Questions

[Quinn]

I might make another trainer splice thingy soon. I wont say much yet ;)
my question is though, is there a way we could have something relate to XD? (Thats the only hint)

[zeroality]

What RPG import problem?

Quinn instead of another sprite, could you work on getting me a list of our pokedex entries (the flavor text) for all of the returning Pokemon posted in the Previous Gen Entries (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?8-Previous-Gen-Pokedex-Entries) forum?

It needs to be in a format like the Topaz Pokemon entries (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?369-Topaz-Pokedex-Entries), I need this for the Repository. If you do it, could you PM it to me?

[ImmunityBow]

You mean this one? (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?65-Officialized-Entries&s) (It seems I can run scripts now with this proxy (Anonymouse). Snazzy)

[Shadow Umbreon]

How do I paly this game? Is it a Rom Hack? Will there be trading?

[Quinn]

either with rpg maker xp, or exe.
its no hack
possibly.

[Shadow Umbreon]

thnx. Also, there's no Introduce Yourself type thingy. (I kno it's not a question, go ahead sue me, lol)

[Quinn]

sorry to burst the bubble, but we do have one here (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?170-Introductions-Farewells-Topic). no worries though, we wont eat you. :)

[plkio]

Hey,
What programming language do you guys use here ?
I know Java and C++......... and ActionScript(barely)... Can i be of any use ?

[neon.Barnacle]

We're using Ruby, but to make things easier we're using RPG Maker XP. Ruby's a pretty easy language to learn. If you want to help with programming you should PM Badara, he's our sole programmer at this point.

[zeroality]

You mean this one? (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?65-Officialized-Entries&s) (It seems I can run scripts now with this proxy (Anonymouse). Snazzy)
Oof, didn't know about that. Thanks. :)


Hey,
What programming language do you guys use here ?
I know Java and C++......... and ActionScript(barely)... Can i be of any use ?
Badara only knew C++ when he joined Topaz. He picked Ruby up pretty quickly so I'd assume you can do the same since you have background in C++/Java. Perhaps he can give you some tips on how to get started on learning Ruby.

I have a programmer friend who knows a dozen languages and was making 6 figures a year as a programmer. He touts Ruby as one of the best languages to work with so that definitely says something about it. :)

[plkio]

So, what exactly does the programming aspect involve.
Because as a student, I'm only fluent with the mathematical (algorithmical) aspect of programming. I know a lot about object usage and recursion etc... But absolutely nothing about graphics implementation, importing files from external sources and using them etc....

Hey Badara, could you tell me exactly what sort of programming skills i should have. Just so you know, I'm a college level computer science student, so basically i know everything upto data-structures in Java (binary trees, linked lists stacks etc...)

Thanks

[zeroality]

I'm talking to Badara right now, can I get your MSN to give to him? He's excited at the prospect of having someone to help coding the project.

[Zenith]

Something that factors into an idea of mine...what are we planning to do with Mt. Mist right now?

Also, do we have any planned gimmicks for the Gyms yet?

[Quinn]

Mt frost is not gonna be in the demo. the demo goes up to the 2nd gym.

Gym's have got ideas swarming, but idk about confirmation.

[BladeVap]

Mt frost is not gonna be in the demo.

He said MIST, not FROST.

[Quinn]

whoops, sorry man. But still, Mist isnt gonna be either. The internal has yet to be created yet.

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

whoops, sorry man. But still, Mist isnt gonna be either. The internal has yet to be created yet.

So create it?

[Quinn]

I'm getting outside world done 1st. then I'll worry about the internal stuff. Non of it is even needed yet, so I've got time, and besides, I've got lots of other stuff to do lately.

[acorn17]

Where do you download topaz?

[BladeVap]

Where do you download topaz?

It's not done yet...we're still working on getting a demo out.

[Zenith]

Another random question. Where did the names for the Flying and Bug leaders come from? Just can't figure out where something as unusual as Therma and something as generic as Mandy came from for their names.

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

Therma's obvious, no? Thermals

[neon.Barnacle]

Therma - Thermal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal)
Mandy - Mandibles ("http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandible_%28arthropod%29)

[Quinn]

I'm wondering with the main trainer, which one are we using???

I thought we confirmed the red one but I'm not sure anymore.

In the overworld thread, I guess the red one was confirmed, or so I thought. When Ikkyblob created his 4, I told him that the other was confirmed. A bit after though, I saw the blue one comming up again.
Which one is it?

[Zenith]

Yet another question. It's slightly relevant this time. Around where and how far into the game can you find these in the wild: Skalloy, Skarmory, Chiarame, Cacnea, Duval, Atlaxa, and Snarliger?

[STT]

Ruby. RMXP uses the most bloated, slow language next to Java.

[SilentSentinel]

Let's see, Skalloy can be found at Mt. Mist I believe, not sure about Chiarame, Duval and Atlaxa are in a special chamber around Mt. Frost if I remember right, cacnea is propbably in the desert, and Snarliger... some sidequest I think.

You've probably looked at this already, but it could be of some help if you havent:

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?263-Official-Wild-Pokemon-Encounter-Rates

[Quinn]

alright. I've got 2 questions...

1st. how does our night style work? Does it look anything like this?
http://i44.tinypic.com/1qmkr9.png

if not, I think it kinda should ;)

same with the dawn and evening. (I thought I heard that somewhere here, but not sure)
2nd, what about the male trainer?

I'm wondering with the main trainer, which one are we using???

I thought we confirmed the red one but I'm not sure anymore.

