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Incline Grid Cartographer - Best Tool for Drawing Classic RPG Maps

Hidden Asbestos

Grid Cartographer
Developer
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
503
Location
UK
So far I've played games on SNES, Master System, Genesis, Saturn and PlayStation. I have a game controller working (albeit with a hard coded mapping) on Windows. Work is progressing on the interface needed to select a game to play (right now I'm just hard coding that too).

Follow me on Twitter for smaller updates as they happen: https://twitter.com/gridcarto

IhRf44c.png


This is Wizardry - Llylgamyn Saga on PlayStation.
 
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Hidden Asbestos

Grid Cartographer
Developer
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
503
Location
UK
Been hard at work on a browser interface to help with LibRetro support. I want to make firing up a game, along with any associated auto-tracking profile, etc. a super easy "one-click" experience.


c3L1qch.gif
 

Hidden Asbestos

Grid Cartographer
Developer
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
503
Location
UK
I've (finally) submitted my Steam build/store page for review. I'll provide release date details when they've been agreed after I've passed through the process. Hoping for some time next month but there could be amends, etc.
 

Hidden Asbestos

Grid Cartographer
Developer
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
503
Location
UK
The "Grid Cartographer 4" Steam store page is now live here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/684690
You can add it to your wishlist and get ready for the official launch in a few weeks.



If you've got any questions, as always, fire away!

edit:

Here's a quick FAQ:

* I'm treating Steam simply as an alternative way to buy the software, so if you'd like it on there you'll need to rebuy it.
* The website version will continue to be sold and maintained with free v4.x updates, it's not going away.
* The Steam version has the same feature set as the Pro Edition.
 
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Hidden Asbestos

Grid Cartographer
Developer
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
503
Location
UK
I can use it without steam open or I need to do it everytime?
From my tests, if you exit Steam, navigate to the install folder and run the GC executable, it loads Steam again, logs you in and then launches the app. HTH - it's pretty quick in my experience vs. just running the direct version.
 
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Sacibengala

Prophet
Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
1,098
Hm, shame. I want to use it with my gog games. But having the steam opened is not a good idea for me. I don't like to even use the galaxy either. The steam version would be cool, because of the regional price, but with it opened, I think I'll pass.
 

Grauken

Gourd vibes only
Patron
Joined
Mar 22, 2013
Messages
12,786
Based on what HA said I think he has switched DRM on.

Personally, I don't think DRM has ever helped any small time developer to shift more units. It does help large-scale products for a very narrow time window, but otherwise you will find DRMfreed copies of almost anything from large to tiny productions on the high seas (games, any kind of software, but most of us know that). I get why developers, even small scale ones, instinctively want to protect whats theirs, a very human reaction, but DRM has, with few exceptions*, the same effect as security theater. Its not effective, but people buying into it do it more based on belief than hard facts. It gives them a sense of control over pirating, though it doesn't really stop anyone pirating.

DRM will not help shift more units. It will annoy people who might have been legitimately bought in on steam. Even people who already bought it on the website in the past. Steam is about convenience. DRM weakens that convenience, and in the case of a niche tool, which GridCartographer is, it will limit the convenience even further. DRM doesn't stop pirates, but it does stop people from becoming customers.



*When is DRM ever effective? When you have such a large demand for a product and your customer base is so big that people want it the moment it gets published, salivating over every detail before it even comes out and then have to decide whether to get it for free or pay 60$, and will do if they can't find a pirate copy. Basically when you have a ridiculous amount of customers with low impulse control.
 
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Blaine

Cis-Het Oppressor
Patron
Joined
Oct 6, 2012
Messages
1,874,662
Location
Roanoke, VA
Grab the Codex by the pussy
Yes, DRM is utterly pointless for this, and annoying to most of the people who would be interested in purchasing it. Might actually lose sales.

Steam can be placed into offline mode (or blocked from the Internet with your firewall) and will still run DRM-protected games... for about two weeks at a stretch, I believe. Any more than that, and it will insist on phoning home to update and ensure everything's on the up and up.
 

Hidden Asbestos

Grid Cartographer
Developer
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
503
Location
UK
I'm honestly a bit confused as to why Steam brand DRM would be an issue, mainly because I don't get why having Steam loaded is a problem.

Plus if Steam is a deal-breaker then ... buy it directly from my website?
 

Doctor Sbaitso

SO, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS.
Patron
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
3,348
Codex 2013 Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Grab the Codex by the pussy Serpent in the Staglands
Because it is insidious in the first place. If it isn't a big deal, turn it off, yeah?
 

