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Homeland : The Stone of Night is now officially a freeware game in General
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, January 28 2008 08:35 Profile #6
quote:
Originally written by The Lurker:

RAR is "better" than ZIP
And 7-zip (technically called LZMA) is "better" than RAR. 7-zip also can uncompress RAR files for those who are still stuck with that dinosaur called WinZip.

Edit: Didn't notice that Lurker already pointed to 7-zip. Personally I'd prefer a compressed ISO so I can burn it directly to a disc. :D

[ Monday, January 28, 2008 08:38: Message edited by: Frobozz ]
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
A5 Questions again in Avernum 4
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Wednesday, August 29 2007 10:09 Profile #3
quote:
Exile games didn't have the animations.
Meh. Since the topic is started again for the short ten minutes it'll stay open... I could've sworn the original games had animations. Or at least the 3rd game.
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
A5 Questions in Avernum 4
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Sunday, August 26 2007 23:45 Profile #22
This will probably be shot down, but if 3D graphics were used it would be easier to add effects like different armor colors (or textures). It would also make adding attacks easier since you wouldn't have to draw each position the character could potentially be in - you'd just rotate the model. This might not sound like much of an advantage until you consider that games using Geneforge's engine have around 16 positions along with around eight or so frames per position. That's 128 individual graphics cells that have to be drawn. Even if you drew in such a way that you could copy and paste whole chunks it is still time consuming and possibly quite expensive.

Edit: Before anyone complains about the increase to system requirements, consider other games. Age of Empires 3 for example has pretty fancy graphics and yet it runs on cards from up to three years ago (friend of mine has an FX 5700 which is really on par with GeForce 3 Ti). Granted the engine is highly optimized compared to most but it also makes use of fancy shader effects. Spidweb games would probably do well even without shader effects - especially if things like lighting were pre-calculated.

[ Sunday, August 26, 2007 23:50: Message edited by: Frobozz ]
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
A5 Questions in Avernum 4
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Friday, August 24 2007 20:54 Profile #6
So what features were dropped? Or are you on an NDA and can't say without being stabbed repeatedly?
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Music in Avernum 5 in Avernum 4
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Friday, August 24 2007 14:39 Profile #9
quote:
Originally written by Jawaj:

and it would increase download size a lot.
Not if he used the Amiga module formats that older DOS (and Amiga) games used. Jazz Jackrabbit for example has 32 music files for only 3MB of space.
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Music in Avernum 5 in Avernum 4
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, August 20 2007 13:51 Profile #2
How about instead of music, Jeff makes the game use surround sound effects! Wouldn't it be fun to hear your party getting hit by a fireball from behind? :D
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Couple of Questions in Nethergate
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, August 20 2007 13:32 Profile #4
quote:
Originally written by Rinoa Heartily:

I got cursed, went to the bazaar got a quest to get a dragon scale.. err am i supposed to do this early? I don't see anyway around it, since i am cursed, i am weaker (that's what the quest says)
I don't see what the curse actually does to you unless it happens after a period of time has passed. Only once did it seem to do anything and in that instance it merely made me get hit by a monster when I normally wouldn't have. Or maybe I missed. Something like that.
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Typo under Temple of Brigantia in Nethergate
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, August 20 2007 08:39 Profile #3
quote:
Originally written by Dintiradan:

Methinks this wasn't changed, and the Mac testers didn't pick up on it.
And who would? I only briefly glance over portal dialogs - if they're short they aren't important enough to read closely. I just enter or ignore.
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Deleting files. in Geneforge 4: Rebellion
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Friday, March 2 2007 21:25 Profile #4
Under Windows, I go into the directory Geneforge is in, double-click Data, then the save directory I want to delete and remove everything except the "temp" file. Works great. :P
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Nethergate: Resurrection in Nethergate
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Tuesday, February 27 2007 21:22 Profile #35
CDs are nice but they scratch so easily. I'd readily pay more if he were to say switch to TDK Scratchproof DVDs. :D

[ Tuesday, February 27, 2007 21:25: Message edited by: Frobozz ]
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Nethergate: Resurrection in Nethergate
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Tuesday, February 27 2007 07:42 Profile #25
quote:
Originally written by PGLB:

Cool. One question - will it be on CD like the original or the registration code like the other games?
Why? Thinking of keygen'ing it? :P

I suspect the original use of a CD was since the vast majority of people at the time were lacking high speed internet.
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Nethergate: Resurrection in Nethergate
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, February 26 2007 18:29 Profile #15
Heh. Speaking of price - I just checked the order page and the original Nethergate was $30 new. Seems a bit odd that Jeff is selling the remake to new comers for only $25. :P
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Nethergate: Resurrection in General
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Saturday, February 17 2007 00:11 Profile #6
quote:
Ground-up rewrite and screenshots suggest a new engine to me.
Maybe he's preparing the engine for when he makes the inevitable "Blades of Nethergate". :P
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Jeff linked to on Slashdot in General
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Friday, February 16 2007 01:00 Profile #4
Maybe this means he won't make any more RPGs with the same basic stories. :P
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
A4 Windows 99% cpu time in Tech Support
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Thursday, March 9 2006 02:48 Profile #24
quote:
Originally written by Bored flak:

I just checked A1 and A2, they both are sparing in their use of resources. G2 hogs the resources, and G3 crashed while I was checking, but it was around 96%.
Think of it this way. How much does the Avernum engine update in the background when you aren't moving? And how much does the Geneforge engine?

