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#1 Thunderfist

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Posted 23 September 2019 - 02:43 PM

I'm trying to make a fresh subscreen, but it's not working.

 

I've added the Current Items and set the proper positions,

I've added A and B button items in a blank space,

I've added a selector over where the first given item should be,

I've given an Initial item,

I've even tried adding Triforce and playing various other functions I can find,

 

but whenever I try to access the subscreen during gameplay I can't move the selector, it's just hovering over one random empty inventory item slot.

 

I can give a copy of the quest to anyone who thinks they can fix this,

or better yet just tell me what I'm missing or what I've possibly messed up.

Please.


Edited by Thunderfist, 23 September 2019 - 02:44 PM.


#2 Aevin

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Posted 23 September 2019 - 03:33 PM

Within the subscreen editor, there's a set of arrow keys, I believe on the lower right, that mimic the controller input on the subscreen to move the selector between your current items. That's an easy way to see if the selector is working properly without having to go back and forth between the editor and playing the quest to test.

 

You say you've set the current item positions, but have you filled in the fields for Up Select, Down Select, etc? These are what tell the selector which position to scroll to when you press any of those directions. So for example, if you're on position 1, then Left Select will likely be 0, Right Select will probably be 2, and Up and Down would vary according to how many items you have in each row, so Down might be position 8 or something. Have you gone through this process already? It's admittedly kind of a pain. I believe you also need to start from position 0, not 1.


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#3 Thunderfist

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Posted 25 September 2019 - 10:33 AM

That's a cake walk, already did that. I just can't get the cursor to become active at all. It's there, it just does nothing. I got slightly better results making sure the Selector was drawn to the front over everything else, and putting an invisible wallet and/or bomb bag under the 1st true item's position to get the Selector to stay there, but, it's not functional. I've been trying special position combinations for the Selector like in the far upper left corner like in the stock subscreen, but to no avail. When I change master subscreen type back to an original one and try to play, even that screen is mostly black below the stuff at the very top. Didn't see a Rectangle covering it either. Any other ideas?


Edited by Thunderfist, 25 September 2019 - 10:58 AM.


#4 Thunderfist

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Posted 25 September 2019 - 10:59 AM

Wait. POSITION ZERO?! Let me try that.

 

OK, Selector's still frozen.


Edited by Thunderfist, 25 September 2019 - 11:32 AM.


#5 Aevin

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Posted 25 September 2019 - 11:08 AM

If it still gives you trouble, I don't mind having a look at the quest file. You can share it here or PM me if you prefer.



#6 Thunderfist

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Posted 25 September 2019 - 11:44 AM

Eureka!!!! Decreased all numerical position values by one, then had to remove the invisible bomb bag and wallet, as well as the unused Triforce; while having the Selector in the top left corner as far as it will go while remaining on the screen. I can't thank you enough for your help, man. Like, BOOM. That's my quest coming together. <3


Edited by Thunderfist, 25 September 2019 - 11:47 AM.

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#7 Aevin

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Posted 25 September 2019 - 11:59 AM

Happy to hear! Best of luck with development.



#8 Thunderfist

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Posted 25 September 2019 - 09:15 PM

The cake is baked. Let's frost it.

If anyone cares, I'm having some unusual quandries for the unusual mechanics of my game, 

so I'm wondering if by chance anyone knows of any functions that could help.

 

//Begin Irrelevant Personal Background: (why I'm doing this)

--[my gf said I need (yet another) hobby and so I decided I'd just get another smartphone app game but nothing struck my fancy. I went back to some old favorites from every console and some old PC games too, but couldn't find a good top-down view sandbox or X-Men game, and one in the same straight up did not exist. I wanted this for so long it became a quest of its own. They had one in Spider-Man 2 on PS(2?), and it was amazing with TONS of alternate costumes; X-Men Legends and Marvel Ultimate Alliance were close, but didn't cross the finish line.]

 

//Begin Irrelevant ZQuest background: (what I know)

--[I looked into making Zelda-type and Final Fantasy Tactics-type mods a year and a half ago or something and looked into this old program called ZQuest I used to play and kind of edit fan-made Zelda quests on [because I just couldn't get enough at the time,] specifically to see if it was possible to switch characters and if so, how many. (You've got to remember, the only relevant tech experience I have is first level tech support I had to use a checklist and transfer button for; programming is a complete unknown to me, I typed commands out of a book to move a turtle on an ancient computer in 1992 and that is it. I can customize every setting on my smart phone, but I'm not really into rooting, if you catch my drift. Anyway,) I checked out the basic functions of the program and saw that you could switch a few characters by changing rings, and then one day I read that LTMs could be applied to every item and that was just game on. I went through the entire user guide step by step, taking anal notes on relevant functions as I followed the instructions to create a fully working custom quest from scratch. I changed Link into Wolverine as a test,]

