Programming Checklist

[Konrad]

Things that need to be done for the Demo, in no particular order.

1. Compile the data needed for all of the Pokemon appearing (pokemon.txt) - Being handled by the community (Thank you!)
2. Build all of the maps, and test them for errors - (Maps for demo are built, but testing needed
3. Implement the new moves that will be appearing - About 1/4 moves have been coded.
4. Implement the new abilities that will be appearing - To be done after moves are finished.
5. Build the interior of each building - Being built along with the plot.
6. Create all of the NPCs in the towns and buildings - Same as above; any ideas for NPCs are welcome!
7. Create all of the battling trainers - Same as above.
8. Set up the introduction - Completed.
9. Implement the opening scene, up to choosing a starter - Completed.
10. Implement the rest of the plot - Almost finished Neo Bay introduction.

[ImmunityBow]

Whoops, I'm afraid you did a little bit of unnecessary work. We'll be starting off with the Poccil's Essentials Starter Kit (http://www.upokecenter.com/projects/pokestarter/), which will make life a lot easier since a lot of things are already programmed. There's also a wiki somewhere explaining a bunch of things on it. It's also best since Poccil knew the game mechanics inside and out and very likely did not miss anything in his kit. You might want to check it out first.

[Konrad]

I wouldn't call it unnecessary, since it familiarized me with the Ruby syntax, but I'm glad that there's a strong starting point and I won't have to program every detail :)

I'll look over the kit in the morning and hopefully we can figure out where to go from there.

[zeroality]

Questions for Zeroality:
How should we store the data? I was thinking on using arrays with the pokedex number corresponding to the species of Pokemon. I planned on a multi-dimensional array(dex), with each sub-array holding the base stats of each Pokemon. Calling the data would be dex[pokedex number][data type]. I figured 0 would be the dex number so we could easily keep track of the data while editing it, and 1 would be the base stat array. What are your ideas?
Poccil's should have that stuff taken care of. I actually don't know anything about Ruby programming. I had planned to start learning it in April and use Topaz as a learning project of sorts. You're still welcome to jump in, if you'd like. I won't be able to help until I get started with Ruby myself, and have a to-do list I need to take care of first.


Questions for the community:
Are there any plans to tweak the mechanics? I assumed RSE for stats. I'd like to know if we plan preserving the way RSE dealt with EVs, IVs, damage, breeding, natures, etc.
We want to use RSE mechanics for everything. The only exception would be the physical/special split for moves that D/P/P introduced. I'm thinking we'd have to modify Poccil's kit, and if it has arrays set up based off of the "ghost type is physical, fire type is special" thing then it could require quite a bit of modifying.

Information is scattered throughout the forums, so if you need something specific then one of us can dig it up for you.

I'm sending you a PM with some programming-related stuff.

[Tyrannigon64]

To be honest, I want to learn Ruby. Thing is, I haven't gotten a chance over the March Break (I'm not sure if Americans have March Break, so if you don't, it's basically a week long break from school) to learn Ruby, and I probably won't until summer when I have no homework. But I will try to learn it eventually.

[NyteFyre]

In America, we call Spring Break. It varies from school district to school district, but it's usually somewhere in March/April.

As for Programming, It's great to see you getting started already. Poccil's Essentials, i myself know nothing about. I was hoping we'd have the Physical/Special split, even if it meant that there'd be extra codework involved.

[Tyrannigon64]

We will be using the physical/special split. Proof here (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/about/), last sentence of second paragraph.

[ImmunityBow]

Also, most of the D/P move changes will be implemented. (Such as Leaf Blade's 20 BP boost, though I'm not sure if we were keeping Outrage's 120 BP).

[zeroality]

Outrage being bumped up in power is a bit broken but mitigated by the fatigue confusion effect, as well being locked into the move until the rampage ends.

I think Arowana and Malistril would be sad if we didn't put it in. :)

Also my post mentioned the physical/special split...

[ImmunityBow]

Arowana has nothing to be sad about, it's got a ridiculous typing and ridiculous stats. Malistril will probably cope somehow too. It's Drakodo that will begin to have problems, but it doesn't have the speed for it either. Which I think is better. The better part of D/P was dominated by Outrage Dragons, and I really don't want that in Topaz's metagame.

[zeroality]

You got a point there. Perhaps make Outrage the same, only keep it at 90 BP instead of bumping to 120?

That will help keep it reasonable.

Ugh, we hijack threads a lot around here don't we?

[NyteFyre]

yes, yes you do, BUT! It helps solve underlying problems, and more or less helps the game move along faster than normal.

[Konrad]

Do I need to make a certain number of posts before I can edit them?

All thats needed to change the BP of most moves is a single edit, so it'll be easy to test both options. Just an idea, maybe 120 BP with recoil? Dragon moves are a little disappointing because they can't hit very hard.

[ImmunityBow]

Dragon-types sacrificed power for the ability to hit nearly everything neutral. (Dragon/Fire was one of those magic typings, and Dragon/Ground is ridiculously good as well). In D/P they threw this mostly out the window, but it was there before. In fact, Ghost would often hit less hard (though it had more SEs) as well as Dark. Grass and Bug were the poor stepchildren but tons of stuff are getting Signal Beam in Topaz and Grass got Floral Storm, so typing balance isn't quite the issue any more.

[zeroality]

Do I need to make a certain number of posts before I can edit them?
There's a time limit on editing. I think it's currently set to 30 min after post time. We've had issues with people editing out important posts/information/contributions so a limit was imposed.

Just post again if edit time has expired, it's no big deal around here.

Also here to say that I haven't gotten a response to my e-mail asking for the password to the Triad zip.

Edit: I think I'm opposed to adding in a recoil.

[Reliability]

I'm opposed to adding in a recoil.

[SilentSentinel]

^

Why don't we boost them all (As in Thrash, Temper, Petal Dance, Outrage) to 100BP? That way it's still legitamate to use them over their lower powered but more reliable counterparts, and gives Physical Fires the power more they need.

[zeroality]

I just checked. Petal Dance is 70 BP in ADV but 90 in D/P.