Also take into considering that the mouse is software-based meaning everytime you move it, the screen has to do a complete redraw. Redrawing isn't a quick and low-resource application when you have so much on the screen.
;)

Edit: The above is taking into account that the software doesn't refresh unless input is received. I doubt that's the case - it probably refreshes constantly. :P

[ Thursday, March 09, 2006 04:10: Message edited by: Frobozz ]
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Will Spiderweb issue licenceson a Sunday, ya think? in Avernum 4
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, March 6 2006 10:33 Profile #12
Actually I was just the opposite. I managed to get used to the interface by the time I was halfway through the goblin lairs. When around the Motrax caves it warned me about the shareware barrier was close and I just went ahead and purchased at that point. I think I had only been playing for about four or so hours. :D

I personally love the new engine with everything being more or less on the same map. No more listening to stupid fanfare when I enter a city for example.
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Sooo dark!! in Avernum 4
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, March 6 2006 10:27 Profile #20
quote:
Originally written by Derakon:

Quick question to the original poster - are you using a Macintosh or a Windows machine? Because if you're using the latter, then you're lending credence to a concern I had earlier. Windows machines tend to have a much darker "gamma" setting (basically the reference point for "white"; high gamma settings make for darker screens). On the Mac, the "second layer" caves are dark but still mostly navigable and comprehensible; I fear that a Windows user would be completely sunk, however.
Just change the gamma setting. The location depends entirely on your graphics driver though. Under my nVidia panel it is located in "Color Correction".

Another possible culprit could be your monitor. As monitors age they tend to get darker - especially if constantly left on.
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
A4 Windows 99% cpu time in Tech Support
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, March 6 2006 10:02 Profile #12
quote:
Originally written by Few probed waitress:

I checked as well, 100% usage.

Something is desperately wrong with this game and how it interacts with the CPU on Windows computers.
I've written small and short programs in C++ myself and I've noticed something similar. I believe it is more of a problem with Windows than with the game. Really it is not a serious problem. How many people are going to run an intensive program in the background while playing the game? :P

Like others it has paused temporarily for me while autosaving and loading difference sections of the map. Good reason too - the save games around around 20MB and up!

[ Monday, March 06, 2006 10:04: Message edited by: Frobozz ]
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Avernum 4? in General
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, October 24 2005 19:08 Profile #450
quote:
Originally written by The Retortionist:

You can always play your own music. Jeff has explained why he doesn't provide music before (download size, mainly) and nothing has changed.
File size is not necessarily something you'd have to have. For music that isn't too loud, you could get by with MIDI. If you want slightly better quality, you could shoot for MOD which is like MIDI only the samples used are included in the file. ;)
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Yet another Jeff Vogel Interview in General
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, October 24 2005 09:39 Profile #12
quote:
I develop all my games on my Macintosh G4, using Metrowerks Codewarrior. This was once the unquestioned premier development environment for the Mac. Now that they're moving to the new Intel chips, I have to stop using the tools I've been very happily using for the last 10 years. I'm a bit miffed.
This has to suck. I know I'd be aggrevated if I could no longer use GCC (or more exactly MinGW).

If I were Jeff, I'd start checking up on open source software. Or whoever is now holding the compiler that Metrowerks apparently stopped using. :D
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
The right way to use Lvl3 soul capture in The Avernum Trilogy
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Thursday, October 20 2005 11:59 Profile #12
quote:
Originally written by Infernal666hate:

or you could just save before difficult fights.
if it fills over a slot that you didn't want it to, just reload.
Or just edit the savegame. :D
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Avernum 4? in General
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Thursday, October 20 2005 11:18 Profile #434
We need a FAQ topic that is stuck at the top and have the first question be about Geneforge graphics. Doesn't anybody actually read before they complain about them?! :P

I just wish that Jeff would for once put the Windows one out first. I'm dying to try it. Oh well - maybe I'll get a shot at beta testing. :D

[ Thursday, October 20, 2005 11:28: Message edited by: Frobozz ]
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Avernum 4? in General
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Wednesday, October 19 2005 09:53 Profile #423
quote:
Originally written by Accountability out of Action:

It's probably more trouble than Jeff thought it was worth.
Quite. He also may not even use elevation in the game since Geneforge didn't seem to have it. ;)

I've also noticed a certain pattern to his game making. Every three or four games, he seems to take a new approach with his engine. This time around he seems to be taking some of the features from both the Avernum and Geneforge engines in certain ways. It will be interesting to see how it turns out. :D

[ Wednesday, October 19, 2005 10:00: Message edited by: Frobozz ]
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Avernum 4? in General
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Tuesday, October 18 2005 20:57 Profile #418
quote:
Originally written by Drakefyre:

...

You mean both are shown on the same view?
Basically you'd treat the upper layer as being part of the same map, just "above" the lower floor. Then when the player or a mob goes up, you only let things on that level affect them. I don't see why it would be so difficult to achieve. It also allows for stuff below the current level to continue "running" instead of having to wait for the player to go back down. :D

Edit: I was going to try to fake an example in BoA but it appears to be too stinking weak for it. :(

[ Tuesday, October 18, 2005 21:08: Message edited by: Frobozz ]
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00
Avernum 4? in General
Frobozz
Warrior
Member # 246
 written Monday, October 17 2005 23:01 Profile #408
quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

In answer to part of this, dungeons are just additional towns. Everything really is linked. This doesn't cause nearly as much mayhem as you might think. Different floors are supported, which means that not everything is completely continuous, but it's much more so than the old AT.
Why not? Why not simply have multiple layers within the engine and when the player moves up a "staircase", simply change the layer the player is currently on? I don't see why more engines don't do that. ;)

quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

I'm not really telling anything that you can't figure out based on Jeff's statements, so I assume I'm not violating the NDA.
An NDA? To not tell us how much the game rocks? That seems a little strange. :P

[ Monday, October 17, 2005 23:13: Message edited by: Frobozz ]
Posts: 117 | Registered: Friday, November 2 2001 08:00

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