[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

OK, NMF player and file format 1.1.

Changes from 1.0:

• New palette system capable of client-side palette indices (see above) and now taking the format RRGGBB (in decimal but must be 2 characters per component ie 003100)
  
• Internal name system dropped.
  
• Bitmap sections no longer need "e*" - just add a new line.
  
• Due to these changes, the test image (which uses 3 client-side PIs) is now 1,371 bytes. Still a bit large but the difference between NMF and PAL/

The increased zip file size is due to the much larger viewer file, which now includes CSPs as outlined above.

1.0 and 1.1 are not forwards or backwards compatible. It should be easy to convert by hand though.

Note: This version assumes CRLF-format files.

Attached File(s)

•  nmf11.zip (4.05K)
  Number of downloads: 36

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

ugh, I forgot to change the title screen

Anyway, I'm currently working on an NMF editor. Once I can make NMFs through MegaZeux, I can work on making the NMF file format more compact.

[asiekierka]

Matt's latest project:

SAVE THE DRAW COMMAND!

He told me about that, and i have really early version.
It's about saving the **** command.

AIL GL is mine project, geared towards the same topic, but in different manner.

Both games are for Logi'mzx, but you need to use version WITH DRAW COMMAND. or actually bother to make it software.

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

yeah, I'm making a game in MZX that will use the draw command to demonstrate:

• How it can be used in a mainstream game
  
• How it doesn't have to be used for engine games (this will be mostly 1x1 but using the draw command to increase colour depth and for special effects)
  
• That it can be used without compromising the spirit of MZX
  
• That there are people that want to use it

[ShloobeR]

Good luck!

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

I'm back from my long dirt nap in Barkness!

I haven't been doing too much MZX lately - I've been too busy doing coursework (basically projects done in school and at home that count as part of a qualification) and nervously looking at any posts concerning me in the forum. Anyway, this is my current planned flow of MZX work:

STDC--|
AiX---|---PF2---PF3

Save The Draw Command!
Genre: Adventure
Humour: Light-hearted
Platform: MZX 2.81d_logi



This is the game I was talking about last post. The plot: You're a draw command supporting MegaZeuxer, and you really want the draw command in mainstream. In order to get ajs, exo and the other MZX developers to include it, you need to both find someone to recreate the function outside opengl, and persuade everyone that the draw command is something people really want. This you do by turning people from 2-colour characters into 16-colour sprites, and that you do by _groan_ fulfilling quests.

The screenshot shows a VERY early DMZX board layout - the colour scheme will probably change to blue (it's currently red because that's what was available in the palette from the title) and there will be people there. Note the player hanging about in Serious Elites - note that he is a draw commanded >2 colour sprite.

Asie is X
Genre: Adventure
Humour: Asie-style
Platform: MZX mainstream

Sure, it's been ages since Asie's birthday, but I'm sure I can still get this out before he turns 11.

Right now this is on my Linux computer, which after having networking issues I have abandoned once again. Those issues may be resolved once I get a new case (and the incentive to transplant the unused ethernet card from this one downstairs to upstairs because I think it's the card's fault )

Changes since we last saw AiX:

• AScorp is now #mzx3
  
• More of NM Garden (the headquarters of #mzx4) has been implemented
  
• The Poop Road level is now mocked up (without bosses yet)
  
• I've been ignoring it for longtemps

Project Free, Act II
Genre: Adventure/Action
Humour: Little to none
Platform: MZX mainstream

This won't be started on until I finish AiX. One of the reasons for which is that AiX is a testbed for the status engine that will be used in PF2. Another is that I'm a bit bored of PF and am putting it off

[asgromo]

Making the colors milder would be good, yeah, but making the vertical and horizontal walls approximately the same thickness would probably help a lot too.

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

OK, I found myself doing something completely different tonight.

MZXPeople
Genre: Simulation
Humour: Not too serious
Platform: MZX mainstream (a GL version may be done if I ever finish this one)

Most of the work I've done tonight is on the user interface mockups - the UI now makes use of my now-ubiquitous "Equivocation" font (the one used in AiX and several other minor projects), and looks cleaner and more The Sims-like.

The top bar has been removed - it was only a mockup, and I decided it took up too much screen real-estate.

