Progress Update Thread (formerly known as quest for glory 2)

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Erpy
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#51 Post by Erpy » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:34 pm

Nice analogies. But I bet for the average AGS user, your previous post wasn't nearly as confusing.  :lol

Basically, in AGS, you can add a "thing" to a room (such as an item, a plant, a guard, a flowing waterfall) by declaring it as a character or an object. On first sight, characters and objects are pretty much what you'd expect them to be, but beneath the surface, the engine handles them in a different way. (a major difference is that characters can move between rooms and objects are stuck to the room they're placed in) If a guard never moves and never speaks, you could consider making him an object. If your game has a moon in the sky that appears in multiple rooms and must be scaled manually ever so often (only characters can be scaled manually), you can make it a character while you'd expect a moon to be an object instead.

And Fluxmaster, that seems to be somewhat similar to the anchoring thing I mentioned. For instance, a brigand's idle animation might be 30 pixels wide, but if his dodging-west animation moves him 30 pixels to the left, displaying those frames would make the brigand skip 30 pixels to the east, sidestep to the west, sidestep back to the east, then skip back 30 pixels to the west. So what we do is simply add 30 pixels to the left side of his idle frames and put the brigand object 30 pixels to the west to even things out. This is an easy way to avoid the skipping-issue and requires less calculating than if something is anchored center. We don't need to keep his dodging-east frames in mind, because those automatically adapt.

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#52 Post by Erpy » Wed Aug 22, 2007 7:52 am

A few additional ones we're having to look into right now:

46) When battling 2 Raseir guards as a thief, I killed the 1st one and then as the 2nd one was still walking into position (he was in position, but had only just arrived and was still turning to face me) I threw a dagger which floored him. After that, he didn't get back up and the game was stuck in perpetual combat which I could not escape from. The guard that wouldn't stand up again still had a nearly full health bar.

66) If you're in the guild hall and rakeesh enters at night, he'll greet the hero by name, even if you have not talked to him previously.

79) Ride the saurus to the caged beast screen, then dismount. Walk over the northern dune and the saurus will disappear behind it. Same thing happens if you enter the screen over the same dune.

83) On GUI45 (store/drop money GUI), pressing the TAB key should switch between the 2 text fields. But make sure that it only does so when GUI45 is on and cannot interfere with anything else in the game, such as the TAB stats sheet.

90) While in the Raseir, alleys, if you press CTRL-R to view the map while there's an alley exit arrow hovering over one of the screen exits, the message about Shapeir and Raseir being mirror cities and using the map to view your location, appears in a borderless GUI instead of the proper text gui.

95) If you are sneaking and then fight the raseir guards and then finish the battle, the hero will be walking. Make sure he is reset to sneaking as soon as the scroll-up finishes.

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#53 Post by MacGyver » Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:51 am

Thanks for the status updates erpy.

I don't recall meeting Rakeesh at nite though. Must've missed out that one when I played the game.

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#54 Post by Erpy » Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:10 am

You don't really meet him in the way of getting to socialize. It's just that when you're inside the guild hall and sunset ticks over to night, Rakeesh comes walking in, says hi and Uhura chucks you out before closing "shop". In the original, shops and such remained open until you left.

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#55 Post by Klytos » Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:12 pm

Nice little addition to the gameworld.

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#56 Post by BrianR » Mon Aug 27, 2007 12:17 am

Can you tell us what the funnist bug has been so far?

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#57 Post by Erpy » Mon Aug 27, 2007 4:39 am

Hmmm, can't think of many funny ones. One memorable one was the fact that we ended up allowing the player to sell the dervish beard to Keapon multiple times. This was a well-known glitch (and exploit) in the original version, but we ended up implementing it too by accident. (it's no longer in there though)

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Funny glitch

#58 Post by Brainiac » Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:09 am

Erpy wrote:Hmmm, can't think of many funny ones. One memorable one was the fact that we ended up allowing the player to sell the dervish beard to Keapon multiple times. This was a well-known glitch (and exploit) in the original version, but we ended up implementing it too by accident. (it's no longer in there though)
Spoilsport.  That is funny, though.

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#59 Post by Erpy » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:32 am

Currently, we're busy moving through the alleyway system and testing it in combination with the encounters you have with the earth elemental there. Due to the "landmarks" AGD2 mentioned earlier, not every alley room is 100% compatible for a fight scene to take place. We've been moving through each alleyway room where Rocky can appear, summoning him there with the debug codes and testing if the combat initiation and combat itself play without oddities. If glitches do appear, we then make a decision to either block him from appearing in that room or if we tweak a few things to avoid said oddities.

