MMLL Development Diary

sverx · **Reply #300 on:** September 17, 2009, 12:35:05 pm

Quote from: Lobo on September 17, 2009, 08:31:32 am

[...] it teaches a few lessons, one very important- don't post binaries around the site anymore until the game is finished, send it via email and we're fine.

Right. Do post more screenshots btw

sverx · **Reply #301 on:** September 17, 2009, 01:07:25 pm

I'm sending to Flash a little demo of how to use libXM7 and zlib, he can share it with whoever he wants, it's using SF's piano.xm ...

btw I don't know if we're going to use it as it is now. I'm still trying to get rid of the error (it decompress perfectly but it says it isn't so...) and to use that we need to:

- (optional) squeeze each XM with that tool I mentioned some posts ago (it saves some KB and makes them more compatible with libXM7 loader. The resulting file IS a valid XM btw)
- gzip each XM separately (with -nv9 command line options: makes best compressions [-9], doesn't store the filename in it [-n] ... verbose [-v] so you see how much it has been compressed)
- open each .gz file with an hex editor: remove the first 8 bytes, then replace the (new) 1st byte with 0x78 and the (new) 2nd byte with 0x01 (we're removing gzip header and putting there zlib compressed stream header info. The resulting file won't be longer opened with gzip of course...)

This way it's possible to decompress it (and load the XM) at run time, in some milliseconds.

I hope to find a better way but I've had no luck until today.

spacefractal · **Reply #302 on:** September 17, 2009, 06:13:53 pm

all instruments is now converted to 8 bit and it acteully still sound very nice and save very much memory. I do release my tunes after the game release as the way the meant with with 16bit samples.....

2 new tunes today, and I doing rework the first tune I created (the original miner.xm).

Lobo, I really like the level, I just think the left switch should been a bit more clear or move a tile to the right? I like the level.

flash · **Reply #303 on:** September 17, 2009, 08:24:46 pm

Sorry there have not been a great deal of updates recently...

I had a back tooth removed that had cracked about 2 years ago.. I put it off till the pain was too much.. It got infected (Amoxycillin here we come), so we parted company on Tuesday... Bye bye sweet tooth...

But... The open gum has now infected the jaw... LOL, and antibiotics are not really touching it..

I keep cleaning it out but it is not much fun when you can poke your jaw bone.. yuk!

Downside is, it has given me a temperature and flu-like symptoms, and severe lack of sleep...

So, please post the get well cards to.......

Anyway... Enough of me and let's talk about my little Willy....

A few updates today. Stuart Campbell made a few comments about the levels and some of these have been tweaked. Also, a couple of new fx have been added.. eyes in the darkness for 'deep dark hole' and a nice flickering lightbulb for "bright light, bright light".
I am now doing the data for level 13.

SF has passed me loads of music with reduced file size that has brought the filesize to under 2m. This is great as it now means that the movie levels can easily have themed tunes for each of them (if SF is happy to do so)

Oh, and my jaw is sore.. SNIFF!!

PS. I should really say.. Stuart Campbell (RevStu) is a writer for RG that was responsible for the Lost Levels article. So, please folks... BLAME HIM!!!

flash · **Reply #304 on:** September 17, 2009, 08:39:47 pm

Ok, a couple of level pictures..

This is now the last picture that will be shown from the 'extra' levels - the remaining 5 will remain secret...

Lobo · **Reply #305 on:** September 17, 2009, 08:50:47 pm

For the gremlins level, I wouldn't move that bottom switch because I've learned by jumping that you can turn it on/off easily so you would have to repeat the whole process. How about just changing the colors a bit so it stands out instead of moving it? Like in the pic.
Also, what happened to the second switch..or is it now that only one controls the both CBs? I mean, that's not bad either.
The thing with light is that many won't expect to die by touching it, still haven't played with that setup so I can't tell but you're supposed to wait until the light is dimmed to jump to the left, right? Might be hard for many to understand that actually, dunno.

Sorry about your tooth mate, who yanked it out, Conan the Barbarian? I mean, sheesh, you can poke your mandible? That's just terrible business right there, you gotta be careful with that as nothing infects as easily as your jaw (guess mouth has something to do with it).