Thrash is 90 in both. Temper is 85 in Topaz.

I guess an uniform boost to 100 would make sense, and make them all viable competitive moves.

Also noting that Temper states it is 2-4 turns while Outrage in D/P is only 2-3 turns.

Petal Dance is also 2-3 turns so we need to make the number of turns uniform as well.

[SilentSentinel]

I would stick with 2-3 turns honestly, 4 seems a bit much.

[Konrad]

I'm working out the details of adding in the new Pokemon, moves, and type. What I need is a collection of all the sprites, backsprites, and shiny counterparts; the two icon images for each Pokemon; a list of each Pokemon's movepool; and an icon for the light type. Can someone point me in the right direction?

The good news is that its actually pretty straightforward to add the new content to the game. Whats going to take more time is the plot. I'm hoping there's a script somewhere with the plot or sketches of town layouts, roads, etc., but if that hasn't been worked out yet it's not urgent. The system is built to be flexible, so changes down the road will be easy to fix.

[zeroality]

I'm working out the details of adding in the new Pokemon, moves, and type.
Didn't the files I sent you have pokemon.txt in them? The names, types, and stats should have been done.


What I need is a collection of all the sprites, backsprites, and shiny counterparts; the two icon images for each Pokemon; a list of each Pokemon's movepool; and an icon for the light type.
http://www.pokemontopaz.net/pokemonfrontsprites/

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/pokemonbacksprites/

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/pokemonshinyfrontsprites/

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/open/ (shiny backsprites - not complete but i have more to add, will soon)

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/pokemonicons/ (not complete but i have more to add, will soon)

Pokedex Forum (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?26-Caldera-Kirant-Pokedex) (should have movepools and information on all Pokemon)

http://pokemontopaz.net/uploads/misc/typelight.png


The good news is that its actually pretty straightforward to add the new content to the game. Whats going to take more time is the plot. I'm hoping there's a script somewhere with the plot or sketches of town layouts, roads, etc., but if that hasn't been worked out yet it's not urgent. The system is built to be flexible, so changes down the road will be easy to fix.
http://www.pokemontopaz.net/regionmap/

That has some information about cities and stuff. Most of it has been fleshed out, but is scattered so if you need something specific then one of us can hunt it down and gather it up for you.

[Konrad]

Thanks! I'll get everything together and make sure its all in the right place.

EDIT: The pokemon.txt file has all of the info, but I'll need to reorganize it so it includes all 386 originals. Right now its strictly the topaz dex. I'm just going to delete all the data for gen IV Pokemon, since we won't be needing it.

Another Edit: The pokedex cannot display a national numbering in all the regions. The pokedex displayed will depend on the region defined. There can be any number of regions, but whenever the character is in Caldera/Kirant, the dex will only display pokemon for that region. There is one way around this limitation, and that would be to ditch a regional pokedex and simply use the national dex.

However, ditching the regional dex would put all of the new pokemon at the end, leaving 386 ??????? entries before the starter pokemon. Therefore, I propose that we reorder the national dex, putting the Topaz pokemon in the front and all of the others in the back to allow access to all entries of the pokedex in any part of the game. Thoughts?

[NyteFyre]

hmm, well, what about how the Dex usually only shows up to the latest pokemon you've seen. Any way you could use that code to make it so it only shows Topaz pokemon, until National pokemon show up?

[Konrad]

If you mean the way the handheld games do it, then sadly, no. Its a limitation of the starter kit. The pokedex version depends on the region of the map, and when you return to previous areas the pokedex will also revert.

Edit: For now, I'm going assign the Topaz pokemon numbers starting with 387. This can be changed later by adding in regional pokedex numbers, which won't affect any of the other programming.

[Cyndadile]

We could always just completely copy the map into two identical regions; you are in one when you have the national dex, and the other when you don't. Of course, that would waste alot of space...

[Konrad]

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/pokemonfrontsprites/

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/pokemonbacksprites/

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/pokemonshinyfrontsprites/

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/open/ (shiny backsprites - not complete but i have more to add, will soon)

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/pokemonicons/ (not complete but i have more to add, will soon)

Is there a repository of .PNG images? Those are covered by transparent layers and I'd rather not rip every sprite one by one.

[NyteFyre]

Actually, I still have the entire Dex of Topaz Exclusive pokemon that Zero gave me, if you'd like me to send it to ya via E-Mail.

[Konrad]

That would be great! Its Konrad4th@gmail.com.

I merged all of the new Pokemon data into the main file and in order, but I have noticed that the information for all of the new Pokemon is almost identical to sandshrew. Most of it is data for the pokedex, but some other important stuff will have to be changed.

Here's an example of how the data is set up:

[1]
Name=VENAP
InternalName=VENAP
Kind=MOUSE ~
Pokedex=When it curls up in a ball, it can make any attack bounce off harmlessly. Its hide has turned tough and solid as a result of living in the desert. ~
Type1=GRASS
BaseStats=60,40,54,65,54,45
Rareness=255 ~
BaseEXP=93 ~
Happiness=70 ~
GrowthRate=Medium ~
StepsToHatch=5120 ~
Color=Yellow ~
Habitat=RoughTerrain ~
EffortPoints=0,0,1,0,0,0 ~
Abilities=SANDVEIL ~
Compatibility=5,5 ~
Height=0.6 ~
Weight=12.0 ~
GenderRate=Female50Percent ~
Moves=1,SCRATCH,6,DEFENSECURL,11,SANDATTACK,17,POI SONSTING,23,SLASH,30,SWIFT,37,FURYSWIPES,45,SANDTO MB,53,SANDSTORM ~
EggMoves=FLAIL,SAFEGUARD,COUNTER,RAPIDSPIN,ROCKSLI DE,METALCLAW,SWORDSDANCE,CRUSHCLAW ~
Evolutions=SANDSLASH,Level,22 ~
BattlerPlayerY=14
BattlerEnemyY=15
BattlerAltitude=0

I tagged all the questionable data with a ~. The only fields not straightforward are compatibility, which is for egg groups/breeding, and kind, which shows up in the pokedex (for example, bulbasaur is the seed Pokemon).

