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Newcomers DBPro Corner / New to Dark Basic, advice/pointers please.

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Kaboooom2000uk
15
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Joined: 1st Aug 2009
Location: England, United Kingdom
Posted: 2nd Aug 2009 06:33
Hello, I purchased Dark Basic Studio, and comes with DBpro. Im not used to the whole coding thing, but I will try and explain what I wish to do.

I have used game creation tools in the past such as Click and Play and The Games Factory from Clickteam, While simple to use they had their limitations.

I want to create an RPG, on the lines of deus ex, or FF7, I need a very big inventory for the player as I am going to have a lot of items and things in it. also the maps are going to be huge. So idealy the player needs some kind of map to navigate.

Im familiar to the machine code subroutines, and have used basic on the BBC micro before, but this looks new and the trouble is im not knowledgeable on the codes or the correct methods of structuring a program, If i learn I would like to do it properly, rather than the short route. (if such a way exists)

I have checked out some of the tutorials included with the CDrom, and the effects would make a nice game, if only i knew how to implement it.

Story, i have the whole thing in my head, and have a good idea how i want it to look like, Id love to make it 3D if possible, but 2D would still be a step forward in terms of practice.

If i sucseed to create a game, is it easy to complile the game to a CD, is there an option to make an installer?

Regards
Adam
Softwizz
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Location: U.K.
Posted: 2nd Aug 2009 13:02 Edited at: 2nd Aug 2009 13:05
I dont play RPG's I am more of a FPS person myself
For the inventory I would expect you would use an array.
A navigation map is easily done, check the screenshot out in this post:
http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=153609&b=6
The small map in the top right is the sort of thing you could use (could be set up to show fullscreen from the inventory if the player had a map item)

Look at the codesnippets thread in the forum
Look at the codebase:
http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=codebase_list
Look at the newsletters:
http://www.thegamecreators.com/?gf=newsletter
http://www.thegamecreators.com/?gf=newsletter_backissues

My method is to start by coding the actual world in DBPro then add each part in turn, searching the forums and above links for a solution to 1 problem at a time.
So you could start with the first link I gave you and build your world on that if you plan on using 3D.
I would start with a smaller test version first, small map, not very big inventory etc....

Nothing to see here, move along please.
Kaboooom2000uk
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Joined: 1st Aug 2009
Location: England, United Kingdom
Posted: 2nd Aug 2009 21:27
Ok Softwizz thanks for your reply, sounds like a good first step. I will check out the first link, and let you know if I have any problems. A 3d world would be great, 2d is a bit dated, but some of my faveourite strategy games are 2D, was hoping to add a bit of action and RPG and strategy.

With the code, can you add it anywhere in the program, or does it need some kind of structure, id like something i can expand on later if I want to add more items, or weapons etc, or npcs.

Il have a play, best get my world sorted out first. Is there any limitations on world size? I have an 8 core machine, so id like to make somthing and put it to the test.
Kaboooom2000uk
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Location: England, United Kingdom
Posted: 2nd Aug 2009 21:56 Edited at: 2nd Aug 2009 23:24
I tested the map code snippet, with minimap, look just what im looking for... I have a few questions,

1. If I apply a texture to the map, Will the texture show up in the minimap, im assuming it will, as its a camera. (It does...)

2. Is there a way to translate the player movement into real world distances? Id like to add a cordinate system, but make it relaistic in terms of distance. would i need to first scale my player model then, scale the world around it? (unresolved)

thanks for info so far.
Kaboooom2000uk
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Location: England, United Kingdom
Posted: 2nd Aug 2009 23:23
I have played with the texture command, and im at a good stage with the map, I found a grass texture i used, and after a while i got it to scale correlty.

The code so far looks like this:


I used grass.bmp, but can be anything...

Next im gonna add a skybox, and possibly some fog.

If you have any other advice let me know. Does this seem to be the right way to proceed?
Softwizz
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Posted: 3rd Aug 2009 03:28 Edited at: 3rd Aug 2009 03:35
Howdy.
It seems like the correct way to proceed, you have already started experimenting with the code and altering it to suit your needs.

Regarding your question:
Quote: "2. Is there a way to translate the player movement into real world distances?"

I cant help, scale is something i havent mastered yet.
The only advice I can give now is dont forget to make your RPG.
Also I would get 'sparkys collision dll' as it makes collisions easier and more accurate.
http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=74762&b=5

Check this out, SKYBOX!:


heres the code:


The skybox is attached to the post (download button, bottom right)

Nothing to see here, move along please.

