When I talk about layers, I'm just referring in general terms to the order in which the graphics are outputted to the screen. When all is said and done, I've just got the one 840x480 pixel screen. If I output a graphic to a group of pixels, I'm just changing those pixels' colors. If I output a graphic over the graphic, I'm just changing the pixels' colors again. So, in essence, it's not layering like with GIMP or Photoshop, it's more like drawing something in Paint and then drawing over it. Once you draw over something, what was there before is gone.
I can rearrange the order in which the graphics are thrown onto the screen, though.
Did I explain that clearly enough? 3:30 AM makes for gibberish-y Tsukasas
Well, the way my game's engine works is that it outputs everything in layers. From bottom to top, these layers are: - Ground Layer - Character Layer - Character Effects Layer - Environment Layer - Environment Effects Layer? (I don't have one but might implement one)
So, by default, Nanami is always beneath the layer of environment objects. On the interaction map, whatever areas are the "in front of" for objects are colored black. The engine constantly checks to see if any of Nanami's sprite's pixels happen to overlap these black areas and, if so, raises a flag that causes the Character and Character Effects Layers to be outputted above the Environment Layer.
In essence, Nanami always walks behind objects unless the interaction map says she should be in front of them
I'm probably going to throw a lot of the engine's environment checks into a separate thread that runs pseudo-simultaneously. I'm fairly sure that by the time the engine is completely done, having everything running in the same thread might make for a very slow game
Oh, and to get ahead of myself a tad, do you want text boxes to display just the character name, a character name and portrait, or just a portrait?
Object collision and position relation seem to be working now. That is, Nanami can't walk through the parts of objects that are declared "impassible" in the interaction map, and it detects if she is in front of or behind objects and renders things accordingly.
Of course, this is using a single rectangular "pillar" object. I need to create more objects and objects of different sizes to more rigorously test the engine. Technically, I could incorporate altitude into the engine but I'm not going to for my sanity's sake.
After that, this is how it's going to go:
- Optimization of code and routines - Implementation of text routines - Implementation of event checking - Actual map data and sprites
Progress is good
(note: as of the moment, I'm focusing solely on Nanami Chapter since that's my class project, so there's various engine features I'm not including right now like the implementation of character switching and character auto-movement)
Also, for the heck of it, have some random factoids:
- Player data is in the form of a pointed structure (a structure is a group of variables, sort of like an array but each element has its own name and data type. The pointed bit means the structure contains no data itself but points to another one that does. You can even change what it points to whenever you want). Because of this, it's possible for the player to easily switch characters on the fly. You will be able to do so between Nanami and Rika in Finality Chapter. - Nanami and Rika have different abilities. This will only come into play in Finality Chapter, though, but it will make for cool puzzles - There may or may not be multiple endings or plot routes. - This game, as well, will have bonus goodies released with it - When the release date nears, I will be giving away a special personalized edition of the game (you lose again ) to one lucky person. Said person will be whoever wins a little contest I have in mind.
- I have plans to make 2 or 3 more Yumé games after The Eternal Dreams, one of which is a spin-off.
- Nanami and Rika are both 10 at the start of the series.
- The games are rated PG, so no, Genolo, there is no CP in it.
- Japan has recently come out with a mascot named "Nanami Yume", who is a mascot for construction work.
- Nanami's name is spelled 七生 <'seven' + 'life'>, whereas the Japanese mascot's name is spelled 七海 <'seven' + 'sea'>
The finished game map will be like a real world with grass, trees, water, Grecian/Roman pillars, brick walls, etc. It's just that I'm not going to start on any of that until the environment engine is working 100% (which should be not too far off). So, at the moment, I'm just using the title screen background as a floor and implementing simple "dummy" objects.
I've got rudimentary collision detection working for upward and downward movement. It's quite wonky. At the very least, Nanami will stop moving when colliding with an object that's considered impassible. She will, however, turn to face the object if you press in the direction of it when not facing it.
The following is a spoiler, it talks about a plot-centric functionality/feature of the original game that has been changed up for this remake+new game. If you're adamantly anti-spoiler, don't click. If you don't mind having a certain aspect of the game (you lost ) spoiled for you, go ahead and read.
Spoiler For Spoiler:
As you know, one of the key items in the original game was the "Pure Light" which allowed Nanami to actually get to the exit room and, as a bonus, nullified the Dream World's draining effects allowing you to explore as long as you want.
The Pure Light again makes an appearance in The Eternal Dreams however it functions a bit differently.
http://i.imgur.com/E0NkU.png Remember the mysterious second horizontal bar? It works in conjunction with the Pure Light among other things.
http://i.imgur.com/s6lrT.png When standing outside a Sanctuary zone (and even when in Miasma), The Pure Light kicks in and protects you from the draining effects, but only so long as you have the "power" for it. The green bar drains instead of your health. Nanami glows with a blue aura when protected by the Pure Light.
http://i.imgur.com/Wc1wB.png If the green bar exhausts, the Pure Light's protection ceases and you start taking normal damage again. However, stepping into a Sanctuary zone will regenerate that bar along with your health.
Of course, you have to acquire this item if you want this power and no, it's not as easy as it was in the original
As for updates to the game itself, none. Went on a Minecraft binge the past few days Will work on it some more tonight or tomorrow night, depending on how physics homework goes
Ran into an issue with the environment engine and properly displaying things depending on if Nanami is in front of or behind them. Thinking about using the Interaction Map to govern this but I'd have to be constantly checking a shed-tonne of pixels...
[edit]Also, if I go with this, I will be consolidating the environment bitmaps into one single bitmap as Nanami will be displayed above or below it as necessary.[/edit]
Also, Nanami Chapter of Yumé: The Eternal Dreams is now officially my class project for my Computer Based Methods and Modeling class (fancy name for "Let's Learn ANSI C, mmkay?"). I only say Nanami Chapter is because I don't know if I can get all the way through Nanami AND Rika Chapter in 2/3 of a semester. I know for a fact I CAN'T finish through Finality Chapter in this time period.
I'll admit, it took me 2 or 3 readings to understand what Ashbad meant (I kept skipping critical words ). We should start a revolution to return the Swastika to its original Hindu meaning... yeah, that'll turn out well `-`;;
Yumé series: Very literally named, as "yume" is Japanese for "dream". The accent on the 'e' was added to stress proper pronunciation ([you-meh]). The game was also somewhat inspired by the PC game Yume Nikki.
In the originally planned game series, the third game was oddly called Yumé 3 Finality. This was to emphasize that it was the final act of the story arc that spanned the first 3 games. The 4th game, Prélude de Rêve (Prelude of Dreams), was aptly named as it was a prequel. The 5th game, Nightmare Under the Nightmare, was intended to foreshadow the ultimate climax and truth of the game.
The PC game, Yumé: The Eternal Dreams, was originally to be called The Endless Dreams. I kept shifting back and forth between them before finally settling on "eternal". Either way, the intent is to emphasize the fact that if you do not escape, you will never wake up.
I got zilch, but then again, I don't play the dating game. If I tried to snag myself a lady, I'm sure I'd be getting a tonne of things from them. And by things, I mean restraining orders... `-`
I am in a class of my own and, sadly, it's one not favored by girls
He's secretly finishing it without telling. And then BAM! We'll get the most epic TI calc Mario game EVER shoved right in our faces and he'll be a hero Still can't wait for this ^_^
<aside>It's kind of sad that the Nazis have pretty much ruined the Swastika. Can't use it anywhere without people calling you a Nazi or insinuating your works have Nazi undertones. </aside>
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). We should start a revolution to return the Swastika to its original Hindu meaning... yeah, that'll turn out well `-`;;
