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[Quarry]

SFML

[makerimages]

i meant the drawing program

[Eigen]

Paint Shop Pro. I like MS Paint and I would've used it but I was on Windows XP for a long time and it didn't support alpha channel. The tool is not important. Whatever gets the job done.

[JobLeonard]

It's not just nostalgia though, I for one am too young for that.

I think you just have good pixel aesthetics, which is all about combining minimalism (both in resolution and palette) with maximum expressiveness.

[rivon]

I'm just constantly amazed how you can make so detailed and great-looking game with just 4 colours.

[Eigen]

It's not just nostalgia though, I for one am too young for that.

I think you just have good pixel aesthetics, which is all about combining minimalism (both in resolution and palette) with maximum expressiveness.

Thank you, I'm doing my best and I'm glad that it shows. Regarding graphics, I feel I've developed so much while making this game and I'm excited to see what I'll be able to produce in the end. Surely some things need re-doing at that point.

I'm just constantly amazed how you can make so detailed and great-looking game with just 4 colours.

I'm flattered but there's so much better stuff out there. I'm just a tinkerer.


Today I went on the Intertubes and found this, a short news item at PCGamer magazine website. I can't believe it. This is awesome!

[tchassin]

Congratulations, you deserve it ! 

[Eigen]

This weekend I started re-doing the inventory. The old system was a pain to use. First, I dropped the 640x480 resolution which I really liked because it's basically 320x240, the resolution of good old pixel sweetness. But I needed more sidebar space, so it had to go. I also added an equipment panel since characters have two hands and you can choose which hand(s) to equip with what weapon. Wielding two axes is now possible but hitting the target with any real precision is sort of ... not happening ... so you do less damage per weapon, though total damage is higher (but you use more energy). That only applies to melee weapons, you can't dual-wield bows, though it would be awesome. Sorriez.




Then I started making a new inventory window which I won't show right now because it's boring and incomplete. That prompted me to draw all of the items. There are still a few missing (like fur, meat, stone etc.) but the rest of the tools/weapons are drawn. It was pretty difficult with some things. Like trying to visualize tree bark with 3 colors inside 16x16 square. Or dried meat. Or tobacco leaves. See if you can find them. I also need to draw the actual armor pieces, for now they are just a basic shield icon with some number in the corner for identification.



Once get the inventory window sort of working I can continue with other features. Persistent maps and world map is high on my list right now. I got a few ideas. All the generated maps will most likely be serialized into separate files and zipped up with the save file so it's still just one item on disk. I think it'll be great That plus some natives going about would be enough additions for the next build I think.

[Quarry]

I'm sure that the visual representation won't have much value after the player gets to know them by their names

[JobLeonard]

It still is important to establish it as a physical thing in the world though, so not entirely optional.

[Eigen]

I'm not sure yet how these items will be represented on the map, if at all. Then again, maybe they should be. You cut down the forest and this log icon hovers above it. Or kill a wolf and meat and fur icons appear until you pick them up.

Also, I might have some most excellent news for Linux peeps in the nearest future (any such geek around here?)

[JobLeonard]

Why yes, yes there is :D

[s_l_m]

People on computer forums DO tend to enjoy Linux

[Salsario]

Did someone say Linux? Can I do a apt-install? or a dpkg -i? 

[Eigen]

Did someone say Linux? Can I do a apt-install? or a dpkg -i?  

idunno ...


It's just that a member in the SFML forum PM'd me and offered to build it for Linux. But it turned out he has something called ArchLinux so I'm not sure who else can run whatever he builds. The upload should be available soon though. Anyway, I never realized the distros (patched/unpatched) and compatibility is such an issue. So, if anyone feels like Pioneers should run on their Linux distro of choice and there are other people who can enjoy it, PM me and I'll give the source. I'd like have coverage as broad as possible. While I'd appreciate this one-time fling it'd be awesome if you also became the maintainer of that distro. You'd have to click a button once a month maybe

So, yeah, I'm looking for Linux maintainers. I'll pay in kind wishes and positive thoughts towards you and your pets.


edit: I have absolutely no idea who and how can run it, but here goes:

Pioneers built on ArchLinux distro

Before you run the game, create the following directory: ~/.pioneers/savegames/

[eigenbom]

You could just plan to release it on steam for linux when it's done? That could solve the fragmenting/packaging issue? (ps. I know nothing about linux )

[oyog]

*snip*

Huh, this screenshot reminded me of something I had meant to bring up when I was playing. Dunno if I felt like it wasn't a reasonable suggestion or if I just forgot to write it down.

I feel like there is a lot of unnecessary overlap in the UI.

Things like "Make Camp" being available through the Actions menu, the Actions side bar and through "Use Item" in the Inventory menu and the pop up menu in the Inventory side bar. It might be a good idea to simplify the UI a bit in situations like that.

I like the drop down menu 'cause it feels old school but once I realized everything could be done with the side bar I rarely used it.

[Eigen]

Yes, the Action menu and actions on the sidebar are duplicates. They even share the code for list population. I use the sidebar but I left in the menu because some players might prefer it, though I can't see why. The fact that make camp is available from the tent options was a shortcut in the previous version (to reduce clicking that was needed to make camp) and is not needed anymore since it's available on the sidebar.

You could just plan to release it on steam for linux when it's done? That could solve the fragmenting/packaging issue? (ps. I know nothing about linux )

I don't think that helps. As I understand, the problem is that you have to build on the same distro that you're going to play it on since most distros use different (patched) versions of all sorts of libraries. I dunno, it's confusing to me, since I too know nothing of Linux.


I haven't done much these past few evenings but I fixed a couple of issues. This weekend I'm going to work on the world map/overworld. It'll be simiar to sailing and stuff in the game view but on a smaller scale. Small details like the in-game map I think but full-screen. You start at the town and sail about until you come across some land at which point the map is generated and stored so it'll be persistent. If you then wish, you can transition into the standard game mode. During the sail the sidebar will be visible, but instead of the character details, you see the ships. If you have more than one ships then you can switch between them. The only resource information you have access to at that point are water and food, I think. How does that sound?

[rivon]

No it's not like that. You can build it on pretty much any distro (unless you use some weird non-standard one) but to be able to play it anywhere, you need the same libraries or newer on the target machine. So IMO it's not a bad idea to build your game on a bit older release (as everyone isn't using the newest version of everything). And you of course need to bundle non-standard libraries with your game (that would be SDL, SFML etc.)

[Eigen]

Last weekend I worked on the overworld feature in the game but then scappred it. As I said previously, it was about uncovering tiles like in the main section of the game only on a much smaller scale but it didn't look nearly as good nor was it very feasible with a large world. So, I started thinking about something different. Here's a MOCKUP (so don't mind the sidebar nor everything else that's lacking). Click it to embiggenize.


It's like looking into a cup

I think it looks cool this way instead of just drawing a screenfull of black tiles and a blue path going trough that. I also like that this makes it look like a distinct stage at the game because the sailing part and the actual exploration are very different. The ship is small but it makes drawing all 8 angles much easier. I hope. The white arrow shows the direction your ship is headed in. There will be some buttons for turning the ship. The arrow in the bottom-right section of the circle shows the wind direction.

I've been reading a little about sailing and how the wind in the sails works exactly and some things of that will go into the game but no hardcore sailing simulation of course. I'm simplyfing things so if you have tailwind you only go as fast as the wind but if you orient yourself so that the wind comes at a right angle you can go much faster. In real-life this is called tacking, a zig-zag motion, but I'll probably make it a straight line movement. If the wind dies, you're out of luck so having enough supplies is important.