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Kaboooom2000uk
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Posted: 3rd Aug 2009 10:20
that skybox looks so cool! Thanks so much for getting it to work. Its pretty much what I wanted the enviroment to look like.

Collisions: Yes I did notice sometimes, the player becomes stuck at the edges of the map when they walk into them, May have to try that dll you mentioned, to get rid of that minor annoyance, hopfully.

Hmm, I suppose the next thing im going to need is some kind of subsystem for the character, so we can actualy start doing somthing useful. Maybe a HUD showing health, armour, and expereince and level number.

Id like to use a simmilar thing ive seen in other games, (S.P.E.C.I.A.L.) So the player will have to level up to get stronger etc. They should have 7 points to spend at the start of the game, and gain additional points when they level up. The values could be used later to act as multiplers for damage etc, or speed. but im open to ideas.

Do most games follow a squared law for leveling up? for instance if it takes 1000 points to get to level 1, level 2 will need 2000, 3=4000, 4=8000 etc, or do you think it should be more linear?


I think now we have got the sky to work nicly, we can probaly work on the interface aspects.

Thanks Softwizz so far for your generous help.
Softwizz
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Posted: 3rd Aug 2009 15:27 Edited at: 3rd Aug 2009 15:29
Hey
I tried fog, doesnt look so good but you dont need the skybox if you use fog


Quote: "Do most games follow a squared law for leveling up? for instance if it takes 1000 points to get to level 1, level 2 will need 2000, 3=4000, 4=8000 etc, or do you think it should be more linear?"


I suppose whoever makes the game decides how the player advances through it.

If you are interested in making an RPG then have a look here:
http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=codebase_search&global=true&ca=&la=2&ma=50&te=rpg&sc=summary&p=

It should help you out more than i can, I am still learning myself.

Nothing to see here, move along please.
Softwizz
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Posted: 3rd Aug 2009 15:39
Forgot to say, the trees came from this tutorial in the newsletters, I just used the code and models from that tutorial.
I am looking into using heightmaps to shape the terrain, this is also in this tutorial:


http://www.thegamecreators.com/data/newsletter/newsletter_issue_28.html#17

Nothing to see here, move along please.
Kaboooom2000uk
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Posted: 3rd Aug 2009 18:57
The fog gives it an interesting appearence, I do like it, it seems to make the players vision much more limited, which in some instances is desireable. I like it because it adds a certain element of the unknown to the game.

Can a value be used to control how the fog appears? like can it be set to become more or less opaque, so the sykbox becomes more dominant, and get the fog to still be in the code, but just vary its intensity? kind of like a dimmer switch, dont know if that can be done.

Regarding the game, I think a squared leveling system would be good. Should make the game more of a challenge to play.

Would you know much about HUDs? for the player and if so where I could find some info? cheers.

I will try to add the code for the fog myself and see if i get any where close to your achievement. And also il take a look at the RPG section today so hopfully, I can at least get some kind of frontend created.

The game really needs a menu, do i need to create this seperatly, becuase the code my map uses is growing and growing? possibly getting a little untidy so I'd like to make the map and the menu in different parts, but still use them in the same game?? let me know your feelings on that.

Also how is the layout of my, or should I say the borrowed code? is there any usefull tips u can suggest for clearing up the main loop, and functions, and declarations.... that way it would be easier for me to add parts, and get them to work easily, as ive noticed that code is sensitive on where it is placed.

Kind regards

Adam
Daniel TGC
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Posted: 4th Aug 2009 01:29
10 free video tutorials at www.darkprinciples.com

Kaboooom2000uk
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Location: England, United Kingdom
Posted: 7th Aug 2009 09:32
OK just to update the situation, I have discovered DarkGDK, If offers a nice reference guide, and I am learning that way.

I am recoding the original game for use on DarkGDK

(game seems to load much quicker too?)

This pretty much ends my activity on this post, so can be locked. Thanks for all the help. esp Softwizz thanks for showing me the ropes!
Emphasoft
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Posted: 8th Aug 2009 22:48
I believe, if you search "dark noobs" it will turn up an RPG game that a group of new users are making together.

Salvation and Sickness are in every heart. Death and Deliverance are in every hand.
-Orson Scott Card

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