Also, none of the older pokemon have any data changed, including move pools and evolutions. I'll be looking up all of the missing data and entering where necessary.

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

Actually, I still have the entire Dex of Topaz Exclusive pokemon that Zero gave me

This, kinda, but I got them centred. I think at least. http://s1.zetaboards.net/pokemon_unleashed

Just go to the emoticon list

[Reliability]

I merged all of the new Pokemon data into the main file and in order, but I have noticed that the information for all of the new Pokemon is almost identical to sandshrew. Most of it is data for the pokedex, but some other important stuff will have to be changed.

That is... interesting. But it is likely that a lot of that stuff hasn't ever been entered. Sorry that it's so much extra work. It would have behooved us to do it before, since it's mostly copy and paste work that we can whore pretty much anyone out for.

[ImmunityBow]

What you have there Konrad was the beginnings of us filling in things... except that no one wanted to do it. Maybe interest will be greater now. (I think there's a more up to date version of that file... with just the starters.)

As for the Regional Dex, for now, all we need is the Caldera/Kirant Dex. National Dex won't come for a very long time, if at all, and is entirely unimportant. When the time comes we can possibly rerelease the new dex along with the patches that would bring those Pokemon into the game.

Another important issue to look into is the possibility that the Starter Kit only works with 64x64 Pokemon sprites. In that case, the interface will have to be changes to work with 80x80 sprites.

I cannot begin to thank you for taking an interest in helping us program Topaz. I hope we can get you everything you need.

[zeroality]

That would be great! Its Konrad4th@gmail.com.
I didn't think you'd have a problem ripping them or I would've done that sooner.

I'm going to update the site today, adding the shiny back sprites and icons. When I get that done, I'll go ahead and send you a zip with everything here. NyteFyre probably has it right but I'd like to make sure you have the latest version of everything.

[Konrad]

Another important issue to look into is the possibility that the Starter Kit only works with 64x64 Pokemon sprites. In that case, the interface will have to be changes to work with 80x80 sprites.

Only the icons are going to need to be 64x64. The battle sprites should be 128x128, but can be larger or smaller, however they may not fit as well. The BattlerPlayerY, BattlerEnemyY, and BattlerAltitude variables tell the program where to place the sprite during battles.

When I get the .zip from zero, I'll add and organize all of the sprites. For now, I'll assume a Topaz Pokedex, since we can patch the rest in later if we want to.

[zeroality]

x_x

Our icons are 32x32 and Sprites are 80x80.

However, I could just make 128x128 pngs and paste our 80x80 sprites in 'em and align. Might make things look a bit odd but at least we would have exact control over how the sprites align.

64x64 for icons seems freaking huge though wtf. Even official Nintendo icons aren't that big...

Anyway, I'm working on aligning the shiny backsprites to match the current backsprites then I will send the zip.

The icons will need to wait since I only got halfway through doing them before I got frustrated again. I'll need to talk to someone who knows about Pokemon icon animation. >_>

I'll post again (or edit this) once I get the zip sent.

[ImmunityBow]

Actually 64x64 for icons is exactly correct. RPGMaker requires all the sprites to be doubled in size, so the 80x80 sprites should actually be 160x160. They still should be made in 32x32 and 80x80 because that's the level of detail necessary, but that's where Konrad is coming from. (So each "pixel" in the large sprite is actually four of them in a square.) It should scale perfectly by turning the sprites into GIFs and simply resizing them, but only in such a doubling circumstance. From 80x80 to 128x128 is a little more difficult.

[zeroality]

So who's the silly sod that got us moved from 64x64 to 80x80 sprites then?

Anyway e-mail sent. Front sprites and back sprites. Icons to come later. Post if you need anything else. Sorry it took so long, some of the shiny back sprites weren't aligned properly and some of the regular back sprites were 79x79 by mistake so it took a while to fix everything.

Also did you get my message on your VM wall (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/member.php?3066-Konrad) about the FTP account, Konrad?

[Konrad]

I got it, but I'm waiting to actually have something worth posting before I upload anything. Right now, I'm organizing data and exploring the scripts in the kit.

EDIT: just checked your message again; didn't realize it was a question, but yes I would.

In regards to the sprite sizes, there is no need for the Pokemon to be the full image size. Many of the smaller Pokemon have a lot of whitespace around them.

[ImmunityBow]

Gamefreak is the silly, since with D/P the sprites were upped from RSE standard 64x64 to 80x80. If I remember correctly Novoni started the trend of updating all our Pokemon to 80x80, but we can hardly blame her, and it gives so much more room for detail it's not even a question in terms of quality difference.

As to Konrad's comment, it's true that most Pokemon have at least some whitespace around them, but the issue is that all the sprites are scaled to 80x80. Because of this, if you double up the sprites they'll be too big, and if you leave them as is they will be on a scale in which one pixel is equal to one pixel, while the rest of the interface will have something more along the lines of one pixel being equal to four pixels. If you see it in practice, you'll see what I mean. If at all possible I'd vastly, vastly prefer that somehow the interface was resprited and recoded (we can help with the respriting) to work with 160x160 sprites, similar to the Diamond/Pearl setup. If it's not possible the next best option is to resize the 80x80 sprites to 128x128, which is not ideal by any stretch of imagination but will be what it is: second rate.

[Konrad]

Good news!

There is a way to resize the interface to allow larger sprites. We will have to resize all of the graphics individually, but its probably easier than redoing 460 sprites.

[ImmunityBow]

This is the point we got to with Fangking Omega. So, the most important thing is: dimensions. We need dimensions for everything, so that we can begin work on resizing them. I'm happy that you're bringing yourself up to speed so quickly, this is great!

[Konrad]

Good news! I've figured out the basics of adding pokemon, trainers, and events. Even with faulty data, the system was stable enough to hold a simple battle:

http://i1225.photobucket.com/albums/ee397/Konrad4/screenshot1.png

I still haven't tweaked the interface so the sprites are a bit small.

