Quote

Originally posted by clam 2000:
**This is sorta off topic but...

The mascot guide which every 3-4 months gets remade is a mess, :frown: I am saying this because I have four different copys and none of them have everything I need. Because I don't want to type something like that from scratch I am going to try to combine all of the guides into one monster guide (probably in simple text format because it is already like that but I guess i could change it.) In this guide I will try to put in some features that are missing including:
- Tile IDs 200 = water and so on
- Examples or pictures for hard to understand concepts
- anything else people post here to tell me to add

**

I'm kind of building one from scratch. I'm making an entire step-by-step manual (actually, most of it is done but handwritten from school - I have to spend the time typing it). There are also pictures of all the enemy tints, etc. I'll put up a link with a rough draft of it sometime soon.

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Visit The Search for Lezaref Website at (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/mulletsailors/")www.geocities.com/mulletsailors/(/url)
My favorite oxymorons: Jumbo Shrimp, Little Giants, and Microsoft Works!

I don't think an "ultra read-me" will ever contain everything there is to know about MASCOT. But I don't think one is necessary anyway. It is possible to fully use MASCOT with only the original provided read-me files. (Of course, there is some experimentation required)

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better
(url="http://"http://drtalll.tripod.com")Dr Tall Land(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by Bob the Mediocre:
**Anyone figure out how PixMids work? I think it has something to do with Level infos (8)-(10), but Purple Haze has 0 in those fields and has a PixMid.

**

As far as I can see info(8) is the res ID of the central strip of background, info(9) is the PixBack tile size (ie 128 or 192) and info(10) is the vertical position in pixels. They don't seem to refer to the PixMid at all.

I have made a level info lookup table from the original if it's of any use to anyone. Its on (url="http://"http://www.toolan.com/ferazel/lookup.html")www.toolan.com/ferazel/lookup.html(/url)

Liz the Wiz

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"I don't suffer from insanity,
I enjoy every minute of it."

(This message has been edited by lizwiz (edited 10-24-2001).)

(This message has been edited by lizwiz (edited 10-24-2001).)

My (insert supreme being(s) of choice)! A new member to the FW boards?? This cannot be!!! Lizwiz you are a sad mortal.......welcome to the boards.

And by the way, I think you spent waaaayyy to much time on that level chart although I must say it could be useful

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better
(url="http://"http://drtalll.tripod.com")Dr Tall Land(/url)

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 10-24-2001).)

Quote

Originally posted by Dr Tall:
**My (insert supreme being(s) of choice)! A new member to the FW boards?? This cannot be!!! Lizwiz you are a sad mortal.......welcome to the boards.
**

Thanks! I'm new to this addiction. I only got my full copy in June or thereabouts and had to play the whole thing before I started making my own.

Quote

And by the way, I think you spent waaaayyy to much time on that level chart although I must say it could be useful ;)(/B)

It was a case of needs must! I couldn't work out the backgrounds without it. Even now the scroll speeds have defeated me for the time being. Can anyone give me a clue on them please?

Liz the Wiz

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"I don't suffer from insanity,
I enjoy every minute of it."

Call me a pirate but I just copied an Ambrosia level and deleted all the sprites and tiles. I chose one with the background I wanted already put in it so I never messed with any of that weird stuff. Some of my levels have customized tileset ID's though.

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better
(url="http://"http://drtalll.tripod.com")Dr Tall Land(/url)

That table's really awesome! Do you mind if I include it in the MASCOT Guide I'm making?

P.S. Happy Birthday to me!

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Visit The Search for Lezaref Website at (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/mulletsailors/")www.geocities.com/mulletsailors/(/url)
My favorite oxymorons: Jumbo Shrimp, Little Giants, and Microsoft Works!

Quote

Originally posted by Dr Tall:
**Call me a pirate but I just copied an Ambrosia level and deleted all the sprites and tiles. I chose one with the background I wanted already put in it so I never messed with any of that weird stuff. Some of my levels have customized tileset ID's though.

**

I did that with most of my levels but I want to make a nearly square one which is quite large and it is begining to seriously tick me off that I can't work the thing out. I thought I had it sussed yesterday - but I was a mile out. :frown:
Oh well - back to the drawing board!

