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Somewhen back in 2003 I had been working on a graphical frontend for Angband. The project died for several reasons, but the idea never really let me rest. A few days ago, I manged to get my old C compiler working again, and managed to compile the old Iso-Angband sources. Since then I have been replacing and updating a lot of the images, because I wanted to change the style from semi-realistic to a more symbolic one.
Today seemed to be a good day to write this announcement.
Here is a screenshot of the current stages of work:
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/dagger_mushroom_t.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/dagger_mushroom.png)
click for full size view
I know the idea of such a graphical view is unpopular among many roguelike fans. Over the years, though, I got emails repeatedly, from people who were interested in this sort of graphical frontend. So maybe this message will reach a few of them.
You can find an explanation of my current plans over there:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=195.msg488#msg488
A snapshot of my current workspace, including a windows executable for the curious can be found over here:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=195.msg491#msg491
I hope I found the right place to post this. "In Development" seemed to match the current state of the project - there is much left to do, but one can try it already, and get an impression of how it might be. I hope I'll not anger the text-mode fans too much, and I can bring something of interest to those with a preference for a more graphical view of the old game.
The code base is still Angband 2.9.1 , because that was the current version 2003 when I made the first steps with this project, and at the moment my coding skills are too rusty to try an update.
Edit:
Announcement and download of the latest release:
http://www.roguetemple.com/forums/index.php?topic=487.msg8849#msg8849
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Welcome! This is definitely the right place to post this as well as being a worthy endeavor---even moreso if you can get it in sync with the latest core Angband somewhere down the line. Keep at it bit by bit and ignore any ASCII detractors.
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Welcome! This is fantastic, I'm a huge Angband fan and have been hoping someone would take on another Iso-Angband project. Really cool, I can't wait until this is released!
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....ignore any ASCII detractors.
Fenrir raises an eyebrow.
You aren't taking about me, are you? I am an ASCII fanatic, but I would never discourage anyone from making a graphical roguelike.
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Welcome! This is fantastic, I'm a huge Angband fan and have been hoping someone would take on another Iso-Angband project.
:)
Really cool, I can't wait until this is released!
Well, you can try it already. I've made a development snapshot (http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=195.msg491#msg491) available:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/iso-angband-0_2_5.zip
There is a Windows executable included, so if you have Windows, you can try it out of the box. It's should be easy to compile for Linux (see src/Makefile.isov-sdl) but I must admit that gcc 2.95 is not up to date anymore and newer compilers might be more picky about C syntax. Other systems, I never tried.
If you find mismatched graphics, e.g. a mushroom that pretends to be a slingshot or such, please let me know, so that I can fix the config file.
A whole lot of things have no images yet - those will show up as ASCII symbols. I'll replace these step by step as I get along with painting.
... and I finally found out again how to zoom! There had been hints, but I totally forgot about it. With Scroll Lock, you should be able to zoom out and see more of the map. Currently the zoom isn't very nice, but it works, and might be useful now and then.
Thanks for the encouraging feedback, and happy testing :)
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....ignore any ASCII detractors.
Fenrir raises an eyebrow.
You aren't taking about me, are you? I am an ASCII fanatic, but I would never discourage anyone from making a graphical roguelike.
Heh, not in the least. In my experience, they don't REALLY exist around these parts...moreso in the wilds of elsewhere on the internet. I'm cool with everybody here on most everything, which makes the most sense considering I'm almost always the odd man out! :D
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Heh, not in the least. In my experience, they don't REALLY exist around these parts...moreso in the wilds of elsewhere on the internet. I'm cool with everybody here on most everything, which makes the most sense considering I'm almost always the odd man out! :D
Oh, OK. I recently made a post about how I "recoil in disgust" at graphical roguelikes, which was hyperbolic, so I thought I might have made a bad impression.
Anyway, I don't know what's reasonable to achieve, but it would be cool if you could add graphics with directional facing. The game doesn't need to recognize it in terms of gameplay.
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Anyway, I don't know what's reasonable to achieve, but it would be cool if you could add graphics with directional facing. The game doesn't need to recognize it in terms of gameplay.
Technically, it's possible to some extend. At the moment, the only use for that are the doors, which the code tries to align with walls. Former versions also had directional wall graphics, but I took those out again.
