ljsdcdev Demo 6

Post by **BlueCrab** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 4:28 pm

ljsdcdev Demo 6 (AKA the "Are we there yet?" release) has been released. ljsdcdev is a project to create an open-source RPG for the Dreamcast, and this release contains just about everything you'd expect in a simple, early demo of an RPG. Its available for download at my site, http://ljsdcdev.sunsite.dk/ and will be on my sourceforge page soon.

Please comment on it in this thread, especially if you find ANY bugs.

Storminator16 · Post by **Storminator16** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 4:56 pm

Going to download this now. I'll give my impressions later.

Ian Micheal · Post by **Ian Micheal** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 5:02 pm

Very cool blue crab. I love the town!. No crashing or bugs works fine so-far.Good release! Almost time to change the stick man ? hehe When i go to the town i cant find a way out is that normal.

I would say we are allmost there ? heh

MetaFox · Post by **MetaFox** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 5:17 pm

Awesome demo BlueCrab! It has everything an RPG needs now. I can definately see a bright future for this project. Keep up the great work, I'm already hooked.

Ian Micheal wrote:When i go to the town i cant find a way out is that normal.

The way out in the town is in the upper left corner of the armory.

politoe · Post by **politoe** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 9:05 pm

Its a great demo BlueCrab. Sorry for the lack of some artwork I was going to cook up, but I just suck at sprites.

pepitonet · Post by **pepitonet** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 10:05 pm

are you planning to compile a wndows version of it soon?

Ian Micheal · Post by **Ian Micheal** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 10:10 pm

MetaFox wrote:Awesome demo BlueCrab! It has everything an RPG needs now. I can definately see a bright future for this project. Keep up the great work, I'm already hooked.

Ian Micheal wrote:When i go to the town i cant find a way out is that normal.
The way out in the town is in the upper left corner of the armory.

Thanks could not find it at first. this is going to be a great rpg. I like it now but i can see all these funky grafix there. Engine plays a lot like ff1 on nes.

Really cool

Post by **BlueCrab** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:19 pm

Time to address some concerns here:

When i go to the town i cant find a way out is that normal.

I knew I'd mess something up... forgot to put the new town map in.... oh well, there's always time for a Christmas Demo release

Its a great demo BlueCrab. Sorry for the lack of some artwork I was going to cook up, but I just suck at sprites.

Wow, we have a bit in common there, I suck at sprites too

But I suck at all art.

are you planning to compile a wndows version of it soon?

Well, its a lot more than just recompiling it now, plus I'm not using windows anymore... But, the possibility still exists.

Engine plays a lot like ff1 on nes.

That's how I planned it. I just added stuff from other RPGs that I liked along the way.

Glad that everyone seems to like it. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

impetus · Post by **impetus** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 8:31 pm

downloading it now!

CyberMick · Post by **CyberMick** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 5:45 am

Gonna download it myself sounds excellent.

Bluecrab are there any dcdev software on your site im getting a coders cable after Christmas and need some dev tools.

Post by **BlueCrab** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 10:24 am

CyberMick wrote:Bluecrab are there any dcdev software on your site im getting a coders cable after Christmas and need some dev tools.

There are instructions on how to set up a toolchain of dcdev stuff with windows and MinGW/MSYS. That's it though.

impetus · Post by **impetus** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 11:34 am

it's a great start, engine seems to work well. Here's some of the stuff I noticed in my role as beta tester:

The stores and such could use some interior decorating.

I imagine this is already being planned for.

Within the battle menus, unavailable options can be selected and empty lists scrolled through. These would work better locked somehow (ex, text grayscaled and option not selectable)

Main menu controls are a bit sticky/sensitive, although the battle menu scroll works fine.

It would be cool if the characters and map could use a smooth scroll rather than "jumping".

When the characters get attacked, it would feel more cohesive if some type of attack animation (baddies on screen) preceded the jump to battle menu (ex: Zelda 2). This is more stylistic than substantive tho, LOL.

All in all, looking FANTASTIC. These are by no means complaints, just my beta testing observations. I don't even like RPG's but I'm anxious to play this one when the full version hits!

Congrats again!

CyberMick · Post by **CyberMick** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 11:42 am

BlueCrab wrote: There are instructions on how to set up a toolchain of dcdev stuff with windows and MinGW/MSYS. That's it though.

Thanks BlueCrab i went to that page but a few links were dead for the downloads like CygWin for example.

I will try it again though.

