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Cellar/Passageway fade-in should render same as Scroll Warp


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#1 Lüt

Lüt

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Posted 20 March 2019 - 04:39 PM

I'm extremely tempted to submit this as a bug report, except that somebody may have done this intentionally.

But regardless of intent, it's an inconsistency, and one that botches a number of scripted secret systems.

This is also not fully a feature request, because the "fixed" code already exists, and just needs to be used in the right place.

The issue is this: at first, it would appear that the fade-in process for Item Cellars, Passageways, and Scrolling Warps is the same. However, scripted secret systems actually render at different points during the fade-in process for Item Cellars and Passageways than they do during the fade-in process for Scrolling Warps.

So if you activate a scripted secret system to change a certain number of combos on a screen, then return to that screen from an Item Cellar or Passageway, the original unchanged combos are drawn during the fade-in, then they swap back to the proper changed combos after the fade-in finishes. However, during a Scrolling Warp, the proper changed combos are drawn during the fade-in, rather than after, which is how it should be.

So, the solution lies in the Scrolling Warp. See, graphically, it fades-in the same, but renderingly (?), it draws script-changed combos during the fade rather than after, and that's what needs to happen across-the-board.

I'm currently aware of at least 4 different scripts that are affected by this. Each offer powerful and versatile design options, and here's some example quests and screenshots featuring them.

Script 01: Permanent Tiered Secrets by Moosh
Sample Quest 01a: Fade-In Comparison 01a - Permanent Tiered Secrets (Cellar Version)
Sample Quest 01b: Fade-In Comparison 01b - Permanent Tiered Secrets (Scroll Warp Version)

This script allows multiple levels of secrets per screen, and retains their settings on NES dungeon screens. I added stair warps to two versions of Moosh's demo quest, one using Item Cellar Warp types and the other using Scrolling Warp types, and this is the result of both:

Gallery 01

Script 02: Red/Blue Crystal Switch by venrob
Sample Quest 02: Fade-In Comparison 02 - Z3 Module PR2 Block Script

This script recreates Z3's "red"/blue block system, and I expect it will eventually appear in the Z3 module, which is why I've used that exact quest file as the basis for this example:

Gallery 02

[including ZC dev's script in mild hope said dev will take necessary action to provide his script more thorough engine support]

Script 03: Linked Secrets by ywkls
Sample Quest 03: Fade-In Comparison 03 - Linked Secret Pond

This script allows mass amounts of combos to be switched across multiple screens with a single flag, and multiple switches/states per screen, also retaining the settings on NES dungeon screens. This example creates a permanent whistle-blown pond in an NES dungeon:

Gallery 03

Script 04: Toggle System by ywkls
Sample Quest 04: (none)

This script also allows mass amounts of combos to be switched across multiple screens, and multiple switches/states per screen, but allows them to be continually switched back and forth. It's based on Linked Secrets, so it shouldn't require an example quest or screenshots.

Anyway, you see the issue by now. I'm hoping it's as simple as copy+pasting the fade code from the Scrolling Warp function into the Item Cellar/Passageway function, but even if it doesn't end up being such a quick fix, I still hope it can be addressed somehow.

When I ran this by DarkDragon previously, he expressed concern that somebody may have designed something dependent on the current Item Cellar/Passageway fade-in rendering order. However, I've thought about it since then, and I can't imagine what. And sure, my scripting imagination is relatively limited. But what's not my imagination is what we have here: at least 4 different scripts that would largely benefit from this change. I mean, if you really had to retain the old rendering code and didn't want to spend a quest rule on a "Use New Item Cellar/Passageway Fade-In" checkbox, then perhaps an emulation menu option enabled by default for pre-2.53 quests, just in case?

(For the record, this behavior is the same with standard or interpolated fading, and is consistent in all 2.5x versions.)

(I'm also not sure what's the right place to make a channel for this in the dev server, so I'll leave that to an actual dev.)
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