Currently I'm trying to keep everything very simple, and at a quite high level of abstraction, at least compared to the other tilesets.
I might introduce the directional walls again some day, if the current block walls bother me enough (they might obstruct the players view onto items, that's my biggest concern with the current walls.)
Monsters and players I want to keep symbolic, without directional facing.
Edit: Some progress:
- Added mace image
- Updated mace config
- Added bow image
- Update bow/longbow config
- Added arrow image
- Added chain mail image
- Updated armor config
- Added war hammer image
- Updated hammer config
- Added Lance/pike image
- Updated polearm config
- Added quartz vein wall type
A preview of the new quarts vein wall type. Maybe it's not really quartz (I'm not that good with rock types), but at least it looks interesting. The orange wall block contains some sort of treasure.
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/quartz_vein_t.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/quartz_vein.png)
click for full size view
Please report bugs that you find in the bug report thread:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=197.0
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looking good Hajo, I will definitely keep an eye on that one.
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Looks good, keep up the good work.
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I'll try. The style of graphics is simple, so I make good progress with painting. At least with those things that I have an idea of how they look. My C coding skills got rusty, though, but there should be a few changes that I can do. Particularly I want to give the outer town wall a proper look.
A little progress again:
- Floating eye image added.
- Floating eye config updated.
- Icky thing image added.
- Icky thing config updated.
- Spider image added.
- Spider config updated.
Worm masses seem to be complex to picture, but at least I have a rough idea how such may look like.
More clueless I am about oozes, jellies and flesh mounds. What could be distinctive attributes of the latter three, that can be depicted?
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No suggestions for the oozes, jellies, mounds and such? Ideas will be much appreciated :)
I made some progress in other areas (http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=195.msg498#msg498), though.
The biggest step this time was to change the code to display a single-tile wall around the Angband town. I did this on the display level, since I don't want to alter the Angband code. So it's a bit of a hacky solution, which makes use of the fact that Angband town always has the same placement and size. But for the moment it does the job, and it should be easy enough to adapt later, when incorporating a newer Angband version, or some Angband variant.
And, again a little progress on images and config settings:
- Humanoid warrior image.
- Updated some worrior config entries.
- Humanoid mage image.
- Updated some mage config entries.
- Empty bottle, flask of oil config update.
- Updated scroll and potion images.
- Updated wall images.
- Added town outside ground image.
- Updated shop entrance images.
A preview of the new floating eye and copper graphics - these are a bit older already, but I didn't find sokem to show. I didn't go nearer, since those floating eyes can be dangerous for low level characters:
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/floating_copper_t.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/floating_copper.png)
click for full size view
And finally, the new town wall and outside town graphics, also the new shop entrance tiles:
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/town_2_t.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/town_2.png)
click for full size view
Almost forgot to mention, I had been experimenting a bit with outlined characters, and used the player @ sign for testing. The first screenshot features a black outline, the second a dark gray one. I think the dark gray one blends in better and will use that until better ideas come up.
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Being largely unfamiliar with Angband...I'd hazard a guess to Jellies and such having a slimey/shiny texture to them not unlike Jello, fleshy color to a flesh mound, and so on. Maybe have some little bone chips undigested sprinkled within? Perhaps fire up the bestiary that, IIRC, details appearance somewhat on the latest vanilla Angband for some reference?
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At least for the Angband 2.9.1 that I have here, the descriptions are a bit dry. For example:
N:79:Blue ooze
D:It's blue and it's oozing.
N:40:White jelly
D:Its a large pile of white flesh.
N:243:Quylthulg
D:It is a strange pulsing mound of flesh.
I guess I should also check a newer version.
There are some differently colored versions of each of them, so color to distinguish them won't be easily possible. It will have to be the shape, and maybe texture if I have to use it - I wanted to stick to mostly untextured shapes.
I guess, since the descriptions are a bit imprecise, there is some freedom for the artist here. Most important will be that they are distinctive, and once the player has learned the symbols it will be alright.
Edit: forgot a screenshot.
Another update, a piece of dungeon with the new, carved walls. Those should allow to see a bit more of the tile floor around the center, where items will be placed. That might be important in narrow passages. Maybe I must carve them even more ...