[NyteFyre]

I noticed that. Great job, though! We do you expect a working program that has more or less all the basics completed? Like, character, NPC or two, wild pokemon or two, and working battles with correct size sprites?

[Konrad]

I'll have all of that stuff figured out shortly. Right now the game consists of a single room filled with NPCs.

[ImmunityBow]

A screenshot of progress is worth millions of words :D

If we manage to resolve the sprite size issue, then we're pretty good to go!

[Cyndadile]

A screenshot of progress is worth millions of words :D

[NyteFyre]

What IB said, about the screenshot.

[zeroality]

Excellent. I'll get around to updating the battle backgrounds soon too and have those sent as well.

I have stuff to do tonight but tomorrow I should be able to spend a few hours on the icons and the backgrounds.

@Konrad, that's excellent. I will set up your FTP account tomorrow as well and send you the information. Are you familiar with FTP?

@IB, one of these days I'm going to get you to curse. Or at least quote one. Thanks for the info.

[Konrad]

Never used FTP before, but I'm sure I can figure it out. Looking it up on Wikipedia right now.

[zeroality]

Never used FTP before, but I'm sure I can figure it out. Looking it up on Wikipedia right now.

When I send you the user info, I'll include a link to the FTP client I use and a quick rundown.

Edit: Just realized I used excellent twice in my last post. Well, this is just all so excellent!

[Konrad]

I started fiddling around with maps. It was a little confusing, but I eventually got the terrain to do what I wanted. I made a simple video showing what I've got done so far:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpXlGjWwfOs

The reason that the player doesn't exit the house is because I resized the map and didn't update the event, but otherwise entering and exiting buildings works. Kraklaw obviously isn't going to be the starter and you won't be able to catch Celsinge in the wild, but they served well for this testing.

I did notice that I need cries and icons for pokemon, but none of that is urgent.

[zeroality]

Oh god mate, that was great. I lol'd heartily at "it can punch stuff" and the Natu icon bobbing for Kraklaw.

That's truly excellent progress. We actually do have some cries done. I will sort through them and email that as well. They're not posted on the site due to the logistics problem of getting a free/open source sound player that works across all browsers and with all sound formats. There's also the fact that I'm profoundly deaf (born that way) and have absolutely no way of testing it myself. Last time I got something going, I had to ask the users here if it worked and sounded right, etc.

So needless to say, it's pretty complicated to get something in terms of sound on the site. Anyway, I'm getting the FTP info together now and I'll have that sent to you via PM then I will get to work on emailing the Pokemon cries we have.

Icons I'll try to get to soon.

[Blade Flight]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEE

/shot

Fanotter squealling aside, it looks GREAT! I am the resident cry-maker, if you didn't know, so I'll get those to you ASAP!

[NyteFyre]

HHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! AWESOMENESS!!!! All that needs work is pokemon sprite resizing, adn what you mentioned, and we're good to go!

[Irot_Rebod]

Yes! Progress! I feel motivated... must... get... creative juices flowing...

Seriously, though, I'm impressed with how fast you're moving. Just smack me or something if you realize we don't have enough music. ;p

[zeroality]

Right, music is another thing altogether. I also have files for those. You want? I can make a 'dropbox' folder in /svn/ for us to share stuff.

This one is a bit too large to e-mail. I have stuff like "Berry Obtained", "Evolving", "Elite Four Battle", etc.

I bugged Irot recently to send me his stuff, need to do the same with STT.

[Konrad]

A dropbox folder would be good, so we don't have to email each other every file.

[Cyndadile]

:D

Nothing else to add.

[zeroality]

dropbox/irsoundtrack/ has two folders. First one is the stuff in MIDI format, second is mp3.

Let us know if you need anything else. I'm downloading your rar and will uncompress then upload everything. I'm also about to bug STT for a complete compilation of his work, and make sure I have IR's latest stuff as well.

[SilentSentinel]

"It can punch things"

This is the greatest quote I have ever seen.

[Cyndadile]

"It can punch things"

This is the greatest quote I have ever seen.

An NPC should use it somewhere.

[Konrad]

An NPC should use it somewhere.

You can count on almost every NPC having something worth listening to. I've already got a few good ideas, and maybe I'll start a topic about it.

[NyteFyre]

Well, We have a topic somewhere buried underneath everything that was a list/suggestion thread for NPC Lines that we had already come up with. We had a lot of different possible trainer ones, and some NPCs that tell stories, or something that references another game, etc...

[Reliability]

I.e. Here: http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?15-Help-me-sort-through-NPC-lines!&p=58&viewfull=1#post58

It could give you an idea of how many NPCs there are in each area. They aren't set in stone or anything, but it's work we don't have to do.

[Konrad]

I found an old topic with a lot of lines here. (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?15-Help-me-sort-through-NPC-lines!) It has a lot of information, but I'll probably add a few lines of my own.

[Cyndadile]

I laughed at Quinn's first post there. It brought back memories... of when I thought that he was unbearably annoying...

Then the shiny polls brought it all back... :D

By the way, those are both the same link.

[Reliability]

I'll need to go through at some point and edit/add it some plot related ones. Just keep that in mind as the list is formed.

[Konrad]

Time for an update!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VTSDLgCJuE

I can easily fix walking over the fences and fountain. Still need to set the encounters for route 201. Next up is Softwind City, Cranewing city, and the routes in between. Is that everywhere that the demo takes place?

[SilentSentinel]

I believe so, there's also Chartree forest between Softwind and Cranewing.

[zeroality]

OK, I watched this last night but it seemed laggy. I couldn't tell if it was my internet, my computer, the video capture, or the game itself so I rebooted but was tired and forgot to watch again.

I just checked it again and it seems the game did lag quite a bit? Is that due to your hardware or the game itself?

Otherwise, good stuff.

[Konrad]

When I was playing, it lagged frequently. It also did that when I tested the starter kit, so its either my hardware or its because I didn't make it into a single .exe file.

EDIT: Turns out the lag has been a common problem since around April 2010 when the day/night system was overhauled. That may not be the only cause, however, so I'll keep trying to figure out how to improve performance.

