TDG Development Diary

Lobo · **Reply #210 on:** October 14, 2009, 03:43:46 pm

Quote from: spacefractal on October 14, 2009, 06:33:51 am

which type of puzzle its is? I guess is a original puzzle? But dont spoil it here :-D.

It's fairly simple, as soon as you manage to unlock that door in the starting room. The key shouldn't be a problem as it's needed anyway just like in the original game (that's a hint)

.

Quote from: headkaze on October 14, 2009, 08:28:02 am

Oh and about the "piece of card" I kept that in to honor the original coder (Sam Manthorpe)

Aye, I figured that as the actual object doesn't do much but it doesn't harm anyway.

headkaze · **Reply #211 on:** October 15, 2009, 02:09:15 pm

sverx just sent me an e-mail saying that "Both the NDS betas (MMLL and TDG) are exactly 2.800.704 byte long". There is probably a bit of padding and alignment going on but still.. pretty amazing IMHO

So anyway, perhaps it's time for us to purchase a lotto ticket?

sverx · **Reply #212 on:** October 15, 2009, 03:25:23 pm

Quote from: headkaze on October 15, 2009, 02:09:15 pm

There is probably a bit of padding and alignment going on but still.. pretty amazing IMHO

I just made a small check: the size of my NDS files is always a multiple of half KB plus 64 bytes. Also these two. So there's not so much padding and alignment after all ...

spacefractal · **Reply #213 on:** October 15, 2009, 05:00:51 pm

haha :-D, mine DTG beta is a bit smaller which is dated 13-10-2009 and is 2.526.272. I got there is newer beta and got some new sounds, but funny anyway. I dunno what it happens when both games is finished?

Lobo · **Reply #214 on:** October 15, 2009, 08:54:21 pm

Wow, that is weird. Hah, the reason might also be in both games having the same splash screens at the beginning

.

flash · **Reply #215 on:** October 15, 2009, 08:55:56 pm

it is the work of the DEVIL!!!

Or Lobo..

Well.. something?

Lobo · **Reply #216 on:** October 15, 2009, 09:37:17 pm

Hey! I was not the one compiling these so the two of you are the most suspicious suspicionados(?) right now.

Means you're demons...both of ya.
Welcome aboard.

Sokurah · **Reply #217 on:** October 15, 2009, 09:46:29 pm

It's doesn't matter who did it...as long as it's done by monday. :p

Lobo · **Reply #218 on:** October 15, 2009, 10:43:49 pm

Quote from: Sokurah on October 15, 2009, 09:46:29 pm

It's doesn't matter who did it...as long as it's done by monday. :p

You're being too generous, it's Thursday already so...make it until Saturday!*

* Man, I'm getting soft.

sverx · **Reply #219 on:** November 06, 2009, 09:22:14 am

Beta testing TDG these days... well, I really don't know where to start. I mean... am I supposed to go around and collect objects and talk to people around until I'm ready to say who's the murder in my opinion? I know my question sounds silly, but it's that I'm not getting into the game still

Oh, I guess a description of the icons in the lower screen is needed. I never remember what each of them means... maybe just something that appears when you select one of them? And are you going to support touchscreen or not?

headkaze · **Reply #220 on:** November 06, 2009, 09:51:32 am

There have been a few distractions of late, one being power outages, other software projects, work on the MMLL release and a friend who's in town. And I also had about 3 weeks break from it (it helps with sanity having a break from coding). Anyway I am now back and working on it and still aiming for an XMas release (fingers crossed)

sverx: It's still only a demo at the moment and you can't solve the game because some objects you need appear after some of the characters are murdered while you play the game. I am currently working on the murders which are mostly in place now, and I'm also working on the end of game sequences. Will be sending out another demo in a week or so which will allow you to actually solve the game as everything needed to finish it will be in. Then it will mainly be a matter of polishing it up and testing.

Overall though you must collect 10 pieces of evidence and place them in the padded envelope. If you follow Bentley as he instructs you at the start of the game and search your room, examining the padded envelopes tells you this. So while you collect evidence you have a couple hours to solve the murder or the lights go out and you're shot. Other guests are being murdered while you try to collect the evidence and figure out who the murderer is (and no spoilers here please guys!). When you collect all 10 pieces of evidence you can accuse the murderer and if you get it right you win the game (or maybe not hehe)... I never completed the original game when I played it and many people didn't, but it's one of my all time favourite games.

