Updating Graphic Adventure Creator aka Grac

[xboxown]

I love this! I want this badly! Any release update?

[kikems]

We continue work, now we have a lot of bug fixed but before release GR.A.C 2.5 we want check it doing a small adventure. Few weeks before Birra found a big bug in the "Close-up" code, Birra is working to fix it.

Since 1 month we are working in the GRAC3, GRAC 2.5 it's at 99%, we only need some time to make a new guide, update documentation and test it intensively. All old adventures I found and I can test it import without problems into the Grac2.5.

Be patient, we are working on it.

[kikems]

Originally Posted by mjnurney

Awesome work , how is it progressing?

A guide would be helpful.

Can iff be used as background images?

Yes a guide it's very important , actual docs are too hard for new users.

Of course, IFF can be used as background images up to 1024 pixels for scroll backgrounds ( 1024 it's the limit of kickstart 1.x rom if you use a big size game engine need kick 2.x ).Now it's possible use low-res or hi-res pictures at any capable number of colors of OCS chipset, HAM not available for now.
Screen game can use low-res images and control panel use Hi-res images , simultaneously, if you want.

[xboxown]

Originally Posted by kikems

Yes a guide it's very important , actual docs are too hard for new users.

Of course, IFF can be used as background images up to 1024 pixels for scroll backgrounds ( 1024 it's the limit of kickstart 1.x rom if you use a big size game engine need kick 2.x ).Now it's possible use low-res or hi-res pictures at any capable number of colors of OCS chipset, HAM not available for now.
Screen game can use low-res images and control panel use Hi-res images , simultaneously, if you want.

Heheh I will make sure all my games need kickstart 3.x My adventure games WILL NOT SUPPORT kick 1.x...ever. But hey..I am the author of my games and I get to pick which platform to support!

I will be patient and wait for future update. Will there be a video tutorial of series to teach new beginner to make their first adventure game? Like the tutorial in video, goes step by step until a person final finish of the exercise a full functioning adventure?

Thanks in advance!

[Predseda]

Did you try contacting Edmund Clay? (I did in the past, but without success)

[malko]

Originally Posted by xboxown

Heheh I will make sure all my games need kickstart 3.x [...]

You should go the 3.1 or 3.1.4 road and leave 3.x aside

[kikems]

Originally Posted by xboxown

Heheh I will make sure all my games need kickstart 3.x My adventure games WILL NOT SUPPORT kick 1.x...ever. But hey..I am the author of my games and I get to pick which platform to support!

I will be patient and wait for future update. Will there be a video tutorial of series to teach new beginner to make their first adventure game? Like the tutorial in video, goes step by step until a person final finish of the exercise a full functioning adventure?

Thanks in advance!

No problem, we will do good tutorials. AmigaWave allways make good tutorials about amiga things, the problem is a good english language, but sure someone can help with it.

[kikems]

Originally Posted by Predseda

Did you try contacting Edmund Clay? (I did in the past, but without success)

Yes i'd try but without success.

[kikems]

Originally Posted by Ozzyboshi

Actually I am writing a book about GRAC2, it's a beginner guide written in italian, it would be awesome to add the grac3 improvements and maybe translating it in other languages

Can you send me a copy to check?

[kikems]

Originally Posted by Predseda

Did you try contacting Edmund Clay? (I did in the past, but without success)

Before start updating GRAC we contact too with author of Doopsi ( another old graphic adventure engine for Amiga ) but he confirm me that all sources, keygenerator and all related Doopsi stuff was stolen when his A1200 HD broke.


We check GRAAL too, but it's more complex to use and need more ram resources than GRAC. Have some small advantages VS GRAC but some big disadvantages VS GRAC too.

We think that update GRAC is the best way for now.

Our plan is:

1- Update GRAC 2 to GRAC 2.5, fixing small bugs and add some new options but with compatibility with old projects, you can load your old game into the new GRAC 2.5 and save as improved version. In addition we include an external app for extract text files for help to recreate the game in different languages.
(Now finished at 99% , we need check documentation, test it intensive and make a new better tutorial)

2- GRAC 3, will include all improvements of GRAC 2.5 and add graphic inventory, native multi-language for games , new format for read and write files faster , new question and answers engine, options menu for save and load states, maybe a new music .mod engine and some other things.
(At now new file format, graphic inventory and multi-language is ready)

3- GRAC 3.5 , the idea is maintain the same GRAC 3 editor and rewrite a new player engine in Blitzbasic for OCS and AGA adventures.

4- GRAC 4 ( Not more GRAC source code dependency ), when GRAC 3.5 finished Birra want rewrite all from scratch for make and adventure engine capable to build games for Amiga OCS, Amiga AGA, Amiga RTG and Amiga NG, all in the same tool.

Of course all this things need time, time, and more time. GRAC 2.5 and GRAC 3 they are in progress, GRAC 3.5 and GRAC 4 they are just an idea, for now.

[Cobe]

That sounds awesome!
Some time ago I tried grac2 but gave up quickly cause it crashed a lot and manuals were not helping much.

[Tsak]

Great work guys! Looking forward to this!

