for downloading a link without the popup page try

<p><a href="http://www.yourwebsitelinkhere.zip">click
here</a></p>

the "click here" part is the txt they click to download, which you can rearnage to say, click for far reaches mac demo, etc.

an you gotta work some of that sweet ingame art like the sketches and portraits into desktops.
i had trouble using the site navigation at the top till i realised there was cleaner navigation at the bottom.

(This message has been edited by DJ (edited 06-15-2003).)

Thanks for all the great input. I'll try to see what I can do to improve it. I had one question for DJ, though. You mentioned that the game play was abrupt and I wasn't sure what you meant. Could you give some specific examples of what you meant, and some suggestions on how to improve it? That would be great.

I agree about the dialog graphic being way too dark, I'll have to fix that. Also, Sanko mentioned an area that he could get out of. Was it the large prerendered part of the engine room where there's a narrow walkway? I'll try to see if I can make that easier to leave. If it's a different area, post a screen shot and I'll fix the problem.

BTW, does anyone know of a good and inexpensive program that will make software patches for the MAC. There's a good one for the PC that compares the old version with the new version of a program and will make a small patch to update the old version. That would be much better than uploading an entirely new version of the demo that everyone would have to download.

Again, thanks for all of the input. I appreciate all the help I can get. Also, what do you think of the advancement system. Is it okay or should I go with the standard system that Coldstone uses? Thanks.

Outlandish

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Quote

Originally posted by Outlandish:
**

Again, thanks for all of the input. I appreciate all the help I can get. Also, what do you think of the advancement system. Is it okay or should I go with the standard system that Coldstone uses? Thanks.

Outlandish

**

I beleave I just finished the demo, if being put back to the front screen means its done. Perhaps an end of demo messege? But anyway, it certainly did what a demo should... It made me want to buy the next instalment. I did enjoy your system of advancement... accept that perhaps it was to time intensive. It took far to long to increase one point in one stat, at least that was my observation. More frusterating, perhaps, was I didn't know quite what to pick, heh. What would help me the most? A point in combat? A point in weapons: melee? Or two points in health? Heh, I usualy went for combat, as I had a hard time hitting the pirates. So, maybe it needs abit of tweaking, or maybe I just need to stop whining, but I don't think you should go to the old system.

I have a few questions. The description of the explorer mentions that it can learn a variety of offensive and defensive "skills." I was wondering, are these "spells" or is it just refering to its ability to kick the butt of most enemies handily, and to be able to block well too? If it the former, how does one aquire the skills? If they are available in the demo that is. Also, how does one aquire more skills for the cyborg? Hmm... Would it be a waste to spend points in engineering or the cyborg specific stat if one is an explorer?

Thanks! And good job.

Edit: Also, a rather amusing bug... if you follow your cousin directly after she leaves, you can see her walk to a wall and fade away. A personal teleporter? So thats why she borrowed my tools!

(This message has been edited by Neep (edited 06-15-2003).)

I'm glad you liked the advancement system. It took a while to figure out a system that would work on skill points. I know it's a bit bulky to use, but I haven't yet figured out a way to do it more user friendly with Coldstone's limitations. The health and energy add 5 points at a time, if that helps. Also, Combat is a good choice to upgrade since it's actually dexterity and the engine uses it to determine whether you hit your opponent. Weapons:Guns (perception) also determines whether you hit a target with ranged weapons, and Weapons:Melee (strength) adds to your damage role if it's over 15.

Unfortunately, there aren't any skills for the explorer in the demo. They are actually spells and there's only a few of them. You learn them in a variety of ways: through trainers, datapads with articles on them, etc. Most of the ones I wanted to add, like stealth, I haven't been able to do in Coldstone without doing a ton of extra work. I wanted to put it in the demo, but it's too much of a pain to get it to work well.

The cyborg has one cyber enhancement in the demo, and the engineer can find and build one design in the demo. If anyone has ideas that they'd like to see for explorer skills, I'm all ears. They were harder for me to come up with and there's only about ten.

As for the bug, or feature as I'd rather call it, with Jenna's disappearing act, that was supposed to be like in Baldur's Gate where NPCs would walk off and vanish after you talked with them. It turned out kind of cheesy, but then you weren't supposed to follow her Thanks

Outlandish

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About cyborg skills, or enhancements, they are "installed" at cybershops and or hospitals. Engineer's device designs are found, or bought at parts stores. If you're an explorer, then the engineering and cybernetics skills aren't useful. Energy, however, is still useful to explorers as well as cyborgs, but not to engineers.

