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[ALL PHYSICAL COPIES SOLD OUT!] Realms of Quest V for the VIC-20 (digital version is available)

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
I decided to take a break from writing dialogue content, so I wrote some actual new code for the first time in several months. The good news is that after only about 6 hours of programming, I've accomplished a major milestone. There's now "line of sight" when you travel in the cities. Instead of a full overhead view that shows everything, you can only see what is visible around you (like in the early Ultima games).




This makes a lot of sense if I don't want the player to see what is past a hidden door and the like.

Adamantyr's retro RPG developer blog was in indispensable resource that helped me program this feature:

http://crpg.adamantyr.com/article_04.htm
 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
Today, I implemented line of sight for the main overland map. Even though the player will have a physical printed map in the game packaging, I like that the effect is applied in this module of the game.

 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
Today, I implemented line of sight for the main overland map.

I like the application of a fog of war, too. Is your limited line of sight persistent, or does the player uncover the map as they move through an area?

The fog of war effect is certainly there but there is no automap feature. In fact,
I removed the "Map" feature (which just showed a larger view) from the game in favor of having the ability to view the party's summoned/allied/controlled NPC members on the main screen.



I think the ability to see these all at once will make it more convenient instead of having to view each player individually to see which NPC is attached to it.
 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
I've achieved another major milestone in my game: the 3D first person perspective while exploring the dungeon.



While Realms IV did feature this, it was done with simple black and white wireframe graphics. Here, I can use up to 4 colors in any type of combination that I want. I can set the colors for:

Background
Doors (I use the VIC-20's character color register for these)
Lines (I use the border color register to draw the framing lines around the walls and the doors)
Walls (I use the auxiliary register for these).

So every dungeon will have it's own color scheme. Another feature is that each dungeon floor will have 5 image portraits to add even more to the atmosphere: one for an NPC who will aid you, one for the boss monster encounter and 3 images that will serve as "cut scenes" when you reach a key portion of the map. As well, there will be textual descriptions of what you're seeing in rooms.
 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
I've been programming the various features of the dungeon module: stairs, secret doors and magical darkness.








In the last 2 screenshots, the player comes across a darkened portion of the dungeon. A Light spell is cast, and now they can see (take note of the light spell effect icon being highlighted at the bottom of the screen).
 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
Today I programmed traps, teleporters and spinners. Here is how a teleporter appears on the screen when the proper spell to detect these is cast.



 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
This morning, I just finished programming the last visual elements of the dungeon: magical zones that kill your players based on their alignment or their sex. Remember those runes/alchemy symbols that I use to represent the alignment/sex/race/class of each player character on the screen? Well, they play a crucial part here so that one knows what goes on when exploring these parts of the dungeon.






file.php



file.php



file.php


I think I've enough of the game completed to at least record and post a video of the overall gameplay, so that will come with my next update.
 

Zep Zepo

Titties and Beer
Dumbfuck Repressed Homosexual
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5,233
Have you ever considered changing the colors and the font you are using?

That character screen is to busy with the colors, man.

I almost have a seizure every time I look at it :)

Zep--
 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
I posted 3 videos on Youtube that depict the overall gameplay for Realms of Quest V.

Part One: Party Creation


Part Two: Gameplay


Part Three: Viewing Player Characters
 
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hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
Today, I worked on displaying text descriptions (and sometimes an image to appear alongside them) when you explore the dungeons. These are effectively "cut scenes" that provide a more descriptive area that you're exploring along with adding more to the dungeon atmosphere.



 
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hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
Have you ever considered changing the colors and the font you are using?

That character screen is to busy with the colors, man.

I almost have a seizure every time I look at it :)

Zep--

This game gives you the choice of 4 different fonts.

As for the color scheme that I use to display the party information, the VIC-20 is limited to 8 colors when it comes to displaying text and hi-res custom characters. For a party size of 10, I try to show as much information about each party member on the screen at once (health status, level up status, Name, Hit Points, Spell Units, Alignment+Sex+Race+Class). I know what everything means there (since I am designing the game) and once a player is familiar with the game mechanics and what is being displayed, it becomes second nature to understand what is going on.
 

