like on a computer or door) to take me to the different FPS.exe files that I want the player to play. (kind of like complicated high end web page) Using both programs I can have as many levels and game mechanics I can think of without modding the source code of FPSC. I don't know if this can be done simply using DB pro but it would sure save external programming time if it could.
Bugsy
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 01:40
wow, that could be how I could get WWC to play! in theory?


raymondlee306
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 01:47
My main method is in "room 1" there is a link to "game1.exe" that was created in FPSC. When the player clicks the link to start the game "room 1" changes to "room 2" behind the scenes. When the final winzone of game1.exe is hit, it brings the player back to what he thinks is the same room but now the link starts game2.exe. Done with creative storytelling and some slight of hand animations the player doesn't even know that he is playing separate FPSC games.
BlackFox
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 01:48 Edited at: 23rd Mar 2010 04:21
Quote: "I actually do this. But I use a separate program called gamemaker. I started using it before I discovered FPSC and DarkBasic pro. I use it to create large games with infinite levels. For example if I had a cop game, I make a screen that looks like a police station and then program a mouse click in the room (like on a computer or door) to take me to the different FPS.exe files that I want the player to play. (kind of like complicated high end web page) Using both programs I can have as many levels and game mechanics I can think of without modding the source code of FPSC. I don't know if this can be done simply using DB pro but it would sure save external programming time if it could. "


We've done something similar. We wrote a GUI interface for one of our games. User can choose which "section" to load via the button in the GUI. Each section has 5 levels each. Saves a lot of headaches.

Even went so far to place a trigger that displays a code at the end of section 1 level 5. Player can then select section 2 (level 1-5) and unlock via code they got in section 1 level 5. Each folder contains level 1-5 and accessible only via the GUI interface.

So many ways to do it. All in the imagination and working with build issues.

Cheers

Mike

raymondlee306
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 01:50
This could also be done with a simple html script that instead of opening a link to a web page, it would run the game.exe files. Combine a few web pages that are stored in the game folder and you could create a ton of possibilities.
raymondlee306
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 01:51
Great Idea black fox.
Bugsy
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 04:14
I like the whole "combine the files folder" Idea.


TerrorNation
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 18:53
How would it help though? I don't understand this placeholder thing.
chidem
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 19:23
Quote: "Why not combine the files folder from the 3 builds?"


That's exactly what I said to do - except you need to have at least one level using all the media, otherwise you will get lots of white textures.

Quote: "My main method is in "room 1" there is a link to "game1.exe" that was created in FPSC. When the player clicks the link to start the game "room 1" changes to "room 2" behind the scenes. When the final winzone of game1.exe is hit, it brings the player back to what he thinks is the same room but now the link starts game2.exe. Done with creative storytelling and some slight of hand animations the player doesn't even know that he is playing separate FPSC games. "


This method would work fine but it would not allow you to carry number of lives from one build to the next, or weapons accumulated which would limit the scope of your games somewhat. Does it also not mean you would have to load through a menu everytime a new build runs?

Quote: "How would it help though? I don't understand this placeholder thing. "


The reason I didn't explain it is because the explanation is time consuming - why don't you just try it instead? OK - when you build a game you create a single file that contains most of your textures, etc - if you were to build a game and add in new levels then any entity or segment that was not in the initial build would appear textureless.

So, when you can't build a game I suggest instead building one with as many levels as you want - but these levels are just there to tell the final game how many there will be. I.E They're place holders. Don't put anything in them other than a single unlit segment. The only level that needs things in this build is level one which should contain ALL media that will appear in the game.

Once this game is build then build your levels one at a time, or build small games with 1-3 levels and then swap them into the first build. Delete the junk levels (i.e. the place holders) and put in the new levels you wany.

Voilla - complete multi-level game.

This would help because FPSC should be able to build every level individually. It will certainly be able to build a 50 level game containing very basic junk or place hold levels. All you are doing then is combining the two.