As for the stealth skill I mentioned earlier, here's how it would work. See if you think it's worth it for one little skill. The best way I found to add it was to make enemy encounters triggered by events that you step on. If you're currently sneaking, it gives you the option to hide. If you're not then it creates monsters at predetermined locations. Each encounter can only be triggered once per time you enter an area. Stealth takes up energy points to use and works for a limited time. It doesn't work if enemies are already created and on screen. It does make for an interesting game play twist, but it takes a lot more time to implement each encounter. Does anyone think it's worth it for one skill? Thanks.

Outlandish

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Thanks for all the great input. I'll try to see what I can do to improve it. I had one question for DJ, though. You mentioned that the game play was abrupt and I wasn't sure what you meant. Could you give some specific examples of what you meant, and some suggestions on how to improve it? That would be great.

i think it was maybe the lack of animation......... for..... im trying to think of a way to explain it. the combat seems very abrupt in the way of short. if maybe the combat could be drawn out slightly against enemies somehow. part of this was the repetitive hack animation. it would be cool if you could sideswing etc. possibly go through a series of animations of three attacks for longer fights. the whole movement just seems very fast.

in coldstone you swing a bit slower etc, i think it was easier to enjoy the graphics on a level where you could see them instead of just hyper quicks wacks with the light bat.

I agree about the dialog graphic being way too dark, I'll have to fix that. Also, Sanko mentioned an area that he could get out of. Was it the large prerendered part of the engine room where there's a narrow walkway? I'll try to see if I can make that easier to leave. If it's a different area, post a screen shot and I'll fix the problem.

i forget who mentioned, making the dialog boxes lighter or part for the inner boxes lighter would do the txt if thats easier than making all the txt lighter.

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(url="http://"http://www.redknightentertainment.com/rkewerks/htmldavesworld/coldstonelinkspage.html")Coldstone Links For - Art, 3D, Animation, Problem Solving, Tips and tricks.(/url) Morvera ner Morden

i think i know what it was. basically it just seems like everything in the game moves very briskly like your always running or tensed out. it would be cool if the animation was drawn out a little, slowed. i kept missing all the action because it was all over very fast.

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(url="http://"http://www.redknightentertainment.com/rkewerks/htmldavesworld/coldstonelinkspage.html")Coldstone Links For - Art, 3D, Animation, Problem Solving, Tips and tricks.(/url) Morvera ner Morden

Now this is odd! I am replaying the demo, as an engeneer this time, and I am exploring before I beat up the pirate captain. I went down the hallway that leads to the tech bot that you need to find later, when I entered the room with the walkway infront of the giant "engines,' instead of being on the walkway, I was at the top of the screen. Heh, I still can't get passed the non passable squares however, so I can't get back on. Good thing I saved right before.

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You know you live in Arizona when you see someone driving with oven mits on.. and you think they are clever.

That's a weird sounding bug. I'll check to see if it's anything I did. Taking a thought from DJ I'm slowing down some of the animations to see if that makes for better combat. I've fixed (hopefully) most of the problems mentioned, though I'm still looking for a good program to make a patch. Also, I added 7 desktop backgrounds in .jpg format in the download section of my site for those who are interested.
(url="http://"http://farreaches.homestead.com/downloads.html")http://farreaches.ho.../downloads.html(/url)

Thanks

Outlandish

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Quote

Originally posted by Outlandish:
T Was it the large prerendered part of the engine room where there's a narrow walkway?

That sounds like the one, I was able to walk everywhere but on the walkway.

And as far as making patches are concerned you might want to try posing the question to the good folks at the (url="http://"http://www.idevgames.com/forum/")idevgames.com forum(/url). Just a thought.

Good luck.

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(url="http://"http://www.thoughtslop.org")thought|slop(/url)

Nice look'n stuff! I'm glad to see someone do something with coldstone.

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UGH! These darn demos! I keep wanting to play them but theyre always too big files. Stupid 56k :frown:. I wish i could give you feedback, but judging from the screenshots it looks pretty cool. Sigh. If only...

------------------
"Stiney! Get me a danish!"

I know what you mean about large file sizes. I only have about a 28.8 connection. It took forever to upload the thing. You might try using a download manager. I know of Getright for the PC, though I'm not familier with what's available for the Mac. Still, they allow you to download a bit at a time and you can pause the download if you get disconnected.

BTW, what did everyone think of the blaster weapon, and needed ammo for it? Did it work ok or was the need for ammo just clunky and annoying?

Outlandish

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it needed ammo? i was wondering why i just whacked enemies with the gun.... i was tinking i wish it had a little range.

------------------
(url="http://"http://www.redknightentertainment.com/rkewerks/htmldavesworld/coldstonelinkspage.html")Coldstone Links For - Art, 3D, Animation, Problem Solving, Tips and tricks.(/url) Morvera ner Morden

Quote

Originally posted by Outlandish:
**

BTW, what did everyone think of the blaster weapon, and needed ammo for it? Did it work ok or was the need for ammo just clunky and annoying?