In the overworld thread, I guess the red one was confirmed, or so I thought. When Ikkyblob created his 4, I told him that the other was confirmed. A bit after though, I saw the blue one comming up again.
Which one is it?

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

Well you told Ikkyblob wrong then, the male sprite was never confirmed.

[Quinn]

read from post 15 to 18 here (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?444-need-overworld-sprite-of-main-character) tell me if that doesn't sound like a confirmation. Also, why would zero direct him there and lock his thread? Doesn't that sound like a confirmation??? ...gosh...

about my other questions though, and I still dont know about the dude.

[neon.Barnacle]

We might be changing the MC sprite, yes.

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

read from post 15 to 18 here (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?444-need-overworld-sprite-of-main-character) tell me if that doesn't sound like a confirmation. Also, why would zero direct him there and lock his thread? Doesn't that sound like a confirmation??? ...gosh...

about my other questions though, and I still dont know about the dude.


We never decided on which of the male sprites to use, so only the female was finalized. We had a few different suggestions for the male, but I don't think we ever really chose. A few suggestions were http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/ultiverse/papalulu27_malesprite.png and http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab306/ultiverse/immunitybowandmewloverex_malesprite.png.

See?

[Quinn]

yah, now look at which one she chose to do. and yet again, why would an administrator lock his thread and direct him there?

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

The one closest to the FRLG overworld? And because that's where the male character sprite was being discussed because, other wise, there'd be two seperate threads about the same thing. Anyone can see that'd be pointless.

[Quinn]

alright, change of subject. I got my answer for that one...now about the others?

[Zenith]

Are there plans for implementing some kind of Dowsing Machine?

[Quinn]

^ if not, there should. I'm sure there is an item finder, but one that actually shows where the item is...I dont know. But yah, I'm for that.

Still would love to know about the night and stuff...but also, someone who knows...answer zeneths as well.

[Mediocrity_Incarnate]

Itll probably just be an itemfinder but who knows. I have no idea about the night/day question. Thats probably better answered by mr. programmer dude.

[ImmunityBow]

From Demo V0.000000001, it seems that Badara's way ahead of everyone. There are glowing street lights, and a darker overlay, yes, if that's what you're asking about.

[Quinn]

THERES GLOWING STREET LIGHTS!!!! PERFECT!!! I was thinking for Haventree since there isn't much light in a hollow log, the lights would be on. CANT WAIT to see the stuff in night! I FREAKIN LOVE THE NIGHT! (I'm like nocternal fish ;P)

So is night just an overlay then? (I never knew that) Same with the dawn, dusk thingy (I read that somewhere before I even joined)

[Cyndadile]

I'm considering geting RPG Maker XP for my birthday, so I looked up Poccils to make sure I would be able to find it, and it is gone. 404 error. Is there somewhere else I could get it (although I'm still not sure I will get it)? Also, does it work with VX? Or 2003?

Wasn't sure where to ask, this seemed most appropriate.

[Merlin]

i'm pretty sure a few of us could email a copy to you and know i don't think it will work on 2003 since XP is newer than 03 but i believe it's compatible with VX since there's some code in it dealing with that particular program...

[Quinn]

I worked with it on 2003, but it didn't work. I couldn't import the tilesheets. (I was gonna use 2003 for mapping) the essentials is on PokeCommunity. If you can't find it though, yah, one of us could send it to you. I could send it to you tommorow and you could mess with the editor if you want.

[Merlin]

the tilesets have to be set up in a weird way cause the styles are different and you need like 3 of them connected side by side for it to work and it has to be of a certain size i believe so no XP and VX tilesheets wont work (unless VX goes back to the 03 style)

[Cyndadile]

I believe that you just double the tile's size...

[Quinn]

just wonderin, are we gonna have these?
http://spriters-resource.com/gameboy_advance/pokeem/routeicons.png

[neon.Barnacle]

Yeah, we'll need to have those. I don't think we need one for every route, though. It's easier to just have the board and text be separate entities.

[Quinn]

...yeah. Idk why this dude did that.

By chance, whats the text? I wanna dowload it, but idk what it is.

another, does the girl have a different bag?

another edit....found better looking route things...without the text
http://spriters-resource.com/ds/pkmnplatinum/areaimages.png

[Merlin]

which girl the RSE girl, May, or the PDP girl, Dawn?
cause in RSE she has a basically fanny pack while Dawn has a freaking duffle bag...

[Quinn]

Idk, just something.

[Quinn]

whos up for Topaz on Pokecommunity?

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

uH WHY? We have our own forum RE: here

[Quinn]

to showcase of course. Acanthite has one.

[Merlin]

it probably would help us a little cause then we can be advertised a little more...
@quinn: the girl from FRLG has a different one as well though i forget what hers is supposed to look like...
i think it's just a purse though...

[ImmunityBow]

Considering that we don't have any screenies or demo out, advertising on Pokecommunity is just out of our reach right now. Maybe starting this fall.

[Quinn]

there are many things though that dont have a demo out yet. Of course....it's always brownie points to have a demo out...its mainly for grabbing more people. We are awesome and have our own forums. Many others dont (cause I think it costs...knowing that an update does)

[Quinn]

who's here named max? I was lookin at the facebook, and max is like the dude that posts everything there.

[Reliability]

I believe that's an account created by zero that he uses exclusively for the group.

[Cyndadile]

I was looking over Poccil's, and noticed that there are 13 terrain tags, but only 7 are usable. Is there a way around that? What are we doing?