[zeroality]

Can we remove the system to reduce lag? Probably not but it was worth asking.

If the game is going to lag like that even after it compiles, then that's not going to be good at all...

[Konrad]

I tried disabling the system but it still lagged, so there's something else going on as well. It appears to happen after a certain number of frames.

[zeroality]

Well, it's not a priority for the demo but it would be nice if you could try to track it down sometime.

[Konrad]

We aren't very far along in terms of programming, so now is the best time to track down the bug. I'm going to try older versions of essentials until I get one that has no lag, then use the release notes to determine which new methods are slowing it down. It'll probably take a while, but I'd rather fix it now before we're too heavily invested in the current version.

EDIT: The April 3rd version is much, much smoother. I will migrate all of the data to that version. I'd rather have fewer features than a lumpy game. I'll continue experimenting with adding more current data.

[Cyndadile]

Have you compiled a copy yet? If it doesn't lag when compiled, it shouldn't really matter.

[Konrad]

It doesn't appear to be a compiling thing. A whole mess of people using Poccil's kit are having the same problem.

I've migrated all of the data to the older version. Everything is running smoothly, but I'll have to reset the terrain tags. I'm gonna update the first post with in a few minutes with a list of goals.

[Konrad]

Just a quick update: Maps are all done. Most of the buggy terrain has been found and fixed, and anything else can be taken care of as its discovered. I'm going to intentionally leave the two-way ledges till after testing for easier navigation. Next on my list is getting some trainers in the game and implementing the new moves.

[zeroality]

Good stuff man. Check dropbox/titlescreen/ for Title Screen graphics. One is normal, one is for demo/beta, one is for playtest versions. All have PSD versions included if you want to make changes.

I dropped the necessary fonts in dropbox/titlescreen/fonts/ in case.

Edit: I got your message on my wall. Thanks for letting me know.

[Tyrannigon64]

Did you get the interiors of the gyms done?

[Konrad]

Did you get the interiors of the gyms done?

Not yet, but I do have the layouts you posted for when I do.

[Konrad]

I don't know if it is possible to program sacrifice. Can any of the demo Pokemon learn it?

Actually, if someone could get be all of the moves that need to be programmed for the demo, that would be wonderful. For now, I'll assume that the more powerful moves won't be appearing.

EDIT: I have finished adding all of the moves, and will now work on making the new move effects work.

[Konrad]

Here's the new entries in moves.txt. All of the ~~~ markers are in the move code field, which I'm using to remind myself what I need to do for each unique move code. I'm posting this here so anyone can double check the BP, accurady, PP, type, etc, for each of the moves. I set every move as a Cool move because contests don't exist and the field is required.

[Tyrannigon64]

What do the numbers mean?

[Konrad]

The first number is the ID number. The next number after the name is a hexadecimal code that determines the extra effects. After the type of the move is the accuracy and PP of a move. The following number is the chance out of 100 that the extra effect happens (only used for moves with an extra effect). The number for the target is another hexadecimal number that determines which Pokemon are the targets of the move. The priority determines which order moves go in, 0 is normal, quick attack is 1, etc.

I'm confident about all of the numbers, I just want to make sure that all of the other data is correct, particularly which moves are physical and special.

[SilentSentinel]

Wow, someone has been busy! I have decided to start the "Konrad Kicks Ass" Committee.

[Konrad]

Wow, someone has been busy! I have decided to start the "Konrad Kicks Ass" Committee.

Why, thank you :)

[Konrad]

There was word going around about changing Rocket Punch to the same mechanics as Orion's Sword. I'm going to hold off coding the move for the time being; it probably won't be in the demo and I want to make sure we're set on the mechanics.

EDIT: Just finished up move codes for Blinding Ray and Magic Dust.

[Konrad]

Finals are coming up, so Topaz work may be sporadic. Depends on how well I can learn the material. I gotta learn how to find roots of functions and prepare for a programming competition next Friday. Good news is that all of Badara's work, as well as a bit of my own, have been implemented thus far. Only 22 moves left, and most of them will be relatively easy.

Oh, and Nightfall. What exactly does that do? The move description is vague. Is it like fog? Does it affect certain moves like sunny day does? Is it a new weather? I need all of the details on that move.

[NyteFyre]

I believe Nightfall is a new weather effect, casting darkness that reduces all non Dark type's accuracy, and boosting Dark type moves, and possibly generating more health gained when using Moonlight, can't be sure though.

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

IT also lower acc for all non-dark pokemon

[SilentSentinel]

Yeah, it's pretty much a new weather effect. Makes Moonlight gain more health, Morning Sun recovers less, Dark type moves are boosted, accuracy of all non-Dark (and light iirc) moves goes down a bit. I'm not sure about the actual percentages and such though.

[Sev]

Konrad is... well rad. I need to get me a Konrad...

[zeroality]

I removed the moves.txt posting.

I would definitely prefer to keep specifics like that (database files, programming code, etc) restricted to Topaz Central to prevent stealing.

Konrad, if you need people to check up on stuff like that then use Topaz Central. Asking a question or two about what stuff does (like you did with Nightfall) is fine, I suppose - but most of the people responding here have Topaz Central access anyway.

I don't want some other random RPG Maker fangame browsing these forums and lifting stuff like that. I suppose we can't do much to stop sprite/graphics theft but we should keep our code/databases out of their hands.

[Konrad]

Gotcha, I won't be posting anything else like that. Also, I just got Fire Bath to work, and in the process found and fixed a bug with Badara's Cinders code.

EDIT: Fireball and Tidal wave done. Not sure what the text should be, so I went with "Fire ball x!" and "Tidal force x!". Magnitude's name fit well with the numbers, but these moves feel awkward so if anyone has any good ideas about what the text should be, feel free to comment.

EDIT: And I got focus sight done. Sleepy time now.

[Tyrannigon64]

"Fire power x!" could work.

[zeroality]

Btw, this (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?258-stuff-that-needs-to-be-done-for-demo) has a list of Pokemon in the demo. Not sure how up-to-date it is.