Also, they look more interesting this way I think, and give pillar rooms a better look :)
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/carved_walls_t.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/carved_walls.png)
click for full size view
I'm preparing a new development snapshot. Stay tuned 8)
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I've uploaded a new development snapshot, Iso-Angband 0.2.6:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/releases/iso-angband-0_2_6.zip
This includes all changes listed in the development thread (http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=195.msg494#msg494) since 0.2.5.
There is a Windows executable included, so if you use Windows, you can try it right out of the box. Sources and images are included as well. I think it should compile for Linux, too, but I had no chance to test that yet.
I've changed quite a lot of the graphics configuration, and I haven't seen all changed objects and monsters in the game yet. So if you find mismatching images or run into something strange please let me know.
There is a bug report thread: http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=197.0
I'll try to collect all known problems there.
Edit: small update on the question oozes vs. jellies
Oozes will become flat, almost pool like shapes, while jellies are more upright, little hills. The Quylthulg species of monster is yet to be researched.
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Edit: small update on the question oozes vs. jellies
Oozes will become flat, almost pool like shapes, while jellies are more upright, little hills. The Quylthulg species of monster is yet to be researched.
Good plan. Keep up the good work, Hajo!
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I'll do my best. Painting went well so far, and coding - well I got the little changes done, that I needed, so that was good, too.
I think I should slow down a bit though, that will be more healthy with regard to a steady progress.
Thank you all for the feedback so far, particularly the encouraging messages :)
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I rediscovered the old readme.txt for Iso-Angband 0.2.4 and updated it a bit. Also made it available online as a start for a documentation thread:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=198.0
Most interesting fact seems to be the option to switch to a bigger font, with a larger viewable area for the isometric display:
Options: src\angband.exe -- --hexfont 15x30.hex
That should do the trick.
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No new screenshots this time, but some progress on images and config files:
- Ooze image and config.
- Jelly image and config.
- Priest image and config.
- Singing drunk image adapted.
- Village idiot image adapted.
- Mercenary image adapted.
- Merchant image adapted.
- Fixed a small mistake in bat image (removed gray bar to the right).
- Fixed config for white mouse, white rat and gray rat.
- Updated config entries for singing drunk, aimless merchant and mean mercenary.
Nothing major, mostly finetuning. The problem with the misconfigured rodent images itches me a bit, but I want to collect more changes before publishing a new release.
I've set up a thread for known bugs:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=197.0
I'll update images as I come across them during playtesting. There are still a whole lot of images missing.
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Coming right along...keep at it! ;)
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Some more progress:
- Fix: Centipede had light gray pixel about 20 pixels above.
- Added broken bone image.
- Updated dungeon background tile to a dark brown color.
- Updated pebbles/iron shots image.
- Added bolts image.
- Added ring and amulet images, updated config.
A screenshot with the new broken bone, amulet and ring images. Hail the debug commands for ease of item creation ;) Finally I figured how to use those and now can more easily test my images and configuration.
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/ring_amulet_t.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/ring_amulet.png)
click for full size view
I'm not quite pleased with the appearance of rings and amulets, but I guess in this size and style there isn't much to do. The sparks are already a break of the visual style, but rings and amulets are pretty special in roguelikes and I thought, they deserve a special touch. Most important is that the player can recognize the images easily, and such small things like rings are pretty hard to see, the sparks definitely help there.
I wonder if all magic items (rods, wands, staves) should have sparks? Potions and scrolls I like without the sparks, so I'll keep those as they are now.
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Seems like a good idea for me for each class of magical stuff to have a spark to it, preferably a different colored spark though. Congrats on this continuing to come along nicely and your debug wranglings! 8)
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Thanks :)
I'm glad that the old Iso-Angband code works so nicely. It seems I had almost everything in place already when I released the 0.2.4 in 2003, which is a big help now.
Differently colored sparks are doable. I'll experiment a bit and see what looks good.
I assume that there will be a lot of changes in the graphical appearance, also for the already existing graphics. I hope to have a solid and consistent look finally. What itches me a bit, is, that with each iteration the graphics become more detailed, while I wanted a "simple" style. Now detailed is not a bad thing per se, but it seems to move the appearance from "abstract" to "realistic", and I want to stick towards the abstract end of this scale.