Sokurah · **Reply #306 on:** September 17, 2009, 08:52:51 pm

Sorry to hear about the "news leak" - there's always someone ready to capitalize (even if it's only for kudos) on someone elses hard work - and especially frustrating because it doesn't exactly represent the game in the best possible light (which it deserves), and like you say, it won't dissapear once the final game is out there.

Good thing the only person with a Psycho Pigs demo is Lobo....and I have my eyes on him

Completely off-topic for this next bit;

I live in a big city - our capital to exact, and the part of the city I live in has been the site of a lot of shootings over the last year - for several months we had almost weekly shootings (daily for almost two weeks). Mostly immigrants and rockers battling it out among themselves, although innocents are also shot from time to time, but just as often burning cars and barricades in the streets. Not as nice a place as it once were.

Anyway, about 20 minutes ago I heard some noise down in the street, so I looked out the window. I saw a bunch of immigrants around a car - one of them with my bike in his hands.

So I put on my shoes...brought something else too, and rushed down the stairs to save my bike and to confront them. By this time my bike was laying in the middle of the street - in front of the car.

So, if you're wondering if, standing in front of 7-8 immigrants with a bat in your hand (yep, and not the flying kind) and calling them 'fucking immigrants' (which really woke them up) has any effect on your hearbeat, then the answer is "yes, yes it does". I makes you very nervous but also feelling very much alive.

Phew, I survived round 1 (of only 1 I hope). Perhaps I should put it in the locked yard from now on.

Lobo · **Reply #307 on:** September 17, 2009, 09:01:15 pm

Ok, forgot this, blast it~

Sokurah, where do you live? I'm not so sure did I read Sweden or Norway or...Zimbabwe somewhere, so not so sure.
Be careful with that stuff though, most of the time you're dealing with desperate people and desperate people got nothing to loose. However, that does sounds quite bad, I live in Chicago and ...odd but besides destroying gang markings on my building (long ago though) I really have to say...no, I'll jinx it but you can imagine where I'm going with this.

Ok, some dude was robbed in my back alley at gunpoint several nights ago, about 15 minutes before I passed the same place (it was 2 AM) to go buy cigarettes at the nearby gas station. But it wasn't biggie, I think just friendly shakedown it was, so not bad.

flash · **Reply #308 on:** September 17, 2009, 09:03:16 pm

Sokky,

Stick a couple of nails in the bat, and fucking use it!!!

(I used to use a nice sledgehammer...)

Lobo..

I have moved the switch at the moment, and it does work well... Though it still is a bit too much like the platforms - colour wise.. I will send a demo soon and let you have a play.. Just trying to get the basics of level 13 working - then it is my turn to watch a film.. perhaps "antichrist"? Not sure..

flash · **Reply #309 on:** September 17, 2009, 09:04:59 pm

Thanks Lobo,

Feel better already!!!!!!!

(must get THAT level done soon)

Rocky Rocks!!!

Sokurah · **Reply #310 on:** September 17, 2009, 09:10:11 pm

Quote from: Lobo on September 17, 2009, 09:01:15 pm

Sokurah, where do you live? Be careful with that stuff though, most of the time you're dealing with desperate people and desperate people got nothing to loose.

I live in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Those morons weren't desperate - they're just bored and hanging out, doing stupid stuff and disrespecting other peoples property.
I doubt any of them were armed though (although half of them probably had knives but my bat had a bigger reach

)

I can't not say something when I'm confronted with moronic behaviour, but nothing happened.
My bike was okay - just laying there but I would probably have busted a headlight if they'd done something to it.

...I wonder if this story is over.

Sokurah · **Reply #311 on:** September 17, 2009, 09:11:44 pm

Oh, btw, I haven't forgotten that I've promised to make a level. I have stared - just not completed anything spectacular yet.

Damn, one inspired level is hard enough - my utmost respect to any person who can crank out 64 levels in a few weeks.

Lobo · **Reply #312 on:** September 17, 2009, 09:18:35 pm

Quote from: Flash on September 17, 2009, 09:03:16 pm

Sokky,

Stick a couple of nails in the bat, and f**king use it!!! (I used to use a nice sledgehammer...)