V_K

Arcane
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Today, I worked on displaying text descriptions (and sometimes an image to appear alongside them) when you explore the dungeons. These are effectively "cut scenes" that provide a more descriptive area that you're exploring along with adding more to the dungeon atmosphere.



Are they just cutscenes or will there be some Goldbox-style interaction options?
 

Zep Zepo

Titties and Beer
Dumbfuck Repressed Homosexual
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Mar 23, 2013
Messages
5,233
As for the color scheme that I use to display the party information, the VIC-20 is limited to 8 colors when it comes to displaying text and hi-res custom characters.

Are you using ASM/ML at all? I once wrote a program (published in Compute! or Byte..i forget) using a combination of Scan line Interrupts and Display List Interrupts. (for the VIC 20)

Every 5 or so scan lines I was able to change the color registers. Then reset everything at the vertical blank, and do it all over.

You don't have too many clock cycles to play with using a scan line int..

I think I ended with with 256 colors on screen using this technique.

Of course, every 5 scan lines (or so) had the same 8 colors, but then you could change colors the next 5 scan lines.

Zep--
 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
Are they just cutscenes or will there be some Goldbox-style interaction options?

Look at the second video I posted -- you can interact with the townspeople and do Ultima-style interactions with keywords like Name, Job, Info, Join, etc. For the dungeons, I don't provide that option for interaction, so they're effectively cut scenes. However, at the beginning of combat encounters, your party has the option to greet them before any actual fighting has begun.

Zep Zepo said:
Are you using ASM/ML at all? I once wrote a program (published in Compute! or Byte..i forget) using a combination of Scan line Interrupts and Display List Interrupts. (for the VIC 20)

Yes I am using 100% assembly language. In fact, color registers are being changed 'on the fly' to effectively increase the number of colors that can be displayed in the graphic portrait area.
 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
Screenshots of the day:




... I just finished programming the "Meet NPCs who will help you" part of the Dungeon module. And here is another "scene" :

 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
Here are the latest screenshots of my work. Quite often, there will be special items dispersed throughout the dungeons that will help you on your quest. This is one of them. And the game will be user friendly enough to let you know if you've already been to an area where you previously found an item.



 

Zep Zepo

Titties and Beer
Dumbfuck Repressed Homosexual
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Messages
5,233
I tried to be nice...

But seriously, dude...

Change those colors...Looks like a fucking clown threw-up on your character sheet.

Zep--
 

Zep Zepo

Titties and Beer
Dumbfuck Repressed Homosexual
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
5,233
I'd start with moving whatever that blue box is, down to the next line, move the purple number right a little to accommodate.

Make the Char Names white, easier to read in that font.

I have no idea what that errant '.' is between dewayne and arianna..but get rid of it or move it.

It looks to me like you have plenty of space to do what I suggest, and overall make it look better.

Quit being butthurt and accept some constructive criticism.

Zep--
 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
Oh no... a magical zone that kills off all the men!



I'm also thinking about getting rid of the rune symbols in green that represent Alignment+Sex+Race+Class and the numbers on that line and use power bars to represent hit points and spell units. I was quite attached to the rune symbols because these were inspired by a dream that I had and said dream was the impetus for my starting to work on this game. But in the end, the rune symbols and the number displays is just causing confusion more than anything.

(This is in spite of what Zepo said above ... I've been thinking about doing this for sometime now)
 

hitfan

Double Sided Games
Developer
Joined
May 15, 2009
Messages
310
About 95% of the programming for the dungeon module is done now. Me and my dungeon writer have finished dungeon #1 and now work has begun on dungeon #2, "The Land of the Zzy-Zzyx" !



Take note of the color scheme of this maze. Each maze can have it's own unique colors.

Basically at this point, I have about 90% of the game engine completed. As far as content goes, 5 cities (out of 20) and 18 dungeons (our of 19) are still to be done.




I think it's safe to say that I'm about 3/4 of the way done now. Only 2 months ago I thought that I was making very little progress and that I'd need another 2 years to finish this project.
 
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