Liz the Wiz.

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"I don't suffer from insanity,
I enjoy every minute of it."

Quote

Originally posted by PCheese:
**That table's really awesome! Do you mind if I include it in the MASCOT Guide I'm making?

P.S. Happy Birthday to me!

**

Glad you like it You're welcome to put it in the guide. There's a couple of extra bits of info I am going to add however which are the parallax tile scroll speeds for each level. I'm hoping it will help sort out those unmentionable backgrounds.

Happy Birthday!

Liz the Wiz

PS I can let you have a copy in Excel if it would help.
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"I don't suffer from insanity,
I enjoy every minute of it."

(This message has been edited by lizwiz (edited 10-25-2001).)

I'm just wondering why this topic died...it seems to have valuable information in it.

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better
(url="http://"http://drtalll.tripod.com")Dr Tall Land(/url)

Yes defiantly a good topic, no, a great topic created by a true visionary. This topic was meant as an area for specific questions, comments and advice. All feel free to respond to my ancient questions:

What do you wish you could do, but can't? (Due to lack of knowledge)

Why do you make levels?

What are your opinions on dificulty? Do you side with the OBW and Dr.Tall belief or spamguy and Zelda's logic?

Any comments on what makes a beautiful level?

Any comments on what makes a fun level?

How important is plot to you?

Page Two contains spamguy's response and some discussion my comparison between OBW and Dr. Tall.

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Bushes are nice 'cause they don't have prickers -- unless they do. This one did. Ouch! -Ralph Wiggum
Extemporaneous since November 2, 2000
Download (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/dl-redirect.pl?path=ferazel/addons&file;=Extemporaneous.sit.hqx")Extemporaneous 0.5(/url) for Ferazel's Wand.
Visit the (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/emudevelopers/ferazel.html")Extemporaneous Website(/url).

Quote

Originally posted by Emperor Ent:
**
<snip>
**

I wish I could make really complicated conversations and I wish I knew how to use Permflags. (Anyone willing to make documentaton for that? )

I make levels be cause to me, it is as fun or even more fun making the levels as it is to play them.

Beautiful levels are Ben-levels. Nice BG tiles, good use of a varitety of FG ties, and not too much/ too little.

Fun levels have interesting conversations, they are challenging, but not impossible, and they use mascot to its full potential. Good levels make ferazel make decisions

Difficuly should start out easy and simple and gradually get harder.

Plot is very, very important to me (This is why EVN is going to rock :D) The best way to tell the plot is by means of conversations, which is why good dialogue is essential to a good FW world.

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Check out my website: (url="http://"http://www.light.aftran.com")light.aftran.com(/url) for Orthographic Universe, MacBrickout levels, and much more!
"The box said Windows 95 or better, so I bought a mac."

Quote

Posted by cat99:
Permflags. (Anyone willing to make documentaton for that?

Unnnnn.....swooping.....Dr Tall....rescue....

(cheesy sales clerk voice)Consider a permflag to be a global variable. Its name is a number as is its value. Yes, this is just to confuse you!

You may have ANY number of permflags. The MASCOT read-me would have you belive otherwise but Dr Tall Land uses 29 different permflags.

A permflag may have any non-negative integer as its value. By default, a permflag is either 0 or 1, I forget at this moment. You really don't need to know anyway, just use "2" as your "on" value. Permflags may be used as many times as needed. All of Dr Tall Land's military ranks are stored in one permflag.

SETTING A PERMFLAG:

Option 1:

Place a permflag sprite in the world.
info (0): Permflag ID
info (1): New permflag value

This causes the permflag to be set to that value when the player enters the boundary of that sprite. I am unclear as to if it is then destroyed, or if the permflag sprite can set the flag as many times as it wants. That would be a bad mistake to make so leave critical permflags in one-time visit only areas.

Option 2:

Conversation permflags.
command: 5
arg1: Permflag ID
arg2: New permflag value.

The MASCOT readme would have you belive that you may use command "4" to set permflags as well. THIS IS NOT A PERMFLAG. As far as I can tell, command "4" flags are non-global flags. NEVER use them. Please. It will make everyone's life easier.

