post suggestions here

[David]

There's something I don't understand about the room_links and the guards: does the number attribute do the same thing as the room tag?
Also, some tags contain only a number; maybe they should be attributes instead?
Like this:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!-- PoP1 level, exported [datetime] with apoplexy [version]. -->
<level number="[nr]">
   <rooms>
      <room number="1">
         <tile element="[nr]" modifier="[nr]" />
         ... (30 element/modifier)
      </room>
      ... (24 rooms)
   </rooms>
   <events>
      <event number="1" room="[nr]" location="[nr]" next="[nr]" />
      ... (256 events)
   </events>
   <room_links>
      <link room="1" left="[nr]" right="[nr]" up="[nr]" down="[nr]" />
      ... (24 links)
   </room_links>
   <kid room="[nr]" location="[nr]" direction="[nr]" />
   <guards>
      <guard room="1" location="[nr]" direction="[nr]" skill="[nr]" colors="[nr]" />
      ... (24 guards)
   </guards>
   <userdata>
      <field key="[string]" value="[string]" />
      ... (n field/value)
   </userdata>
</level>

Maybe also place each room_link and guard inside the corresponding room?

[Norbert]

There's something I don't understand about the room_links and the guards: does the number attribute do the same thing as the room tag?
Also, some tags contain only a number; maybe they should be attributes instead?
Like this: [...]
Maybe also place each room_link and guard inside the corresponding room?

Thanks for the feedback. My starting point was my own code, that's why some things weren't as logical as they could've been (in this context).
Yes, I agree it's better to have the links and guard information inside their corresponding rooms.
Here's an updated version:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!-- PoP1 level, exported [datetime] with apoplexy [version]. -->
<level number="[nr]">
	<rooms>
		<room number="1">
			<tile element="[nr]" modifier="[nr]" />
			... (30 tiles)
			<guard location="[nr]" direction="[nr]" skill="[nr]" colors="[nr]" />
			<links left="[nr]" right="[nr]" up="[nr]" down="[nr]" />
		</room>
		... (24 rooms)
	</rooms>
	<events>
		<event number="1" room="[nr]" location="[nr]" next="[nr]" />
		... (256 events)
	</events>
	<prince room="[nr]" location="[nr]" direction="[nr]" />
	<userdata fields="[nr]">
		<field key="[string]" value="[string]" />
		... (n fields)
	</userdata>
</level>

[Edit: Also changed "kid" to "prince" and fixed empty-element tags.]

[Norbert]

Since I've already added several new things to apoplexy, I've decided to put out an intermediate release before releasing the apoplexy with PoP2 support - version 2.0 - at the end of December.
This way mod authors won't need to wait three more months to use some of the new features. More information about the new version 1.9b can be found here.
polipo, you can now export PoP1 mods (levels) to XML files with "apoplexy -x".

[Norbert]

Here's what I'm currently working on.

On startup, the user can select the PoP version to use:
(The mouse hovers over PoP2 here.)



This is the tiles screen for the PoP2 cavern levels:
(Subject to change, obviously...)



Still lots of work to be done; slowly but surely getting there.

[Norbert]

This is the tiles screen for the PoP2 ruin levels:
(Again, subject to change...)



Its background screen:
(Again, subject to change...)

[David]

* How about graying out those modifiers that don't make sense for the current tile?
* You could mark loose floors, buttons, and the ambiguous potions. (As for PoP1)
* Most people expect the links on the help screen to be clickable. (Yes, they can be typed by hand...) Maybe you should at least include them as text somewhere.

[Norbert]

* How about graying out those modifiers that don't make sense for the current tile?

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll implement that.

* You could mark loose floors, buttons, and the ambiguous potions. (As for PoP1)

Yes, definitely; it's on my TODO list.

* Most people expect the links on the help screen to be clickable. (Yes, they can be typed by hand...) Maybe you should at least include them as text somewhere.

Half (two) of the links are mentioned in the docs/README.txt file. But you're right, it would be better it they'd be clickable on the help screen. Sometimes it's weird how the/my mind works. I've tried to implement this. For Linux I used /usr/bin/xdg-open and for Windows I added ShellExecute(NULL, "open", "http://", NULL, NULL, SW_SHOWNORMAL); and #include <windows.h>. However, because of that last include, the code no longer compiled under Linux, and instead of adding an #if defined, I decided to remove all related code and go for 'feature parity'. I guess I just wanted to release 1.9b and the whole #if defined thing didn't pop up in my head in time. I'll also implement this for 2.0. Thanks for reminding me by bringing it up.

[Norbert]

This is the tiles screen for the PoP2 temple levels:
(Again, subject to change...)



Its background screen:
(Again, subject to change...)

[Norbert]

This is the combined tiles screen for the other PoP2 levels:
(Again, subject to change...)



These 'invisible' tiles are being projected on top of the in-game backgrounds.

[David]

Caverns:
- I don't see the top-gate (0x1B) (where you exit the caves). I suppose it's the empty slot between lava right (0x18) and torch+debris (0x20)? It appears on the "other levels" screen, though. (as "back near grate")
- A detail that wasn't mentioned anywhere yet: The top bit of the first modifier of the loose floor determines not only its pattern, but also what happens if it falls on a button. If it's 1 then the button will be permanently triggered (as in PoP1). If it's 0 then it's triggered only once.
Ruins:
There are two empty slots,
- one between the floor (0x01) and pillar (0x03), (is it the spike? (0x02))
- the other between level door right (0x11) and wall (0x14). (is it the torch? (0x13))
Temple:
- What is the difference between the two spikes?
- An empty slot between level door right (0x11) and torch (0x13). (0x12 would be the carpet)
- I don't see the blue flame. (0x2B) It appears on the "other levels" screen, though.
- I suppose the second wall is the crusher? (0x19)

[Norbert]

Markers (as for PoP1) will clarify most of those things. For example, the duplicate empty tiles contain invisible tiles/walls, and the second spike wall has disabled spikes.
Yep, the second wall is the crusher. Certain tiles that won't work anywhere but specific places or actually don't do anything will show up as custom tiles.
I'm currently working on the guards screen. It's mostly done and it's pretty packed to make everything fit, but I'm happy about it; will post a screenshot in a couple of days.

[Norbert]

I'm currently working on the guards screen.

Actually, speaking of guards...
David, please check out: viewtopic.php?f=64&t=3390
Some questions related to Pr2LevEd and dynamic guards.

[Norbert]

This is the PoP2 guards screen:
(Again, subject to change...)



Yes, max. 2 incoming sets.
Next up the PoP2 events screen...

[Edit: Also, in the actual release, the guards button on the tiles screens will be narrower and next to it will be the prince facing right and left. Gotta be able to place the prince. ]

[Norbert]

This is the PoP2 events screen:
(Again, subject to change...)



Currently, apoplexy 2.0 is about 1/3 done.
Still a lot of work ahead, but it's starting to work.

[David]

- Only the first 2 checkpoints are used by the game. (Though this could be changed by hex-editing the EXE.)
- You said the second spike in the temple has disabled spikes. Does this exist in the caverns as well?
- There are two types of heads. (type=5 and 6) Type 5 has longer hair then type 6.
- And their hair can be colored. (The same way as the regular guards can be colored.)
- You could gray out the disabled guards. For example if there are 2 guards then gray out the 3rd, 4th and 5th. Similary for the dynamic guards.
- There are two types of fake prince. Type 3 is used in the game, type 4 will have weird colours.