Reliability can probably get you a list of Froy and Therma's gym lineups.

None of the Pokemon will probably be past level whatever so that helps restrict moves. If we can, we should put a level cap on the users' Pokemon for our convenience.

All the Topaz Pokemon should have learnsets posted in their dex pages. Sorry it's not all in one place. If you want a list like that, I'm sure someone could do it for you.

[SilentSentinel]

Gym leader lineups for Froy and Therma can be found in the first post of this topic:

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?888-Gym-Leader-Info-and-Discussion

[Konrad]

Thanks for the links! And there are two options to the level cap. There's actually a max level variable we can change to ~30 or something, or we can leave the cap at 100 and remove the some of the stuff in pokemon.txt, such as evolutions and moves past a certain point. I have no idea what may happen if we change the level cap.

[zeroality]

Your call.

[Konrad]

I don't have a clue why, but now the battle system does not work. I will let you know when I find the problem and fix it.

[ImmunityBow]

Thanks so much for your work on this, Konrad.

Hmm... to compile Nightfall:

Induces the weather "Darkness" for 5 turns.

Darkness:
Is always on at night-time.
Dark-type moves are not boosted.
Every Pokemon suffers a 10% accuracy decrease except for Dark and Light types.
Pokemon with the Night Vision ability cannot miss.
Morning Sun has reduced effectiveness and Moonlight has increased effectiveness.
Solar Beam takes a turn to charge, even if the Pokemon has the Solar Cell item.
Solar Flare has reduced power.

[Tyrannigon64]

Is Synthesis' effectiveness reduced to? If not, it should be.

[zeroality]

Is always on at night-time.
Every Pokemon suffers a 10% accuracy decrease

Sounds rage-inducing to me.

What about inside buildings, gyms, and the league?

Don't they have lights?

[ImmunityBow]

Buildings, gyms, the league, caves, etc. all don't have night-time.

I'm also about the rage factor of accuracy meddling. I can't think of anything more flavourful for darkness though.

[Konrad]

I got a lot on my plate this week, but I might be able to pump out some updates over the weekend. I have a programming competition on Friday, and its in the awful, awful language known as... JAVA.

[zeroality]

Good luck!

[Sev]

Anyways, the work I've heard from you is pretty good and I'm glad that I'm not the one who has to do this like BlackTigress suggested such a long time ago. XD Quick question, though... the software we are using, there shouldn't be any issue with the layering of your cries over my music, right? I don't think it's been addressed before, so I might as well find out now. XD
I'm fairly sure there won't be a problem...maybe you could test it out? I'm not sure, to be honest, but I'm confident that it'll work out.

I'm fairly sure there won't be a problem...maybe you could test it out? I'm not sure, to be honest, but I'm confident that it'll work out.
Umm... Ijust wanted to ask if this would be a problem since we have a new coder and Pikang was only FAIRLY certain it was not.

[zeroality]

For future reference, you can put [quote=name ] text [/quote ] to post a quote from someone specific.

[Cyndadile]

If you mean the way the handheld games do it, then sadly, no. Its a limitation of the starter kit. The pokedex version depends on the region of the map, and when you return to previous areas the pokedex will also revert.

Edit: For now, I'm going assign the Topaz pokemon numbers starting with 387. This can be changed later by adding in regional pokedex numbers, which won't affect any of the other programming.

Ok, here's a possible work-around that I thought of:
We can release patches, right? Well, what if we made it impossible to get patches until you talked to Professor Willow after beating the E4 and filling the pokedex? Then, couldn't we have a patch that swiched it over to the national dex? Or is it more complicated than that?

[Konrad]

Ok, here's a possible work-around that I thought of:
We can release patches, right? Well, what if we made it impossible to get patches until you talked to Professor Willow after beating the E4 and filling the pokedex? Then, couldn't we have a patch that swiched it over to the national dex? Or is it more complicated than that?

That might work. I'm guessing that patches will be possible, since the game is able to use the same save file after I update it. I'd have to test it and see if it works. Also, Finals are over so I'll actually have time now to work on it.

[ImmunityBow]

Glad your time is freeing up Konrad.

[ImmunityBow]

One thing I can help you with immediately that I just noticed you needed is the Willow sprite, which is here:
http://www.pokemontopaz.net/uploads/misc/professorwillow.png

[Konrad]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBqCQ2rvu3Q

Its 230 in the morning and I have early appointments, but first I had to prove that I'm not dead.

[Reliability]

Not being dead is always a plus.

It's nice to see things like this, and you're doing a great job.

[ImmunityBow]

Cool, thanks for not being dead, Konrad!

[Tyrannigon64]

School internet won't let me see it. I'm just going to assume that it's awesome and agree with Reli. I'll look at it later.

Edit: I no longer have to assume it's awesome because I know for sure now.

[Cyndadile]

but first I had to prove that I'm not dead.

Thanks for putting that kind of idea into my brain. Really. As if I wasn't bad enough already.

Looks good, though!

[Blade Flight]

Moar

i must have moar

Hey, when did the forums auto-decapitalize all caps?

[zeroality]

VBulletin has always had that function. You can choose to disable it, but we have it enabled for obvious reasons.

Good stuff Konrad. I've been a little light on the activity side myself lately, but I'll be getting a few things done throughout the weekend. Hopefully one of the first things I can get done is to fix the Search function and the Unread Posts feed.

[Blade Flight]

I predict that Konrad's next video will have SOUND! GLORIUS SOUND! =D

[Konrad]

I need a few sprites. Nothing urgent, but we'll need them for the demo.

~ Willow's boat. I was thinking it could be about the size of the one in R/S/E.
~ Ampure's over world sprite.
~ Over world sprites for Willow, the player (I believe these have been worked on but are not final), and Bradley.

Long term, we're going to need over world and battle sprites for all of the NPCs and trainers, including rivals, but there's no rush. I'm sure there's other stuff I haven't thought of yet.

[ImmunityBow]

Willow's overworld is there, just needing a bit of an update. I'll get on the Willow overworld and her boat's sprites ASAP. Until then replace her boat with the SS Anne?