Not so good news: I had a crash with the look command a while ago, and currently I'm clueless what to do. Right now I only have a stone-age compiler, and no debugger for Windows. I didn't want to code C again, and now must see how to solve such problems without diving too deeply into C coding again. I understand that it's very annoying for players if the application crashes and their game is reset to the last point where they left and started again, and will try to fix such problems. On the positive side is, that the look command seems to work in most cases, this was the first and only crash that I had since picking up Iso-Angband development again. So maybe I can postpone looking into the problem until I have a better development environment.
Meanwhile I'll do more images, update the existing images and hope that my rogue will stay alive long enough to see some of the higher level content ;)
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I was working some more on the magic items:
- Wand/rod/staff images.
- Wand/rod/staff configuration.
- Modified floor tile to show a bit less regular grid.
- Modified the granite wall tile to blend better with the magma and quartz vein tiles. Needs more work, maybe.
I'm still a bit undecided about the sparks for magic items. So far only rings and amulets have gotten sparks.
A view of the dungeon with the new walls.
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/new_walls_t.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/new_walls.png)
click for full size view
And a view of the town at night, with the new walls, new floor grid, and new background tiles.
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/town_at_night_t.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/town_at_night.png)
click for full size view
I like the view of the town at night.
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I was working some more on the magic items:
- Wand/rod/staff images.
- Wand/rod/staff configuration.
- Modified floor tile to show a bit less regular grid.
- Modified the granite wall tile to blend better with the magma and quartz vein tiles. Needs more work, maybe.
I'm still a bit undecided about the sparks for magic items. So far only rings and amulets have gotten sparks.
A view of the dungeon with the new walls.
Nice town! Great to see this getting updated so much. :) Good work!
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/new_walls.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/new_walls.png)
click for full size view
And a view of the town at night, with the new walls, new floor grid, and new background tiles.
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/town_at_night.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/screens/town_at_night.png)
click for full size view
I like the view of the town at night.
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Nice town! Great to see this getting updated so much. :) Good work!
Thank you :)
For all those who want to try it, I've uploaded a new development snapshot, Iso-Angband 0.2.7:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/releases/iso-angband-0_2_7.zip
There is a Windows executable included, so if you use Windows, you can try it right out of the box. Sources and images are included as well, and I think it should compile for Linux, too, but I had no chance to test that yet.
Change log:
- Ooze image and config.
- Jelly image and config.
- Priest image and config.
- Singing drunk image adapted.
- Village idiot image adapted.
- Mercenary image adapted.
- Merchant image adapted.
- Fixed a small mistake in bat image (gray bar to the right).
- Fixed config for white mouse, white rat and gray rat.
- Updated config entries for singing drunk, aimless merchant and mean mercenary.
- Fix: Centipede had light gray line about 20 pixels above.
- Added broken bone image.
- Updated dungeon background tile to a dark brown color.
- Updated pebbles/iron shots image.
- Added bolts image.
- Added ring and amulet images, updated config.
- Wand/rod/staff images.
- Wand/rod/staff configuration.
- Modified floor tile to show a bit less regular grid.
- Modified the granite wall tile to blend better with the magma and quartz vein tiles.
If you find mismatching images or run into something strange please let me know.
Bug report thread: http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=197.0
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Not much progress to report this time:
- Sling image and config.
- Crossbow image and config.
- Shield image and config.
But still something new and hopefully useful for people: I've made some of my tiles from Iso-Angband and my H-World project available under the "creative commons - attribution, share alike" license:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=189.0
Those are the "recolorable" tiles. Both projects use a rendering engine that can replace color ranges on the fly, and make these appear in the configured color - e.g. make a yellow centipede appear yellow by swapping the colors of the source image.
The tiles might still be useful, since it's fairly easy to swap the color ranges by hand.
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Again, only a minor progress report:
- Improved several weapon images.
- Added bent sword image.
- Added two handed sword image.
- Updated blade weapon config.
But hey, even small progress is progress :D
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See, that's the problem with graphical roguelikes! Instead of expanding gameplay, you're expanding graphics! Gameplay is more important! That's the main reason I play roguelikes, not 1337 graphicz!
Sorry Hajo, I had to say it! ::)
Oh, WAIT! This is supposed to be a graphical version of an already programmed roguelike. Nevermind then :D
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Hehe ;D
If I wanted to make a new game, or add new features, I sure would (I have tried that in the past). But I want to make graphics, and therefore it seemed to be a good idea to take an existing game and add graphics. At least that is easier than making a new game.