OneThirty8 · Post by **OneThirty8** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 12:27 pm

CyberMick, if you need cygwin you can get it from http://www.cygwin.com

If you're on a slow connection, be prepared to spend a lot of time downloading. Once you've got the installer, you can download just the parts you need, and you don't have to do it all at once.

Sweater Fish · Post by **Sweater Fish** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 1:10 pm

This is pretty cool, I hadn't downloaded any of the earlier versions because I misunderstood exactly what it was, I thought it wqas just a tool for people to make their own RPGs with, which I guess it sort of is but in addition to m=being a WIP RPG itself. Cool.

I think it's looking nice just as base engine that can be built on in a number of ways. A couple bugs I noticed, though: when you go to equip stuff you've bought in the armory, everything is called "Wooden Sword" in the little readout at the top-left of the screen except the Cloth Shoes which are called "Wooden Staff" and during battle, "Defend" doesn't seem to do anything, you still take damage either way.

By the way, have you decided yet whether you'll be using super deforned sprites like FInal Fantasy and Dragon Warrior used? If it's still undecided, I'd like to vote for non-SD, those little square characters in RPGs have gotten really old in my opinion, so that now I find playing an RPG like Phantasy Star a breath of fresh air just on that grounds alone. Just my opinion.

Looking all nice, though, overall. I can't wait to see how it develops from here.

...word is bondage...

CyberMick · Post by **CyberMick** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 1:17 pm

OneThirty8 wrote:CyberMick, if you need cygwin you can get it from http://www.cygwin.com

If you're on a slow connection, be prepared to spend a lot of time downloading. Once you've got the installer, you can download just the parts you need, and you don't have to do it all at once.

Thanks OneThirty8 i found that link witha Google search now i downloaded it now i know i can use it so thank you.

Post by **BlueCrab** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 4:59 pm

More Q and A:

The stores and such could use some interior decorating. I imagine this is already being planned for.

Just about everything could use some interior decorating.... any volunteers to come up with new layouts?

Within the battle menus, unavailable options can be selected and empty lists scrolled through. These would work better locked somehow (ex, text grayscaled and option not selectable)

Everything in the battle menu is enabled. You just didn't have a skill/magic/item to fill the empty menu with, that's all.

Main menu controls are a bit sticky/sensitive, although the battle menu scroll works fine.

Already fixed in my sources.... Once again, one of the things that belonged in this release, and didn't get put in somehow....

It would be cool if the characters and map could use a smooth scroll rather than "jumping".

As soon as I have some perminent characters, this will be done.

but a few links were dead for the downloads like CygWin for example.

I don't think that page mentions Cygwin at all... MinGW/MSYS are a much better (IMHO) *nix-like environment than Cygwin

when you go to equip stuff you've bought in the armory, everything is called "Wooden Sword" in the little readout at the top-left of the screen except the Cloth Shoes which are called "Wooden Staff" and during battle

Hmm... I'll look into that.....

"Defend" doesn't seem to do anything, you still take damage either way

Defend cuts the damage given in half, it doesn't prevent it all together.

By the way, have you decided yet whether you'll be using super deforned sprites like FInal Fantasy and Dragon Warrior used? If it's still undecided, I'd like to vote for non-SD, those little square characters in RPGs have gotten really old in my opinion, so that now I find playing an RPG like Phantasy Star a breath of fresh air just on that grounds alone. Just my opinion.

Square > Rectangle. But seriously, I've always liked square sprites, plus they're a whole lot easier to work with on a square-based map, like the one in ljsdcdev.

I think that's it..... Sorry for the long post, and slow response time.

Hawke · Post by **Hawke** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 1:21 pm

VOLOUNTEER!!

i've done a few other 'works in progress', but making tiles, sprites, magic effects *drool* would be amazing!

if you need any kind of art help, please let me know
e-mail: hawke_exe(at)hotmail.com

Post by **BlueCrab** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 9:06 am

VampireHawke: My email doesn't seem to be working right now (its giving me an error when I try to send mail), so I'm responding to you here. This is what my email said.....

If you'd like to contribute art, you are more than welcome to. The way that I have been working with people wanting to donate art is to have them sign up at my forums, and e-mail me with the user name there. I then give them access to uploading images and such in the "ljsdcdev Art" forum there. The address of my forums is http://ljsdcdev.sf.net/phpBB2/ . Sign up there, and email me to let me know your username. Thank you very much.

Storminator16 · Post by **Storminator16** » Mon Dec 29, 2003 12:00 pm

My lame ass finally got around to burning this today. Anyhoot, this is great. Are you planning to put a team together to make a full fledge game? This is an awesome base you have so far.

Btw, I seemingly couldn't find a way out of the town :/