 

//Begin Barely Relevant Game Mechanics: (what I've done)

--[stripped the system of available item slots, made a handful of item shops that switched characters into X-Men characters and gave you their powers and used modified Like-Likes into telephone booth Shield Remover (with a crap in-story excuse for having to run to a phone booth to change every character). All of that kind of ruined the flow of an otherwise smooth continuous flow of cartoon comic cartoon characters fighting on-screen and then suddenly directly under the fan's control. I scoured the internet devouring everything about directly switching between characters, and got nowhere. I looked into scripting but wasn't confident with even my basic ZQuest skills, and despite the 160 playable characters I'm 3/4 through putting into my game (don't think I can fit them all, but most definitely) and obscene number of DMAPS and hours planning I am still not. I've only used two of the three of l've only recently begun to even take a look at seriously in my current game mechanics, and I've come across the answer I've been looking for ONE WEEK AGO (after a year and a half of working on this on average every other day for at least three hours- in intense bursts of activity whenever I feel like it and have time and energy). So,]

 

//Begin Relevant Game Mechanics: (scripts used)

--[I copy and pasted scripts for an ***ITEM BUNDLER*** to give powers at the same time as picking up a character icon that changes LTMs (thus taking away the necessity for undesired character shop mechanics), signs (currently unimplemented and irrelevant at present), and an ITEM RESPAWNER for character icon items so you can switch back to the same character twice in-game. Both of those used are FFC ITEM SCRIPTS.]

 

//Begin Important Game Mechanics Background: (CHARACTER SWITCHING!!)

1-- [I found a tiny little reference in the ITEM BUNDLER's Set-Up notes as I was figuring out how to set up a script for the first time (last Saturday) that an additional feature is included: If you put "-" followed by a Message String # in the first D0 argument it prompts a message. I thought it was barely neat until later that same lucky day during an unrelated ZQuest research binge,

2-- I read that you can type in codes \16\# and \17\# respectively at the beginning of messages to give and take away items. After some planning I began rebuilding the first few screens of the quest so that

3>>>>respawning Screen Items upon pickup prompt a message encoded to remove all current character icon items with LTMs and then apply new ones<<<< so you could running around switching characters in the Overworld, but

4>>>>upon deeper thought I realized switching characters and their powers would be MUCH more preferable via subscreen. The overworld item demo seemed inefficient to me because the character switching wasn't truly free and mobile as desired, and though there was an immediately recognizable way it was a pain in the ass, but I started anyway. I started making two versions of every icon: 1 one temporary Screen Item with LTMs that takes away all other temporary Screen Items with LTMs then give the appropriate character's LTM with a new item, and 2 one permanent dummy icon for the inventory that upon use would trigger a message that takes away current LTM items and gives new ones. In this way you could change into anyone you encountered and do so thereafter at will once collected, but also return and change back into the character again later. But I want to make full use of all the fat I trimmed from the tiles and the Item slots aren't infinite, so]

 

//Begin Important Game Mechanics: (LTM BUTTONS?!!!/ getting more LTM changes than available Item slots should allow)

1>>>>>>>>[I started wondering about more efficient ways of doing LTM changes. I played with the idea of doing Mystique and Morph's shapeshifting via entering codes by using shared items represented by different letters that changed your LTMs in bigger chunks to reach the same end goal, like using coins instead of a single dollar bill to achieve the same number. I didn't want to do that for every character, but to include 160 playable characters, you know dang well I considered it.

2 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Eventually my focus coalesced around the subject until I wondered some time around this last Sunday if I could make the LTM button Items internal, not at all visible or used consciously by the player. I planned out 22 item spaces to replace ALL of the LTM items needed in the game by using: ********>>>positive and negative chunks of something like 100, 50, 25, 20, 10, 15, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 pages of LTM movement with each item's reception via coded Message String<<<********. So now, a) I start as Professor X with his *permanent* astral form icon (since he's the default character) and a stun blast wand. b1) I pick up Jean Grey and as it will every time the Item Bundler script prompts a message *upon pickup* removing any currently collected internal LTM button Items, b2) gives the proper LTM buttons b3) and powers, and also b4) gives her (or 78 other characters later) a permanent icon. b5 That 2nd permanent Jean Grey character icon *upon use* does the same 'clear all LTM Buttons, give appropriate LTM buttons, give appropriate powers' function.]

