Is it difficult to use? Can you take sprites off of a sheet or do they have to be separate? How do you set up games? I want to hear all you guys have to say about Coldstone. I ordered it and I want to have an idea how to use it.
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When you get your disk, follow the tutorial directions and go through it. The game has a rather complex set of files and file types. It is very easy to modify the samples provided by the tutorial and you should do that first until you understand what you need to do. Note that 1.0.0 is very buggy in OS X so if you have bizarre problems, do a search here on the bulletin board to make sure that it isn't really just inexperience. Also, the program is VERY particular about its graphics. They must be 16 bit and 72 dpi. Also, visit the add-on page for some other tutorials that are very helpful because the documents are also 1.0 and in a few places contradict themselves. If in doubt, search and then ask here if you can't find your answer.
Apollo16
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thanx
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First of all, read the manual. If you are still a little confused, and you might be, go to the tutorial (in the Docs folder) and do that. You can also check out the Coldstone add-ons page and look at the tutorials there.
As far as the sprites go, they have to be seperate. You can, however easily convert the sheet into seperate pictures by pressing the Cmd-shift-4 key combo and dragging your cursor over each image. The pictures will appear as 'picture 1, picture 2, etc. in your hard drive. While this does not require Photoshop or any other graphics programs, the pictures tend to vary in size as the dimensions are based upon your mouse-dragging skills.
To set up games, just click on the launch button if you are using the medieval editor, it has a pre-made game. or if you clicked on empty, search the boards for the coldstone checklist, it will come in very handy.
My opinion on coldstone is that it is very easy to use once you know what is going on. As you continue to use it, you will find really cool ways to do advanced things. (read my post, "A Training Question" for an example)
One last word of advice, before you start working your own game on coldstone, go to a store and buy a 70-page notebook and use it to work the game out on paper, for example one section would have a map of how the locations are connected, while another part has the stats for all the NPCs you will use. This will make everything a lot smoother when you are using coldstone.
Happy Gamemaking!
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I think the surest sign of intelligent life in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us. -
I don't have the manual yet. Why else would I be asking? Besides, I thought I said I diddn't have Coldstone YET. I just ordered it a few days ago. I might get it today if it comes Fed Ex.
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Oh, thanx for the tips too. I hope I do ok.....It's alwayz been my dream to make video games. Well Cya.
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The manual is included in the demo; you aren't charged for it.
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"Are you a story-teller, Thomas Covenant?"
"I was, once."
"And you gave it up? That is as sad a tale in three words as any you might have told me. But a life without a tale is like a sea without salt. How do you live?"
-Stephen Donaldson -
Anything I downloaD From ambrosia doesn't work right.
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