Sinatar

Arbiter
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
569
I'm honestly a bit confused as to why Steam brand DRM would be an issue, mainly because I don't get why having Steam loaded is a problem.

Plus if Steam is a deal-breaker then ... buy it directly from my website?

If it's not a big deal then turn it off.
 

Hidden Asbestos

Grid Cartographer
Developer
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
503
Location
UK
Hidden Asbestos Out of curiosity, does the .OBJ export that your program provide is usable in Game Maker Studio (2) ? Thanks.
I'd imagine so. I have GMS1 so I'll grab a copy of 2 and post back later when I've confirmed it does work out of the box, or it might need a patch. (I added preset modes for Unity and Unreal so I'd be happy to add a GameMaker mode as well.)
 

Hidden Asbestos

Grid Cartographer
Developer
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
503
Location
UK
Hidden Asbestos Out of curiosity, does the .OBJ export that your program provide is usable in Game Maker Studio (2) ? Thanks.
I didn't know Game Maker (1 or 2) very well before you asked me this. Looking at it now though, AFAICT doing 3D seems to rely on writing your own model importer for the format you want (rather than having one built in like Unity or Unreal) so technically that means it can handle any format. However, the model loader I found by googling (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQTwHFz4mps) is quite basic and doesn't handle comments in the .obj file, or quads/polygons - so I'll add options to triangulate the mesh and disable comments and that'll make it more flexible and easier to write an importer.

btw. feel free to continue this on the GC.com forum as I reckon this is kind of off-topic for here on the codex.

edit:
example map: https://imgur.com/ySK2sI7
new export menu w/ triangulate option: https://imgur.com/BAVPk37
loaded into GMS2: https://imgur.com/9SsXMFd
loaded into modo: https://imgur.com/MeW3LXG
 
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Stormcrowfleet

Aeon & Star Interactive
Developer
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
1,020
Hidden Asbestos Out of curiosity, does the .OBJ export that your program provide is usable in Game Maker Studio (2) ? Thanks.
I didn't know Game Maker (1 or 2) very well before you asked me this. Looking at it now though, AFAICT doing 3D seems to rely on writing your own model importer for the format you want (rather than having one built in like Unity or Unreal) so technically that means it can handle any format. However, the model loader I found by googling (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQTwHFz4mps) is quite basic and doesn't handle comments in the .obj file, or quads/polygons - so I'll add options to triangulate the mesh and disable comments and that'll make it more flexible and easier to write an importer.

btw. feel free to continue this on the GC.com forum as I reckon this is kind of off-topic for here on the codex.

edit:
example map: https://imgur.com/ySK2sI7
new export menu w/ triangulate option: https://imgur.com/BAVPk37
loaded into GMS2: https://imgur.com/9SsXMFd
loaded into modo: https://imgur.com/MeW3LXG

Thanks a lot. I will be using (and buying) your product for experimentation !
 

Hidden Asbestos

Grid Cartographer
Developer
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
503
Location
UK
Just got a second no from GOG, so I'm gonna give up on that idea. Focusing on the 19th June Steam launch now.

In other news I've begun working on a better memory scanning tool that can handle console games via LibRetro - hopefully we'll have at least a few ports supported (e.g. Wizardry on the NES) using that.
 

Hidden Asbestos

Grid Cartographer
Developer
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
503
Location
UK
Version 4.0.8 is now available!
http://gridcartographer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=1873

The major change is to add a volume control and pause/reset/power-off menu for Game Link.
You'll need to update Custom DOSBox to R17 to continue using it.

This will also be used as the Steam release (on the 19th): https://store.steampowered.com/app/684690/Grid_Cartographer_4/

---

As you may know, LibRetro support is coming. It's going well and a ton of work has gone into it so far, but still has some important bits left to do and isn't ready for the public yet - I didn't want to delay the release any further. Hopefully this will appear properly and unrushed, in the next version or so.
 

Stormcrowfleet

Aeon & Star Interactive
Developer
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
1,020
Steam launch is GO! https://store.steampowered.com/app/684690/Grid_Cartographer_4/

Thanks for the all support to date, the patience while I took nearly a year to get this launch ready and the consistent enthusiasm for the project as it enters its 6th year of development. I look forward to the future with LibRetro support and many other great features that I have planned. :salute:

I just buyed it :salute:

I just hope I can put it to good use. :M
 

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