My advice is to try it - just follow the instructions one step at a time.

1) Build game with X number of levels. One of these must contain all elements/segments that will appear in the game

2) Go into the level bank of this game and delete ALL levels

3) Build individual games that contain one of your game's levels (or a small number of those levels). I.e. Build a game but only include level one. The build another with level two. Then another with level three. Continue until you have all your levels built.

4) Open the folder from your build of level one and place it in the level bank of the game created in step one. Then open the folder for the game containing level two. Go into the levelbank and rename the level from level1 to level2 (or whatever they are called) and copy this into the levelbank of the game created in step one. Repeat until you have all your levels in the game created in step one and you will have a complete game. Easy.

Pioneering: Explore the Early American West - Website: http://www.thehistoryforge.com
TerrorNation
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 19:27
Thanks chidem I will try this if I get any problems
Bugsy
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 19:56
or, just take build one, and build two, rename the .zip in level 2 to "level 2" (I think that) and drag the filed folder from level 2 into level 1.


chidem
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 21:06
Quote: "or, just take build one, and build two, rename the .zip in level 2 to "level 2" (I think that) and drag the filed folder from level 2 into level 1."


This will only if the level in build one contained all of the entities/segments/textures used in level 2 (and in all subsequent levels

Quote: "Thanks chidem I will try this if I get any problems "


Awesome, hope it works for you

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Bugsy
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 22:17
what about the imageblock? how does that work?


TerrorNation
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Posted: 23rd Mar 2010 22:24
Good point. I did think of that..
chidem
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Posted: 24th Mar 2010 00:06
Quote: "what about the imageblock? how does that work?"


I believe that is the file that contains the entities/segments/textures, etc - that was the file I was refering to - that is why you need to build a game with one level which contains all your enties and segments - this will create an imageblock that will allow you to simply drop in the levels from other builds.

Pioneering: Explore the Early American West - Website: http://www.thehistoryforge.com
raymondlee306
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Posted: 24th Mar 2010 03:14
Quote: ""My main method is in "room 1" there is a link to "game1.exe" that was created in FPSC. When the player clicks the link to start the game "room 1" changes to "room 2" behind the scenes. When the final winzone of game1.exe is hit, it brings the player back to what he thinks is the same room but now the link starts game2.exe. Done with creative storytelling and some slight of hand animations the player doesn't even know that he is playing separate FPSC games. "

"This method would work fine but it would not allow you to carry number of lives from one build to the next, or weapons accumulated which would limit the scope of your games somewhat. Does it also not mean you would have to load through a menu every time a new build runs?""


You're correct. It does not work well with a pure linear game. And yes technically you do load from a level every time. But I try to do it so that the menu becomes part of the game (like the character has recieved a text message and the menu is his phone screen. by pressing reply he starts the next .exe)[/quote]
Dragon slayer
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Posted: 25th Mar 2010 02:21
I haven't been around game programming in a long time and never really got into FPSC very much but I am getting back into it and would like to do a remake of an old 80's dungeon game with fpsc and have been thinking about this.

So this game would have a town with guilds, inns, pubs, temples for healing and so on... and dungeons. The entrances to the dungeons would be in different areas of the town so say you go into a pub and ask for a beer and the barkeep says go into the cellar and tap me a keg, this could trigger another exe file with the dungeon levels for this dungeon which could also be 3 levels of dungeons. You go through the first level find stairs go down find the stairs to the third level go down etc... you work yourself back up to the second level and back up to the first level find the stairs out of the dungeon go up and this triggers the town exe which puts you back in the pub and then you can go outside and walk around town, get healed buy equipment and search for another dungeon.

Can it work this way?

Dragonslayer
denmengrel
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Posted: 29th Mar 2010 17:35
I was thinking the same way,Dragon slayer, except in a scifi setting. example: you start out in a space ship and depending on what you do, you exit the ship on different worlds.

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