[Predseda]

I am not sure if it is possible to SELL GRAC, but I would buy it boxed with printed manual

[kikems]

Originally Posted by Predseda

I am not sure if it is possible to SELL GRAC, but I would buy it boxed with printed manual

No if is not possible contact with the original author. We take the binaries and sources free and we release as free too.

[Predseda]

Makes sense. If only would be possible to get source code for Epsilon 9, load it to your new GRAC, put a music to it and save enhanced... but I doubt the source prevails, even if the author could be contacted.

[kikems]

Originally Posted by Predseda

Makes sense. If only would be possible to get source code for Epsilon 9, load it to your new GRAC, put a music to it and save enhanced... but I doubt the source prevails, even if the author could be contacted.

I have sources of Epsion 9 and other old stuff. I think Epsilon is GRAC 1 version, it need port to GRAC2 and later GRAC 2.5.

[xboxown]

Any news so far, guys?

[Predseda]

Originally Posted by kikems

I have sources of Epsion 9 and other old stuff. I think Epsilon is GRAC 1 version, it need port to GRAC2 and later GRAC 2.5.

This is really hopefull.

[Samurai_Crow]

Originally Posted by kikems

Our plan is:

1- Update GRAC 2 to GRAC 2.5, fixing small bugs and add some new options but with compatibility with old projects, you can load your old game into the new GRAC 2.5 and save as improved version. In addition we include an external app for extract text files for help to recreate the game in different languages.
(Now finished at 99% , we need check documentation, test it intensive and make a new better tutorial)

2- GRAC 3, will include all improvements of GRAC 2.5 and add graphic inventory, native multi-language for games , new format for read and write files faster , new question and answers engine, options menu for save and load states, maybe a new music .mod engine and some other things.
(At now new file format, graphic inventory and multi-language is ready)

3- GRAC 3.5 , the idea is maintain the same GRAC 3 editor and rewrite a new player engine in Blitzbasic for OCS and AGA adventures.

4- GRAC 4 ( Not more GRAC source code dependency ), when GRAC 3.5 finished Birra want rewrite all from scratch for make and adventure engine capable to build games for Amiga OCS, Amiga AGA, Amiga RTG and Amiga NG, all in the same tool.

Of course all this things need time, time, and more time. GRAC 2.5 and GRAC 3 they are in progress, GRAC 3.5 and GRAC 4 they are just an idea, for now.

@Kikems

I started writing an adventure engine in AmigaE once. I didn't make it very far due to the bugs in the E compiler but I know of some ways to improve execution speed even in AmosPro to help get to the later stages of development sooner.

Here are some examples:
Use a bitset to store inventories. It doesn't matter if it's a room inventory or a character inventory, inventories can be stored in a single integer variable by using the BSET, BCLR, AND and OR commands in AmosPro. The limitation is that only 32 items can be stored in such an inventory, one per bit in the integer. The way this works is that you assign a binary place value for each item in the inventory and mask bits on and off to indicate adding and removing items from the inventory. The main advantage is that, by creating a mask, multiple items can be tested for absence or presence in a simple use of bit twiddling.

Compile walk-zones into a 2D matrix (array). Path finding algorithms usually use a recursive heuristic to determine the path to walk between when using the "walk to" action. By setting the rows of the array as zone numbers of where the character currently is and the columns to be the waypoints and destinations of the walk operation, it's possible to do a travel using a while loop instead of recursion. By reserving zone 0 as the character being in the position requested already, you can know the terminating condition of the while loop also. (As an aside, this is the same algorithm used to tokenize variable length strings in a compiler using GNU Flex.)

If these algorithms interest you, I'll discuss it with you either privately or in the AmosPro programming forum here on EAB. If you think that it needs a better compiler than AmosPro, Bebbo's GCC 6.5b will outdo Blitz.

[xboxown]

Originally Posted by Samurai_Crow

@Kikems

I started writing an adventure engine in AmigaE once. I didn't make it very far due to the bugs in the E compiler but I know of some ways to improve execution speed even in AmosPro to help get to the later stages of development sooner.

Here are some examples:
Use a bitset to store inventories. It doesn't matter if it's a room inventory or a character inventory, inventories can be stored in a single integer variable by using the BSET, BCLR, AND and OR commands in AmosPro. The limitation is that only 32 items can be stored in such an inventory, one per bit in the integer. The way this works is that you assign a binary place value for each item in the inventory and mask bits on and off to indicate adding and removing items from the inventory. The main advantage is that, by creating a mask, multiple items can be tested for absence or presence in a simple use of bit twiddling.

Compile walk-zones into a 2D matrix (array). Path finding algorithms usually use a recursive heuristic to determine the path to walk between when using the "walk to" action. By setting the rows of the array as zone numbers of where the character currently is and the columns to be the waypoints and destinations of the walk operation, it's possible to do a travel using a while loop instead of recursion. By reserving zone 0 as the character being in the position requested already, you can know the terminating condition of the while loop also. (As an aside, this is the same algorithm used to tokenize variable length strings in a compiler using GNU Flex.)

If these algorithms interest you, I'll discuss it with you either privately or in the AmosPro programming forum here on EAB. If you think that it needs a better compiler than AmosPro, Bebbo's GCC 6.5b will outdo Blitz.

This is the only editor I will ever use in my Amiga...everything else I would use AMOS/AmiBlitz to make games. Just curious...any update to this editor?