If someone wants to begin on Ampure's overworld, go ahead. Otherwise I guess I'll work on that soon too.

[Reliability]

I'll see what I can do about those overworlds tomorrow.

Worst case scenario, we use the RSE boat as a placeholder for the demo until we can make one of our own. But I can't imagine it will take too long to make a boat...

EDIT: If we've got the other two, I'll handle the Ampure overworld.

[Cranky Guy]

And I never even knew we needed an Ampure sprite.

[ImmunityBow]

The catching tutorial is with an Ampure.

[Will]

Could we see an updated checklist just to see where you are and how much is left to do?

[Konrad]

I updated the list. My priority right now is setting up the plot while the community finishes pokemon.txt. After those are finished, I'll figure out the remaining moves and abilities. NPCs, trainers, and the insides of building are going to be put in as I go along.

Updated list is below:

1. Compile the data needed for all of the Pokemon appearing (pokemon.txt) - Being handled by the community (Thank you!)
2. Build all of the maps, and test them for errors - (Maps for demo are built, but testing needed
3. Implement the new moves that will be appearing - About 1/4 moves have been coded.
4. Implement the new abilities that will be appearing - To be done after moves are finished.
5. Build the interior of each building - Being built along with the plot.
6. Create all of the NPCs in the towns and buildings - Same as above; any ideas for NPCs are welcome!
7. Create all of the battling trainers - Same as above.
8. Set up the introduction - Completed.
9. Implement the opening scene, up to choosing a starter - Completed.
10. Implement the rest of the plot - Almost finished Neo Bay introduction.

[ImmunityBow]

Couple of things:
Have you gotten this yet? http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?352-Leithality-s-work-so-far
I has a lot of work on moves that could save you some time.

Here are some NPC lines that were developed for the demo by Pirotechnix, ragingprimeape and Mediocrity_Incarnate.


Neo Bay:
NPC 1: Man, I never cease to be impressed! This is my third home, and the advances in science are just as amazing!
NPC 2: I like going down to the bay and making footprints in the sand. But they always disappear...Why is that?,
NPC 3: Hmm..what should I eat for lunch today...,
NPC 4: Professor Willow sure is something! Did you hear? He's already discovered a new batch of Pokemon! Maybe you should check them out, [Your Name]!,
NPC 5: Zzzz...Zzzz....Huaghh...No, I swear it will be done soon...Zzzz...,
NPC 6: Doo do de da didali diddy diddy...What? Can't a person sing while they work? Sheesh...kids these days...,
NPC 7: Have you ever noticed that some people will say the same thing over and over every time you talk to them? Weird, isn't it?,
NPC 8: *sigh* I miss her so~ My love lost on a stormy night~
Rival's Mom: Hey, [Your Name]! You just missed [Rival's Name.] [He/She] just went out for a bit of fresh air!,
Professor's Aide: Hello there! I work here as one of Professor Willow's aides!,
Professor's Aide: The Professor is such a generous man! Giving deserving children their own Pokemon when they come of age...I wish I had that opportunity when I was younger!,

Route 204:

NPC 1: Hey! Check it out! You can find wild Pokemon in the tall grass! Sweet, huh?
NPC 2: Well, there's one thing to be said about Pokemon trainers; they sure do get their exercise.
NPC 3: *sniff* My allergies...are...so bad right now...*sniff*
Trainer 1: Hey! You looked me in the eye! Nobody ever looks me in the eye! You've got a lot of nerve, kid! [After Battle Victory] Humiliated...by a kid...
NPC 5: Hey! I run the Pokemon Mart over in Cranewing City! It's a great place for any aspiring trainer to visit on their quest. Hey, let me give you a free sample, as a bit of a promotion, you might say! [Receive Potion/Antidote/etc.]
NPC 6: Have you noticed those trainer tool signs? Who puts those there? And what is a Start, and Save, button? I'm so confused...
Trainer 2: Pssh! Who needs shorts? Pants are the way to go! [After Battle Victory] Pant, pant...
Help Sign: TRAINER TOOLS: 1. If you want to stop your game at anytime, hit Start, then select Save.

Sunset Village:

SIGN: Sunset Village: A weary adventurer's respite.
NPC 1: Sunset Village is a great place to retire. There's not too much going on.
NPC 2: This pokemart has sales every so often. They sell some different pokeballs here.

Pokemart:

NPC 3: Escape ropes will return you to the entrance of a cave. Use them if you get in over your head, dear.

Houses:

NPC 4 (RSE Mom): Just starting your adventure with pokemon? Our son was just like you when he was your age...
NPC 5 (Norman): My wife and I used to live in Johto, and then we moved to Hoenn. Now, we've ended up here.
NPC 6 (Blaine): My pokemon and I used to incinerate all challengers! Now, my grandson Froy has that job! (Ninetales: Kiwoon!)
NPC 7 (FR/LG Mom): I've lived a long, happy life. It's been wonderful watching our son grow up and start his own family.
NPC 8 (FR/LG Dad): Our son was the greatest pokemon trainer alive, that is, until he settled down.
NPC 9: My job is to assist the residents in their daily lives. It makes me feel good to care for these people.
NPC 10: Many folks here were once great pokemon trainers! Time has taken its toll on them...

Pokemon Center:

NPC 11: I didn't even know this place existed until a few days ago! I noticed it on a map, and I decided to check it out.

