27 replies to this topic

[Naru]

Hey there, I don't know how far this is possible, but if someone read this topic and want to edit my post or the topic title for better understanding i would support this.

I played a few quests so far and some questions came to my mind:

1. Is there a group of more trustworthy quest-creators in this forum with special privileges?
I mean, of course you want to show off your work as yours and don't want others to easily use your creation. But I think it would be great to have a limited Number of members you can trust in here to give them the quest passwords for the following reasons:
- different versions of your quest, most likely first after it is bugfree. For example so that (on request) additional to your own version the pros of this site can add a version with or without story (though not really a story, quests like ibuprofen sure could have an alternate without jokes), with changed difficulty (I am not such a great player but there are sure some guys around, that would like the not so hard quest here but do not find any joy in the far too easy difficulty).
- updated versions for quests you do not want to update yourself.
- updated versions for quests you quit (or after quitting zc completly) while knowing that the updater will not make it its own work.
I mean here are tons of older quests that could need a polish but were left alone by the actual creator, especially the ones, that cannot be played in zc2.5 cause of a few bugs and motr or less rest in peace here...

2. Are there some non binding rules here for the use of objects to activate. I really hate the fact, that the same object is activated by different items in diffferent quests, it means testing out all items you have each time you encounter an object the first time in a quest without knowing if you already have the needed item and may only use it the erong way... A special example in my mind is dark link's temple tour. It was a lot of fun and the few times I did need help were mostly objects I realized about but didn't know if they have a meaning... I think it can be nice to use unique objects, but if I encounter a well known object, I prefee to know, that I need a certain item. For example I make a big quest were I run back a lot, if I use objects to activate at a later point and the player is stuck and does think this object is needed know he will be frustrated and may fear there is a bug

3. Is it possible to create a complete game as alternate to only the quest? I mean know you have the zc itself and load custom quests and in terms of bytes this is sure most effectice but I think it would be akso nice if you could find here downloads like an actual game. Y ou could download a folder with only the zc data needed for playing with the actual quest instead of 1st, 2nd, ... and maybe an unique mide. This could be interesting for example for freedoms quest around Elise, two quest fitting together both using another midi.

4. Are there no alternates for the nails on the ground? If you often step into them like me hard damage us a huge problem, at the same time, if the damage is to light, you don't see them as hindrance. In hero of dreams there were passages spikeintens in rhe later parts, but I could take immense amounts of damage so I easily pushed my way through. Also it can happens that the danage pushes you back and even if you want to play it the right way, if you are pushed into the middle of the spikes you rather tend to avoid it into the goal instead of walking back to the start. Also I wonder why there are so low quests (or rather none) with only block riddles, spikes and such things.I mean it wouldn't be a typical quest but there are a few quests around with great leveldesign where the foes rather seen to be an not needed annoyance.

5. Why not more often unusal weapons? I do not understand any of scripting and even if I woul like to, I do not only have time for playing all the great quests here. But what I see are a few quests like megaman with rather unique attacks and than again always the same. It would be nice to see a few quests that get rid of the sword to completly overthrow the typical fight.

[LinktheMaster]

Hopefully this will answer most of your questions.

 

1. For this, you would need to find someone yourself.  There's not like... a select group of people who do that sort of thing.  You would just need to find someone on the forums you personally trust to do that.  You'd just need to add them as a "quest creator" on the site when you first upload your quest.  This would let them update it.

 

2. No, there's no such agreement.  I think most people usually pick similar objects and items to pair, but there's nothing written out.

 

3. This isn't really possible.

 

4. Older quests didn't have as many options because of the limitations of the program.  Honestly, until ZC 2.50 (released in 2012), the most complex puzzles people could really have (easily) were block puzzles.  Scripting opened up a lot of opportunities here for different types of puzzles.

 

5. This is the same as #4.  Custom items weren't really possible until 2.50, and even then, people need to know how to script or get someone to script it for them.

[Naru]

Hmm, thanks for the info.

Though I won't do this any time nearly, is it allowed to "copy" quests. Rather than creating new stuff I have more fun working over old stuff. If I have an old quest here were I think some changes could make this a really great quest, I would love to do so. Still, the way I would change it will not be enough to only call it inspired by...

[Aevin]

You'd need to get permission from the original quest maker, first. Some people might be flattered, while others would feel it's disrespectful to alter their work. It just depends on the maker. Just make sure you don't do something like this without getting permission.

[Naru]

OK. Thank you.

[Halt19]

I also have a question. I am on a Mac laptop- what application should I use to try to open the games?

I try to use it and it opens the App Store to try to find an app to open it with. Any suggestions to which app I should try?