These days, I don't like coding anymore. I'm not much of a game designer (although I wish I was), but painting, or more general, working with graphics I like to do. Angband was the first roguelike that I played for a longer while (A small contact with Larn, and a longer contact with uMoria had happened before), so I stick with that.
I know there aren't many roguelike fans who like graphics. But I know there are some, so much I understood from the emails that I got during the past years.
I know I'm a bit out of place here. Also, that's why I had given up on the project in 2004, there was just too much discouraging feedback.
Now I do it because I like to paint. I'd do it just for myself, too. I'll share what I make, in the hope that some people enjoy it. If no one does so, it still was fun to make the graphics. If it stops being fun, I (and the project) will be gone again, until I have a new idea.
Game design and such I leave to others who can do that better. In this forum there are plenty, so things will be good, don't you think?
Edit: Must have missed the last sentence of your message Anvilfolk, sorry.
But I let my message stand, maybe it helps to understand why I resurrected Iso-Angband, and why I stick to very simple graphics.
Edit 2: Also it bothered me to have had this project unfinished so many years. It's been on the edge of actually being playable when I gave up. I felt I gave up too early, let the circumstances discourage me too quickly. Since it didn't let me rest, I picked it up again. Still I wish for more encouragement from outside, but I know, it only will work if I draw motivation from myself, not the outside, so I try to do it in a pace, and in a style that suits me. I'm trying.
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Heh, keep up the good work Hajo! Besides, if you are out of place here---then what in the world does that make me! :o
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Heh, keep up the good work Hajo! Besides, if you are out of place here---then what in the world does that make me! :o
I'll try. Today I'm a bit down, but that will get better again, too. Thank you for the encouraging words :)
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Edit 2: Also it bothered me to have had this project unfinished so many years. It's been on the edge of actually being playable when I gave up. I felt I gave up too early, let the circumstances discourage me too quickly.
I know how you feel. I'm currently on my fourth roguelike attempt.
I may prefer ASCII symbols to graphics, but I certainly admire all the work you're doing, Hajo. You are certainly not out of place here. I'm a giant wolf, for Odin's sake!
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Thanks, Fenrir!
ASCII has definitely a very unique touch to it, the way it's used in roguelikes. Also ASCII art is a very special art. I wish I could do that.
Starting all over with projects is common, not only in roguelike development. It's very difficult often, to decide if it's better to stay with the old project, try to improve what is already there, or to start again from scratch.
Someone said, the preference to start freshly is found, because reading code is harder than writing code. So reading and improving old code looks more difficult than writing new code. Maybe it really is more difficult.
A physicist, when asked about his teams success, said "We stood on the shoulders of giants." He meant, all the former physicists who had done research, and upon whose findings later generations of scientists could build. So sometimes, an existing codebase can be like a giant, and if you manage to get onto his shoulder, you have a big advantage.
I wish you good luck with your projects, Fenrir. Also, this forum should have plenty of witty people to solve most, if not all problems. I'll also try to help if I have ideas how to solve a particular problem :)
Edit:
Mini progress report:
- Traps image and configuration
- Naga image and configuration
- Human-size skeleton image. Updates to some skeleton monster entries.
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Hey, I hope I didn't discourage you. Your post totally clarified where you come from, and I'd also like to state you're definitely NOT out of place. I mean, look at me, I've never programmed a roguelike and yet here I am, being annoying just because I prefer ASCII :)
Still, ASCII WILL get its revenge (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hGUTOE3O4I)!
--- edited ---
Edited to add a not! I can't believe I forgot that! :-X Sorry!
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Had some free time and decided to paint some more:
- Frog image and configuration
- Yeek image and configuration
- Kobold image and configuration
- Salamander image and configuration.
Edit: The Angband dungeons must be a wet place with all the amphibians. OTOH there are a lot of lizards/reptiles in there too, who rather like it warm. Maybe this is an underground sauna of sorts - who knows ;D
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Another mini progress report:
- (Giant) rodent skeleton, canine skeleton, humanoid skeleton images and configuration added.
- Worm mass monster image added, configuration updated.
- Lantern image, configuration added.