Over the last few days, we've been through the earth elemental well over a hundred times already.

BTW, I've decided to rename this thread, since it's where we post most of these little snippits in.

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Iwanttobeahero
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i probly shouldnt even go here but

#60 Post by Iwanttobeahero » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:15 pm

how much longer is the cleanup phase gonna go on, is there any way to  judge even an approximate release date for Trial by Fire VGA? This month? Next month? November? Christmas?

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#61 Post by BrianR » Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:05 am

I am not a part of the team.  Although I bet it will be reased the day after it is done or maybe even the same day!  So good news!

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#62 Post by Erpy » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:38 am

I'm afraid there's no way to tell. We can tell people what we're working on from time to time, but we can't make estimations.

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#63 Post by Anonymous Game Creator 2 » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:43 am

Well, it won't be done by the time of the next equinox, but the following equinox could be promising. Hopefully beta testing will have well and truly started before the next solstice arrives, though.

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#64 Post by DonQuixote » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:37 pm

I would be more inclined to ask a "when" for another designer journal entry.  It's probably nice to see updates without having to dig through forums if one doesn't visit this page often or is just coming to it for the first time.

The forums are where I look, but I know most people won't go that far for whatever reason.

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#65 Post by Iwanttobeahero » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:47 am

youll probly think im a dork for this but the scene i wana see the improved version of is shema dancing...im and oddball i guess *shrugs*

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#66 Post by haradan » Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:04 am

Actually, you're not alone, since this particular petition has been made before. A cat-fetiche? Go figure.

On the other hand, the game is PRACTICALLY finished, so there's no point in asking for improvements or enhancements anymore (you just missed that thread for 4 years or so  :p ).

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#67 Post by ciborium » Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:43 pm

Anonymous Game Creator 2 wrote:Well, it won't be done by the time of the next equinox, but the following equinox could be promising. Hopefully beta testing will have well and truly started before the next solstice arrives, though.
It would appear that AGC2 just bought the farm.
For those of you who missed it...
He gave the reply that everyone has been waiting for:
QFG2VGA will not be done by Sept. 21, 2007.
Beta testing should be started by Dec. 21, 2007.
QFG2VGA could be released by Mar. 21, 2008.

Not that they should be held to it at gunpoint or anything...
Just translating the reply for those who don't know and are too lazy to look up solstice and equinox.

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#68 Post by Anonymous Game Creator 2 » Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:48 pm

Heh, I was wondering when/if someone was going to read that deeply into it...or whether it would merely be dismissed as the ramblings of a lunatic.

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#69 Post by ciborium » Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:30 pm

Even the ramblings of lunatics carry an uncertain amount of truth.

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#70 Post by ejx982 » Thu Sep 06, 2007 9:52 pm

Anonymous Game Creator 2 wrote:
-There seems to be a few bugs when calming/dazzling multiple jackalmen when they are chasing you in the open desert. For example, I made it so 3 of them were chasing me. I immediately cast Dazzle so that they froze in a formation where all 3 jackals were arranged standing neatly in a single-file row, one behind each other.  No matter which jackal I cast Flame Dart at (making contact and dealing damage), it was always the last jackal that became un-Dazzled and started walking toward me, while the other two still remained frozen.  Rather, only the jackal that gets injured should be the one to unfreeze.
That's awesome!  To be able to dazzle/calm them all and throw flame darts.  What always confused me however, is I think dazzle should have a time duration.  If you "calm" someone, the instant you attack it should break the spell.  If you Dazzle someone, you blind them, and if you attack, they could still be blinded by the dazzle spell.  It would have been nice if the game had a "Saving Throw" or resistance check to see how long it would last.   A high power wizard with a high score of dazzle should be able to nearly keep someone under dazzle if their score is high enough.  Just my 2 cents though.

In addition, if you calm/dazzle a group of jacks, dart one, then enter close combat with 1, do the other group join in immediatly, do they join 1 by 1 as the calm/dazzle wears off, or once the battle ends do they attack?

