Dungeon Master Forum

DM Build version 0.85mu is now available: http://dmweb.free.fr/?q=node/695

Or direct link:
http://dmbuilder.sphenxmusics.fr/files/DMBuilder085.zip

New features in this version (from Sphenx):

- Fix a bug that make invalid a savegame.dat saved twice a row within the editor.
- Added a TEST SUPPORT FOR MOUSE. It is really supposed to be tested by users. Beware that this is very easily to paint a layout, and then destroy rooms you've made. But only wall or floor will be affected by large painting frenzy.

Edited links 11/4/11-b.

Thank you for putting this on. First impression: the program is still incredibly slow (sorry, I have an old computer, but this is really tedious! On the mouse: I think that right-click should only show you a field and it's values, not change the floor tile (especially when there's still something on it like a monster). Left-click changes are o.k.

Anyway, thanks for implementing the mouse Sphenx, keep improving DMBuild!

Regards, PitD

Mmh .. This new version is not slower, but just as slow (...) as the others, that's right? What type of computer do you use? I could try to test it on a slow machine.

For the mouse, there should be no problem to have a different function for the right button. By the way, on mouses that have wheelers, that makes up to 5 possible actions. I may use all of them, but of course, left and right buttons will have the most important actions.

Just a small point about version numbers: why use extra greek letters when you can just increment the number? It's confusing...

All these additions were not real progress in my mind, then I refused to call it 0.86 each time, and I used letters for any new release. Actually, the sigma was used because of the "s" which means "this version reads *S*avegame now", and mu because "it features a *M*ouse now".
But if you prefer numbers, I can give you numbers :)
Anyway, I don't plan to stay at 0.85 for eternity...

If you want to give it a try, that would be nice ;)

I'm working on a PIII, 500 MhZ, Win2K, 128 RAM.
But I'm sure this is not no.1 priority.... maybe you can find a clue what is the main problem (graphics probably). It's not slower than before, you're right. Just mentioned it because CSBuild is pretty quick - but Paul defies graphics, of course ;)

Regards, PitD

CSBuild is pretty quick because Paul has to do
the development work on a 166MHz Pentium-I
with 48 Meg memory. ;-[

I also slow the machine to about 40MHz now and
again to be sure that there are no real bottlenecks
in the common operations.

Hello Sphenx, I've been fiddling a little with Dmbuild mu, and I have some questions/bugs reports:

When I copy a door or teleporter, with CTRL-X and CTRL C:
the tile is not copied and is not erased.

The scroll making doesn't work very well. Their message is correctly shown on the editor, but when playing DM you read another message.

How can I hex edit a tile (in order to clone or affect the possessions of a monster during the game for example)?

Hitting space doesn't work on most basic tiles (teleporters, pits, etc).

Some answers:

* First, CTRL-C doesn't exist in DMBuild. There are CTRL-X and CTRL-V.
And you are wrong about their use. These affect "objects" and not the tile.
Hence it is normal that the tile is not erased. The purpose of CTRL-X and CTRL-V is to move a stack of objects onto an other tile. This is useful for "normal" objects; but objects that have a special tile - such as door and teleporter - won't be copied correctly with this method.
Then you must be careful if you want to use it with door and teleporter, you must check and change the tile by hand.

* "The scroll making doesn't work very well".
Right and I know that. But I don't remember what is wrong in the code of DMBuild. I think the text stuff works quite well for wall and floor texts, but actually, the scroll object is not correctly handled in DMBuild. Sorry.

* DMBuild doesn't allow any hex editing. Cloning is a technique that can easily make corrupted dungeons and I will not try to include this until I have a strong and secure structure for DMBuild.

* Basically, space bar is used to switch a basic state of a tile. Certainly many would say the for a pit, there are "open" and "closed" state. But you can switch these states by simply editing the value of the tile (with num pad 1 2 4 8). Hence I did not bother to code a functionnality for space bar and a pit.
It is the same for stairs and false walls.
For teleporter, you can lock the object (press enter) and hitting space will turn it on or off.

Ok, thank you for the answers!

Where is later than 0.85mu?(if it is out)
Thanks

There is nothing later than 0.85mu

OK, well I hope it comes fast because I don't like no chests or scrolls (potions is unavailable too, right?)

Sphenx hasn't worked on it nor been around for a while - but I used it and I am sure chests, scrolls and potions were all available, just that scrolls were buggy,

I remember reading in the readme that you should refrain from those 2/3. I did use scrolls, giving it a text more down the menu, and it gave me the first one, which was Daroou's code.

I think the scroll seems fine in the editor, but in game they crashed it with a weird text
Conversely, I seem to recall potions and chests being alright though...hmm, been a while since I used it

Yes, potions and chests are okay. I've been trying to see the relationship between the text it shows and the text it should.

How do you change or set or whatever the mission in DMbuild 0.85mu?

What do you mean, the mission?

the objective, in original DM it is to fuse chaos, is it the same in DMBuild, is it nothing, how can I make my own objective for my own dungeon.

Fusing chaos ends the game. Triggering the 'end game' wall object ends the game. These are the two events hard coded into the engine and have nothing to do with the editor. Simply use your imagination to creatively trigger the end game wall object to create whatever ending you want, be it killign a creature, reachign a door, or picking up an item

But how do you trigger it by killing a creature?

You could have a special item in the creature, have every tile in the creature's room with a pad that activates when the item drops.

It would be better to target triggers (the wall object between item eater and counting pad). Use these to relay the signal to set up opening a door to the exit, maybe some congratulatory texts the party has to walk over etc. Use your imagination.

Look at the riddle room in DM, the blank wall hiding the iron key alcove to see an example of a trigger being activated (it acts on any close signal, in this case just to toggle its position). You can also see the trigger at the two lever puzzle at the start of DM for how you could have two events (say monster death and the party walking to a certain area) necessary before the end game is activated

I don't know how to do two things to activate an action.

Look at the two lever puzzle before the mummy area in level 2 of DM - there are two levers throwing a toggle effect (at different faces) to a trigger. You could copy this completely to create the effect.

I have looked at Dungeon Master, it didn't make any sense to me. I haven't tried it either, it's confusing.

Not important, if you ever need it in the future I can put an exact example in a dungeon.dat for you to look at

Ok.

So, looking back at the beginning of this little conversation in here, it didn't come to me clearly, but, is the mission automatically fuse Chaos?

Yes, that has always been the mission coded into the engine, and unless you remove the Firestaff+ that option will always be available. CSB 'cheats' and removes the firestaff+ so the only way to end the game is to be teleported, after destroying the four corbums, to a floor pad that triggers an end game pad (and also has some text)