Some previews (they will appear in proper color in the game):
Frog, Salamander, Worm Mass
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/frog.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/salamander.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/worm_mass.png)
Giant Rodent Skeleton, Canine Skeleton, Humanoid Skeleton
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-junk/skel-rodent.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-junk/skel-canine.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-junk/skel-human.png)
The humanoid skeleton looks odd, I'll try to improve it once I have an idea.
The images are available under the "creative commons - attribution, share-alike" license in my forum:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=189
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Nice work! I especially like the Worm Mass set.
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Thanks :) The worm mass was tricky - well, the hardest part was to get an idea how to picture it.
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I essentially thought about a plate of Killer Pasta...and sure enough you've hit upon the gist of that with the image! :P
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I essentially thought about a plate of Killer Pasta...
Elig, you know what to do.
Good work on those images, Hajo.
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I've uploaded a new development snapshot, Iso-Angband 0.2.7.1:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/releases/iso-angband-0_2_7_1.zip
There is a Windows executable included, so if you use Windows, you can try it right out of the box. Sources and images are included as well, and I think it should compile for Linux, too, but I didn't test that yet.
There haven't been changes to the source code this time, just the images and configuration files were updated.
Change log:
- (Giant) rodent skeleton, canine skeleton, humanoid skeleton images and configuration added.
- Worm mass monster image added, configuration updated.
- Lantern image, configuration added.
- Updated several weapon images.
- Added bent sword image.
- Added two handed sword image.
- Updated blade weapon config.
- Sling image and config.
- Crossbow image and config.
- Shield image and config.
- Frog image and configuration.
- Yeek image and configuration.
- Kobold image and configuration.
- Salamander image and configuration.
- Traps image and configuration.
- Naga image and configuration.
- Human-size skeleton image. Updated some skeleton monster entries.
If you find mismatching images or run into something strange please let me know.
Bug report thread: http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=197.0
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I really like the visual feeling -- it's surreal, but feels good and still like Angband, which is one of my favorite roguelikes.
I also like the fact that the src directory contains files named after SimuTrans ;)
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Hehe ;D
I've always been a big fan of code reuse, and it was a try to make use of the graphics code from Simutrans. Unfortunately both version evolved in different directions, and since a long time must be maintained separately.
I still suspect bugs in there, but I couldn't nail them yet - also my C skills have crumbled to dust in the past 5 years, when I was only writing Java code, using Java IDEs. Actually it was just good luck that I found my old C/C++ development environment in a backup and was able to compile Iso-Angband again. At the moment all I really can do is to add graphics and fix the most simple and obvious bugs. Besides an occasional hiccup in the "look" command things seem to work well enough though.
Thanks for trying it and giving some feedback :)
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Site funkelwerk.de just isn't working for me :(
Connection timed out.
Traceroute can't get past pccwbtn.net
I used to play angband a lot...
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The server is up and running, but I heard about the timeout problem from someone else too. I'm not quite sure if I can do something to fix it, since it seems to be a network problem rather than a server problem :(
Maybe you can try again in a while? If the server access fails for a longer while I must see if I can find another host for the archive.
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The server is up and running, but I heard about the timeout problem from someone else too. I'm not quite sure if I can do something to fix it, since it seems to be a network problem rather than a server problem :(
It works perfectly fine from home. Different provider, different uplink, different route.
Downloading.
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Good :)
It seems I have about 25% of the monster images done now, and 50% of the items. Angband has sooooo many different monsters.
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Some previews for the next release (will appear in proper color in the game).
Louse, Cat, Killer Beetle, Dragonfly, Harpy, Vortex
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/louse.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/cat.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/beetle.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/dragonfly.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/harpy.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/vortex.png)
Hobbit, Beggar, Blubbering Idiot
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/hobbit.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/beggar.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-monsters/blubbering_idiot.png)
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I've uploaded a new development snapshot, Iso-Angband 0.2.8.1:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/iso-angband/releases/iso-angband-0_2_8_1.zip
There is a Windows executable included. If you use Windows, you can try it right out of the box. Just run the "start.bat" in the top level directory, and Iso-Angband should start.
Sources and images are included as well, and I think it should compile for Linux, too, but I had no chance to test that yet (try Makefile.isov-sdl for the SDL based code).
