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3) Tooltips are evil. Put labels places and have the label's caption give a description on MouseOver of important things in the game.
4) Pffft nobody wants to read the manual. People want an intuitive interface.
5) The reason I asked about the terraform stuff was because there's an option for Pods, and there's also an option for Terraform....
7) Yeah it turns into an hourglass but it looks gay.
8) It ****ing better ...
3) That's what I meant :rolleyes: ;)
4) It is intuitive. Once you've read the manual.
5) Is there? What's the terraform do? There's an option for pods on and off and also one for pod density...
7) Oh well. We might get round to making some custom pointers in the future. Until then, stop criticising the cosmetics!
8) You wanna fight little man?
Well?
Does the new debug version work, and if not could people please send the me the file it produces?
Ta guys!
Worked for me. You would have heard about it by now otherwise :)
Hey Arb, you really should try my debugger, just run it, select the project, and it will create a debug version of it :) (And no, it does NOT change the original files)
I've had a look at your debugger Jotaf and it's really pretty cool!
However, I wouldn't be using it on Sentience, though I will recommend it to anyone who's writing a project.
Sentience is a bit too big to run through it I think and it also has discreet error handling which may be affected by the insertions the debugger makes.
It is really funky though! I like it!
Just as an aside, there's a new version up (just download the update.zip).
It replaces the old crap roads with some ones that Behemoth has drawn. They look much better. It also corrects some minor issues that Plend had pointed out. (I know what you mean about that 'Terraform' thing now - a word was missing 'cos I'd made the text bigger)
Thanks :)
Yeah if you already have debugging routines the code might be a bit messed up. Perhaps I should make it detect "On Error" thingies so it doesn't put the code in subs that already have debug code :)
Hey, there's no problem if you don't wanna use it, it was just a suggestion ;)
Yeah the new roads are cool... so Behemoth wasn't sleeping all this time after all :D
I may use it on some other things I have knocking around, and I will recommend it to people.
Behemoth's also done some walls as well (but I'm not so impressed with those). They're also in the graphics directory (walls.bmp) but aren't used yet.
I need to stick in the routines to deal with those.
Well, what would you like to see next Jotaf, so I have some kind of focus...
Hey, what about a particle engine? So you could have LOTS of effects, like sparks, rain, fire effects, even cooler explosions? :D
Ummm....
I think trying to write a particle engine at the minute would probably kill me.
A list of stuff I've got outstanding is:
Diplomacy
Wall building/road laying
More AI models
Special projects
Bug fixes
Monster creation framework
DNA screen
Any preference as to which I should start on first?
Just wondering, will units be able to move faster over roads ?
Always have, always will.
If you're interested, each peice of terrain has a modifier attached which multiplies the energy required to move by a certain amount.
Smallest is 1.2, greatest is about 2. If the square has road then the modifier is 1.0 (i.e. none).
Perhaps you could also put in other aspects of terrain, eg. you can walk downhill faster than uphill so a modifier of .9 perhaps.
Or if there are motorways or whatever etc.
Well, the motorwarys are the roads really.
Also, there is currently no depth to the Sentience maps. We couldn't come up with a way of creating a map which had realistic 3d slopes and looking decent. And even if we did, I'd be buggered trying to draw it.
Well if you look at the way SM's Colonization did it, they just had sprites that looked liked mountains koz they had lots of white in them :)
Yeah, but that looks pants.
Also, you haven't specified any preference on what I should work on next - what do you want to see?
Topless dancing ladies.
Failing that however, I think wall building and road laying would do nicely
I'll crack on with that shortly then.
Roads will be build by RMV's, walls are actually buildings (10 tons of armour) meaning they can get up and wander off to new locations, meaning you can dynamically expand your perimeter and plug holes with walls from 'safe' areas.
Quite a neat concept I think.
Also, you'll be able to retire them in a construction yard (like any other unit/building) and reclaim the materials and also repair them (like any other unit/building).
How cool is that?
Teeheehee walking walls. So I didnt smoke too much then :)
Ok, it's a bit better allready, i don't get a mem error anymore...
I get no error ;-)
But the problem is, it isn't going further than the intro screen, it hangs at the intro screen (at "loading sounds...")
Icheb
Great!
The error's still occuring, but Sentience is trapping it.
If you look on you hard drive, there will be a file C:\errors.txt.
If you could post this up here for me to view, that would be great!
Here u go...
the errors file...
what is it with goats here ?
(read the file and u'll understand)
the file is too large to send to the forum, so i'll place it at www.infoplace.nl/errors.txt
it'll only be there short...
Yep, thanks for that.
It's telling me it's finished all the stuff to do with the sounds, so it's not the sound engine that's generating the problem.