Compare:

Old


New


EDIT: More information for yous:

The build mode will involve wallpaper, flooring and terrain. (No plans for building walls and doors and stuff ATM). You'll be able to apply certain textures to certain parts of the field.

In buy mode you will be able to buy furniture for your house. In the character-based version this will of course be very limited due to the charset limits, but if I make a gl sprite-based one there will be much more room for item sprites.

You will be able to take control of the life of one person, be it male or female, and gameplay will be similar to the GBA version of The Sims.

If I complete it , of course.

This post has been edited by NihilistMatt: 31 January 2007 - 11:27 PM

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

Save The Draw Command!

I've given the DMZX board a bit of a facelift, with the vertical walls now being more proportional to the horizontal ones, and the colour scheme has been changed to somewhat (but not perfectly - I haven't taken proper colour values, I've just made them up) match DMZX's own.

This post has been edited by NihilistMatt: 31 January 2007 - 11:52 PM

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

MZXPeople

My new pet project

I've been doing some work on a character customiser which will allow you to directly edit your avatar's 4 characters and colour.

This is what I've got so far:



Currently, there is no name input, and the increase/decrease all colour values and editing of the north, east and west characters aren't implemented.

This post has been edited by NihilistMatt: 02 February 2007 - 01:13 AM

[Terryn]

NihilistMatt, on Jan 30 2007, 07:08 PM, said:

Save The Draw Command!
Genre: Adventure
Humour: Light-hearted
Platform: MZX 2.81d_logi



This is the game I was talking about last post. The plot: You're a draw command supporting MegaZeuxer, and you really want the draw command in mainstream. In order to get ajs, exo and the other MZX developers to include it, you need to both find someone to recreate the function outside opengl, and persuade everyone that the draw command is something people really want. This you do by turning people from 2-colour characters into 16-colour sprites, and that you do by _groan_ fulfilling quests.

<Wervyn> That's it, I'm adding a draw command, then I will be your MZX god.

[Lachesis]

On the new MZX People screenshot, the status bar at the bottom is a bit of an eyesore, and should probably be toned down a bit. Character creating engine looks nice.

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

Kuroneko, on Feb 3 2007, 03:41 PM, said:

On the new MZX People screenshot, the status bar at the bottom is a bit of an eyesore, and should probably be toned down a bit. Character creating engine looks nice.

I've decided to replace the bright red (and blue, in the not-shown and wholly mocked up Build Mode tab) with dark versions.

In other news, mzxpeople has now become so important a project that it now has its own subdirectory in my mzx directory.

I've done some changes to the char editor, namely the ability to increase and decrease all colour components at once and some colour presets (right now fair, medium and dark skin)

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

Voici la révolotion

This post has been edited by NihilistMatt: 04 February 2007 - 12:55 AM

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

ok, I've moved MZXPeople, AiX and STDC back into a state of "hiatus" (Or, The State of Boredom With Those Projects) and have resumed work on...

DUM DUM DUM

<drum roll please>

<no, louder>

Project Free II: Road to Liberation
Genre: Action/Adventure
Humour: Laughing AT it, not WITH it. Otherwise none.
Platform: Vanilla MZX With Fries
ETA: 2048 give or take 41 years

OK, I took the overlay text engine from PF1, rewrote it in vlayer/sprites, and inserted it into AiX. I've now taken that engine, changed it to make it easier to use (whereas the original required calling robots to check for spacepresses, this one moves that responsibility to the engine itsalf, and it also auto-detects spaces and converts them into blank characters (therefore making it easier to type blocks of text). I believe I'll add interactive functionality to it too.

I've also started programming the introduction, which ISN'T just a text box or a text box with a funky picture - PF2 will, despite being a swap world, attempt to break free of the faults and limitations of part one and its engines. Part of that promise will be more involving cutscenes.

This post has been edited by NihilistMatt: 09 February 2007 - 03:50 PM

[Terryn]

PF2, eh. Good luck breaking the demo curse!

(Just in case you might take this the wrong way, I mean this in earnest.)

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

Terryn, on Feb 9 2007, 08:09 PM, said:

PF2, eh. Good luck breaking the demo curse!