The following terrain tags are defined:

1: Ledges (Tiles with this tag should have only one valid direction. The player will jump over the ledge in this direction.)
2: Grass
3: Sand
4: Rocky ground
5: Deep water
6: Still water (events will be reflected by these tiles)
7: Normal water
8: Waterfall
9: Crest of waterfall
10: Tall grass
11: Underwater grass
12: Ice (The player may slide on these tiles)
13: Neutral (For use on tiles that the player could walk on but have special tiles underneath them.)
More may be defined in the future. However, RPGXP's tileset editor only supports seven terrain tags. That's why Pokémon Essentials contains a built-in terrain tag editor. To access it, open the Pokémon Essentials Editor (editor.exe), then choose "Edit Terrain Tags."

[Merlin]

well in the starter kit all 13 are usuable but as to what ya'll are doing is kind of different answer...
in RPG-XP there are only 7 that you can use but if you use the editor.exe from the starter kit you can determine the 13 different terrain tags in the game...
(usually by following the preset groups under each)

[Merlin]

(i believe there is a 30 min time limit to the editing of posts...
i noticed something interesting why is it that when looking at all of the forums groups like topaz general, topaz pokemon, etc. the State of Topaz link isn't up there but if you click Topaz Developement it does come up???
is there a piece of code missing or was that deliberate???

[Cyndadile]

The "SOT" forum is a sub-forum located inside of the "Topaz Development" forum. Similar to how "Previous Gen Pokedex Entries" is a sub-forum located inside of the forum "Caldera/Kirant Pokedex".

[Merlin]

oh okay just wanted to check and make sure nothing was messed up should that be a main forum..
thanks for clearing that up...

[Cyndadile]

In case people missed my question:


I was looking over Poccil's, and noticed that there are 13 terrain tags, but only 7 are usable. Is there a way around that? What are we doing?
The following terrain tags are defined:

1: Ledges (Tiles with this tag should have only one valid direction. The player will jump over the ledge in this direction.)
2: Grass
3: Sand
4: Rocky ground
5: Deep water
6: Still water (events will be reflected by these tiles)
7: Normal water
8: Waterfall
9: Crest of waterfall
10: Tall grass
11: Underwater grass
12: Ice (The player may slide on these tiles)
13: Neutral (For use on tiles that the player could walk on but have special tiles underneath them.)
More may be defined in the future. However, RPGXP's tileset editor only supports seven terrain tags. That's why Pokémon Essentials contains a built-in terrain tag editor. To access it, open the Pokémon Essentials Editor (editor.exe), then choose "Edit Terrain Tags."

[ImmunityBow]

Yeah, I don't know about it, I'll try to contact Badara to find out.

[Quinn]

so, if I'm working and moving and adding stuff to the tileset...will that have to be done?

[ImmunityBow]

No, you can add to the tileset as you like. As far as I can tell this only really affects battle.

[Quinn]

^ alright. Thats some stress of my chest. I will say this though...the tileset at this moment is 256 by 26192. Its gettin big. I'm trying to keep it from hitting the 3...though I wont hold as much back now.

[Merlin]

i've messed around with the terrain tag editor and you basically have to go into the editor.exe and scroll down the list to terrain or terrain tags or whatever it was called and it'll be there that you determine the number for the terrain. poccil's right though the rpg-xp can only hold 7 tags therefore you must go into the editor.exe in order to determine the terrain tags for when you wish to cross water, ledges, grass, etc.

i'll see if i can look up more on it when i get home to see if there's anything i'm missing...

btw just remembered: the pictures for the Forums, home, etc. buttons aren't showing up any reason why or is it just the computer i happen to be on sucks???

[Zenith]

They're showing up for me...but it might be more your browser's fault than your computer. What are you using?

[Merlin]

internet explorer (i am at the library and they dont use mozilla like i want) but it's worked on here before so something was changed but i dont know if it was working a few days ago cause i didnt get on for about a week...(6 days i believe)

my computer at the library restarted due to a t-storm today and it reset the buttons so now they're up...

[Quinn]

^ that makes 2 of us from libraries. I just have a little computer that I do the work from though. I used to use library computers, but now its just there wifi.

[Zenith]

Related to something I want to suggest...does anyone have any idea of what the Vulpix line's movepool was based around?

[ImmunityBow]

It was based off of the concept of "Grudge". Ninetales' flavour is all about never forgetting, holding grudges for a very long time, ghost-like eyes. So we built the movepool around that.

[Zenith]

Then I think I might have ideas to improve on that...tomorrow.

[Zenith]

Okay, something indirectly related to the small changes thread...how far into the game are the first rival fights, and when is the first time you can buy Poke Balls?

[neon.Barnacle]

Not sure yet, since the storyline has yet to be established past Neo Bay.

[ImmunityBow]

For a general idea, the idea before the decided revamp was that Vincent fights you in Neo Bay, Bradley in Sunset Village and Simon at Mt. Mist. You can buy Pokeballs starting Softwind City, which is earlier than Cranewing City even though the gym is 2nd.

[noctournalrooster]

Sort of a stupid question, but... upon searching around the net, a bunch of other people have used the name "Pokemon Topaz". I know it's probably way too late into development to think about changing it now, but, do you think there'll be any problems arising once the game is completed?

[Reliability]

No, since there are a limited number of names and a lot of people starting projects. But as far as I know, there hasn't been a Topaz version actually completed. At least one that wasn't a hack. But even if there was another, ours will be better anyway, so it dosen't really matter.

[Zenith]

Alright, looking at a potential revamp of the Celsinge line's levelup moveset...could someone tell me if there's any kind of focus besides Special sweeping?

