Messages

61

Off-topic (Locked) / Re: What do you do for a living?

« on: December 04, 2007, 07:30:29 PM »

Mostly fulltime student, but I do some tutoring on the side.  During the summer I work as the webmaster/general computer guy for a small company.

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Off-topic (Locked) / Re: music to play to

« on: December 04, 2007, 07:29:10 PM »

I've been listening a lot to new Nightwish album Dark Passion Play. I think they really got it this time. The album is full of cool songs.

The new album is alright (I own all of them), but it's a drastic change from their earlier stuff, obviously due to having a new singer.  The strange thing though: I can't figure out which album is my favorite, since I like each of them for different reasons.  Dark Passion Play just doesn't FEEL like Nightwish though.

Oh...we're supposed to be ON topic? Pft.  I don't have specific roguelike music, but lately I've been listening to some synthpop stuff.

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Other Announcements / Re: [REQ]Roguelike programming for dummies...

« on: December 04, 2007, 04:41:04 PM »

Use loops, not labels.  Loops are HORRIBLE programming practice.

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Other Announcements / Re: heavenly plane in ADOM?

« on: December 04, 2007, 04:40:13 PM »

Well...there IS a volcano mentioned in the source, but the general consensus was that it was an early element of the game replaced by the Tower of Eternal Flames.

Also, I remember seeing the ultimate endings in the source (the descriptions, that is; you can read those by opening adom.exe in Notepad), but nothing like what you've mentioned.  I'm guessing that he was just pulling your leg.

As for the Red Rooster Inn, here's an excerpt from the source:
"You enter the Red Rooster Inn as the sun is just rising. Alganon, the innkeeper, welcomes you with great joy and honors you for helping the ancient dwarf. As a reward he grants you a long item wrapped in a sheet. He winks at you and mumbles "Ye know what'ta do with dat, don't ye?". Due to some urgent business Alganon then leaves."

It would seem that he's giving you and item, and not the other way around.  I think this was another element of the game that was replaced, in this case by that guy you rescue.

Also intriguing is this line:
"You will need to find the red rooster at dawn.  I have hidden it more effectively.  I am sorry to disappoint you but you won't be able to find the Scroll of Omnipotence in this place."

So what is this Scroll of Omnipotence? I'm guessing that it was the original way to reach an ultimate ending, and was replaced later in the game.  Here are some relevant messages:
"As you read the scroll you suddenly feel great power surging through your body. You feel invincible and your abilities are increased by enourmous amounts! Now you are a true champion of %s!" (%s is Order, Chaos, or Balance, I assume).

Or, if you fail:
"Immediately you realize that this was a big mistake as you are not prepared for the wave of power that suddenly floats your body. You are ripped to pieces almost instantly!"

Also interesting is this line, obtained by reading a certain scroll (not sure which one):
"The background depicts an elaborate red rooster.    The scroll depicts a trident made from gleaming black steel."

But I don't know the significance of any of this.  It sure is fun to speculate, though.

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Other Announcements / Re: Most complicated Rougelike ?

« on: October 10, 2007, 04:46:05 PM »

wow im suprised noone even mentioned ADOM 

ive played nethack and caught on quite quickly there are a lot of commands granted but adom... that roguelike is so indepth it even has a key combination to clean your ears out (not kidding). it has an overworld map and many areas you can go to. you can do almost anything, you can change your allignment (which you cant in nethack) or even get close to your deity and get pre crowned crowned and post crowned. the game is very long and has lots of different terrain (the tower of eternal flames really took me for a loop  ). i really enjoy roguelikes and i think that ADOM is by far the most indepth one ive played yet

Well, the "clean ears" command is completely unnecessary, IMO.  There is one situation in the entire game where you need to use that command, and that's it.  More commands != better.

The gameplay in ADOM is mostly dungeon crawling with a few special areas and situations to add flavor.  I think the game has quite a bit of content, but it isn't as complex as some other games I've seen.  Combat, for example, uses a simple hit point system.  The player can use the same approach to destroy most monsters.  Quests are single tasks, such as "bring me this item" or "kill that monster."

ADOM does have many unique and interesting features, but I don't think that it's the most complicated roguelike ever.

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Other Announcements / Re: Most complicated Rougelike ?

« on: October 01, 2007, 12:41:36 AM »

Nethack is by far the most complicated game I have ever played.

Try Incursion.  It is the definition of complexity.

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Other Announcements / Re: Hey ^_^

« on: September 24, 2007, 02:54:03 PM »

Lots.

