Comments for Paradice Software http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog Developing a role-playing game since 1981 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:37:18 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 Comment on Controlling Gamestate by WP Themes http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/controlling-gamestate/#comment-208 WP Themes Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:37:18 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=90#comment-208 Genial post and this enter helped me alot in my college assignement. Say thank you you seeking your information. Genial post and this enter helped me alot in my college assignement. Say thank you you seeking your information.

]]> Comment on Assets as Text Files! by Matthew http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/12/assets-as-text-files/#comment-193 Matthew Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:46:27 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=191#comment-193 Cool can't wait to see a tech demo (how about one for Christmas!) Cool can’t wait to see a tech demo (how about one for Christmas!)

]]> Comment on Assets as Text Files! by Lawrence http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/12/assets-as-text-files/#comment-192 Lawrence Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:00:09 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=191#comment-192 Yeah, I did consider XML. But XML has quite a large overhead when you're creating it, and relatively strict syntax requirements... if I was going to use an in-game editor to create the 'source' assets then that would have probably been the way to go. As I am just whipping them up manually I can get away with less work. Also lots of the sources refer to ID's defined in other sources (and in one of the game source files itself to refer to "built in" elements) which meant I needed a non-XML parsing component anyway. Yeah, I did consider XML. But XML has quite a large overhead when you’re creating it, and relatively strict syntax requirements… if I was going to use an in-game editor to create the ’source’ assets then that would have probably been the way to go. As I am just whipping them up manually I can get away with less work. Also lots of the sources refer to ID’s defined in other sources (and in one of the game source files itself to refer to “built in” elements) which meant I needed a non-XML parsing component anyway.

]]> Comment on Assets as Text Files! by Matthew http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/12/assets-as-text-files/#comment-191 Matthew Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:56:00 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=191#comment-191 Hi Lawry, the game is looking like its shaping up nicely. Have you considered XML for your format? It can be edited in a plain text format, is flexible, and most importantly its hierarchical. Also all the parsing code is done for you :) Hi Lawry, the game is looking like its shaping up nicely.
Have you considered XML for your format? It can be edited in a plain text format, is flexible, and most importantly its hierarchical. Also all the parsing code is done for you :)

]]> Comment on Minimum requirements by Paradice Software » More Textures than Memory http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/11/minimum-requirements/#comment-113 Paradice Software » More Textures than Memory Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:10:23 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=114#comment-113 [...] my own main PC has 512MB of video texture RAM, not everyone does! And following on from my minimum requirements post, I don’t really want someone’s video card memory size to be a limiting factor if [...] [...] my own main PC has 512MB of video texture RAM, not everyone does! And following on from my minimum requirements post, I don’t really want someone’s video card memory size to be a limiting factor if [...]

]]> Comment on Class Balance by telica http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/11/class-balance/#comment-22 telica Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:20:00 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=119#comment-22 Hmmm that's quite a hard one. As a gamer you're used to quickly discovering and exploiting any enemy (human or AI) weakness you can find, whether it be the predictable boss pattern or constant light foot-trips against balrog. Obviously differences are what make certain classes more fun for some people than others so you want their to be differences but balance the difficulty, I suppose you could just play test all your classes and adjust based on the results. Perhaps you could include some NPC segments where the NPCs you find fight along side you. Hmmm that’s quite a hard one. As a gamer you’re used to quickly discovering and exploiting any enemy (human or AI) weakness you can find, whether it be the predictable boss pattern or constant light foot-trips against balrog. Obviously differences are what make certain classes more fun for some people than others so you want their to be differences but balance the difficulty, I suppose you could just play test all your classes and adjust based on the results. Perhaps you could include some NPC segments where the NPCs you find fight along side you.

]]> Comment on Minimum requirements by Lawrence http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/11/minimum-requirements/#comment-15 Lawrence Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:38:53 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=114#comment-15 Well, the requirements are already higher than XP... it needs DirectX 9, which won't install on 95/98/ME/2K. Also XP only requires a 64MB RAM, 233Mhz processor: I doubt my current build would even load in those conditions. Well, the requirements are already higher than XP… it needs DirectX 9, which won’t install on 95/98/ME/2K. Also XP only requires a 64MB RAM, 233Mhz processor: I doubt my current build would even load in those conditions.