[ImmunityBow]

I don't think so. I think the main focus was "Psychic/Fire Lion", kind of like how most of the Pokemon's movesets were made. As I said, let the players build the movesets, a little haphazardness won't hurt anyone. Soul Burn is a valid concern, but competitively-minded changes and such are not.

[Zenith]

I was just asking because I was thinking about doing revamps for the other two lines. You said yourself that some of the movesets were made before the moves themselves were finalized. I'm not aiming for anything ultracompetitive; I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't make the moveset seem out of character.

[ImmunityBow]

I would really, really prefer not to revamp things past 1 or 2 moves that seem out of place (like the perfectly valid Soul Burn). Considering that we still have officialmon revamps (which are kind of considering new directions we can take the Pokemon conceptually and competitively) that haven't been done it's just a lot of time and energy that could be spent doing other things. Especially since now we're moving from a relatively small Egg group (Water 2 on Dolphure) to the massive Ground egg grroup, so moveset changes can really have far-reaching implications, especially since all my records of who the fathers of the egg moves are died with the forum crash. Change a move on Kelvoyant and suddenly two or three egg move options and two or three other Pokemon won't work anymore, and I won't be able to find them without a long and tedious search.

[Zenith]

I wasn't gonna add any big ones, just move some around (move up Soul Burn, move Flamethrower down a little, etc.) and maybe throw in some smaller ones.

[ImmunityBow]

It's not so much adding as removing I'm worried about. Even a small one (particularly Odor Sleuth, I think) could be on another Pokemon's Egg Move list.

[Silver]

Question
do any topazmon learn rocket punch/orion's sword via level up?

[ImmunityBow]

Hmm... I'm not quite sure. If I recall correctly Meowth learns Rocket Punch, but I don't think any other Pokemon learn either move naturally.

[Mediocrity_Incarnate]

Kuranpu gets both at level 1 I think.

[Silver]

cool

[Mase]

Hey I just found out about this from a friend. I have used RPG Maker VX for a long time and I am willing to help with what I can. I can't sprite and I don't know Ruby Scripting but am learning it. I am able to help out with mapping, eventing, and actor/enemy creation/balancing.

So my question is... What can I do to help?

[SilentSentinel]

Oh, you know some programming and stuff then? Awesome! Let's see... I believe we are using RPG Maker XP as our game making program, but I assume they are pretty similar. We could definitely use someone with your talents though. I don't have much experience in that area, so I wouldn't know what to have you do, but I can get you to someone who does.

If you'd like to help us out, go over here http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/member.php?25-ImmunityBow, and send this guy a visitor message. He probably could give you some things to do.

[gligar]

Im new, and I dont wanna get into trouble. what are the rules?

[Cyndadile]

Here they are: Rules!!! (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/page.php?p=rules)

Welcome to Topaz! I hope that you enjoy your stay!
We know that there are many Pokemon fangame options out there, and we thank you for choosing Pokemon Topaz.

[Betatmw]

Is there a thread containing one full list of what is needed for the demo? If not what still needs to be done for it?

[ImmunityBow]

Yes, but it needs to be updated. I'll put it up by Monday.

[Zenith]

Have a plan for a big suggestion...but it turns out I'm missing something I need. Can someone link me to the most recent version of the region map?

[Reliability]

http://www.pokemontopaz.net/map/

:)

[Cyndadile]

Didn't we make a new one? Or was that never confirmed?

[Reliability]

I don't remember there being one.

[Zenith]

I remember an edited one on a thread somewhere...had the sea routes south of Kirant more organized, and Neo Bay was actually on the coast.

[Cyndadile]

Try here (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?551-Suggestions/page3), post 86.

Or, you could just open the spoiler.


Edit #2. Made a few minor changes: Aquapolis City (and the route surrounding it) was moved a block to the left. I also extended a water route to underneath Neo Bay and Sunset Village, which I think is kinda neat.


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/neonscreen/topazregionmap2.png

[Zenith]

Turns out there's a couple more things I need to know. Can someone give me as much info as possible on Soma Island and Tetralith Cave?

[ImmunityBow]

Tetralith Cave is an idea from ages and ages and ages ago where you could get Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza if I'm not mistaken (it contains the Rainfall, Windshear and Sunlight Caves) and probably will be used as a patch area to run out all the Flying/Water/Ground Pokemon (the Elemental Towers being the site for Ice/Fire/Electric) from other games. It's irrelevant for now.

Soma Island is a puzzle area to get a few items.

[Zenith]

One more. Does Portwind City serve any purpose in game?

[ImmunityBow]

About the same as Slateport. As a thoroughfare.

[Reliability]

That was also where I had originally placed the light gym, but Gallea is another option.

[richie277]

how to play?

[Betatmw]

It hasn't been finished yet, it is still in development. I do believe there is a demo in the works at the moment as well which should be out as soon as they can get it done. (It is a small team after all it's not 100's of well paid Nintendo workers who have developed all previous Pokemon games!)

[Silver]

what are all the new evolution methods

[Reliability]

And who is Cheryl?
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1/BlackShadowmon3/Topaz%20Trainers%20and%20People/cheryl.gif
She has a obviously mixed sprite, but it would be nice to know who she is and if I just missed a huge part of the storyline...

[ImmunityBow]

There are a ton of evolution methods and I really don't want to fish them all up and list them all and get corrected when I miss a bunch. If you're curious about a specific line then just check or ask whatever you lines you need.

Cheryl was supposed to be Bradley if you were a guy, and Bradley was supposed to be if you were girl. For character development reasons this doesn't work, though we may use the sprite for something else.

[Reliability]

Will there be a SoT for November? I miss them...

