--Log Opened--

This is the Progress Log for my set of levels Dr Tall Land

This will be like a traditional progress log except that you all can reply to it. I'm not really sure why you would reply to a progress log on a level set none of you have ever played but I'd just like to keep you informed about where I am. I will only update this periodically, when I upgrade my levels' version number.

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(NEW)-Dr Tall Land begins Devlopment in November of 2000
(NEW)-Log Opened
(Update)-28 Levels completed since November
(Update)-Devlopment version updated from 0.0.0 to 0.0.7 since November
(Status)-Devlopment is ? (aproximately equal to) 30% finished
(Status)-I hope to be finished with development by June
(NEW)-Rough draft of the Read Me file finished on 2/1/01

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 02-01-2001).)

Obviously not much has happened but I've just set some longer range goals for my set. These figures are very expansive and I am hoping I can clear my goals with flying colors.

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(Status)-Long term goal: Hope to finish Alpha Testing by August 2001
(Status)-Long term goal: Hope to finish Beta Testing by October 2001
(Status)-Longer term goal: Hope to have the finished product released by 2002
(FIX)-Removed all references to beer

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 07-25-2001).)

Just wondering, how many levels do you estimate there will be?

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“I do remain confident in Linda. She'll make a fine labor secretary. From what I've read in the press accounts, she's perfectly qualified..” -- George W. Bush
“I hope the ambitious realize that they are more likely to succeed with success as opposed to failure.” -- G.W. Bush
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(url="http://"http://www.opposeashcroft.com/")http://www.opposeashcroft.com/(/url)

Right now I have 28 levels. Now while that number seems quite large, it's becuase my levels are not quite as complex as the game's original levels. My levels were once described by one of my friends as "kind of liner". However my levels make up for their linerness by the immense amount of back-tracking you have to do once you qcquire certain items, but I digress. I am about 66% done with placing levels so I estimate I'll have around 45 levels once I'm finished. The figure for development being at 30% is because as of now my levels are devoid of scenery.

Also some updates:
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(NEW)-Level #31 Completed, bring my level total to 29
(Status)-Upgraded to Development Version 0.0.8 upon completion of the Castle Realm
(Status)-Development is about 35% complete
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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 02-03-2001).)

I had a lull in my creation process to open my Ezboard community. But I digress. I'm back on track and have just finished a level that I deem "most devious". Have you ever seen an exploding rock avalanche? I didn't think so
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(NEW)-Finished Level #11 but my level count remains 28 because levels 11 and 21 though not created were counted accidently because they were placed on the map.
(Status)-Level 11 marks the first level of the Desert Realm, the 5th Realm you enter

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better
Visit my EzBoard Community: (url="http://"http://pub51.ezboard.com/bdrtallland")Dr Tall Land(/url)

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 02-21-2001).)

Things would be going along nicely but I'm sick :frown: achoo! I did manage to finish another level but I can't even remember half of it.

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(NEW)-Finished Level #32 brining the level count to 29
(Status)-I'm sick :frown:

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better
Visit my EzBoard Community: (url="http://"http://pub51.ezboard.com/bdrtallland")Dr Tall Land(/url)

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 02-10-2001).)

Things are better now. I'm no longer sick and my newest level is even more evil than my last. Well I guess thats a matter of opinion because I did look back through my last level and it is pretty good.

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(NEW)-Finished level #33 bringing the level count to 30
(Status)-I am no longer sick

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better
Visit my EzBoard Community: (url="http://"http://pub51.ezboard.com/bdrtallland")Dr Tall Land(/url)

Uh-oh it happened! One of my levels is too evil. My level #34 continually freezes Ferazel's Wand and causes the computer to crash pretty hard. Could anyone tell me what causes this. In brief the level is totally submerged but the player starts in an area not covered completely by water. The game freezes when the celing raises and the entire area is filled with water.

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(TQ)-(Technical Question) :eek: See above
(NTQ)-(Non-Technical Question) As long as I have one question I have another now too: when applying copyright information to my read me file, do Ambrosia Inc. and Ben Speece's copyrights read Š2000 or Š2000-2001? I'm not sure because, while Ferazel was released and copyrighted in 2000, my levels are using them in 2001.

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 02-22-2001).)

They're Ambrosias and Ben Spees', right? Then they would read 2000. If you use a copyright (you should) it will read 2001.

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Your pet poodle is flying loop-de-loops over my microchips! The poodle is coming! The poodle is coming! (Don't ask )

Quote

Originally posted by Dr Tall:
My level #34 continually freezes Ferazel's Wand and causes the computer to crash pretty hard.

I have had something like this happen to me, in one of my levels there was a pillar of lava, but Ferazel would freeze whenever he touched it. I don't know what caused it.

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Capatilism- You can't get ahead without stepping on people. In fact, it's pretty hard to stay in the same place without stepping on a few people.

Quote

Posted by AVN:
They're Ambrosias and Ben Spees', right? Then they would read 2000. If you use a copyright (you should) it will read 2001

Arg not again! It's Ben Spees's not Ben Spees'. ANY singluar possesive noun in English ends in 's. A plural possesive noun ends in 's unless it ends in s already. In that case you put a ' after the existing s. Since Ben Spees is single- ahem singular, his name ends in 's Ok I'm better now. I believe my copyright is 2000-2001 because I started work in November 2000 or is that not how it works?

Bob the Mediocre, I believe I might have figured it out. I think the game gets overloaded if the entire screen in convered in a liquid. Be that because the bubbles get to be too many or because Ferazel's Wand doesn't like me too much I don't know but I think you must always have some sort of division wall. Either way I've scrapped that level :frown:

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 02-23-2001).)

