Mystic Software Forums
Mystic Software => General Discussion => Topic started by: Blackhart Joe on March 18, 2005, 07:39:24 PM
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I was wondering...
If I'm not going to use the TK's internal battle, menu, equipment, or character systems, are there any advantages to using the TK, besides the graphics engine (and unless I can get someone to draw sprites from my concept art, I might not even use that) -- or would I be better off just doing the whole project in C++?
I don't really *know* C++, but I've been reading documentation and it doesn't seem scary at all
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There's really a lot more to a game engine than you might suspect. As of TK3, the default systems aren't even part of the engine (they're independent libraries).
C is a simple language in which conjuring up any sort of graphics can be very tricky. A lot of people have this image of DX (and similar libraries) as being an almighty, easy tool for drawing to the screen. Unfortunately, it too basically just provides access to graphics hardware. If you're well versed in C, understand the concepts of rendering, and 2d graphics (actually a very tricky topic), then sure--go for it. Otherwise, you might find it harder than you had imagined.
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I've got 2 projects in the works right now... One is on the back burner due to complexity & detail of gameplay (I've been designing the systems for over 5 years), but I'm really looking at doing it entirely in C++, in a rogue-like style
The other project is really the one I'm not sure about; it's much more of a traditional RPG, and much, much more simple, and could probably benefit from the usual RPG visual representation, sprites and boards, overhead view, whatnot. But I don't have the skills to produce the quality of sprites that I want.
Anyway, you brought something up there -- you said that the default systems are independent libraries, separate from trans3. I'm curious what exactly this entails. I mean, what does trans3 consist of now? Interpretation of rpgcode, obviously; what else?
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- trans3.exe
- Animation File Format</li>
- Background File Format</li>
- Board File Format</li>
- Canvas Interface</li>
- Dialogues</li>
- Enemy File Format</li>
- (Currently Unused) Font File Format</li>
- Image File Formats (*.bmp, *.jpg, *.png, etc.)</li>
- Item File Format</li>
- Localization</li>
- Main File Format</li>
- Media Engine (*.mid, *.mp3, *.mod, etc.)</li>
- Player File Format</li>
- Special Move File Format</li>
- Status Effect File Format</li>
- Tile Animation File Format</li>
- Tile Bitmap File Format</li>
- Tile Documents</li>
- Tilesets</li>
- Board, Tile Drawing</li>
- MD5 Checksums</li>
- Plugin Interface</li>
- ZIP File Format</li>
- Windows Fonts (*.ttf)</li>
- RPGCode</li>
- Animation Playing</li>
- Battle System Interface (any battle system is managed through here)</li>
- Keyboard Input</li>
- Joystick Input</li>
- Board Coordinate Management</li>
- Central Logic</li>
- Menu Interface</li>
- Movement Calculations</li>
- Plugin Callbacks</li>
- Rendering Engine</li>
- Save State File Format</li>
- Threading</li>
- Time</li>
- COM Plugins</li>
- Shop</li>
</li> - actkrt3.dll (C++ code)
- Underlying Board, Tile Drawing</li>
- Underlying Image Loading</li>
- Underlying ZIP Support</li>
- Canvases (Surfaces)</li>
- MD5 Implementation</li>
- Audiere Implementation</li>
- Main Event Loop</li>
- DirectX Interface</li>
</li>
It's easy to not notice what's being done for you.
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Yeah! Go TK!
I say, go with TK, Joe, it would make your games be done alot quicker, and TKZ and MS would host your game.
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Thanks, that's exactly the sort of information I wanted
TK would seem to be the way to go for the second project I mentioned. Now I just need a new computer...
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Cant help ya there Very Happy
What's your progress on that black and white game you were working on?
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You mean the one where all the sprites were going to be pen & ink sketches? That's the really complicated one. Brutally realistic combat system, astrology, in-depth skill-based character system, items of the same name but of different craftsmanship, the most in-depth magic system ever used in an RPG (including psychokinesis, channeling, kything, geomancy, mage sight, and enchantment as <i>skills</i>, and spells with adjustable parameters: you can decrease casting time and/or mana usage at the cost of spell effect, or increase spell effect by increasing casting time and/or mana-usage), non-linear storyline & character dialogues, the people you hire to join your party have their own agendas (and might not be trustworthy)
---Just looking at the features, it becomes obvious that I should finish one (or five) "warm-up" projects first
The design on it is 75% done, just needs to be fleshed out some, and then of course coded
The amount of variables involved in both projects is beginning to scare me, I'm afraid it's going to slow things down too much.
BTW, where do I find these fabled TK source files? I've been looking all day
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<a href='http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=116164&package_id=126096' target='_blank'>TK 3.05 Source Code</a>.
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Thanks, Spyder
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Spydie lives right next to a sourceforge mirror...Coincedence, i think NOT!!!! Razz
In the immortal words of Xorlak: Heh...
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Don't download that, whatever you do.
Connect to the CVS repository via anonymous CVS. Alternately, wait for 3.0.6.
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That was rather ominous
Suppose, hypothetically, I already downloaded it. What, hypothetically, then?
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Yeah, what if??
wtf is CVS, no one told me what it meant.