Anyway there are some minor graphics and music updates I will need soon but I'll let you guys know when I need them

flash · **Reply #221 on:** November 06, 2009, 09:55:38 am

Quote from: headkaze on November 06, 2009, 09:51:32 am

And I also had about 3 weeks break from it (it helps with sanity having a break from coding).

Is that why I am as mad as a hatter? Jubber Jibber Gliff!

spacefractal · **Reply #222 on:** November 06, 2009, 11:47:54 am

Im of course happy to do more tunes or updates to this game. I just wanted to get music finished on MMLL first, because I realized this game got finished first and was a little behind. Now I have time to this game as well. Unlike MM, all tunes would been one XM.

Previous betats have more to get the rooms to work and also you can collect items and such.

There is also a gamefaq on this game as well, which you can look on for more info, here I wont link into that which should been easiy to find it. I readed on that documents there is also some flaws on the game as well, but have not played it very much, but I would do that when this game got released.

Flash, you could do a another little game based on the engine you have or start to learn C++ (or c) now?

flash · **Reply #223 on:** November 06, 2009, 11:56:36 am

Quote from: spacefractal on November 06, 2009, 11:47:54 am

Flash, you could do a another little game based on the engine you have or start to learn C++ (or c) now?

I have to apply myself to C for a bit... Little steps first

.. (how hard can it be - Christ, if HK can code it? LOL)

sverx · **Reply #224 on:** November 06, 2009, 12:00:40 pm

Quote from: Flash on November 06, 2009, 11:56:36 am

I have to apply myself to C for a bit... Little steps first .. (how hard can it be - Christ, if HK can code it? LOL)

lol

Don't worry mate, C is easy... but I think HK wants you to learn C++ instead... now that's trouble!

flash · **Reply #225 on:** November 06, 2009, 12:01:53 pm

Oh! Bugger and Bollocks

sverx · **Reply #226 on:** November 06, 2009, 12:15:58 pm

... btw if HK is going to teach you C++, I'm very interested in following the same lessons too... I studied C++ some 12-14 years ago but almost never coded anything more than some exercises so I already forgot everything

...

Lobo · **Reply #227 on:** November 06, 2009, 02:20:15 pm

Quote from: sverx on November 06, 2009, 09:22:14 am

Oh, I guess a description of the icons in the lower screen is needed. I never remember what each of them means... maybe just something that appears when you select one of them? And are you going to support touchscreen or not?

You know, I can't tell them either most of the time and yet I've designed them (following the original design though).
My problemo with those is not much in recognizing what the icons are but the way they're originally implemented in the game. I mean, back in the day when it was made it was prolly a breakthrough in interface usability but now it's...arrrr. I told HK that I couldn't even finish my own puzzle at first because of this problem. I just hope it's me though and other people will be Ok with the way it works.

sverx · **Reply #228 on:** November 06, 2009, 02:28:45 pm

I think that if HK wants to keep the arrow pointing to the item, at least make that move smarter... I mean, press <right> once to skip to the second item, <down> once to go to the second line of items... thus 'snapping' to the item grid. Less work, uh?

Lobo · **Reply #229 on:** November 06, 2009, 03:18:52 pm

Ah, snapping, yeah that can be good as well. The original have this 'slide' thing but kinda 'press right/left once' to go one icon at a time is much better.

headkaze · **Reply #230 on:** November 07, 2009, 03:04:33 am

The menu system in the original is a nightmare and believe it or not it's been improved alot in the DS version. How do I know? From playing the C64 original for many hours and then testing my version. It's a huge improvement and I wanted to keep some of that interface with the new version. But you guys are right, snapping to icons or something will probably be better. You should try controlling the original how it bounces off the sides of the menu, it's horrible! lol Anyway I am putting things like this in the "tweaks and polishing" stage of the game which will probably be 2 days before XMas or something lol

As for Flash learning C++, actually I don't know C++ very well at all. I mainly code in "C" but use C++ classes because I like OOP from coding in C#. Infact TDG is coding in pure "C" but most things are placed in C++ classes. I believe it's a nice compromise as well as the fact I taught myself to code "C" back in the Amiga days using a book called "Learning C for Advanced Programmers" which focused on Amiga's intuition API and sorta had me jumping in the deep end. I have not used things like std:: or vector's (which is just an ugly name for dynamic array's) etc. I'm still using good old fashioned arrays, oh and enum's instead of #define's but only minor things from C++. But yeah in most cases I would call my code "C" and it should be easier for Flash to grasp aswell.

