[Done for V0.45] Plot screens and End-Game

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amaprotu
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[Done for V0.45] Plot screens and End-Game

Post by amaprotu »

I wanted to give this idea its own thread.
Full screen text scrolls that could advance the plot / give story. They should be pad trigerable etc.

Also how is the end decided? Is it set as one location, like the start location? I suppose if we wanted multiple endings we could port to the end location if thats the case right? Sorry thinking as I type.

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Re: Plot screens and End-Game

Post by George Gilbert »

As a start to this thread this is what there is

1) Flux-caging Chaos
2) standing on a specific square

Although the first is fairly specific the second can be used in a variety of ways. For example you could put it under a closed door which is only opened when you are carrying a specific object (for example the object of your quest). In this way, by putting the pad under the entrance door, the dungeon can have a goal of "retrieve the object" or whatever.

The ending text is stored in the RTC file so can be different per adventure.
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Re: Plot screens and End-Game

Post by amaprotu »

I do not think I was clear on my idea of plot screens (that or no one else likes the idea...)

I would like to be able to set it up so that when the party steps on a pad (say at the bottom of a set of stairs) a screen pops up that takes the whole screen or just the dungeon view area. This screen would have some text in it and a 'done' button on the bottom. This can be used to incorporate story or give objectives.
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in other words..

Post by cowsmanaut »

like EOTB 2 and 3?

They used it a number of ways, for story by showing you the young maiden who has lost her sister.. and the creepy preists.. they also used it as an indication of things.. like 'this place was built by the Drow' or 'I feel a draft comming from the east..'

it's a good idea, I think limiting it to text for indications of things as well as stray comments would be fine but I'm not sure how much of a pain it would be for George to implement a picture it these points and or sounds or music or whatever it may be that you would want to add as well.
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Re: Plot screens and End-Game

Post by beowuuf »

I'm sure I suggested in another thread, but the ability for a pad to trigger any file - a .avi for end game or plot, a sound file (for ambiance, etc) or a graphics file (so you could have a picture come up with the neccessary plot text)
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yes but..

Post by cowsmanaut »

Does that not mean George would need to make an avi player? I would imagine that's a pit more work than playing a wav and a bmp which his engine can already do.
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Re: Plot screens and End-Game

Post by beowuuf »

actually, i backed out of sending this but it somehow it got posted anyway...so ah well...
so yeah, i imagine it's probably not doable
Was unable to (permenantly) kill off ian_scho (Haynuus), Ameena, oh_brother (Westian), money (Falkor), raixel (Petal) and Lord_Bones (Aurek) in the DM D&D game Time's Champions!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO MADE THE GAME WHAT IT WAS - GREAT!
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caution

Post by Zyx »

We should be cautious about this, as it may "dilue" the feeling of real-time events.
So far, the only events "out of time" were the pause and the save game menu: that is, extra-game options.
If we include some events which, at both time, are part of the gameplay and pause the game, I wonder how this will affect the feeling of the game.
EOB was fine, but never felt like a real-time game, it just looked like an exploration game with texts parts.
Does this make sense?
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Re: caution

Post by amaprotu »

I understand what you are saying Zyx but I think if you are concerned about that feel of the dungeon then don't include any screens. I think the added benefit of including a plot, giving directives/objectives, and telling a story outweigh the cost of interupting time. I good dungeon will have few of these I believe, maybe one at the begining and one or two in the middle after important things have been done.
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Re: caution

Post by Rick »

I liked the comments in EOB2. They game so much feeling of reality. Like when a trapdoor opened before you, you heard one of your characters say: "Look out! A trap door just opened before us!" The NPC interaction was great, i just loved the idea of "may i join your party?" (The 6 player gameplay was good - Hmmm... this makes me thing... why not splitting your party, halk and linflas go north and get the key, while elijah and nabi destroy the poisonous spiders? You switch parties with F1 or something. But i think that would need another topic in the forum).

Anyway. Returning to the topic of cut-scenes.

I think this is how it would be solved: You can add an special "cut-scene" action, like when you opened a door etc. The ending is nothing but a scene playing, this can be done alright. The contribution would be adding actions (decisions). Like "if player says yes, teleport here" or "drop new object on floor", or "set monsters to attack party".

It could be done in the form of a custom script or something.

That way you can give the dungeon designer the tools he needs to add his own custom adventure - like say, rescuing the Sleeping Beauty or throw The One Ring into the crack of doom... who knows? Scenes could be in the form of animated gif, or mpeg... the sky's the limit!
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Post by Chaos-Shaman »

I understand what you are saying Zyx but I think if you are concerned about that feel of the dungeon then don't include any screens. I think the added benefit of including a plot, giving directives/objectives, and telling a story outweigh the cost of interupting time. I good dungeon will have few of these I believe, maybe one at the begining and one or two in the middle after important things have been done.
yeah, i so agree with that idea, and since it can be an option, i can't see it slowing the game down, it's your choice
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Post by ian_scho »

Alan Dale implemented this ('event' squares) in DMJava, albeit sliiiightly buggy. I'm surprised that it's not in RTC as it's a great idea to develop a plot, and you really don't have to use it if you don't want to. Not only is it possible to show static pictures and text, but there were choices (branches, if you like) to follow as well. Having said all of that, from the various DMJava dungeons that I've looked through there arent that many that used the event system. Pity.

Still, maybe it's more difficult to implement an idea like this when you already have 1000s of hours of code to shift about to accomodate it.
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Post by Tonari »

I think that it is possible to make plot screens is present RTC. :D
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Post by ian_scho »

Ahh.... The thread was started in 2001! I should imagine GG has worked quite a lot since then :P
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Post by beowuuf »

If it's still in suggestions it's not resolved - he looks at each thread each release
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Post by Lunever »

Well, I don't think that cut scenes would diminish the real-time feeling. What made EOB so unreal-time feeling are things like shooting a projectile, walking down a parallel floor only to be hit by your own arrow round the next corner. Or some spells behaving like missiles, while others like Cone of Cold would freeze the entire game while slowly taking effect. Or doors and pits stopping to do anything while a monster was on their square ...

So, cut scenes, inlcuding the traditional PC-DM1 ending movie, the Amiga-CSB intro, the Amiga-CSB ending movie and the DM2-Ending movie would be a great addition. Of course every player who does not like them should be allowed to klick a "skip" button.
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Post by George Gilbert »

Done for V0.45

RTC now supports displaying full-screen graphics at any time. These can be used for intro / ending sequences, or mid-game plot updates (in the same way that, say, the Eye Of The Beholder games did). Additionally, these screens can have buttons that can be linked to the dungeon mechanics allowing the player to make choices that effect gameplay. Alternatively, the buttons can be used to display other screens for more interesting effects (for example, you could create a book object that when examined showed the pages in full screen; clicking either side of the book turns through individual pages).

I think that covers pretty much all the bases above!
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Post by Lunever »

Cool! what formats are supported - that is, is it possible to use the original FTL movies now, or do we need to convert them somehow first?
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Post by ian_scho »

That's brilliant, GG.
I think that this an important feature for any DMesque game, really. Plot development, for them that actually want it, is aided greatly by this sort of thing.
You'll see.
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Post by Chaos-Shaman »

this is just getting better all the time, wonderful stuff GG
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