While you're at it, wear the hockey mask and ripped pants, Jason style, nothing works better than a little bit of intimidation and growling.

As for the switch, well if you moved it, Ok then, I can still make it lighter as in that pic though?
'Antichrist', I was thinking of the same thing the other night but went on to watch Maltese Falcon instead. Hmm..says Willem Dafoe is in that one, might check it out, maybe tonight.

spacefractal · **Reply #313 on:** September 17, 2009, 09:25:13 pm

moving or litgher, just it can been easier to spot, since I really unoticed it in first run (some sort of FX could do that if possible?). Rest of level is no problems for me. In Denmark the Gremling theme is mostly used in a television program with have book, comic, games etc reviews mostly for kids... I think that should been used, since its a great one.

I live in Denmark too (not far where Sokky live, but in a another town and have actuelly meet him once), and I got burned my 30km/t scooter last year where there was burning problem in a week or two. For few weeks ago some one tried to breaks lock on bikes in a train station (they was boring), but they diddent steal anything. I diddent do anything and could nothing.

flash · **Reply #314 on:** September 17, 2009, 09:35:45 pm

Quote from: Lobo on September 17, 2009, 09:18:35 pm

'Antichrist', I was thinking of the same thing the other night but went on to watch Maltese Falcon instead. Hmm..says Willem Dafoe is in that one, might check it out, maybe tonight.

It is meant to be pretty good.. Hmmm... Think I may watch it... won't you join me!! $:-\$

spacefractal · **Reply #315 on:** September 17, 2009, 09:46:52 pm

year!!! Volume evelopes now works pretty well in piano.xm :-D. Sound a much better after converting and saving using milky tracker. Only the toccata tune really need that feature too for a better release.

Lobo · **Reply #316 on:** September 17, 2009, 09:48:05 pm

Yeah, bring the booze..Antichrist tonight.

Forgot to quote~

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Sokurah · **Reply #317 on:** September 17, 2009, 11:05:25 pm

Wow, it gets better and betterer.

I love how your corpse and the gravestones will travel on the conveyer belts.

* Metropolis Bingo is fun but I struggle with the right part. Doable though.

* At the centre of the earth is fun. Semi-hard but not worse than many of the original MM levels. I like it.

* Wow, Eddie's Forrest looks so easy but, damn, it took me a lot of tries before I got it right.

* LOL @ A Deep Dark hole. If you've played HITMW you'll see some trademark Flash level design here. :-)

* The Channel Tunnel? Huh, so easy I can't help but ask "what's the catch?". There were none though - it was just a nice and easy one.

* HEY, now you can actually finish The Mystic Woods. "HEY GUYS - I'VE FINISHED HORACE IN THE MYSTIC WOODS!"

* Aww, He slimed me looks fantastic. I love it. Not too hard...but DAMN @ that stupid red flower right before the exit...oh and that car-conveyer surprised me too.

* Love the Cassablanca screen. Brought a smile to my face. Took me a while to figure it out though and I got very tired of that short (and not well-fitting) tune.

* Love the Gremlins level too. That last Gizmo is a tough bugger though.

* What's with the three BTTF screens? - is there no way but to skip them?

* Have to stop at the Hellraiser level. I was supposed to have been to bed an hour ago. That's how much fun I had.

All in all, this is mostly about what I feel from playing the levels. Gameplay is fine and I encountered no bugs.

Btw, I'm using No@Gba v2.6 and I'm annoyed that I can't resize the screen. I'd like to run in 2x resolution. Can you reccomend me a better emulator?

Lobo · **Reply #318 on:** September 17, 2009, 11:16:02 pm

Yeah, that Channel Tunnel is what got me as well, finished it from the first without even trying

.

For the Emu, get Desmume, you can resize screen 4x with that.

flash · **Reply #319 on:** September 17, 2009, 11:37:01 pm

Ps.

Channel Tunnel may be a little trickier when the enemies are added... LOL... Ha ha!! (tomorrow)

pps. It is just a lot easier to check all the collisions are correct without enemies to worry about..