The biggest news for this release is that the codebase was updated from Angband 2.9.1 to Angband 2.9.3. This is still a very old version, but it got a lot of bugfixes compared to 2.9.1, and was structurally similar enough to 2.9.1 so that the move was fairly easy. The iso view code is the same as for the last release. Also, only a very few images got touched up. So, no big changes in the graphics this time either.
I feel a bit uncertain about this release. Due to the replacement of the whole Angband codebase, there can be all kinds of new and unexpected effects, but in my tests things worked rather well.
Bug report thread: http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=197.0
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Nice to see this coming along again, be sure to post over for the Rephial crowd as they'd likely be among the most adept at ferreting everything out.
http://angband.oook.cz/forum/index.php
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Thanks for the pointer, getter77 :) I have registered and posted an announcement there. I was told a moderator must approve it first. So I'll wait now and see what happens.
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There have been a few releases in between which I didn't announce here, but you can check them out in my forum:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=195.msg1501#msg1501
The latest news:
Besides a newly introduced image for cloaks, this version features signs for shop entrances. I always had troubles to memorize the 1-8 shop numbers, and the visual clues help me a lot:
(http://funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/screens/shops_preview_t.png) (http://funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/screens/shops_preview.png)
Click for full size.
For Windows users, there is a precompiled executable included. Also two starting batch files, "start_small.bat" and "start_large.bat" which choose a smaller or larger font, and therefore start with a smaller or larger window.
Download:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/releases/iso-angband-0_2_8_4.zip
Sources and images are included as well. I did some changes to main-sdl.c and I think it should compile for Linux, too, but I had no chance to test that yet (try Makefile.isov-sdl for the SDL based code).
Thanks, d_m, for testing the compile on Linux, and the report about the problem in main-sdl.c!
Known bugs and problems:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=197.0
If you find a new problem, please let me know. Particularly misconfigured images.
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I had this crash in the (l)ook function again. This time I was able to debug it. At least in the scenario where the crash had happened in my testing game it is gone now.
I've released a new version with this fix and no other changes.
Download:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/releases/iso-angband-0_2_8_5.zip
Known bugs and problems:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=197.0
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As a player, roguelike projects often look dead to me. There's a release, some short aftermath if you're lucky and the project then goes silent for several years. You don't hear anything, not even rumors. It's kinda like the Developer(s) fell off the earth. I never know whether its finished, abandoned or simply takes its healthy time for progress.
Maybe I should post a little something then. After a period of big activity, things have slowed down again with Iso-angband. This is natural for the way I work on my projects - I have 3 or maybe half a dozen things in work, and depending on mood and whatever, the one or the other attracts my attention and will be developed for a while, till I move on with something else. I try not to start too many new things though, and to regularly come back to my projects, although that can mean only one or two active times a year, sometimes less.
In this case I have started to work on a Angband variant lately, which I may or may not release. It is geared to my personal likings, and if it looks promising I'll publish it, otherwise it goes to data heap with all my sleeping projects.
Iso-Angband saw a few minor updates since then, a two or three new images, a configuration update or two, but nothing really substantial which would rectify a new release already again.
I haven't fallen off the world yet, so there is hope that the project will see better progress once again ;D
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Progress has slowed down, which might have many reasons, but one of them is, that I have become a bit bored again with Angband. To counter that I've started to work on a personal Angband variant, but again, this leaves less time for Iso-Angband with the vanilla core.
But a few things were done, still. At least all images and the image configuration are shared between the projects, so progress in one is also progress for the other:
- Line archer/ranger image.
- Fixed novice paladin config.
- Slightly improved centipede image.
- Image config for edible mushrooms.
- Ball and chain image and config.
- Whip image and config.
Ball-and-Chain, Whip, Edible Mushroom:
(http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-weapons/ball-and-chain.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-weapons/whip.png) (http://www.funkelwerk.de/site/misc/recolor_share/iba-items/edible-mushroom.png)
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Those item graphics look kind of small. There is no need trying to keep stuff in proportion, just draw everything as big as possible to make it easier to see them.
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I've been thinking about this now and then. I haven't made up my mind entirely yet. I think I have two cornerstones right now:
- Small images should be big enough to be easily recognized
- The image sizes should be steady, that is a smaller item has a smaller image, but maybe not proportionally smaller.
Many of the small images appear too small to me too, but those are mostly from the times when I wanted "realistic" scales.