I've just purchased SnapzPro so I plan on making a few teaser movies of my level set. Oh by the way, if you think you should buy a game or utility because of Sharware Amnesty, don't be fooled, you have to click under that link and follow some fanfare before you get your price cut. I am being charged $40 for SnapzPro (Shaft!) so Ambrosia your evil marketing stragety to still make money worked. I'm going to go offline now and play Mars Rising, or perhaps EVO, or maybe even Ferazel's Wand.

OK I'm better.
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(Status)-Level #34 Scrapped see above for bug
(Status)-Will be releasing teaser movies shortly unless Ambrosia decides to shaft me again
(P.S.)-No matter how badly (take notes AVN: badly is an adverb while bad is an adjective ;)) you treat me Ambrosia, I'll always love your games

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 02-23-2001).)

Quote

Originally posted by Dr Tall:
Oh by the way, if you think you should buy a game or utility because of Sharware Amnesty, don't be fooled, you have to click under that link and follow some fanfare before you get your price cut. I am being charged $40 for SnapzPro (b)(Shaft!) so Ambrosia your evil marketing stragety to still make money worked./B)

Just wondering, what do you mean by “fanfare”?

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“You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.” -- George W. Bush

Quote

Originally posted by Dr Tall:
**Arg not again! It's Ben Spees's not Ben Spees'. ANY singluar possesive noun in English ends in 's. A plural possesive noun ends in 's unless it ends in s already. In that case you put a ' after the existing s. Since Ben Spees is single- ahem singular, his name ends in 's
**

Remember that correcting grammar and spelling really goes against the Ambrosia board rules. You can check the Ambrosia board etiquette by clicking on the link that appears at the top of the page when you post. We're not here for an English lesson. Informative as it was.

---Zelda

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All I know is that wherever Ben goes, great software follows--Merciless

(This message has been edited by Zelda (edited 02-23-2001).)

I'm sure my English teacher would be proud that no one cares about English grammar.
Don't worry though, my friends tell me to shut up all the time about grammar too. But I don't feel bad (adj.) about it because their slams don't hurt me badly (adv.).

Oh and you can't end a sentence with a preposition yet the following is a gramatically correct sentence:

I asked my friend, "Where did you put it at?"

The reason that sentence is correct is because a preposition must have a prepositional phrase behind it. In the above sentence the word at does not have a phrase behind it. It therefore modifies the verb did, making it an adverb. If you're still in doubt you'll kindly notice it answers the adverb question "where". The other adverb questions are why, when, how, and how many. No wonder I scored a 99.5% on my end of the year English test last year.

Anyone else have any English questions? But I digress, back to work!
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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

(This message has been edited by Dr Tall (edited 02-23-2001).)

Well I'm back to work now lol and I've spent some time making the read me file better. I need some questions for the FAQ so if anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate them.

PS: If I've already thought of the question you submit don't worry because I won't get mad. That's what the F in FAQ stands for right? F is for frequently and nothing else.

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

Quote

Originally posted by Dr Tall:
**I'm sure my English teacher would be proud that no one cares about English grammar.;)
Don't worry though, my friends tell me to shut up all the time about grammar too. But I don't feel bad (adj.) about it because their slams don't hurt me badly (adv.).

--Dr. Tall's English Lesson Part 2 (snipped)--

**

I didn't say that no one cared about English grammar. I merely pointed out that there's a time and a place for everything and according to Ambrosia Webboard etiquette, (have you read it?) correcting someone's grammar and/or spelling has no place on the board. Therefore, it can be safely assumed that this is not the place. I was telling you nicely! I was in no way slamming you. Notice how I didn't take away any karma? Yet?

---Zelda

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All I know is that wherever Ben goes, great software follows--Merciless

Quote

Posted by Zelda:
(b)Yet?(b/)

That is not a sentence because... no I know, I have read the etiquete (sorry can't spell) thing and I know people don't like to hear all that stuff about grammar so I'll be quite now.

And here I thought you might have a FAQ for me... :rolleyes:

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

I've added all the FAQs you helpfull people have sent me (none) and incorperated them with my own so my FAQ file is beggining to shape up. I've purchased SnapzPro 2 to make some movies but now I find that I can't make movies with SnapzPro 2. I've e-mailed tech support but I fear I'm being ignored. Sigh...I must press on.
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(NEW)-Finished level #34 brining my level count to 31
(Status)-Upgraded version to Development Version 0.0.9 because the size of the data file has exceeded 8MB.

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

Sorry, work on my level set has stalled in the past few weeks. I've been straighting out my problems with SnapzPro movies as well as taking teaser pictures as I ran my first comprehensive test of my levels. I've found more bugs than I know what to do with and I'm only debugging the levels, let alone the program, sprites, backrounds, music and sounds so thank you Ambrosia. One of my hugest bugs makes it impossible for me to visit my newest level so my testing is now over. I'm going to fix as many bugs as I can remember and then get back on the creation track. My levels are coming along well, I've begun construction on the Fire Caverns but of course I forgot to place an Algernon Shard so access is denied. I'm using Algernon Shards as the way to check progress around my levels and the player must be on track to enter the Fire Caverns. After I finish the level I'm on, I'll have to go back and make another Desert level. Just to give you an idea, the order of my realms is:
1. Forest Realm
2. Forest Caverns
3. Ice Caverns
4. Tower Realm
5. Desert Realm
6. Fire Caverns
7. Xichra's Mountain (which will actually contain several levels)
8. Several secret levels scattered around the world; if put together they could form a Realm

I will be uploading my set of teaser pictures fairly soon, an important note to them tough, the numbers of powerups and health are extremely inflated for debugging purposes only. You will not have 18 Rez Necklaces and 25 Health Potions as you play for real
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No updates since last post

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Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better