Cranewing City

NPC 1: Welcome to Cranewing, the City of Glass!
NPC 2 [inside house] Ahh...nothing like the smell of charcoal and glass to wake you up in the morning.
NPC 3 [inside house] Ugh! I can't stand this smell!
NPC 4: Have you heard the story about the legendary glassmakers of this town? [Y/N] [If Y] Well, then I guess you already know all I would have to tell you. [If N] Well, why don't you go and speak to them, then? They're all over town.
NPC 5: Puff...puff...Glassblowing is fun! Puff...puff...
NPC 6: *cough cough* I got too close to a pile of charcoal...*cough cough*
NPC 7: Hey! You look like a tough trainer! Why don't you go and test your mettle against Froy? He's a pretty cool customer, even if he is surrounded by fire.
NPC 8: Ugh...that journey through Route 204 took a lot out of me...I better go rest up at the Pokemon Center...
NPC 9: Spinarak, use Poison Sting!...NO! NOT STRING SHOT, POISON STING! GAH! YOU'RE SO USELESS! Spinarak: Keeskeech!
NPC 10: Hmm...what to buy today...Shoes, or shoes? Shoes...or shoes...
NPC 11: Mm...Kingler Brand Charcoal...I'd use nothing else for my barbeque!
NPC 12: This cup right here, it's nothing less than GLASSYLICIOUS!...Wait, why did I just say that?
NPC 13: Lalala...lalala...Doing nothing...lalala...

Pokemon Center in Cranewing: Nurse Joy: Welcome to the Pokemon Center! We can get your Pokemon back into perfect shape! Would you like us to do that? [Y/N] [If Y] Ok! Just wait here for a moment....Thank you for waiting! Your Pokemon are back to perfect help. Hope to see you again! [If N] We hope to see you again!
NPC 1: New to Cranewing? Yeah, you look it. Well, if you're planning on beating Froy, you're gonna be visiting here a lot more often! Haha!
NPC 2: Mmm, Nurse Joy is so dreamy...Hey! Why are you looking at me that way?
NPC 3: Hey! Want a cup of coffee with me? No? That's a shame, you look tired.
NPC 4: I'm so jealous...This computer is WAY better than the one I have at home...*sigh*

Pokemon Mart in Cranewing: NPC 1: Gosh, everything is so expensive here.
NPC 2: What? I can't get my shopping done in here! Why is it called a mart, if I can't even buy groceries?
Store Clerk: Welcome to the Pokemon Mart! How can I help you?[List of Items] [Item]? You're buying [Amount]? That'll come to [Final Price]. If buying: Thanks a lot! Do you want anything else?, If not buying: Oh, just window shopping, eh? Well, you want to look at anything else?, If canceling: Thanks a lot for stopping by, come again!,

Gym: Helpful Dude at Front: Hey, future Pokemon cham-peen! I'm no trainer, but I can give you some helpful advice! If you want to become a better battler, you better listen up! [Y/N] [Y]Okay, here's the deal. Froy's got it cool when it comes to handling Fire Pokemon! If you're one of those nature loving Grass types, Froy's gonna burn you alive! Counter his fiery spirit with a good douse of water! [N]What? You don't want to become a Pokemon cham-peen?
Trainer 1: You think you've even got a chance against Froy? You gotta get through me first, and trust me, you got no fire compared to me!, [After Victory] Sheesh! Too hot to handle!,
Trainer 2: Froy's been my mentor for as long as I can remember. If I still can't beat him, then you have no chance of beating me! [After Victory] Oh, snap! Not bad, kid! Not bad!
Froy: An expertly blown piece of glass. Flawless. No matter how hard you look, you won't find a single imperfection. That is how I strive to live my life. My Pokemon recognize this, and have become expertly tuned to my feelings. Do you think you can break their fiery exterior? Let's get it on. [After Victory] Your skill...it can douse even the strongest of fires. Take this Glass Badge. You deserve it.
Softwind:
Softwind Pokemart: NPC 1: Let's see... I'll need to stock up on potions before going into Chartree forest. Potions heal your pokemon by 20 HP.
NPC 2: You should really carry status healers with you for long expeditions. You never know what could happen out there!

Softwind Pokemon Center: NPC 1: I just got my seventh pokemon, but I dont know what happened to it... What? It's in the PC storage system?
NPC 2: My pokemon got paralyzed by an AMPURE. It couldn't attack as quickly, so I lost the battle. Paralysis is a tough condition to battle with!
NPC 3: I'm so glad pokemon centers are free. If they weren't, my pokemon would never get healed because I've got no money.
NPC 4: Clerk guy for pokemart.

More outside people: NPC 5: Ahhh! The air is so clean here! This place is much healthier than my home at Collossus City.
NPC 6: Have you ever considered giving your pokemon nicknames? It lets you personalize your parteners. I've heard somewhere that there is a man who will rate the nicknames of your pokemon and let you change them.
NPC 7: Therma is a good person. She teaches the young children of our city how to read and write. If there were more people like her, this world would be a better place.
NPC 8: The weather here is quite mild compared to other areas of this reigon. There are some tall mountains west of here where the weather is quite harsh!
NPC 9: The three towers here... They stand for the elements fire, electric, and ice. Our legends say that each tower was once roosted upon by legendary bird pokemon from Kanto.
NPC 10: The Softwind orphanage was started by a man named Fuji while on vacation from his home in Kanto.
NPC 11 (Person next to NPC 6): He names all our pokemon after vegetables... (Sandshrew in room named Rutabega)


If you need more, just ask.

[Blade Flight]

Just saying, but the person mentioning the Escape Rope should have the "R" in "rope" capitalized.

Also. NPC 6 of Softwind should have "Pokemon" as opposed to "pokemon", and "partners" is misspelled as "parteners"

Actually, I see a lot of people not capitalizing Pokemon!

[Reliability]

Are we using the accented e in Pokemon? I've been putting it into the script, but it hasn't been used above.

[Blade Flight]

Are we using the accented e in Pokemon? I've been putting it into the script, but it hasn't been used above.

I noticed that, too. I think we should, personally; it'll add to the authenticity.

EDIT: Konrad. Are there any cries of mine that you STILL need for the demo? I'm not sure what's left, if there are any.

[ImmunityBow]

Actually I think all the items and moves and Pokemon etc. are in all caps in canon games. So ESCAPE ROPE, POKEMON and such.

[Tyrannigon64]

A couple of the Neo Bay NPCs referred to Prof. Willow as a male, but isn't she female? I mean, this is her sprite, and it looks female to me.
http://www.pokemontopaz.net/uploads/misc/professorwillow.png

[ImmunityBow]

Yes, they were made before we changed it.

[SilentSentinel]

Oh yeah. Willow was male before we changed her to help with gender balancing.