(Just in case you might take this the wrong way, I mean this in earnest.)

nah, I did a stupid thing making a 3-parter game (chapter hell) and then releasing a demo for it (demo curse). Add that to my general procrastination curse and tendency to hop between projects, and I think my projected release date for PF2 isn't that inaccurate (if I ever release this at all)...

[asiekierka]

ah. nothing. keep up the work.

This post has been edited by asiekierka: 10 February 2007 - 07:10 AM

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

The music for the original PF was remixed somewhat by Commander Pancake. However, I've decided that some of the music for PF sounded better unmixed, and since there'll be mixed opinions (and no-one's ever had chance to hear the originals) I've decided I'm going to spruce some of the original files up and add them as an alternative soundtrack.

Some off-hand differences:

• The chords in the submitted pf_prison are quite different to the original, with the remixed chords moving down more.
  
• The original pf_stench didn't have the high-pitched intro that the pancaked one does, instead starting with a modified version of the pf_prison intro.
  
• The original NihilistMatt logo jingle had a piano sound, but this was changed by me to the synth lead for a massive file size gain (10kb as opposed to nearly 1000)
  
• The pancaked pf_actone was an improvement IMO - the original background to pf_actone didn't loop.
  
• pf_toraya and pf_disson were pretty different too.
  
• pf_title and pf_miniboss stayed the same IIRC.

The main reason I gave these to Pancake in the first place was because I didn't know how to reduce file sizes in modplug at the time. X(

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

OK, I'm sinking into a MZX dormancy period ATM, this will probably be rectified by SummerSlam DoZ.

Also, I've more-or-less permanently switched to my Linux computer after becoming incurably sick of the one downstairs, which conveniently has my latest WIP copy of PF2 and its engine (which I would like to separately release some time) on it.Last time I tried to get stuff onto a USB pen from it, it froze and I got too pissed off to reboot it and try again.

In other news, I've started another of my "work on every 6 years" projects: a draw-commanded Tetris game. (Right now the only thing that's implemented is part of an engine that checks for lines. It'll never ever ever get finished )

[asiekierka]

On ASCorp forums, there is a place for "draw-commanded" games ONLY.
Check out it.

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

I've decided that, due to certain issues between myself and the community, and because of my lack of interest in MZX, I will go on total MZXing hiatus until probably Summer DoZ. None of my projects will be worked on during this period.

[Fungahhh]

I dare you to stay gone until then.

[Goshi]

NIHILISTMATT IS LEAVING

"I AM LEAVING THE COMMUNITY BUT IM GOING TO BE RELASING GAMES AND POSTING ANYWAY!!!1"

Seriously though, this guy is looking more and more like asie every single day.

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

and, like the two soldiers you defeat early in the game but manage to crop up again and again... I have returned.

Current project news:

AiX is now CANCELLED

I will upload the unfinished version to my box43 sometime this year. If anyone wants to continue this project please go ahead. Sorry Asie ;_;

PF2 is now SECONDARY PRIORITY

The WIP version is STILL downstairs, please remind me to go get it.

MZXPeople is now HIATUS

CBA to work on this.

SECRET PROJECT is now PRIORITY

Can't tell you what this is yet... it's a secret
And it has almost all certainty of being completed.

[asiekierka]

I want to work on AiX (except the cameos)

[robbonky]

I think that NihilistMatt is really called Biggs.

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

moar like seifer amirite

[robbonky]

No. youarenotrite. I aid you are like Biggs because YOU NEVER GO AWAY!!!!! Which is a good thing.

[Xx*SaturnineMatthias*xX]

Woo, nearly 2 months since I've used this journal.

My current main project is SmallGame v1.1, which, despite the small version increment from v1.0, is actually going to be quite a bit bigger and better.

Things I have planned:

• A section near the end where you can choose to do 3 puzzle rooms in any order.
  
• A quiz with 3 questions (each selected from a pool of 3 (may add more later)) about English language (no Britishisms or Americanisms BTW), Science (mostly chemistry actually) and Maths. The music in the background is kom-club.xm
  
• A better title screen

Also, unlike 1.0, this will not be an independent release. I'll leave it up to you guys to figure out what I mean by that (one thing is that the NiMa logo won't be gracing its title screen sequence)