Any time this conversation line runs, the permflag will be set to this value.

RECALLING PERMFLAGS:

There is only one way to recall permflag values:

command: 5
arg1: Permflag ID
arg2: Value?

If permflag value=arg2, the boolean is true. There is no "equal to or greater than" command or the like.

If it isn't clear to you, a permflag cannot do anything without a conversation to call it. Therefore, if you want a permflag to open a barrier, you have to make a person for Ferazel to talk to.

Forgetting your permflag uses could lead to total flames and distruction. MAKE A LIST of every permflag and its function. Trust me, you don't want to use the same permflag twice.(/cheesy sales clerk voice)

Good day, citizen!

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better
(url="http://"http://drtalll.tripod.com")Dr Tall Land(/url)

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 01-03-2002).)

Quote

Originally posted by cat99:
**Beautiful levels are Ben-levels. Nice BG tiles, good use of a varitety of FG ties, and not too much/ too little.

**

Beautiful levels are my levels, he braged. When OBW is relesed, you can see why I said that...

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"A game can only be late a month once, but it can suck forever."

• Ben Spees
  "For as long as I can remember, I've had memories."
• Colin Mochrie, Who's Line is it Anyway?

Just thought I would revive this topic for the new level creators.

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Unlikely, sir. They spell and pronounce their names differently. -- Mr. Smithers
Extemporaneous since November 2, 2000
Download (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/dl-redirect.pl?path=ferazel/addons&file;=Extemporaneous.sit.hqx")Extemporaneous 0.5(/url) for Ferazel's Wand.
Visit the (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/emudevelopers/ferazel.html")Extemporaneous Website(/url).

I'm having some trouble linking teleportors. I followed the instruction i'm supposed to do but they don't connect. Help?

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Always remember this. All murderers, no matter how cruel and evil, only have blood on their hands. Not in their heart -Me
(url="http://"http://www.gameranger.com")GameRanger--Sß-Overrider720(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.boardgame.f2s.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard//ikonboard.cgi")BoardGame(/url) | (url="http://"http://www.magleague.com")MaG League- Overrider(/url)
The Underdogs Smiles:(url="http://"http://community.theunderdogs.org/smiley/gallery.htm")Underdog Smiles(/url)
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Quote

Originally posted by Overrider720:
**I'm having some trouble linking teleportors. I followed the instruction i'm supposed to do but they don't connect. Help?

**

When you make a teleporter click on it so it's flashing then go to the menu sprites>edit sprite info.
In the top line it says Edit Sprite: Sprite #(n1) of (total number of sprites)
Make a note of the first number (n1).
Then make the second teleporter, click on it so it's flashing then go to the menu sprites>edit sprite info.
In the top line it says Edit Sprite: Sprite #(n2) of (total number of sprites)
Make a note of (n2) and then type (n1) into the box beside the line which says info (0).
Then go back to your first teleporter click on it so it's flashing then go to the menu sprites>edit sprite info.
enter the number (n2) into the box beside the line which says info (0).

Hope that helps,

CyberGran

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Insanity is heriditary,
You get it from your
children
Visit (url="http://"http://www.enfield-uk.co.uk")Cybergran's Homepage(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by Emperor Ent:
**Just thought I would revive this topic for the new level creators.

**

Naughty naughty!

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Remember: shoving protects you from the terrible secret of space! (1.18.02)

I see that lots of fools are still wasting their time making FW levels. Why? Why spend so many hours making levels that depend on a closed-source RSI-causing game for a pathetic closed-source unstable operating system? But if you must, why not make them (url="http://"http://opencontent.org/")OpenContent(/url)? I urge everyone: Get Linux! If you live in NYC, I could burn you a copy of (url="http://"http://www.yellowdoglinux.com")Yellow Dog Linux(/url).

Bah Humbug.

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"If we do nothing, new technologies will give the government new automatic surveillance capabilities that Stalin could never have dreamed of. The only way to hold the line on privacy in the information age is strong cryptography" - Phil Zimmermann
USE PGP! | (url="http://"http://www.pgpi.com")www.pgpi.com(/url)

Another soul lost...

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better
(url="http://"http://drtalll.tripod.com")Dr Tall Land(/url)