Sometimes, we discover things that make Coldstone happy. And, as we all know, the cosmos is in chaos unless Coldstone is happy. In making my map interface, I discovered "rules" that make Coldstone work well. Thanks to Albadar.

Make sure that the width and height of your map interface is divisable by the size of the movement tiles. The width of my interface is 720. The width of my movement tiles is 30.

Under Options, we can edit the main map interface. Make sure that the size of the game area is divisable by the size of the movement tiles. The width of my game area is 690 (720-30).

This is true for the height as well.

The game became "choppy" to look at when the Player was moving around. Albadar said that it has to do with the engine loading in the graphics. It seems as if Coldstone sees graphics as the size of the movement tiles.

And ..... (drum roll) ...... I have my final map interface. I don't have my own hero yet though. But you can see some screenshots here: (url="http://"http://www.danillitphil.com/games/index.html")http://www.danillitp...ames/index.html(/url)

Have a good day!

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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions
(url="http://"http://www.danillitphil.com/graphics/index.html")www.danillitphil.com(/url)

Quote

Originally posted by Debra:
**Sometimes, we discover things that make Coldstone happy. And, as we all know, the cosmos is in chaos unless Coldstone is happy. In making my map interface, I discovered "rules" that make Coldstone work well. Thanks to Albadar.

Make sure that the width and height of your map interface is divisable by the size of the movement tiles. The width of my interface is 720. The width of my movement tiles is 30.

Under Options, we can edit the main map interface. Make sure that the size of the game area is divisable by the size of the movement tiles. The width of my game area is 690 (720-30).

This is true for the height as well.**

Glad I could help. blushes The pictures look great!

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-Albadar-
- - - - - - - - - -
Just trying...

Quote

Originally posted by Albadar:
**... The pictures look great!

**

They truely do. Take your time Debra, I think yo ugot something there! But please, whatever you do, get rid of that ugly hero! Everytime I look at him I just want to really not play anymore, despite whatever game it is. I understand that you are using him as a fill in, but replace him quick! Good work, and excellent progress.

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-The ZeroWarrior

I'd like to know what's wrong with the hero. I want to change him because he isn't mine. But I'd like to know why you (and others I think) look at the graphic and say it's no good. Keep in mind that when he adds clothing, his look will change. I thought that maybe it was because he's all we've seen and we're tired of looking at him. I think that if we know the why of it, we can understand how to make a better hero. I (obviously) would like to know, anyway.

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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions
(url="http://"http://www.danillitphil.com/graphics/index.html")www.danillitphil.com(/url)

It might be a good idea to replace those brown things going all around the interface. Also, why dont you make your own buttons instead of using the normal ones from the CD... looks weird

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(url="http://"http://www.ledorax.da.ru")Ledorax Land(/url)
(url="http://"mailto:ledorax@spymac.com")mailto:ledorax@spymac.com(/url)ledorax@spymac.com

Quote

Originally posted by Debra:
**I'd like to know what's wrong with the hero. ...
**

Honestly, it's an excellent question that deserves an answer, or as best as I can explain it. Basically, it is very 'boring' to the eye to stare at constantly. From a graphic design standpoint, there isn't much going on graphically, which is why others have probably chosen to 'dislike' it. If you look back to the old school games from our past, like the game secret of mana for example, the character is vividly depicted in bright colors so that the gamer playing it would be able to follow the character easier against the dull background. If the NPC 'has it going on'', it has a vivid color balance and is easily seen from the background. DO you think that Mario really had a red suit? Not really, they had to pit a darker color against the bright blue sky (I'm refering to the original Mario Bros game, in case others don't follow). Designing these sort of things is a bit of a art, if thats how you want to classify it. But also at the Medieval Age, all they wore was bland clothing, making it difficult to model in games now. I hope I have been of some assistance Debra.

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-The ZeroWarrior

Quote

Originally posted by zerowarrior150:
**I hope I have been of some assistance Debra.
**

You always do! Thank you!

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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions
(url="http://"http://www.danillitphil.com/graphics/index.html")www.danillitphil.com(/url)

I'm not sure I understand the map problem you speak of. Is it the one where the maps seems to stutter during movement? Like the tiles are overlayed or something?

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Just pimpin' my (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/iblog/dampeoples")scandalous stories(/url),(url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/damcam.html")voyeur cam(/url), (url="http://"http://www.dampeoples.com")stuff(/url), (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/artlinks/stuff.html")art tutorial links(/url), and (url="http://"http://www.thejbfc.com")Fishing!(/url)

No, the tiles were not overlaid. Albadar explained it to me that when the engine has to load a partial graphic, then it hesitates in order for it to try to get it right. He has experience as a programmer, you see. I can't really speak for him, but this is my understanding of what he wrote to me; I'm sure my understanding isn't very professional. So there was a constant slight hesitation when I moved the Player around. When I followed the "rule," everything is fine.

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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions
(url="http://"http://www.danillitphil.com/graphics/index.html")www.danillitphil.com(/url)

mmm, I'm fighting Snapz now, I'm trying to get a movie of my problem, and a pic of the interface that I promised in an earlier thread, maybe soon now

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Just pimpin' my (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/iblog/dampeoples")scandalous stories(/url), (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/Sterling/index.html")stuff(/url), and (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/artlinks/stuff.html")art tutorial links(/url)

This is what i'm speaking of - when you move - you get the fuzzy field effect. How is that fixed?

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Just pimpin' my (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/iblog/dampeoples")scandalous stories(/url), (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/Sterling/index.html")stuff(/url), and (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/artlinks/stuff.html")art tutorial links(/url)

(This message has been edited by dampeoples (edited 11-14-2003).)

Quote

Originally posted by dampeoples:
show image This is what i'm speaking of - when you move - you get the fuzzy field effect. How is that fixed?

Okay I have seen that. That is because the graphic is bad. See where the picture on the right shows grass (up against the right edge of you interface). But a little left of that is blurry. That is a bad picture graphic. I have made them a few times (not on purpose tho grins). Try going into them and check the size (96x96) and make sure the color is set to 24 bit. If you still have the problem, save as .png and use it uintil you can make a better copy.

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-Albadar-
- - - - - - - - - -
Just trying...

They are all one of three (or 4 or 5, I can't exactly remember) grass tiles, all 96x96, all cut out of one larger picture. The blurring only happens when I move the mouse, it all looks normal when it's still, it even stutters the rock, which is a stamp :frown:

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Just pimpin' my (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/iblog/dampeoples")scandalous stories(/url), (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/Sterling/index.html")stuff(/url), and (url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/dampeoples/artlinks/stuff.html")art tutorial links(/url)

I have also experienced this. What Albadar wrote is one reason. Another reason is that this happens when the size of your map interface does not match exactly how you define the dimensions under Options. Let's say that your map interface is 802 x 600. In the misc. tab of the Options, there's a place to define your overall dimensions. If it's set, let's say, at 800 x 600, it'll have that effect.

Yet another reason it does that (same dang effect for more than one reason) is if your game area is larger than your map interface. (edit: Or outside your map dimensions. Coldstone doesn't care about the OTHER areas, but it DOES the game area.) So look at your game area under options (edit mapinterface.png) and make sure it does not exceed the dimensions, exactly, of your map interface. It drove me nuts one evening until I figured out what's wrong.

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-- Debra
Danillitphil Productions
(url="http://"http://www.danillitphil.com/graphics/index.html")www.danillitphil.com(/url)

(This message has been edited by Debra (edited 11-14-2003).)