Thanks,

ejx982

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#71 Post by gamecreator » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:28 pm

That last post by ejx982 made me wonder: how often do you have to play the first QfG to get an idea of where something comes from?  For example, if you need to know how the Dazzle spell works I'd guess it would also help to replay the first game and maybe Erasmus describes its origins/workings.  I mean, yeah, you can get most of it from QfG2 but maybe the first game would give some insight for these type of things.

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#72 Post by Erpy » Fri Sep 07, 2007 4:40 am

ejx982 wrote:
Anonymous Game Creator 2 wrote:
-There seems to be a few bugs when calming/dazzling multiple jackalmen when they are chasing you in the open desert. For example, I made it so 3 of them were chasing me. I immediately cast Dazzle so that they froze in a formation where all 3 jackals were arranged standing neatly in a single-file row, one behind each other.  No matter which jackal I cast Flame Dart at (making contact and dealing damage), it was always the last jackal that became un-Dazzled and started walking toward me, while the other two still remained frozen.  Rather, only the jackal that gets injured should be the one to unfreeze.
That's awesome!  To be able to dazzle/calm them all and throw flame darts.  What always confused me however, is I think dazzle should have a time duration.  If you "calm" someone, the instant you attack it should break the spell.  If you Dazzle someone, you blind them, and if you attack, they could still be blinded by the dazzle spell.  It would have been nice if the game had a "Saving Throw" or resistance check to see how long it would last.   A high power wizard with a high score of dazzle should be able to nearly keep someone under dazzle if their score is high enough.  Just my 2 cents though.

In addition, if you calm/dazzle a group of jacks, dart one, then enter close combat with 1, do the other group join in immediatly, do they join 1 by 1 as the calm/dazzle wears off, or once the battle ends do they attack?

Thanks,

ejx982
The dazzle spell also has a spell duration where it wears off after a while (dependent on the spell skill), but in addition to that attacking said monster causes them to advance again towards you. But unlike calm, dazzle can be casted multiple times. (truth be told, I already think it's one bloody cheap spell without the added ability to freeze a monster in place for an extended period of time)

And dazzle effects don't get carried over into battle...meaning all jacks can see you when combat does get initiated and once the pursuing jackal gets into range, all will join in the fun.

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#73 Post by ejx982 » Sun Sep 09, 2007 2:42 am

The dazzle spell also has a spell duration where it wears off after a while (dependent on the spell skill), but in addition to that attacking said monster causes them to advance again towards you. But unlike calm, dazzle can be casted multiple times. (truth be told, I already think it's one bloody cheap spell without the added ability to freeze a monster in place for an extended period of time)

And dazzle effects don't get carried over into battle...meaning all jacks can see you when combat does get initiated and once the pursuing jackal gets into range, all will join in the fun.
So you are saying multiple castings of Dazzle stack?  So if I cast it 3x, I can throw 3 flame darts before the enemy will attack?  Or perhaps you mean that once you cast calm on a location, you can't cast calm again?

What you say does make sense, Dazzle if you think about it should cause a character to not attack or defend.  It still should be able to run at you.  This would make more sense, as the wizard could then hit him w/ a zapped dagger spell, or an office spell with a clear opening.

ejx982

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#74 Post by Erpy » Sun Sep 09, 2007 8:31 am

Goodness gracious, no. That would be too cheap a strategy.

It means it works on monsters who've been damaged, unlike calm which only takes effect if no violent actions have taken place yet. (which means casting calm a second time will work if you waited for it to run out)

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#75 Post by RoBBiE » Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:23 pm

Hi y'all. From time to time I check this forum, and I'm glad you guys are still working on the game. Keep up the good work!

Sidenote: I surfed a bit and found this gamedescription, about a QFG1 remake in progress.
Quote on: -------
As a refugee from the North, you escape your law troubles by fleeing to the mountains. While in the mountains, you hear of a Valley called Spielburg, where the local Steward Baron has recently died, sending the town into turmoil. You feel that this is a new place where you can set up shop... to perform your nefarious deeds....

Play as three separate characters classes, with three separate stories depending on the class chosen.

- Play as the brigand, a brute who uses strength to steal what he needs, and relies on power and force to gain affluence.
- Play as the assassin, a lithe and cunning individual, who uses his skill with weapons to kill anyone he or his client wishes.
- Play as the sorcerer, a master of the Dark Arts that uses his skills to dominate his will over all others.

Gain influence as your "evil" points rise.

-------- /quote

Sounds nice doesn't it? See you later.

Robbie  :smokin

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