[ImmunityBow]

Sure. When I get a reasonable amount of time all at once then I'll make one.

[Casscass]

So i found this site/forum by looking at Fakedex and I LOVE these pokemons so I was wondering if I could use the sprites in signatures/trainer cards. I would obviously give credit to pokemon topaz

[ImmunityBow]

Sure, thanks for asking!

[Casscass]

awesome, ty IB :D

[Zenith]

A random question: where did the names for the two parts of the region come from?

And on a more serious note, what opportunities are there to level between Froy and Therma? I'm a little worried, with there being no new routes in between the two and a 6 level difference between their signature mons.

[Reliability]

I know a caldera is a volcano crater that is larger than 1km in diameter. I tried searching kirant, but got nothing.

[ImmunityBow]

Unfortunately it's looking like people will need to grind a little. The possibility of early Mareep and Ampure helps though.

Caldera/Kirant's naming is before my time. I actually have no idea why they're named that way.

[Tyrannigon64]

Have you started thinking about the puzzles in the gyms yet? I know you're still having trouble with the names, location, and teams, but most of them need to have some kind of puzzle, such as the invisible barriers in Fuchsia gym, the waterfall in the Cianwood gym (HG and SS only), and the warp tiles in Saffron gym. So what about these gyms? Is there a thread I can look at?

[ImmunityBow]

There was a little discussion, but we decided there was little point in doing it until the gym maps were actually being made.

[Tyrannigon64]

I have another question! Is there any way I can get an email every time someone replies to me on these threads?

[ImmunityBow]

Yes! You can subscribe to the thread! A the top of the page below the title to the right, there is a menu called "Thread Tools", and you can subscribe that way.

[Cyndadile]

Well, if you want to know when someone posts to a thread (although not necessarily in response to you), go to the thread that you want to subscribe to. Just above the first post, there will be a bar. One of the options will be "Thread Tools". Click on it, then choose "Subscribe to this Thread". In the first drop-down menu, choose instant, daily, or weekly notification by email. (Instant will give you an email after every post, daily will give you an email once a day, and weekly will warn you once a week. Then just click "Add Subscription". Done!

EDIT: I need to learn to type faster.

[Tyrannigon64]

I've noticed there are ranks such as Contributor, and VIP/Senior Member, and I'm at Junior Member. How do I get to the other ranks (or whatever you want to call them)?

[Cyndadile]

For contributor, you have to make stuff, for VIP you need to post alot (no actuall skill required :p), Senior member is a post count thing (I think), and admins are basically impossible to become at this point (unless IB retires).

[Tyrannigon64]

So if I make one sprite, I become a contributor? Does posting a lot mean posting lots of replies or making lots of stuff?

[Cyndadile]

Contributors need to be fairly consistant. Making several sprites, editing, also making/editing music, are all good.

Posting alot is just replies. Otherwise, I wouldn't be a VIP.

I have one! The subscription thing got me thinking, it would be pretty convinient if I could get an email at the end of the week containing ALL of the last week's posts. Is there an easy way to do that, or would I have to do them all thread-by-thread?

[Reliability]

Contributer status is usually given out to those who have contributed something tangible to the project. So, if it is a sprite, it has to be officialized or at least given placeholder status. The same goes for anything else you make. It has to be good enough to go into the finished product. I'm not sure if doing just one will get you the status either. It's a subjective title with no requirements set in stone and some loyalty and time commitment should be made evident before it is bestowed. It's ultimately up to the admin team.

If you want to be a contributer, make some stuff, stick around and show some general interest in game development. Then, it will be possible to give you a more accurate answer about how much more (if anything) you will have to do to get the title.

If you contribute with comments and critiques ect. then you'll be aiming for VIP. If there are any benefits to being a Contributer, VIP has all the same. It's just fewer letters and a different colour.

[Tyrannigon64]

Another question. If I have sprites that I want to give via e-mail, what e-mail address should I send them to?

[ImmunityBow]

immunitybow@gmail.com is fine

I would suggest, however, that you upload them instead to imageshack.us and post up the link for everyone to see.

[Tyrannigon64]

Is putting them in an album okay? because I just did that.

[ImmunityBow]

Yes.

[Reliability]

Will there be a SoT for November? I miss them...
Same question, but for December.

[ImmunityBow]

I'm just waiting on one of our old regular members checking up on us for a sec before I start writing one. It shouldn't be too long.

[Silver]

who?

[Cyndadile]

I believe that IB is not revealing their identities on purpose.

[Silver]

ah.........

[SilentSentinel]

I believe that IB is not revealing their identities on purpose.

This is correct.

[Tyrannigon64]

What does SoT stand for?

[Reliability]

State of Topaz. Essentially it sums up what has been accomplished since the last one, encourages activity in those areas and it helps to redirect energy to the things that are needed the most at the present moment. It also gives an opportunity to give Guests and old members a brief overview of where we are. There is an archive of all the previous ones in the Announcements section, if you want to see for yourself.

[Tyrannigon64]

I have heard somewhere that in this game, Togepi and Togetic are Light-type. Is this true?

[SilentSentinel]

Yes.

[Tyrannigon64]

How do you pronounce Chiarame, Seberine, Vilephist, and Neichia?

[ImmunityBow]

I'm not too sure about Chiarame: It could be Kye-a-rah-may, which is reminiscent of Chimera, or Chee-a-rah-may, which is a little more intuitive.
Serberine is pronounced: Serb-er-rye-ne, which isn't too way off from how it looks.
Vilephist is pronounced Vile-fist.
Neichia, I'm pretty sure is pronounced Neigh-chee-ah.