 

//Begin Personal Interlude: (background thrills and chills)

[After that massive success a few days ago I was super-stoked, but wanted to try to fit more subscreen inventory slots, so harrowing story short I finally got a HUGE subscreen built with room for 80 characters, and all the basic powers. And it looks COOL. X-Men First Class Mystique changes into the comics/ cartoon version from bottom to top and back again, Colossus transforms, it's amazing. I got the subscreen working TODAY, as you know. This same day, I also got a great job offer and my mother's terminal cancer is miraculously shrinking to a ridiculous degree. Anyway, I digress.]

 

//Begin Current Development State: (this is what I can do and manipulate so far, does this help?)

[I can now (or will post-development, I've only begun re-structuring now that these core problems have been fixed and ideas been proved solid):

-use internal LTM Buttons to fit tons more characters

-switch characters/ Team Leaders mostly at will, still fitting in every playable character the graphics tiles pages allow with half of the characters permanently available

-use a 'Dismiss Field Team' command Item/Message/code to remove all collected powers,

-use a 'Disband X-Men' Item to similarly remove all powers and applied LTMs.

-use an 'Assemble Gold Team' or 'Assemble Blue Team' button

-and just for fun use No Enemy Flags to add enemy behavior by having them guard areas and hold formations]

 

//Begin Quandry 1: (Shapeshift Item)

[... And today I began work on a Shapeshift Item I'd been thinking about for days that can be used repeatedly like an LTM Button Item to push your sprite one page to the right at a time (or left for a second button)... And then I found out that you can't stack LTM buttons of the exact same type DESPITE IT HAVING WORKED ON CYCLOPS WHEN I DIDN'T WANT IT TO DURING MY FIRST 'CHARACTER ITEM SHOPS' VERSIONS OF THE GAME. Or at least I know that I don't know how to do it, and don't know what factors would be relevant. Would 'upgrade upon picking up twice' allow for a single twice-collected item to apply double the LTMs? I REALLY want to Shapeshift at the push of a button. Please. This would be amazing.]

 

//Begin Quandry 2: (Allies)

[So, at this point I'm 50/50 on whether this next bit is fantasy or plausible, but, it would boost my satisfaction with this game I've nearly got working another 40%, so I will work to attain ths goals if at all feasible. Get ready.

1 Multiple (is that possible?), like up to twenty (is that large a team possible?) 2 collectible (upon pickup) 3 NPC (I've heard possible) 4 allies (I've heard indifference, but maybe enemies scripted to recognize non-NPC enemies as Link with the trigger for recognition that snakes use?) 5 activated and deactivated at will (via new inventory 'expand NPCs' Item use triggering script to trigger release of allies). 6 They would represent only the currently selected team (represented by current accessible/ collected library of powers selected from any of those character icons already collected) (via giving a permanent item during the first (and forced) character icon pickup that during use spawns the scripted allies. Additionally, or as a 3% consolation prize, I'd like to 7 have some caught villains NPCs following that have to be brought back to the X-Mansion you start out at. On a related note, I think it would be neat as heck to be able to release these following NPCs (or just collected characters without NPCs expanded) which would spawn enemies and take away the characters from inventory, as if you were unchaining Sabretooth or something.]

 

//Begin Quandry 3: (Player-selected inventory items in overlapping places)

--[I currently have my first three rows of 16 inventory slots each filled with heroes, the next with villains, and ****the next row I wanted blank so the player could collect whichever 16 characters they want to have ready at a moment's notice**** (rather than one empty slot to share between all the other character icon items that can't fit on the subscreen (prioritized by level), but in order to place items in the inventory at all >>>>>>>>>>>>It looks so far like when you collect items they always have to go to dedicated subscreen inventory slots, not in the first unoccupied ones (is that true?).<<<<<<<<<<< Basically I want a row (or entire character icons library) to be the same class being able to drop multiple items in there without one item taking every space because they're all the same item type (can this maybe be accomplished by stacking selectable subscreen Elements for each item type on top of each other?).

 

//Begin Quandry 4: (conditionally-spawning enemies)

And finally, I'd really like to see screens that truly change states after conditions are fulfilled (rather than warping to duplicate DMAPs) using conditionally-spawning enemies such as guards that spawn if you set off an alarm, police follow you to the current screen with a 10 second delay when wanted, enemies that don't spawn after their boss has been defeated, etc. (Any chance of this?)

 

Thank you for reading and helping if able.


Edited by Thunderfist, 26 September 2019 - 01:24 AM.

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#9 SkyLizardGirl

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Posted 26 September 2019 - 03:02 PM

1. Make a 'Current item' , So your game can select it. Then, place it anywhere you want on your Subscreen using the second 4 arrows below the top 4 arrows.

 

2. Go to attributes on the 'Current item' , in - 'Position'  Make it the Number of the item you want to select.  If your items are all lined up, you need the first item to be 0, then 1, then 2, and so on.