I don't know. At the moment I feel little urge to rework 200 images to adapt them to a new decision, but maybe some day I redo the whole set, then I can consider this.
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Some kind of scale is ok, just don't draw too small items because it's hard to see them. Actually I have (had) that problem in Kaduria.
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Rings and amulets are most likely too small. Although still fairly easy to spot. But they are among the things that I will rework first.
Meanwhile I have been working on different walls. It's now the same wall rendering technique again that the Iso-Angband version around 0.2.4 had, and I could fix a number of the old problems.
A first test, with new lighting, granite walls and magma veins. Also, some treasure in the magma vein - the orange spot.
(http://funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/screens/new-9p-walls_veins_t.png)
Click for full size. (http://funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/screens/new-9p-walls_veins.png)
Current version - added quartz veins, touched up the magma veins. Fixed a few more minor problems in the code.
(http://funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/screens/new-9p-walls_veins_2_t.png)
Click for full size. (http://funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/screens/new-9p-walls_veins_2.png)
These walls are thinner than the former versions, and therefore do not hide small monsters or items near walls so easily.
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It turned out that the Angband base that I had been using, 2.9.3, is just too old. Since updating to a recent Angband version meant to re-integrate the iso view freshly with the new Angband code, I also was looking for alternatives among the Angband variants.
Unangband seemed suitable. It's been around quite a while, I had loosely following the development, and I like a lot of the details put into Unangband.
So have started to integrate my code with Unangbad 0.6.4a.
(http://funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/screens_unangband/wip-4_1_t.png)
Click for full size. (http://funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/screens_unangband/wip-4_1.png)
I've published some work in progress releases so far, WIP 4 being the latest. There really is a whole lot of stuff missing, but you can walk around and get an impression.
Download
=> http://www.funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/releases/unangband-064-iso-wip4.zip (http://www.funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/releases/unangband-064-iso-wip4.zip) (5.1 MB)
Images and sources are included. A windows executable is supplied, and two start scripts "start_large.bat" and "start_small.bat", as known from the former Iso-Angband releases.
Changes since WIP 3
- Roughly-hewn granite wall.
- Web-covered granite wall.
- Mossy granite wall.
- Vine-covered granite wall.
- Slime covered granite wall.
- pebbles in the shade.
- Rubble pile image and config.
- Cave lizard config.
- Ooze config.
- Temporarily added a hardcoded solution for spell effects, since I could not find out how to configure those through pref files in Unangband. The supplied example from dvg pref did not parse.
- Also added a hardcoded solution for town shop display. Some day I hope to display real houses there.
Info about the former WIP releases:
http://www.funkelwerk.de/forum/index.php?topic=386.0
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Colors makes it look more interesting. I think those grey tiles could be tweaked with some bricks tinted to brown and others to blue, it could be nicer than a concrete grey block.
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Due to using age old code in some places, some things can currently just be displayed monochrome (better said, in 8 shades of single color). I'm thinking about better solutions now and then, but I feel uncertain if it makes sense to update code from 1997, or use write it newly and use OpenGL right away (which would allow all sorts of color and lighting tricks, even hardware accelerated).
But you are right, the grey-in-grey is boring. Some day I'll make a decision and implement a better solution.
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Iso-Unangband WIP 5 is now available.
I like the new spell effects - similar to the former ones, but with a bigger "bang" factor ;)
Download
=> http://www.funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/releases/unangband-064-iso-wip5.zip (http://www.funkelwerk.de/data/iso-angband/releases/unangband-064-iso-wip5.zip) (5.3 MB)
Images and sources are included. A windows executable is supplied, and two start scripts "start_large.bat" and "start_small.bat", as known from the former Iso-Angband releases.
Changes since WIP 4
- Cow image and config.
- Goat image and config.
- Emphasized spell effects images.
- Insect swarm image update.
- Faerie light image and config.
- Goblin image and config (leaving out the more special goblins).
- Ant image and config.
- Shrieker mushroom patch image and config.
- Mushroom patch config.
- Torch and lantern config.
- Dagger type weapon config.
- Sword type weapon config.
- Changed code to base display on p_ptr->wx/wy instead of px/py. I hope this will improve some of the problems with the (l)ook function, and maybe also some other display problems.
- Centered display better on player.