Wonder what it is then.
I'll upload a new version of the debug version this evening which will help narrow it further.
Would you be able to test it again for me when I upload it?
Ok !!
I like trying things that aren't in the shops (;)) yet...
Super!
I'll eMail you when the latest version is uploaded. I'm still not sure what it it that's causing this problem, loads of people have played it fine and then I get a few for whom it won't work at all.
If there's anything else you want to tide you over (screenshots etc) then give me a shout.
ok,
i'm happy to help (as long as i don't have to debug... ;), i can write VB, but i'm lousy at debugging)
Well I'd like to see the DNA screen next, I'd like to know how you're gonna make one as good looking as mine :D
cool program
keep up the good work:)
Icheb,
The latestdebug version is up now. If you haven't already, you will need to apply the update first.
Again, the latest debug version also includes some bug fixes, so it might even work! If not, it will write that file again (so if you remember, delete c:\errors..txt before you run Sentience).
Jotaf,
I have my work cut out trying to rival your excellence. One day, just one day, I hope to be as good as you... ;)
I've already implemented the road laying/digging up last night (I don't waste time me) so I think I'll move onto beasty production next (which involves the DNA screen).
Keep yer eyes peeled...
nameJack,
Glad you like it.
Do you have any comments on what could be done to improve the game? The more comments I receive, the better the final version will be....
Hi,
tnx for the update Arbiter.
As a gift i have a new errors.txt file for you, this time i will send it with this msg (its only 40 kb)...
looking forward to the next fix ;),
Icheb
Awwww.... bloody hell!!!!
Did you copy the contents of the update.zip on top of the gamedev directory and then copy the latestdebug.zip on top of that?
If you look at the properties on the Sentience.exe then the last modified setting should be: 28/09/01 19:45 and the file size should be: 1,998,889.
Is that what you have?
The size is correct.
But the last modified isn't, it says :
27 september 2001 21:39:44
I'm trying latestdebug.zip again, maybe something went wrong while downloading...
now the errors.txt file has this (only once) :
29-9-01 13:04:23 I blew goats at: mobile buildings
and the memory error has returned... when he says he's loading buildings...
but loading sounds works now...:D
That's better! We're getting there.
Right. Err. Now I'm buggered.
Quick question, what's your colour depth on your machine set to?
If it's not already, try setting it to 16bit and rerunning.
Also, could you run the command prompt and type
mem > C:\mem.txt
and post that up here as well please.
Thanks again for your time!
my screen res is 800x600 and my color depth is most of the time at 16 bit.
Here is a mem scan too...
there is a possibility that it is not exactly accurate because my system is doing way too much at the same time...
at the time of the dump i was downloading, uploading, playing mp3 ect...
i'm sorry, it seems to be that he upped it in binary instead of ascii, i'll place another copy at www.infoplace.nl/mem.txt
Okay dokey!
I've uploaded (yet another) new debug version. This one was a wild stab in the dark, but let me know how it fares.
Also Icheb, I noticed you have a fairly low amount of Convential Memory free (514k).
If you have a squizz at your autoexec.bat and config.sys and see if you aren't loading tons of rubbish you don't need. If you do need hundreds of drivers loaded, then try loading them into high mem.
On Win98 etc your config.sys should be pretty much empty.
Also, ensure you're running Sentience from a fresh boot, with every (and I mean EVERY) piece of software shut down in the background (CTRL+ALT+DEL - end task everything).
Let me know how you get on....
How much mem does it require then ?
and i know, i have some strange hardware in my machine, i need to use dos drivers for allmost everything, but i'll take a look at it.
btw, he blew goats again.
at mobile buildings (again).
I disabled every program there is, only the explorer was still running, then i started the game.
30-9-01 19:28:07 I blew goats at: mobile buildings
30-9-01 19:29:31 I blew goats at: mobile buildings
30-9-01 19:30:34 I blew goats at: mobile buildings
I have 640 k of conventional.
I will try a new idea this afternoon.
I will disable all my hardware and then see if it works.
I have 514 k free of conventional.
On top of that i have 265 mb ram and a 20 gb hd (for 89% is the HD full :D)
Icheb
Hey arb,
as we're all posting funny pieces of code and debuggers, try this one out for size. Its one I wrote for someone on the forums.
It will read the source code, make a copy of it in a directory off the main src dir, and modify that copy of the src to print to the immediate window the name of the function or sub the app is currently in.
I dunno if it works for APIs though ....
Try on a small example.
That's delightful plend, I'll have a look when I get home.
PS - could you tell me how much free conventional memory your machine that runs Sentience has?
Ta!
Icheb,
Let me know how you get one with disabling the drivers...