Sounds good enough for me 

Yep, there are a lot.  The big five are ADOM, Nethack, Angband, Crawl, and...another one.  Moria? Omega? Who knows.

Angband has a lot of variants too; probably the biggest and best is ToME.  Incursion is another new roguelike; very complex, very difficult.

Plus you have all of your up and coming developers making roguelikes.

Here's a pretty comprehensive list of every roguelike:
http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org/index.php?title=List_of_roguelikes_by_name

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Other Announcements / Re: Any fiction out there?

« on: August 17, 2007, 06:47:31 PM »

Gamer, are these more of a world history in something like a Tolkien style, or regular stories whose events predate the game?

It's both.  It's a collection of epic events (read: regular stories) that provide the basis for the history of the world.  The major locations and characters would have a backstory; if they don't, you're just making up things for the sake of filling a game with content.

Also, I'm planning on having the sequel of my game occur BEFORE the original.  This makes sense for two reasons:
1. The new setting provides a logical base for expanded exploration and enhance gameplay.
2. The sequel will be like looking at a history book, a sort of "oh......THAT'S why the gnomes were underground" or "so THAT'S what the mayor was referring to" experience.

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Other Announcements / Re: Any fiction out there?

« on: August 15, 2007, 02:51:52 PM »

Well, I've been considering for some time to write something called "Tales of Reptoran," but it would explain the background and history of my game, instead of being a sort of biography of a particular adventure.

70

Programming / Re: Should I continue to develop Subterrane?

« on: August 09, 2007, 03:00:56 PM »

Two months without coding is nothing.  I've been working on my game for five years now, with very little to show for it.  This is partially from a lack of initial knowledge forcing rewrites (I was thirteen when I started it, and was just learning QBASIC), partially from a changing vision, but mostly because I was never fanatical about it.  I would sometimes go for six months or more without touching the code.

Now I'm getting a little better, setting up coding sessions with one of my friends so we can both make progress on our games.  I still haven't gotten past the inventory stage, but it doesn't bother me.  This is because I know that my slow progress is a lack of effort, not a lack of capability.

So don't worry that development is slowing down.  This is a good chance for you to just reanalyze your game, and, if people find it too much like Crawl, change it a little.  Crawl is popular because it's unique.  Games that are inspired by it will naturally take second place, and probably be overlooked.

So find something unique, something special, something interesting.  Find something that your game has and no other game does.  For me it's pure skill-based advancement (not based on kills) and a combinable magic system (Flame Aura + Summon Reptiles = Summon Salamanders).  For you it could be a great interface, a complex combat system, a clever quest generator, or really anything else.

Unless you have run out of ideas, keep at it.  How will your game get the recognition you want if no one works on it?

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Other Announcements / Re: Ranged weapons that don't suck?

« on: August 08, 2007, 03:15:14 PM »

I'm guessing most of you have seen LOTR.  In many scenes (the one I remember is at the end of the first movie), Legolas is point-blanking orcs.  Being adjacent to a monster doesn't necessarily mean that you're incapable of firing a bow, and it's an easy enough matter to grab an arrow, put it on the string, and draw, all in the same move.  A crossbow would be the same, but it would require more strength.

Also, keep in mind that you're playing an adventurer, a hero.  Normal people might have to use a crank to reload a crossbow, but you're too good for that.  And if you're using a bow (especially in a game without weapon skills), it's safe to say that you know how to use it.  Seriously, how many people are capable of running through a dungeon, picking up any weapon they see, and using it with deadly efficiency?

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Programming / Re: Good interface ideas

« on: August 06, 2007, 02:09:09 PM »

Interesting.  The first article will be useful in a small game I'm designing that has randomly created monsters and items.

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Early Dev / Re: Tower

« on: July 16, 2007, 08:49:02 PM »

Well, you can always 's'earch for hidden doors.

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Early Dev / Re: Tower

« on: July 16, 2007, 01:30:03 PM »

I like the game; very Nethack, but with a nifty interface.  However, there seems to be a problem...Every time I eat something, even a food ration, I end up vomiting.  Is this supposed to happen?

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Early Dev / Re: Lands of Elderlore

« on: July 13, 2007, 01:40:41 PM »

Then again, I remember playing some ancient turn based strategy game with isometric display where the controls weren't rotated at all (i.e. pressing up moves you, well, up). Having to use diagonal movement keys on the keypad to move along the grid is absolutely horrible.

I don't suppose you're referring to Civilization 2?  I never had any trouble with the unrotated setup, because the controls are intuitive.  If you want to move to the tile above you, you press the up key.  Simple.