[RetraRoyale]

1: There is no such group. There are many different kinds of quest-makers on this site. Some who are regular posters, some who are only occasionally active, and good and bad quest designers in each category. There are some people who really know scripting, some who know color and design, and some who know layout and game-play stuff. It's really too diverse of a set of talents to strongly peg any single person into this kind of category.

 

2: Later LOZ games have established some basic rules, but since ZC is based off of the original, some of those rules may be violated. Eyes get arrows and ice gets flame and that's about it. Everything else is a bit ambiguous, since there were no weapon triggers in the original game. In later games, crystal switches could be hit with sword, boomerang, arrow, or bomb. (And maybe hookshot, I don't remember.) Most other kinds of weapon triggers don't exist, so there are no standard preconceptions. Just try to be consistent within your game and if you use the same graphics of other quests, make sure to pay attention to how they are used in those quests. (And remember that simply recoloring a graphic when you change its purpose is probably not enough to overcome any prior expectations a player might have.)

 

3: That would be asking to redistribute Zelda Classic with your quest as a stand-alone project, and that would be frowned upon pretty heavily.

 

4: The alternative is pits and water. When you fall in a pit or drown in water, you would respawn and be unable to pass over the object. I'm not sure how ZC does this, or if it needs a script, but that's essentially what you're looking for. Another idea is to make invisible barriers in spikes that go away when you get the boots or hookshot, and that would only require some very basic scripting. However, if you can just tank spikes, then you are probably over-powered anyway. Don't give the player the Red Ring or 30 hearts if you expect spikes to be an obstacle. I'm also a big fan of the "boots use magic" system, since it means you can pass spikes, but you still have to worry about them.

 

5: There are several problems with custom weapons. First, you have to know how to script. It's not that hard, but it is pretty tedious and you have to be committed to it. Second, you only have so much screen space for inventory and you have to redesign your sub-screens around the new items. Third, ZC already comes with a good suite of weapons. If you wanted to add a beam weapon, why wouldn't you just use the wand instead? Why would you add an axe if you could just use the hammer? You have to be pretty original to not be wasting your time on tools that don't add to game-play. It is also not trivial to make weapons interact with enemies in unique ways. If you wanted an ice rod, you would want it to freeze enemies like in ALttP, but then you have to make frozen-enemy sprites and script the interaction. Lastly, many quest designers like to use weapon triggers as plot barriers Ala Metroid. This means designing custom items may require you to design custom triggers, which is also pretty tedious.

 

In short, it is too much work and often not enough payoff, especially if you want the weapon to contribute to game-play on the same level as the existing items.

[Naru]

I have a new question. I try a bit around and cannot find a way to change the c-sets for secret combos, items or foes. Especially the secret combos are annoying, the dungeon is violet, my secret tiles orange....

[trudatman]

my stuff all shares the same password and people are free to 723 around and build off the files.

[Avaro]

When selecting a tile for your secret combo you can use the + and - keys to change the palette. Same with items and enemies. Does that work for you?

Edited by Avataro, 30 May 2015 - 04:39 PM.

[Naru]

Yeah, it does. Thanks a lot.

I actually am playing around with a not passworded quest, cause beeing creative and learning at the same time is just not mine. Some of the tiles used seem to use modified colours (the selected combo has another colour than the actual combo) Is this something I can copy or reproduce? If this is something more complicated, dont bother explaining, I only want to know, if it is possible or not.

Also I am not aiming to upload it as a quest, cause the changes are only minimalistic and I dont am permitted so by the original questmaker anyway, still it would be nice to get it tested for feedback, what went all wrong.

[Lejes]

You can also hold left Alt (yes it has to be left) and click a secret combo box and it will instantly use the combo and CSet you currently have selected. No need to scroll through the entire combo list every time.

[Eddy]

You can also hold left Alt (yes it has to be left) and click a secret combo box and it will instantly use the combo and CSet you currently have selected. No need to scroll through the entire combo list every time.

Hm I actually never knew about this... that could come in handy for myself

[Naru]

Here again. I actually have some troubles navigating through the forum (my bad english doesn't help at all), So sry for asking evryrhing. I actually want to add true arrows and new items, but don't know how to add them/how to edit the subscreen.

And is there a possebility to add a second bow or give a magic arrow, that is converted back to a normal arrow if magic is used up?

Edited by Naru, 01 June 2015 - 07:30 AM.

[Lejes]

True arrows are a quest rule. Quest Rules->Items, and it's on tab 1. The subscreen editor is under Quest->Misc. Data->Subscreens. Edit whichever active subscreen your DMaps are using and right click any item, and select Properties. On the Attributes tab, you can set the item class of the item in that spot. If you want arrows that cost MP and revert to normal arrows when you're out, you'll need to use either something with item override to give the player two separate bows or an item script.