[MK94]

i know ur not excepting new pokemon but what about new forms?

[ImmunityBow]

No, we're not accepting new forms either.

[Tyrannigon64]

If you want to be a contributer, make some stuff, stick around and show some general interest in game development. Then, it will be possible to give you a more accurate answer about how much more (if anything) you will have to do to get the title.

So, how much more would I have to contribute now? It's not a big deal or anything, just curious.

[BladeVap]

So, how much more would I have to contribute now? It's not a big deal or anything, just curious.

I wouldn't worry about this sort of this; you've been doing great already! However, to be honest, it seems like you're trying to get the contributor status just for the sake of having it.

Then again, you said you were just curious, so I dunno.

[Reliability]

So, how much more would I have to contribute now? It's not a big deal or anything, just curious.
You've contributed quite a bit. You have a lot of valuable artistic talent, not to mention initiative (which is probably far more valuable than any other skill right now). I would be surprised (and rather horrified) if you did not receive the official status in the near future. Keep this up, and you may even have a shot at displacing IR as my Topaz-related love interest.

[Tyrannigon64]

Keep this up, and you may even have a shot at displacing IR as my Topaz-related love interest.

Even if you're joking, you shouldn't assume people's gender. What gender are you anyways?

[Reliability]

Even if you're joking, you shouldn't assume people's gender. What gender are you anyways?
Love does not see gender. It sees people.
(But seriously, this is the Internet. Any gender/orientation incompatibility is moot.)

[Tyrannigon64]

Hey, I've got another question: If you have two statuses (or whatever the plural is), which ones overlap others? For example, if I was both a V.I.P. and a contributor, which one would it say I was? I'm just curious, really.

[SilentSentinel]

VIP and Contributor are essentially the same thing actually, so you'd only end up with one of the two.

[Reliability]

VIP is a distinction that was made semi-recently, so that valuable members who haven't contributed anything concrete can still be recognized. They are just as important to the project as Contributors, but nothing that they have directly created is going to be in the game.

I think that's as black and white as it can be.

[Irot_Rebod]

You've contributed quite a bit. You have a lot of valuable artistic talent, not to mention initiative (which is probably far more valuable than any other skill right now). I would be surprised (and rather horrified) if you did not receive the official status in the near future. Keep this up, and you may even have a shot at displacing IR as my Topaz-related love interest.
Le gasp! But I've been saving myself for you! D:

Erm... what has been said. Your skills have shown great promise, and as Reli noted, your initiative is what makes/breaks you. After composing... (what am I at... 70+ tracks?) a lot of music, my initiative has somewhat dwindled. But I was first noticed when I was pumping music out like a mad man so many years ago, and thus became a Contributor. I also would be quite disappoint if you don't receive Contributor status at some point soon here. Quite. Dis. Appoint. Keep up the good work in the mean time. :P

[Tyrannigon64]

How do you delete threads? I made one a while ago that I want to delete.

[Reliability]

Le gasp! But I've been saving myself for you! D:
It's okay dear, he has a long way to go before he even comes close you you. <3 ;D

Only mods and admins can delete threads, but that rarely happens. Usually, it is allowed to sink into obscurity until it is bumped by somebody who didn't read the rules and it gets locked/Cemetery-d. But I wouldn't worry about it. We aren't nearly large enough a community that a few stray topics will clutter the forums.

[SilentSentinel]

If you want a thread deleted you can ask me over PM or something, I'll do it if there's nothing important in there.

[Shadow Umbreon]

How's the development been going? Will it be like AdvanceMap (for rom hacking) when it comes down to designing levels? If so I could help out. Or is there no GUI? If there is the GREAT! :D

[SilentSentinel]

I don't think fangames use the same tools as Hacks do, so probably no on advancemap. I don't even know what GUI is, so perhaps IB could elaborate there.

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

A GUI is a graphical User Interface, like the desktop and stuff compared to plain old command lines.

[ImmunityBow]

Contributor status is mainly a subjective thing. The fastest way to get there is for the general feeling to be that you would greatly benefit from having access to the additional information and stuff. Just give it some time, you're doing great already.

[Tyrannigon64]

If you breed a Ditto and a Tauros, is a Dairy Incense needed to produce a baby Moocalf? If so, who needs to hold it?

[ImmunityBow]

Ditto and Tauros will produce a Tauros. It must be Miltank with a Dairy Incense.

[STT]

Contributors need to be fairly consistant. Making several sprites, editing, also making/editing music, are all good.

Posting alot is just replies. Otherwise, I wouldn't be a VIP.

I have one! The subscription thing got me thinking, it would be pretty convinient if I could get an email at the end of the week containing ALL of the last week's posts. Is there an easy way to do that, or would I have to do them all thread-by-thread?

Explain my many unexplained absences. XD

[Cyndadile]

Because if we dropped you and Irot whenever you disappeared, we'd have no music.

[ImmunityBow]

Contributor =/= Staff. Contributor is a status where you've been recognized for what you've contributed to the project. It's not taken it away when we feel you aren't being good enough or something. Being consistent helps get you there, but you don't lose it suddenly by disappearing once in a while.

[Quinn]

lol. I would be SOOOOOO screwed in that case

[Reliability]

Will there be a SoT for November? I miss them...
But for January. Or are we still waiting out for this alleged "old regular member?"

[ImmunityBow]

No, it's just been me. I'll try to get it out tonight.

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

Which old pokemon gained teh light type?

[BladeVap]

I believe just Togepi and Togetic.

[SilentSentinel]

Ampharos as well iirc.

