Dungeon Master Forum

Is there a Dungeon Master custom game ( or a clone ) where the party can use an altimeter ?

heh, that's an odd request. I can't see why it couldn't be done though, but isn't that the same as levels?

Yes it is.

so I am thinking you want a compass with an altimeter reading. mmm, I see no reason why that can't be done, provided the compass is swapped to each level, sure, why not. I was also thinking how many of the rpgs I played in the past had a compass right on the view screen, and this can be done as well but it sort of removes the use of the compass.

A compass and altimeter as an integrated device or an altimeter as a separate device.

From a thread about large size levels in RTC, I see an altimeter is not compatible with spreading a large level on several smaller levels linked by teleporters.
This shows again, that tricks, in programming stuff are guaranteed to backlash later.

well, if the designer is good enough, they'll be able to put a trigger at the right place to each teleporter, I think it can be done, where ever they teleport to is all that is needed. it can be done. it will apply to pits as well where ever party has fallen and lastly to stairs.

The 'Displayed Level" should be a property of the "Actual Level".
So you could, for example, have positive levels and negative levels.
Or, for a dungeon, levels increase with depth and, for a tower,
levels increase with height. Depth gauge versus altimeter.

I am not clear on that Paul. assuming with 12 levels, if the party starts at level 5 that there are 6 levels (pos) up and 7 levels (neg) down.
what I'd like to know is if there is a way to check a counter, object whatever for the level, ref it from something like the compass the party has for positions x\y\z. this is all still fuzzy to me.
why not just have a sign there telling the party what level they just entered. I think that is far easier and is a great alternative.

I am not clear on that Paul

You may not be clear. But we are in total agreement.
The 'level' should be defined not by the physical level
but rather by something the designer put on that level.

hehe, right that's programing. where does it end

I still think the sign on entering the level is just easier

As long as you only want it to work for a single dungeon, you could just have a lookup table of level-altitude.

DSB style would be something like
and have the altimeter lookup from the table and behave accordingly.

I would like to find in a dungeon, in an alcove, on the floor, wathever a device that works as an altimeter.
When I pick it up it should indicate the level ( altitude ) where I am. This initial value is up to the custom dungeon designer.
Then it should increment going upstairs, decrement going downstairs or falling in a single pit.
Update when teleported to another level or fall in a deeper pit.

And why not a GPS that gives latitude and longitude ( how many tiles North and how many tiles East ).
This would be a great help while mapping and invaluable when teleported who knows where.
With such a device, some puzzles become too easy, but an evil custom dungeon designer could imagine areas where the GPS is jammed.

evil would be having an altimeter change to a false reading ever so often, consider it cursed.

I would like to find in a dungeon, in an alcove, on the floor, wathever a device that works as an altimeter.

the method I gave already will work as long as the altimeter is swapped to the desired named level entering that level or area.

Relays let you check the z height of the party.
Counters can be set to a fixed value.
Items can display the value of a counter.
A trigger can be placed on PARTY_TILE to activate the z-height checking relay.

Knowing all this is enough to build a working altimeter.

yes, true that's true. I played with the party tile for a bit a while ago when SU mentioned it and found it is best not to put too much on that tile, it can get crazy hard to understand once too many things are placed on it, and I tried to have more than one, thinking I could activate party tile 1 then deactivate it and tried to activate party tile 2 and so forth to see if I could unclutter the spot but that's not allowed. so far I have only used that tile for the end game after killing Chaos. either way the solution will work. i think that tile has to be handled carefully.
thanks for the breakdown of the relay abilities, I am aware of how they work and I have some exploring to do with it using party's tile still.