411 replies to this topic

[lonegraywolf]

I don't know what's going on at this time: I haven't received any PMs or other messages.

But I can also provide web space: not just FTP, but SFTP and SSH. Heck, I can even throw in database support if required. Just let me know.

[Beefster]

It will be 100x BETTER than Game Maker too.

[leak]

I'd rather not leak too much detail on this, but I can assure you that you'll be able to make a quest out-of-the-box without needing any resources of your own. All you'd have to do is put together some maps and set some properties.

And we'll have Z3-like scrolling. Out of the box. (but you probably already knew that.)

I can also assure you that nobody will ever NEED to ask how to run a quest.

[/leak]

In all honesty, this program will be a beast.

[Snarwin]

I can also assure you that nobody will ever NEED to ask how to run a quest.

I think perhaps you are underestimating the ability of people to confuse themselves, in general.

[Beefster]

That won't matter. We'll make it completely obvious. You'd have to be illiterate to miss it.

Really the problem started from ZC trying to look like the original Zelda. It started as a clone with custom quests as an afterthought. But we're starting from scratch and keeping in mind custom quests and scripting FROM THE START. The problem will be averted naturally.

[lonegraywolf]

As a heads up, Google Wave is no longer going to be actively developed. If we need a new collaboration location, feel free to suggest.

[Cameron]

As a heads up, Google Wave is no longer going to be actively developed. If we need a new collaboration location, feel free to suggest.

The best thing to do would probably be to set up a forum here. But we might not be quite there yet.

[Beefster]

There is one right here on PZC, it's just not dedicated or public. We'll start to open things up more as we develop more. We're mostly in the planning phase right now.

[Cameron]

Sounds cool! This is all pretty exciting.

Edited by Cameron, 05 August 2010 - 11:32 AM.

[Ricky of Kokiri]

I've been following this for a while, though I haven't said anything. I think this is great to see, and I'm thrilled you guys are actually working on it.

Since you're still in the planning stages, though, is it okay if I make two suggestions?

One, I think is obvious- the ability to talk to NPCs should be built-in, not requiring a custom script. Zelda Classic was supposed to eventually get this built in (according to the obsolete list of planned features that was on zeldaclassic.com some time ago), but it never happened, and scripting took over.

Two: I think it would be really, really good to be able to rip an entire picture into the mapmaker as a single "object" or whatever without having to make [16x8=] 128 combos to pull it off. Title screens come immediately to mind, and I'm thinking possibly backgrounds as well. This could even be used to create point-and-click games like "Myst". That would be something.

[CrystalBlade]

I know you guys are still in the planning stage, but I think it would be best to use some sort of version control in place before the actual coding starts, so that it's easy to manage the code. I like git, but Launchpad has always intrigued me since it not only provides version control, but other cool stuff like bug and feature tracking, all hosted on their website. Either way it would only serve as a way to manage some of those things that are harder to manage in a thread like this or even an entire subforum, and not as a replacement.

Regardless, I would really like to help out with the actual maintenance/management/whatever of this project. Despite my relative lack of programming experience and the fact that I'm probably unknown to most of you guys here at PureZC these days, I like to think that I know a thing or two about how to manage open-source projects. Man I used a lot of big words in this post.

[lonegraywolf]

I can't say I'm familiar with Launchpad, but as long as it works for all OSes, I won't have a problem with supporting it. Their website is a little bit complicated to find that answer out.

Also, when will the Zelda Modern thread be open to the public? I still wish to contribute something, especially since the Google Wave idea got killed when Google said no more Wave development.

[Cameron]

I've been following this for a while, though I haven't said anything. I think this is great to see, and I'm thrilled you guys are actually working on it.

Since you're still in the planning stages, though, is it okay if I make two suggestions?

One, I think is obvious- the ability to talk to NPCs should be built-in, not requiring a custom script. Zelda Classic was supposed to eventually get this built in (according to the obsolete list of planned features that was on zeldaclassic.com some time ago), but it never happened, and scripting took over.

Two: I think it would be really, really good to be able to rip an entire picture into the mapmaker as a single "object" or whatever without having to make [16x8=] 128 combos to pull it off. Title screens come immediately to mind, and I'm thinking possibly backgrounds as well. This could even be used to create point-and-click games like "Myst". That would be something.

1.) I could be not understanding this correctly, but I think that the whole gui will be based of scripts, that way anything could be "build in". The program would come with several scripts you could choose from in order customize the gui. This way, features could be added through scripting. Or I could be totally wrong and they were just talking about basic rules and stuff.

2.) This was already suggested and I believe is going in.

[Beefster]

1 is how I invisioned it- more or less. We'd have a plugin system that would interface to the player and editor so that you can have simplified GUI control without needing to hardcode a whole lot of things. The codebase is much cleaner that way.

Also, we were definitely going to implement some sort of entity system that will allow for NPC's and pushblocks to basically replace FFCs, some flags, and weird workarounds that were once used for cutscenes and such.

Essentially, we're shooting for a fully customizable ZC on crack.

2 will be easy when using parallax layers. Which, as long as you use full images, there would be no arbitrary limit to how many you can have.

[Snarwin]

I definitely like the idea of plugins for the editor...though I would think that would be mostly separate from the scripting system used by the game engine.

Also, we were definitely going to implement some sort of entity system that will allow for NPC's and pushblocks to basically replace FFCs,

I would think the obvious approach would simply be to have a generic "free-form sprite" object that could function either as an NPC, a FFC, a pushblock, or...well, basically anything that wouldn't be attached to the regular tile grid.

We are still planning on having a regular tile grid for maps, right?

[Beefster]

Plugins are too much of a pain to make consistently cross-platform without them using a scripting language. Don't worry, AngelScript is blazingly fast. The only real problem is that it doesn't (but will) support exception handling. (Not that we'll really need it, but it is nice)

We are still planning on having a regular tile grid for maps, right?

Yup. It allows for faster rendering that way. Not sure about isometric grids. You'd have to ask Gleeok.