[ImmunityBow]

Ampharos never gained the light-type, though it got a bevy of light-type moves.

[Cyndadile]

Ampharos never gained the light-type

Is that final? Or is there the possibility to change that? If it would mess up the mechanics of everything, it's not worth it, but otherwise I think people would support the change.

[ImmunityBow]

I don't think it's final.

[Tyrannigon64]

How do you evolve a Skalloy?

[ImmunityBow]

Max happiness.

[renigade]

hi im kinda new to this site but it sounds realy interesting... id love to be involved i do some pokemon sprite editing myself but ive never tried back sprites... id be happy to post any of mine if they can be used also if someone could tell me how to do icons i could help with that

[ImmunityBow]

Stay tuned, X-Antibody may just post an icon-spriting tutorial in the near future.

[Tyrannigon64]

What Pokemon do you plan to give to the cosplayers? I can't think of anything for Mew and Celebi, and for Jirachi, I can only imagine Ralts. I can imagine quite a few for Ho-oh though, but they're mostly normal-flying types.

[XTS]

Mew: cute feline pokemon and humanoids
Celebi: cute Grass-types and humanoids
Jirachi: cute Steel-types and humanoids, star-shaped pokemon (clefairy, staryu)
Ho-Oh: large winged pokemon and Fire-types, maybe a few humanoids

....they'll probably all share Ralts, for one.

[SilentSentinel]

Maybe Ditto as well?

[Sev]

are overworld sprites still needed? i posted them on my thread! well ther default male nly but still...

[SilentSentinel]

Yeah, we could probably use overworlds for some of the trainers.

[Sev]

Contributor status is mainly a subjective thing. The fastest way to get there is for the general feeling to be that you would greatly benefit from having access to the additional information and stuff. Just give it some time, you're doing great already.
I would like contributer then because 3/4ths of my time is wasted on things already done and it gets annoying >=( And i'm waiting to see if you like my overworld sprite for the default male =)
EDIT: Sorry to sound so demanding, but i am so annoyed becuse the things i have contributed have been done and it's just plain annoying =(

[BladeVap]

I need to be blunt here, mefan: you've really not done much at all, and what you have done has been rather lackluster

Sure, you may be putting 110% into your efforts (and that's good), but if you expect to obtain contributor status just from a few sprites, you're expecting far too much. Plus, I have honestly seen much better sprites than yours; you seem best at recolors and splices which we're not looking for. That's not to say that they're bad sprites, but they likely won't find a place in the actual game.

I am honestly not meaning any offence by this. I think, however, that you're being too hasty with your ambitions right now.

[ImmunityBow]

@rp: Giving all Cosplayers Ditto is an amazing idea! Wow, I never even thought... that's really excellent.

As for Contributor status, having people come in and start doing things just for the sake of getting status is not what it's meant to be. All of these people who have the status right now came in with simple interest in helping out with Topaz, and more than a few were genuinely surprised to get the status.

The best thing you can do when you're new is really spend a little bit of time getting to know the place, getting to know what's done and what's not done, that's what this topic is for. If you're ever unsure, just ask. I don't always have all the answers, but as a community we're more than willing to help you help us. Some of us might be a little blunt, but the attention you receive is just a reflection of the attention you gave, so keep on doing your best and eventually things will all work out.

[Sev]

I need to be blunt here, mefan: you've really not done much at all, and what you have done has been rather lackluster

Sure, you may be putting 110% into your efforts (and that's good), but if you expect to obtain contributor status just from a few sprites, you're expecting far too much. Plus, I have honestly seen much better sprites than yours; you seem best at recolors and splices which we're not looking for. That's not to say that they're bad sprites, but they likely won't find a place in the actual game.

I am honestly not meaning any offence by this. I think, however, that you're being too hasty with your ambitions right now.
True but my splices are more of alt uses somewhat the style of twoohfive205, but where i suck at is lighting. I'm jot trying to say i want to come in here and get contributer, but it would be useful to know some of this information so that i don't make mistakes over what i'm doing. I do agree with you on the being hasty with my ambitions, but i feel the need to know acess to some of the information ungiven to me. I try to put as much effort into helping as i can and i guessw i found out about this place a little to late. Thank-you?

[Reliability]

Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do to give you information if you don't ask for it. It just isn't possible for us to give a list to every new member as to what has and has not been done. You have one of two options:
A: You go around the forum, read some of the topics (especially the stickied ones) and get a feel for where certain things are. However, certain places (like the main web site) have sections that are outdated, so you have to be careful and check that you're getting the most recent information.
B: Ask here or through PM or in a visitors message or in an appropriate topic what still needs to be done, or if you aren't sure of something's status.

I understand that it can be frustrating to work on things and have them be useless. I spent about a month on a backsprite that became useless because the front sprite was replaced and I had to start over. Other times, sprites that I put a lot of time and effort into were tossed aside because something better showed up. So in reality, there is no "a little too late," because if you had given us your stuff even a few years ago, the stuff we have now would have been produced and displaced your work anyway. That's just what happens in projects: we take what is the best for the project, no matter how much work was put into all of the options, we can only have one sprite for each thing. But what you should try and look at is that any sprite you do wasn't really a waste since you practised your art, even if it isn't going to be useful. People here are pretty good about saying why things are bad and how they could be improved. But one way to not get any help is to complain about it. As IB said, you'll be treated as you act.

