KarlosTKG now on GitHub

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by eXeler0

Sound like a good plan. Are you editing the storyline texts between levels too?

No, but that should be the last thing, once all the details are sorted out. The current engine doesn't display that text yet anyway.

I alway though it would be neat to have an image showing some core design feature of the level along with the explaining text ;-) Could help setting the right atmosphere / setting. Sort of like Gloom Deluxe but more focus on environment.

How do you mean? Like a background image for the text?

[eXeler0]

Originally Posted by Karlos

No, but that should be the last thing, once all the details are sorted out. The current engine doesn't display that text yet anyway.



How do you mean? Like a background image for the text?

It would require some coding but something like s nice image trasing the level and scrolling text onnthe bottom half

[Karlos]

I dunno. Tracing the level seems a bit of a cheat for a place you are supposed to be unacquainted with.

[vroom6sri]

Originally Posted by Karlos

I dunno. Tracing the level seems a bit of a cheat for a place you are supposed to be unacquainted with.

How about something like a screenshot of one of the more interesting/exciting parts of the level you're about to play? Or perhaps a couple of them like a simple slideshow? As long as it didn't give anything away that is.

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by vroom6sri

How about something like a screenshot of one of the more interesting/exciting parts of the level you're about to play? Or perhaps a couple of them like a simple slideshow?

Probably needs to be a bit blurred to make the text stand out. Like half life, lol.

Doing any of this requires engine changes, even displaying the existing text (which is all designed for planar, 640 wide).

[eXeler0]

Originally Posted by Karlos

I dunno. Tracing the level seems a bit of a cheat for a place you are supposed to be unacquainted with.

Sorry, that was just another typo, I meant *teasing* a level as in some sort of a teaser for whats coming

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by grond

If I understand this correctly, using animated objects even for flat panel type objects we could easily get (rudimentary) animated screen contents, right? Basically this would be implemented as the object turning by 180 degrees every other second or so.

So, I have an idea and the proposed plot for Level D might be an excuse to use it. If we create display panel textures that are no more than half height, we can put them on lift walls. It is possible now for lifts and doors to move extremely quickly thanks to a fix in the level edito, so by creating a panel similar to those now in level B (inset into the wall), a display could be shown on what is actually an outer lift wall. Depending on the state of the lift, the upper or lower half panel is visible. As for activation, this could be via a switch, collectable or even touching the display, since it's just a lift. The sound effects used for each of the 4 states are entirely optional and selectable too.

A variation on this would be to have a vertical strip texture that is used to indicate a level of something, the lower half the "bar graph" colour, and the upper half just the background. A lift with this texture would move at whatever speed is desired to make the indicator reach the end position (doesn't have to be complete) in the time required.

We can't go too nuts with this because there are only 16 lifts definable per level, but I think it's a workable idea if there are just a few things you need to reactivate for the plot.

[grond]

And a lift can't just go up and down all the time by itself without any activation through player action?

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by grond

And a lift can't just go up and down all the time by itself without any activation through player action?

A door can (see the most recent level B video), but not not totally sure about the lift. However, this suggestion is not for ongoing animations it's for changing the appearance of something in response to a player action. A lift may be able to also, but I am not sure it has a timeout property to remain in either state for any length of time, unlike a door.

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by eXeler0

Sorry, that was just another typo, I meant *teasing* a level as in some sort of a teaser for whats coming

You know, if you are going to have to show a per-level background image anyway, then the text could just be part of the image.

[Karlos]

Basic proof of concept of the two-state display panel idea

[ Show youtube player ]

[eXeler0]

Originally Posted by Karlos

You know, if you are going to have to show a per-level background image anyway, then the text could just be part of the image.

yea, I thought about it too, but in such case , you probably could use High Res Interlace for an image that includes the text. Is it 640x256 atm?
I can do a quick test tonight with one horizontal and one vertical layout. Each image would use its own unique palette…

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by eXeler0

yea, I thought about it too, but in such case , you probably could use High Res Interlace for an image that includes the text. Is it 640x256 atm?
I can do a quick test tonight with one horizontal and one vertical layout. Each image would use its own unique palette…

It's not anything at the moment because the code path is not used. However, the original was 640*256, 2 colour mode.

For the sake of RTG compatibility I recommend only 320*240 or 640*480 for any static image content.

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by grond

And a lift can't just go up and down all the time by itself without any activation through player action?

I've confirmed that it can, but there's no delay control for the top or bottom state. You can use a fast scrolling lift like this to simulate a glitched display at least, but it almost seems like a waste.

In the prototype, the lifts themselves could be used to block access through something like an air duct passage behind the wall, so they could serve more than just display switch purposes.

[grond]

Originally Posted by Karlos

Basic proof of concept of the two-state display panel idea

[ Show youtube player ]

OK, now that is really cool! I guess I was thinking too much about the surveillance camera idea. How lovely it would be to have some sort of animation like monsters passing through some room where the camera is in. With only two frames of animation, it could at least be a static image with a blinking red "REC" or "ALERT" indicator in it...

[grond]

Originally Posted by Karlos

You know, if you are going to have to show a per-level background image anyway, then the text could just be part of the image.

Unless, of course, you want to allow translation of the texts into other languages (which to me isn't important at all but other people don't like to or simply cannot read a lot of English text).

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by grond

Unless, of course, you want to allow translation of the texts into other languages (which to me isn't important at all but other people don't like to or simply cannot read a lot of English text).

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We don't even have English text yet and the in game messages only work fullscreen 1*1

[Karlos]

I am sure the organisation name's acronym is a pure coincidence...

I had used a blue 128x128 wall slot to create the camera view for the blue area in the docking ring and it seemed a waste. So now I have the name of the organisation on the blue wall backgrounds in the same texture so that I can put them along the blue bits of the docking ring.

Should come up with some other forum inspired names. Which other big players are involved?

AWN: Alien Worlds Network ?

[abu_the_monkey]

Originally Posted by Karlos

Basic proof of concept of the two-state display panel idea

[ Show youtube player ]

neat

a good use for lifts in levels that have some spare. will cause a performance hit on real hardware due to the over draw I guess but looks great

[abu_the_monkey]

Originally Posted by Karlos

I've confirmed that it can, but there's no delay control for the top or bottom state. You can use a fast scrolling lift like this to simulate a glitched display at least, but it almost seems like a waste.

In the prototype, the lifts themselves could be used to block access through something like an air duct passage behind the wall, so they could serve more than just display switch purposes.

I wonder if the lack of a delay setting is a just missed option in the editor?