The screens between Gremlins and Hellraiser are spacers ready for when someone comes up with a level... <flash whistles innocently>

Lobo · **Reply #320 on:** September 17, 2009, 11:42:03 pm

Quote from: Flash on September 17, 2009, 11:37:01 pm

Ps.

Channel Tunnel may be a little trickier when the enemies are added... LOL... Ha ha!! (tomorrow)

Aahh, crap, I knew there was a catch.

Quote from: Flash on September 17, 2009, 11:37:01 pm

The screens between Gremlins and Hellraiser are spacers ready for when someone comes up with a level... <flash whistles innocently>

Just you keep whistling, Slothy will be unleashed upon you soon, unless you comply.

Seriously though, the 'only' ones left now are~

Back to the future
Rocky Horror
Goonies

That's all, right? C'mon people! Let's start cranking these, just three layouts, a few solids, crumblers, a switch or CB here and there and we done with movies.

flash · **Reply #321 on:** September 18, 2009, 12:35:25 am

I will do Rocky Horror...

Lobo, Were we still thinking of 1933's king kong??

Lobo · **Reply #322 on:** September 18, 2009, 01:47:31 am

Excellent, then Goonies and BTTF left, maybe one for SF and the other one for Soky?

Yes, we're doing King as well, that oughta be the last movie then, BW and all proper-whenever you're ready.

spacefractal · **Reply #323 on:** September 18, 2009, 04:54:48 am

I have idea for a level, but I guess it most suitable for a Terminator? Its use a lots of convolvers (not very far from a Mario Game & Watch game). Can you send me the Spectrum graphics so I can design the level in Paint Shop Pro as well the wide and heights of the screen used?

Casablanca, its the level where the tune toccata.xm got used? its can been sound better due it clicks very much. The theme is very jazzy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf-Z7oTZh1E), and found a midi file which sound nice, so I think I use that using patches from FL-Studio.

1933, King King? Somewhere a modicifed Donkey Kong like level?

Lobo · **Reply #324 on:** September 18, 2009, 05:46:09 am

We just need a layout, doesn't matter how it looks like as any movie theme can be applied to it. If you wanna go with Terminator than that's fine too.
I don't have a spectrum level but here's a template you can use if you follow these-
The size of the image is 256x152. However, you just need to draw the blocks inside the magenta area and leave that blue frame as it is. Bottom 8 pixels of the blue frame is used to store the animation for keys/conveyor belts and crumble blocks. The 8x8 blue sides on left and right are usually the walls so don't draw blocks inside the blue area.
Helps?

spacefractal · **Reply #325 on:** September 18, 2009, 05:48:05 am

fine with me, its was that way I did when I designed levels for Cave Heroes (using 1x1 pixel per tile). I just work on the Casablanca tune today and whould been 8 channels this time and using a piano, bass and a string patches. A bit diffecent tune, if I have the correct movie (I have not seen that one).

Lobo · **Reply #326 on:** September 18, 2009, 05:52:50 am

Cool.....now get to work!

Also, you don't have to have all these things, some levels don't have switches, others might not have plants/objects which can kill you on the platform. Some levels even don't have CBs, I think but since you're using them-go for it.
All I need, after you're done is to know what is what, that's why I drew the example with color pattern so you can tell what is supposed to be a black block or red, etc.
Also, don't forget to indicate Willy's starting position and the Exit position and you should be fine

.

Oh and don't forget to turn ON the grid (8x8) when working to easily snap the tiles together.

spacefractal · **Reply #327 on:** September 18, 2009, 06:01:39 am

I createing a level today and is just morning danish time, but I are soon to work soon. Ther only you forgot is roof like where you can fall down while moving forward. I do that with black with \ and / (if I need that). I PM you.

Lobo · **Reply #328 on:** September 18, 2009, 06:07:04 am

Roof? Like in the first level? Not so sure but go for it whatever you have in mind.

spacefractal · **Reply #329 on:** September 18, 2009, 06:21:35 am

I dosent need that on that level. I PM you very soon (before I got to work), but this one might require tweeks and also enemy. But its a start.