Ferazel 1.04 Update

Ben Spees has indicated that FW update 1.04 will be coming out in a few weeks. I started this new topic so everyone can add the "minor" glitches that they would like to see fixed. (See the posts Ben made - he's got limited time to work on this so lets be reasonable!)

Here are my "glitch wishes":

Make it possible to get 100% in all levels eventually (even if we have to go back later with a new weapon). The levels I'm think of are: Unemployed in Greenland, Obs & Ed., and Ends of the Earth.

And lets have a poll - who would like Xichra to be slightly easier to kill?

------------------

This isn't a glitch, but I hope this is easy enough to add:
Would it be to hard to make a few more sprite ID ranges for scenery, lights, ropes, platforms, etc?
It would be great for the One Big World project if this could be done.

Another thing:
Would it be too hard to bring the Ice Crystals spell back?
It'd be great for the One Big World project to replace it with the "AOL Disc shards" spell.

If any of the above are too hard, you don't need to add them.

------------------
"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." -- George W. Bush

(This message has been edited by aschaaf_86 (edited 01-07-2001).)

Here's a glitch I don't want fixed,
Its backwards, because I think it's going to be important in an O.B.W. level:

nehw ouy hsup a redluob otni a gnirps (ton a repus-gnirps), ehy pot trap setarepes morf eht mottob.

There's also a bug with some type of quicksand (E-Mail Bob the Mediocre if you want more details) that is important to an OBW level.

------------------
"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." -- George W. Bush

Well, there's one rather annoying gameplay glitch I can think of - spin-jumping in water or falling to water while spin-jumping. In both cases, the spin is impossible to stop, which is annoying if there are spikes in the bottom and fatal if there is no bottom. Would it be possible to fix this by, say, making the jump button stop the spin and make Ferazel swim normally again? Of course you could say that it's the player's fault if he spin-jumps in water, but it's still annoying. Since I don't have the source code, I can't tell how difficult that would be to fix, but I'd vager it wouldn't be too hard.

Oh, and there's one small thing which some people might find annoying - sometimes enemies' death animations can go through objects like doors and barrels. I wouldn't care otherwise, but sometimes it makes it difficult to obtain the money they drop, which is somewhat annoying. It's not a big thing and it's not like anyone would need the money anyway, since most of the money is found in chests and the like, but I'm a greedy perfectionist and want everything.

I have yet to try making my own Ferazel levels, so I can't say about features that one might require there.

As for Xichra, I actually liked that she was fairly difficult. Personally, I think the best way to make Ferazel's Wand a bit easier would be making Rojinko sell as many potions as the player wants since it's really a drag if you haven't spared our potions for the final battle. Or maybe make him sell more potions after the player has acquired the Ice Pick, which as far as I know is the only item that Ferazel really needs that can only be bought. Of course, it's up to Mr. Spees whether or not he wants to make these changes, which aren't glitches or bugs, but related to the scenario, which I believe is pretty much finalized already.

------------------
"I don't say yes or no, more like the other way around"
Ankh Starrunner, The Diamond Blaster

(This message has been edited by Ankh Starrunner (edited 01-07-2001).)

(This message has been edited by Ankh Starrunner (edited 01-07-2001).)

Here's another glitch:

In "Hangnabit" there seems to be a crystal missing - can't remember if it is a health or magic crystal - is impossible to get 100% of secrets as far as I know. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

There is a platform at the top which looks perfect for something, but it is empty. The other crystal, which is obtainable, is closer to the end of the level.

Also, if not TOO much work - it would be nice to have an "Ice Boss" level (sort of make the game more balanced).

------------------

(This message has been edited by MonsterLady (edited 01-07-2001).)

Quote

Originally posted by MonsterLady:
**Also, if not TOO much work - it would be nice to have an "Ice Boss" level (sort of make the game more balanced).
**

That DEFINITELY is not a "minor glitch" fix.

------------------
"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." -- George W. Bush

I apologize if I'm annoying you with all this, Ben, but:
Would it be a pain to add support for MIDI files?

(LATER)Never mind, see the topic "Music" on the Ferazel Hacking board.(/LATER)

------------------
"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." -- George W. Bush

(This message has been edited by aschaaf_86 (edited 01-27-2001).)

The Dimbo-Nimbo bug. You know...you speak to Nimbo after you've stolen the stash and he makes you return it and after that he then tells you about his brother Dimbo. But if you don't leave and come back right away, the flag for Dimbo speaking with you is not set.

As for easier..I think a number of places should be easier. šŸ™‚ There is a definite fine line between being challenged and being frustrated beyond endurance. I'd say it might have been crossed a time or two for me. Of course, I admit to being a wimp.

But I'm guessing that an update won't involve any new levels or major changes in game play. Just fixing minor bugs and glitches. Or am I wrong?
---Zelda

------------------
I'd rather be a woman than a man. Women can cry, we get to wear cuter clothes, and we're the first to be rescued off sinking ships.

You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword and we'll try and kill each other like civilized people?

Zelda et al:

Here's what was written by Ben Spees as far as FW 1.04 goes:

"The game will not be going open source anytime in the near future. There will be a 1.0.4 update in a few weeks, probably. If there are any bugs that are driving you crazy, be sure to post them prominently on the webboard. I'll also consider minor feature additions that might help you with your world development efforts. The time I have to work on the update is pretty limited, so the key word here is minor feature additions. E.g., if there's some quirk that you think would be really easy to fix and constantly causes a hassle, I may be able to do something about that. (I'm already going to add an "Open Custom World" menu option so that you don't have to mess around with renaming & replacing the world data file.)"

and, in discussing the floating wraiths...

