Get back to work, you slacker!

Alrighty, it's time to get back to it!

So I've got the "encounter areas" implemented and loading from the level file and I was thinking about how I was going to calculate whether the player is in one of the zones available to each room... and I came to the conclusion that calculating that on the fly using the encounter layer as a reference tool isn't really efficient. So in addition to the normal camera bounds calculation that I do on entering a room (to keep the camera inside the level at all times) I draw a little 'encounter tile layer' for the current room as well. So now checking to see if the player is in an encounter area (and which one it is) is a simple one line procedure!

Now I just gotta get the whole thing properly debugged... 'cause somewhere along the line I must've made a wee mistake since the whole thing doesn't do jack right now... so far for hard work I guess...

The theory is pretty sound still... just gotta work out the kinks :)

Anyway, I'll go back to weekend updates again from this point, so stay tuned!

Files and datastructures

He's coming up on the goal... he shoots... he scores!

SDLRogue now succesfully loads config data (& performance regulatory variables), tileset data (collidability only at the moment) and all level related data (tiles, objects and all that) from individual files. That means that I now have a level format! In the near future I'll probably create a level editor so I can make all my content with an easy to use utility. I might also release the level editor prior to the game itself to see if any of the people interested in this project can come up with neat level designs... oh and for bug testing... ofcourse...

I also adjusted my tileset/object/etc. datastructures. In the past they used an X and Y coordinate to indicate in which room they where, but since I use 'teleporters' to transport the player from one room to another, this method is bound to limit level builders and potentially make stuff a LOT more complicated then it needs to be. So now it's a single-coordinate array that indicates the room number.

So I suppose I should get some combat working now right? Well I guess... since you insist... I can't really give you an estimate on when it'll be done but I promise to get on it the coming week.

Updates will henceforth be posted in the weekends (with sunday as the latest possible day to do so). So be sure to check back weekly for the lowdown on progress!

Vacation kicks asscheeks!

Just thought I'd let everyone know I'm still alive and haven't forgotten about this blog (and associated projects) yet.

I've been enjoying my vacation a lot. I really enjoy all the free time I have on my hands now... so much so that I'm sporadically doing work even! It's a scary thing... anyway... I've done a few things in the past week that I thought I would share here. I made some minor improvements to the control scheme for one. You now use a single button for all your ingame actions (versus having separate buttons for "use" and "choose menu option") which have been statically mapped to the control buttons.

You can also now toggle full-screen mode while in the game. And to be honest, I like fullscreen mode a lot more now that I can do that!

I also shifted some priorities around. I'll be implementing the "loading stuff from a file" system first before I move on to monster and combat. This so I don't do a lot of double work with the monsters and their attacks later on. I've been pushing this thing ahead of me for too long anyway.

So that's that. Now if you'll excuse me... I have freedom to celebrate!