]]> Comment on Controlling Gamestate by Lawrence http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/controlling-gamestate/#comment-14 Lawrence Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:32:45 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=90#comment-14 There's a few different ways: 'giant case statement', 'distributed functions', 'state stack' and 'cooperative co-routines' (in rough popularity order) are probably the main four. I think state stack is the best choice (for turn-based RPGs at any rate), no real downside to it if you're already using classes for everything. The type of game, the language you're using (and what aspects of your language you're most comfortable with) and the architecture (single, multithreaded? using XYZ game engine?) may influence your choice - e.g. if you're running multithreaded, cooperative co-routines become a lot more attractive. There’s a few different ways: ‘giant case statement’, ‘distributed functions’, ’state stack’ and ‘cooperative co-routines’ (in rough popularity order) are probably the main four.

I think state stack is the best choice (for turn-based RPGs at any rate), no real downside to it if you’re already using classes for everything. The type of game, the language you’re using (and what aspects of your language you’re most comfortable with) and the architecture (single, multithreaded? using XYZ game engine?) may influence your choice – e.g. if you’re running multithreaded, cooperative co-routines become a lot more attractive.

]]> Comment on Minimum requirements by telica http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/11/minimum-requirements/#comment-13 telica Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:11:03 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=114#comment-13 I would say something around the minimum requirements of what you need to run windows XP. That should mean anyone with XP should be able to run it. That being said you have to balance the extra programming time required to cater for these specs, if it looks like you need more grunt then I would say up the min. specs rather than waste time working around it. I would say something around the minimum requirements of what you need to run windows XP. That should mean anyone with XP should be able to run it. That being said you have to balance the extra programming time required to cater for these specs, if it looks like you need more grunt then I would say up the min. specs rather than waste time working around it.

]]> Comment on To install or not to install? by telica http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/11/to-install-or-not-to-install/#comment-12 telica Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:08:09 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=102#comment-12 Sounds like you should go with the install option, it scales up better as well. Sounds like you should go with the install option, it scales up better as well.

]]> Comment on Controlling Gamestate by telica http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/controlling-gamestate/#comment-11 telica Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:04:38 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=90#comment-11 sounds pretty good, is this how states are commonly handled in games? are there any problems with this method? sounds pretty good, is this how states are commonly handled in games? are there any problems with this method?

]]> Comment on New Look for Web site! by login http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/new-look-for-web-site/#comment-9 login Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:05:53 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=16#comment-9 Informative professional site, whatmore can i say!! Informative professional site, whatmore can i say!!

]]> Comment on About Icefall by Lawrence http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/hello-world/#comment-6 Lawrence Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:03:07 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=1#comment-6 If you want to use C++ then just grab Visual Studio C++ Express Edition (2008 or 2010 beta), they're free these days. Coming from a web language though, you're right you will miss that syntactic sugar but even more, you'll cry about how complex string and pointer handling is. If you want to use C++ then just grab Visual Studio C++ Express Edition (2008 or 2010 beta), they’re free these days.

Coming from a web language though, you’re right you will miss that syntactic sugar but even more, you’ll cry about how complex string and pointer handling is.

]]> Comment on Sorry, You’re Not Jade Baxter by telica http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/sorry-youre-not-jade-baxter/#comment-5 telica Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:36:28 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=73#comment-5 sounds like leeeeeeeeroy jenkins sounds like leeeeeeeeroy jenkins

]]> Comment on About Icefall by telica http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/hello-world/#comment-4 telica Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:24:57 +0000 http://www.paradicesoftware.com/blog/?p=1#comment-4 Good, i think i wanna get into game dev too, i am reading some newbie articles on www.gamedev.net and reading this old c++ book i found. I think i will go for c/c++ but not sure what compiler to use. I'm pretty familiar with most programming concepts, OO, etc through having programmed in php for the last 8 years I think i will be wanting to use constructs that im used to that probably won't exist in c/c++ such as the foreach statement. Good, i think i wanna get into game dev too, i am reading some newbie articles on http://www.gamedev.net and reading this old c++ book i found. I think i will go for c/c++ but not sure what compiler to use. I’m pretty familiar with most programming concepts, OO, etc through having programmed in php for the last 8 years I think i will be wanting to use constructs that im used to that probably won’t exist in c/c++ such as the foreach statement.

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