"You should be able to kill the wraiths eventually just by hitting them with their own shots. I don't remember how many hits it takes, but I think it was just 3 or 5 or something like that. If they can't be killed, it's a bug and I'll have to fix it in the 1.0.4 update (I also added force feedback ("Rumble Pak") support with the Macally iShock II controller.)"

Hope Ben doesn't mind me copying & pasting. Saves everyone from looking for what he was intending to do (or already has planned) with 1.04.

------------------

I can't find the original source of that last paragraph. When did Ben mention the wraiths?

------------------
MAGNETIC POEM #14.4 (1/3/00)
love is
the searching below
one's tiny expecations

Quote

Originally posted by spamguy:
**I can't find the original source of that last paragraph. When did Ben mention the wraiths?
**

Here:
(url="http://"http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/webboard/Forum7/HTML/000501.html#")http://www.AmbrosiaS...ML/000501.html#(/url)

------------------

Quote

Originally posted by aschaaf_86:
**Would it be a pain to add support for MIDI files?
**

MIDI's? Barf! šŸ™‚ Besides, the game uses Quicktime to do the music (well, at least to load it) and seeing as how QT does MIDIs I think it already has support for it (correct me if I'm wrong Ben)

I would suggest MODs instead. Sound way better, and I have some code for Ben that would take all of about 15 seconds to add support for them šŸ˜„

------------------
-- Jeff
"This is a teaching hospital, you're here to learn. We'd call it a learning hospital, but that would scare the patients."

While I was playing one of the new, fan-made scenarios, I found yet another odd glitch. If an enemy walks to an object referred as "superspring" in MASCOT and is thrown high enough to get out of the player's sight, it won't come back down. Until the player gets to a position where he can see the monster again, it won't fall down. Although it can be very useful at times, it still defies the laws of physics and other minor stuff like that, so I would appreciate if you fixed it, too.

------------------
"I don't say yes or no, more like the other way around"
Ankh Starrunner, The Diamond Blaster

(This message has been edited by Ankh Starrunner (edited 01-09-2001).)

Perhaps you've already seen me write this but I think it would be a really good idea to make it so those invicible enemies don't tally against you in the percentage screen. That's a glitch that really makes me frustrated. I guess its a glitch because it takes off for not killing an enemy you just can't kill right?

------------------
Dr. Tall says: Taller is Better

Quote

Originally posted by Merciless:
**I would suggest MODs instead. Sound way better, and I have some code for Ben that would take all of about 15 seconds to add support for them šŸ˜„
**

What is a MOD?

------------------
Ā“I would have to ask the questioner. I haven't had a chance to ask the questioners the question they've been questioning.Ā” -- George W. Bush

Quote

Originally posted by aschaaf_86:
**What is a MOD?
**

I don't know what it stands for, but think of it this way: a MOD is like a MIDI in that it's just "notes" that are played as the computer goes along. The notes are set up in things called patterns (typically 64 "notes" long) and the patterns are arranged to make the music (the patterns allow complex songs in small files because common parts of the song can just be played during different parts from the same pattern).

The other way they're like MIDIs is that they use instruments, but MODs are way ahead. With MIDIs you can just use keyboard synths and other such generic instruments and 'choir ahs' and so on :). MODs can use whatever the artist wants. Music sample, voice tracks, anything. That's the biggest reason why MODs sound so much better than MIDIs.

I suggest downloading some. A good place is (url="http://"http://www.traxinspace.com/")Trax In Space(/url). Something like PlayerPro will allow you to listen to them. They're a great format, and like MIDIs, aren't very processor intensive (and are generally small - a few hundred K most of the time).

------------------
-- Jeff
"This is a teaching hospital, you're here to learn. We'd call it a learning hospital, but that would scare the patients."

How about a carbonized version? OS X isn't too far away.

------------------

Quote

Originally posted by cat99:
**How about a carbonized version? OS X isn't too far away.
**

It's a good idea, but carbonizing an app can be a great deal of work, and a very trying experience (I know, I've done it :)) You would lose the ability to use anything other than the keyboard (ISp is gone and HID isn't documented yet, nor is it really released to any developers). Ben would have to find replacements for his res switching code (I'm assuming that Monitor_Tool uses DSp, but seeing as how Matt wrote it, chances are it doesn't :)) but that isn't too hard now that RezLib is around.

It would be a decent amount of work to carbonize something that works so well in Classic anyway.

------------------
-- Jeff
"This is a teaching hospital, you're here to learn. We'd call it a learning hospital, but that would scare the patients."

Re: Carbonized Version
If my experiences with AppleWorks 6 are any basis of comparison...
DON'T DO IT!

------------------

Quote

Originally posted by MonsterLady:
**Re: Carbonized Version
If my experiences with AppleWorks 6 are any basis of comparison...
DON'T DO IT!
**

AppleWorks is a bad example of a carbonized app. There are many, many applications out there right now that have been carbonized and work just fine.

------------------
-- Jeff
"This is a teaching hospital, you're here to learn. We'd call it a learning hospital, but that would scare the patients."