Map Editor

Yea, still talking about KQ. This time, I'm just writing about what I did to update the KQ game's map editor.

At one time, Peter thought up a great idea to stick "markers" on the maps so we could dynamically call different parts of the map instead of statically. Meaning (if that didn't make sense) that we could have a marker named "entrance" somewhere on the map and just look for the marker's coordinates instead of telling the map to load coordinates (13, 77). This helps especially if we want to move things around on the map; when we do, we rarely have to even change the LUA script anymore; move the marker in the map and you're done.

So this is where we WERE. We also have something that will "grab" a tile: it basically sets the cursor to the same tile or attribute (zone, shadow, obstacle, etc.) so we can draw it elsewhere.

I added support so the map programmer can scroll to the "next instance" of the attribute in question. Not much of a functionality boost, but it's one more small thing I could work on in my spare time.

Original KQ

Pete, from the KQlives group, pointed me to a forum that links to (among others) the original KQ game by JB.

You can find it here. Ultra-cool. It's got a few storyline twists that have been modified, and so it's basically playing a completely different game. But how fun is that!!

Anyway, I thought it was very fun to play; it works fine on my WinXP machine (albeit jerky), and there is no source code for it. Maybe JB himself has the source backed up from 6 years ago... but then again, I never backup my stuff. Which is why when I have computers die, it's catastrophic.

I need to learn how to back up my computer. I just don't wanna pay for it. I want my hubby's paycheck for myself, not my computer (okay, that's almost one-and-the-same a lot of the time, but this is pride, people!).

I hate retards

I've spent about two weeks trying to get a stupid game to load with KQ. I start a new game. Crash. I load a game. Crash. I post my questions in forums and ask people to help with my debugging output. Then Peter suggests that I not only compile the PROGRAM but the GAME SCRIPTS. Oh yea... the game scripts.

I felt retarded.

Two weeks retarded.

I hate retards.

Discouraging stupidness

The general stupidity of people has certainly not died down at all in recent years; in fact, now that we have blog sites, chatrooms, p2p networks, and emulator havens, more people feel they should voice their opinions, regardless of whom they offend.

This is why I'm not keen to naming names.

But at the same time, I can't help but laugh at a new keyphrase the online community is starting to adopt, as stated by Ashlee Vance in a posting on The Register:

In fact, the Linux zealots have now proposed that an unreasonable support request be called a "Tuttle."

Incase you're interested, you may want to read up on what happened. I've read the email conversation between the two parties involved, and must say... good grief.

This is all I have to post tonight; sorry it's short. "Tuttle." It's even fun to say. I wonder how they named their city something like "Tuttle?"

Favorite sitcom so far: The IT Crowd

Why always KQlives?

Simple beginnings

Hi. I'm dedicating my first blog to my favorite RPG (probably because I'm helping to write it myself), KQlives.

Around the KQlives community, I've gone by TeamTerradactyl. So I might as well continue that nice trend here <grin>.

KQ is written in C. It was started by a programmer named Josh, but he decided that he didn't want to maintain it much past a fun demo. Another programmer, Peter, picked it up and put it on SourceForge. Since it was a game I had worked on before when Josh was over it, I started working on it again.

I had started primarily with the game engine (little tweaks, speed-ups, things like that), and started to learn how to program in C. Then I decided I'd much rather work on the maps. So I reworked Josh's map editor (and learned more C while doing it). Then I decided that the game's plot had inconsistencies that just dug at me, so I wanted to fix that.

Oops: Big mistake.

Now, I'm not too bad at making the game play out: NPCs interacting; making the player talk to person 1, then person 2, then back to person 1; stepping on a Hot Zone and having a pre-scripted dialog play out... that sort of thing. That wasn't my problem. My problem came when I tried to start thinking up the plot. Can I say how well that's been turning out?

It's not.

Now I've got writer's block and don't know where to go. Worse, my time with KQ has dwindled because I chose to get married (which I highly recommend) and had a kid (meh <shrug>). And trying to balance all them while I'm in school part time. (What? You think I'm crazy enough to do full-time with a baby? No way: he's too adorable to stay away from!)

Anyway, for those who read this blog and check out the game, let me know what ideas you'd have for the game. Isn't that the point of a blog? To get feedbacks? Yes, yes it is.

What do you call a doctor who fixes ugly pickles?
A Vlassic Surgeon!