Lobo · **Reply #231 on:** November 07, 2009, 04:11:28 pm

Yeah, the original was quite like that even though back then with a joystick it could be done. I mean, the controls in general for many games cwere so bloody hilarious it's hard to believe that we used to wiggle that way.
The whole bouncing in this one was probably meant to make it easier though, at least in the minds of developers.
Ohhh..if they just knew.

headkaze · **Reply #232 on:** November 10, 2009, 04:10:39 am

Quick mention of an update... all the murders are in place and working and all the ending combinations are now done.

Things left to do

- Improve character movement
- Implement "goals" for the Doctor who searches for Snide after first murder, Gabriel who will enter the study if it's unlocked, and you can also lock her in her room or study, and then finally Bentley's redevous with the Cook...
- Tweaks and improvements
- Testing

So pretty close now.. and should make XMas release quite comfortably methinks

headkaze · **Reply #233 on:** November 10, 2009, 04:12:53 am

Ooh yeah I forgot loading and saving.. that will be quite a mission to do.. that is where asm really shows it's style and how Flash just loads and saves a chunk of RAM in MMLL, unfortunately I can't do that in "C"...

spacefractal · **Reply #234 on:** November 14, 2009, 09:50:06 pm

Did you reply the email you sent to me for a week ago? I first change the music about loops when I have heard from you.

headkaze · **Reply #235 on:** November 15, 2009, 06:59:31 am

What I'm waiting on is a reply from the MaxMod forums here. The first question is if we can separate the xm's and share the samples in memory. The other is why the game crashes in No$ when I try and stop the song in the callback (using those custom messages). If I can't manually stop the songs in the callback we may have to have them loop over an empty block when the song ends which will probably be the best thing to do, and then you can add a fade out to the xm which will save me doing it manually in the game. But right now I can't stop the songs in the callback.

When a murder occurs I play the "murder organ" then the "tension music" starts. It should play once and then fade out. The other "slower ingame tune" only plays once for when you start the game but I think I may have it used elsewhere such as the gameover screen. The "tension music" also plays during the ending sequence.

BTW Demo is *very* close now, I have got the character movement where I am happy with it now. 99% of everything is in place, just have to add a few more GOAL's and will be sending out a new demo soon

This should be the last demo before final touches and then release... Oh and I really am dreading implementing saving for this game!

spacefractal · **Reply #236 on:** November 15, 2009, 09:05:41 am

I drop loops on all songs, so they fade out or end instead. So I look on that today or tomorrow. So I think I do the opposite way, so if you want to restart the song, you can simply check when it end. I guess you can detect where the position it is, so you can detect end when it loop in a empty block.

spacefractal · **Reply #237 on:** November 16, 2009, 07:39:03 pm

sorry for the delay, but tunes is sent with the updates with no loopings ingame songs.

sverx · **Reply #238 on:** November 17, 2009, 07:30:06 am

Quote from: headkaze on November 15, 2009, 06:59:31 am

What I'm waiting on is a reply from the MaxMod forums here.

Well, about the 1st question I can suggest you to take an XM and make some 3 or 4 copy of it with different names, then pack them together in a bank with MaxMod tools and check the size of that bank. If it remains almost the same as when you've had the single XM, then MaxMod it's surely sharing the samples between XMs.

headkaze · **Reply #239 on:** November 17, 2009, 07:50:21 am

Perhaps I should have used your library instead sverx as it sucks when the author of a library you're using dissappears or is not around to answer questions. Anyway what you suggest is a way of checking this, I will attach mmutil which is used to create a soundbank. It also has a test feature where it will create an nds ROM. If anyone gets a chance to try it, please let me know.

Run it like so:

Code: [Select]

mmutil -d -b song1.xm song2.xm
SF: Thanks for the music update, it works great now

I like how it jumps from the tension song back to the main song then stops again. The main reason for this is so there is silence for the murder organ to hopefully give a bit of a fright like the original. Not sure if I'm replicating that well or not though. Anyway ingame you will hear the song about 5 times.