Outlandish

**

I think that worked great actualy, although it might have been nice if the ammo lasted longer. Heh, there might be enough stashed around to fight through if you don't fight to level up any, but it would be a near thing I think, and you would have to know where you were going. Although... if they were rechargable... I don't know if this would work, but if once you used the last "charge" in one of those 20 charge things, if you gave the player a new item known as "empty charge," and there could be "Chargers" which, for a fee perhaps, could replace th e "empty charge" with a "full charge" which had 20 charges in it. Would that work? So finding a new charge case would simply raise the total amount of charges you could carry at once, so finding a new case would be a big deal. If that makes sence.

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You know you live in Arizona when you see someone driving with oven mits on.. and you think they are clever.

I DID try using a download manager. The same one I used to download the full Pillars of Garendall. Far Reaches still kept stopping and re-starting at the beginning rather than where it left off. I got a message from the dl manager that your server could not continue the app from where it stopped.

------------------
Insert profound thought
or clever witticism here

Codewizard sez:
**I DID try using a download manager. The same one I used to download the full Pillars of Garendall. Far Reaches still kept stopping and re-starting at the beginning rather than where it left off. I got a message from the dl manager that your server could not continue the app from where it stopped.
**

same prob here, ubnfortunately i'm going to have to download it from THE LAB
and burn that and about 14 other 'uge files i've been eying.

Sanko sez:
Of course you could always add a bunch of dialog events that aren't actually called in the game to muddle and confuse your plot-line for everyone who just peeks into the files without actually playing.

I mean ou could, but wouldn't that time be better spent on scripting in actual alternate endings for the game...which by the way is easily incorporated by using periodic conditionals, and incrementing globals when dialog selections are made (using a call event instead of a linked action).. random.

------------------

• (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/ellrx/index.html")eLL' softWare: Wood...Last Updated 05.16.03(/url)

• (url="http://"http://ellrx.web1000.com")eLL' Walker: 'ƒolio(/url)

• eLL' softWare: Plotting and scheming since 1996
  

... I'm like Imhotep but don't flaunt it.

(This message has been edited by ellrx (edited 06-18-2003).)

That stinks that you can't seem to download it. Yahoo must not support resuming downloads. I'll have to try and see if I can get my mac to download it. I have a real slow connection too. If anyone has any ideas as to how to fix the problem, I'd be happy to give it a try.

I've been thinking about different ways to do ammo. It is in short supply, which is probably the biggest problem. I can up the chance that you'll get ammo from the pirates. That should help. There's also a blastsword in the game that's semi-powerful for when you run out of ammo. The advantage of doing ammo the way I have it now, is that it's easy to have different ammo for different weapons.

------------------

Outlandish sez:
**That stinks that you can't seem to download it. Yahoo must not support resuming downloads. I'll have to try and see if I can get my mac to download it. I have a real slow connection too. If anyone has any ideas as to how to fix the problem, I'd be happy to give it a try.
**

Codewizard sez:
I DID try using a download manager. The same one I used to download the full Pillars of Garendall. Far Reaches still kept stopping and re-starting at the beginning rather than where it left off. I got a message from the dl manager that your server could not continue the app from where it stopped.

'Download Deputy'. Get it, it does resume...
:: maliciously toys with Download Deputy, stop start stop start stop, bellowing ensues ::
point is i'm running;
iCab
ResEdit
theFinder (indeed, it can be put into limbo)
iTunes
and Download Deputy is still plugging along at a constant clip, its also 33% faster than my normal connection of 2k/sec..
( 'let the cable service lapse ) which changes the time from 6 hrs to 3, exponential...

user hint:
-if you suddenly free up some Ram, stop and restart the DL, it should take advantage of the change
-if possible let let it run in the foreground as much as possible.

------------------

• (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/ellrx/index.html")eLL' softWare: Wood...Last Updated 05.16.03(/url)

• (url="http://"http://ellrx.web1000.com")eLL' Walker: 'ƒolio(/url)

• eLL' softWare: Plotting and scheming since 1996
  

... I'm like Imhotep but don't flaunt it.

(url="http://"http://www.ilesa.com/")Download Deputy 5(/url)

------------------

• (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/ellrx/index.html")eLL' softWare: Wood...Last Updated 05.16.03(/url)

• (url="http://"http://ellrx.web1000.com")eLL' Walker: 'ƒolio(/url)

• eLL' softWare: Plotting and scheming since 1996
  

... I'm like Imhotep but don't flaunt it.