 

3. It's more difficult to do 'Up Select' and 'Down select' , so just Keep those two at Zero '0' for now.

---

They basically do the same as Left Select and Right Select.

 

4. 'Left Select'  selects the Item Left of it,   >so if your item is 7 for example,  Left selects 6 and Right you should put in 8.

 

5. Item Override is only for items you only get Once and there is no upgrade to it.

>You can force the item to be shown there, but remember;  Default is (None)  - that way nothing is messed up.

if an upgraded item is supposed to go there you want to keep it at (None) and choose the item type above instead. - In,  'Item Class.'

 

 

-----Other Info-----

 

>Make sure your Items all have the 'Equipment checkbox' Checked in, cause sometimes they won't show up in your inventory unless you do this.


Edited by SkyLizardGirl, 26 September 2019 - 03:13 PM.


#10 Thunderfist

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Posted 27 September 2019 - 03:53 AM

Na ja, I did that my first time through with up and down positions, no issues. I read every Wiki, manual, tutorial, forum, and post visible with Google on the subject, so I just followed the basic instructions. I just don't recall ever reading anywhere about starting with 0 position, maybe I missed it.

 

My second post was explaining my unusual game mechanics I devised for character-swapping so that readers could understand my questions.

I'm very new at even scripting and have no programming background, but I am trying to figure this out:

I'll try to explain it better.

 

I'm using an item bundler script's bonus feature that prompts messages upon item pickup. At the beginning of the messages
I'm typing codes "\16\X"  to give and "\17\X" to take away items per normal ZQuest functions I read about recently, where "X" is the Item Number. 

Thus I use invisible item pickups of invisible items coded with varying-sized chunks of LTM sprite-repositioning movements that automatically

change you into a character when you collect walk over them like an item.

 

For ready example, to change sprites to a page three to the left you'd give items L (-2) and M (-1) using this set custom set I thought of:

 

LTM Buttons:

ITEM NUMBERS/ITEM NAME/ SPRITE REPOSITIONING MOVEMENT:
79    A LTM -100 pages
81    B LTM  -50 pages
82    C LTM  -25
106    D LTM  -20
24    F LTM  -15
35    G LTM  -10
107    H LTM  -5
68    J LTM  -4
55    K LTM  -3
19    L LTM  -2
56    M LTM  -1
10    N LTM   +100
11    P LTM    +50
88    Q LTM    +25
15    R LTM    +20
101    S LTM    +15
102    T LTM    +10
22    V LTM     +5
123    W LTM     +4
124    X LTM     +3
125    Y LTM     +2
126    Z LTM     +1

 

In this way, with just 22 items, you can change your Link sprites using Link Tile Modifiers to switch characters to any other page with message codes.

Just first insert code during every swap to remove every of these invisible LTM Button Items before you apply another combinations again.

If you're attempting this, put it in an otherwise blank Message that then connects to the shorter code that just gives a few LTM Buttons and the message.

 

For example, young Marvel Girl Jean Grey's character movements are on Graphics Tiles page 6, Professor X is 135.

Professor X is the default so to switch him to her character when you pick up her character icon, you have to

move the sprites 129 pages left (-) by giving LTM Buttons items LTM A, C, and J (because -100, -25, and -4 are -129) by

typing:

 

Message 1:

\17\79\17\81\17\82\17\106\17\24\17\35\17\107\17\68\17\55\17\19\17\56\17\10\17\11\17\88\17\15\17\101\17\102\17\22\17\123\17\124\17\125\17\126

(which then Continues to the next Message when selected at bottom)

Message 2:

\16\79\16\82\16\68Marvel Girl: Telekinetic leaps andtelepathic bolts to the rescue!

 

(but after the "\16\68" I also give Items that grant her powers for her character.)

(You would have to add \17\X codes to take away any possible Items you've given before giving a new set if your character swapping is Item-specific.)

(I use this feature in my Subscreen by collecting a large number of permanent icon Items and some temporary ones

You can also use this technique to give and take away weapons or whatever during swaps.

 

*Just make sure you use different item type codes for each of these invisible LTM Item Buttons.*

(They don't have to be placed on the Subscreen.)

 

I'm also using a Screen Item Respawner so you can continuously switch back and forth at will from the Overworld

whenever you pick up a character icon again.

Many of my character icons, however, are themselves permanent Items that you can equip them from the Subscreen,

selected to trigger the same character-swapping Message number upon use as during pickup.

This allows for character swapping at will, on the go.

 

Not. Good. Enough. I want 2 Shapeshift Item buttons for Mystique to use that shifts the page number of the sprite one in either direction

possibly using self-stackable LTM Buttons that keep giving more of the same LTM page changes each time the same item is 'picked up' during use.

 

Do you know how to do something like that?




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