Ambrosia Garden Archive
    • Maps Galore


      Holy Whaa!

      Well, I've reached a milestone with my game in a very big way. I've finished making my maps. There's 445 maps in my game. All houses have interiors, so those maps are pretty small. The cave arrays and dungeon array are larger, but not as large as the exterior "world" maps. They're all pretty detailed, actually. Nearly everything outside the main story that happens in the maps are set, also, as well as all of the out-of-story game-wide events and the crafting (of about 100 items) is done.

      I have a very few employment opportunities yet to finish. Then there's about 160 news events that the Player can pursue that I need to finish. (These are very short action stories.) Then there's the array of the pages of two books (Book of Light and Book of Dark) that I'll place in the interiors of caves and houses once the Player finds each book. That'll be interesting to do as I'll need to place each one all over the realm so it doesn't matter where the Player is at. The Player will need to find the pages to know the clues to crafting.

      Then, at last, the story. It will be the story that will make or break this game, I think.

      Anyway, had to tell ya!

    • Congratulations Debera! Will it be the same character from PoG or a new one? Nice screen shots on your page btw. This game sounds really deep wich is good, lots of detail is allways a pluss! Good luck and keep up the good work! 😄

    • I raise my glass to you. (CLINK!) It's been how many years in the making? I'm glad your tunnel finally has light shining at the end of it. 🙂

    • Thanks guys! New character than POG. I'm using some of the NPCs that came with Coldstone and making my own as well. It's the three year mark, RD. It took me about four months just to learn how to use Coldstone, and a couple of summers I didn't work on the game. Mostly, I work in the evenings, after work, while watching TV, and I work on it during the weekends. I've spent a great deal of time making graphics. I AM using many of Coldstone's graphics, making graphics by taking Coldstone's and adjusting so they'll look similar, and making original graphics. The one thing I haven't done is make different houses than Coldstone. I have different town walls, even from what you see on the screenshots. I haven't decided about the houses yet. I have an application program to make them, as well as what I need for walls, roofs, etc. (I even found what the POG makers used so it'll match if necessary). But I need to learn the application program. The learning curve is what has taken up 70% of my time.

      It really does amaze me just what I can do with Coldstone. I can say with modesty that Coldstone has allowed me to make event arrays as sophisticated as any game I've seen. (The crafting system is outrageously complex event-wise, although the Player will take it for granted, as it should be.) There are some things Coldstone can't do. But when I adjust to what it CAN do, I find every time that I like the results better.

      And thanks, too, for letting me release a LOT of energy by writing on this board about my own game!!

    • Well done. 445 maps... I have 2. 😛

      Edit: psst... why not celebrate by giving away a shiny new screenshot or two? 😉

      This post has been edited by Ledorax : 28 October 2005 - 08:20 AM

    • Yeah, I really should. I haven't finished the Hero, so it'll be the same as POG's, just to let you know. I'll try to take the time for that this weekend.

    • Congratulations on reaching that milestone, Debra! Good to hear that the project is still ticking along like anything, and I am much looking forward to seeing how it all turns out!

      Best,

      -Ben

    • WOW now im really excited to see it come out! adds another book mark to list now im gonna have to check another site dailly lol 😛

    • A wow and congrats is definitely warranted! I remember when you had first started to talk about the project, and it goes to show all of us who are complaining about the update, that perserverance can get you anywhere, especially using Coldstone. I tip my hat and now try to follow in your example. Good job, and keep it up!

    • Thanks, all. Here's a link to the screenshots. I added about 30 to the 6 I already have. Of course, I had to make the images smaller than they are in "real life."

      Click Here

      It changes to the next slide every 10 seconds. Nifty difty.

    • That looks like an insaneawsome game!

      Your crafting system looks really in depth, I think it's great, but I have no idea how you did it. I also like how you did the water-wading thing. There are a few ways I can think of doing this, some easier than others.

      Did anyone ever figure out how to efectively switch back and forth between swimming and walking animations?

      How about hit/death animations?

      Just thought I'd post those questions to get some renewed descusion. 😛

    • The wading through water is a simple graphic. The Hero graphic doesn't change. I took the water graphic and made a new one with the watertop splash cut out of it about a movement tile and a half high by about two movement tiles wide. But when I used SnapzPro, I gave it a long white "tail" beneath it, about a movement tile and a half deep.

      The white beneath it allowed me to treat the graphic the same as trees without needing to block any access. So it's placed beneath the <Player> on the layers array, and that lets the Player walk behind it.

      I placed it very carefully using the grid so that the Player would, indeed, walk behind it. I placed it throughout the water, lined up on the grid.

      It looks best when the Player moves side to side. When the Player walks fast enough up and down, he looks like he's walking on water, but just as soon as he slows down or stops, it looks right. I don't think the Player will really notice it that much, since the places that have the graphic are pretty small areas.

      I included a splash sound as well, placed every other tile, so it's checkered. That's because it sounded the best that way.

    • I really like the look of the game, anything with original graphics is great. 🙂

    • I'm pretty surprised you are all still using coldstone

    • Well, technically, I'm not. I stopped using Coldstone way back about 3 weeks after I updated to panther. Right now, I'm just hoping the update will come soon and slowly bringing together graphics I can eventually use in a game that I will make when the update is realeased.

      I'm impressed by Debra's continuing efforts, but she uses OS 9, doesn't she?

    • Sancatie, on Nov 5 2005, 10:33 PM, said:

      Right now, I'm just hoping the update will come soon and slowly bringing together graphics...
      View Post

      I suppose that's what I've been doing for two years. 😛

      Coldstone is the only decent RPG making program for mac.

    • Yes, I'm using OS 9.2.

      Much of my time has been with graphics, as they were today as I figure out how to make people sprites. So I applaud your continuing efforts! Have at it!!

    • Im useing OS 9.1

      When the fix comes out I hope to learn how to use the Coldstone and master its many secerts, but seeing as how debra has spent lots of time trying to learn how to use and is still learning new things about it I might just be "ok" for awhile 😛 Now i wonder if I should download the demo off my Ambrosiaw demo disk and try to figure that out hmmmmmmmm.....

    • Ledorax, on Nov 6 2005, 08:31 AM, said:

      I suppose that's what I've been doing for two years. 😛

      View Post

      Newb. 😉

      Seriously now, Debra, those new shots are very interesting indeed. Can't wait to get my little fingerses on a copy of your game 🙂

      -Andiyar

    • nods Yup, yup. The screenies are quite good. It looks like your game has quite a bit of depth to it. Congratulations on your success and kudos for putting in so much work.