Stuff. :>

[Skud the Great <tvangod@ecst.csuchico.edu>]

Hello, its been a while since i last posted...had a few comments to 
relate to you all.

First the message feature is just about built....if you notice in the
object structure there is a pointer to a a string *msg. This means that
any object in the game can have a message "attached" to it. There are 
still a few bugs that need to be worked out. Guess I can explain how
exactly to use the message feature....

In the map editor, if you notice when you click on an object with the middle
button, the window on the right will have the normal attributes...name, 
possibly...exit info....anyway below these you'll see a "Message:"
Then at the bottom of the Window you will see a Message End....This is one
the bugs..the message end is not dynamically placed, thus it may be "out of
bounds"...relatively easy to fix. Anyway.....to place a message on an
object all one has to do is click any one of the lines between the Message:
and the message end...Thus, the bigger the window, the bigger the message
can get....
Now for the bug: I have fixed this in my version...I will post it to the
news group shortly...Everytime a mesage is entered on just one line..
the maximum size of the message is used...so you end up with about 1 line
of text and the rest of the lines with a space.... like I said i will post
the fix for this as soon as i can. :> 

Some other smaller things, I have a couple of patches to print text on the
message screen in different colors, in the color version. 

So, now you ask, what can you do with all these messages you tag to objects:

well, there are several options...print the message when you walk onto the
object...if you tag a message to an item...print the message when you wield
it or print the message everytime you attack a certain monster....Ex:
the Dragonslayer could print a message when you hit a dragon..: "The Sword
Cuts throught the dragon easily"

Or if you tag a message to a monster...well then the possibilities grow 
even more...print the message when the monster dies....print it when the
monster attacks...etc...


I guess the next logical step would be to code up a "question" square..
Magic Mouths, etc....when you answer correctly...some wall might open..

anyway i have discussed this some with frank, any idea are welcome.


Any suggestion on when and how to print the messages are welcome....


One note...remember, that right now the map editor likes to put lots of
blank lines in the message string...i would not recommend making to many
messages with the current editor...When a blank line is sent to 
draw_info....the game likes to "freeze" for several seconds..before allowing
a player to move again....


On the idea of campaigns.....not a bad idea...and the disk space might not be as
big a problem, Ive noticed that the uncompressed maps directory takes up about
12000 blocks, when compressed it takes up only 2000, granted if you have a lot
of players, and about 40 campaigns, that translates into a rather large
chunk of space. Maybe regulate the number of campaigns that can be going at 
any one time..say 8. thats 16000 blocks ruff estimate. ok...maybe make it 
max of 4 campaigns.


well thats about it...


Tyler.
Skud the Great.
tvangod@ecst.csuchico.edu.