If I were you, I would do some research, get a better feel for what's going on, then ask questions, so that we know what information you have and what is still "ungiven." Then, you can focus what you want, if you think that your stuff will be good enough. If you want to improve your art in general, set yourself up a topic in the Cafe Topaz board (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?10-Cafe-Topaz) and put up some of your stuff. I (and anyone else who stumbles in there) can give you some pointers on how to improve. Spriting isn't easy, and everyone starts out a little rough. But you can get better if you put in the effort.

[Sev]

well thank you alotm =)

[MK94]

i was wondering if you are excepting new trainr ideas

[Reliability]

It depends what you mean by "ideas". We have all of the character's identities and personalities pretty much set up, so really we just need sprites.

[Sev]

i noticed the SECOND i made my 30th post it said i was member not junior member. is it the same for senior member, and how many posts do you need?

[SilentSentinel]

Yeah, it's the same. Iunno about the post amount though.

[alex72super]

How to download?

[SilentSentinel]

The game is not made yet, we are working on a demo.

[STT]

and more than a few were genuinely surprised to get the status.


I just logged on one day to find that I had it. XD

[Foxurus]

Heyy, I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but I've been lurking around here a bit and it seems that some shiny back sprites are still needed. Is there an accurate list of which ones still need to be done, so I can help? Also, the site is down so I can't get the back sprites. Where else can I find them, if anywhere?

Oh, and the shiny evolved pumpkin thing whose name I've forgotten has some outline problems and the shiny Griffin (and therefore the evolution-whose-name-I've-also-forgotten, too) either has problems with its highlights or shadows, because the difference in shades is too extreme, at least in my opinion. Can I try fixing it, or are you guys not accepting changes any more?

Sorry for the stupid questions, but better to be an idiot here than everywhere else, right? xD;

[ImmunityBow]

The thing about shinies is that they can be fixed any time in a matter of minutes, if truly necessary. I'd prefer if you were to divert your energies to other endeavours, there's been far too much work on shinies done already and a lot of us are already really tired of the process.

[Tyrannigon64]

I have three questions:

What order are the cities/towns meant to be visited in?
What HMs are enabled by each gym?
What are the names of the badges?

[ImmunityBow]

1. No one knows anymore. It would seem that it follows pretty linearly (with a stopover at Cranewing) south to Gallea, where you take the ferry to Portwind, then from there it's a little hazy, but you visit everywhere, including Hollowlog again for Eastlog Forest, then go off to Colossus, Dynamo, detour up to Skobeloff Town, then trek back again to Saharan, then fly to Portwind and begin the journey to Aquapolis and Triumph Spire.
2. Not sure yet either.
3. There will need to be new badges created anyway, but it should be in the gym leaders topic.

[Tyrannigon64]

May I please see the map? The site is still down for maintenance, and for some reason the search doesn't let you search for three letter words (such as "map"). Could someone please show me a picture or link to a picture of the map? Also, does anyone have any clue how long it will take for the website to be available again?

[Foxurus]

Alright. I'm not sure what else there is to do that I could do, and I figured everyone else's time would be better spent doing important things, so... *shrugs* Would you mind if I did do the back sprites, or should I just shut up and go back to lurking?

Tyrannigon, not sure how up-to-date this is, but here (http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1/BlackShadowmon3/Topaz%20Maps/topaz_map-1.png)'s a map. Sorry if it's outdated. D:

[Reliability]

Alright. I'm not sure what else there is to do that I could do, and I figured everyone else's time would be better spent doing important things, so... *shrugs* Would you mind if I did do the back sprites, or should I just shut up and go back to lurking?

All of our backsprites are done, but several need improvements. However, until the site goes back up, there isn't really a place I can send you to look at them. If you poke around the Topaz Pokemon board, you'll find a few topics that'll have some in them.
If you want to take a stab at a few of them without knowing what the current version looks like, that would also be fine, but I don't know how good of a spriter you are and some of our sprites are REALLY good. But there isn't a need to lurk if you do not want. It would be awesome to get to know you better.

@Tyrannigon: Please go to the gym leader topic. I'll try to answer your questions there, to keep it all in one place.

[zeroality]

Seems like information about Gyms has been consolidated into this thread (http://www.pokemontopaz.net/forums/showthread.php?888-Gym-Leader-Info-and-Discussion) by Reliability.

Edit: Oops, late.

[Tyrannigon64]

What program is being used to make this? I've heard names like RPGMaker and Ruby around the forums, so I'd like to know. I'm thinking that if I get free time, I can try and learn how to use it. I haven't had programming experience really, but this could be a good start, and it seems like the kind of thing I think I would enjoy and be good at.

[Reliability]

RPGMaker is the program, Ruby the coding language we're using.

[Tyrannigon64]

Thanks. If I end up having free time, I'll try to work on learning this.

Edit: Which version of RPGMaker? Also, I've heard there is more than one version of Actionscript. Is the same true for Ruby? If so, what version is being used?

[Merlin]

I believe the version that's being used is RPG Maker XP (not sure so if someone could clarify that would be great) and the pokemon essentials script is also being used for this project as well.
And as to the Actionscript vs Ruby I have know idea what the differences might be (it's the first I've ever heard of actionscript).
[Btw RPG XP is the one I'm using so I could help out with some of it if you need any but other than that I'm not sure what the Topaz project is using.]

[Cyndadile]

I believe the version that's being used is RPG Maker XP (not sure so if someone could clarify that would be great) and the pokemon essentials script is also being used for this project as well.

Correct.

Also, it's whatever version of Ruby that comes with RPGMXP.

[Tyrannigon64]

Thank you! I probably won't download it for a while, because of homework, but once I get free time (which should hopefully be March Break at the latest) I'll download it and start trying to learn.

[Merlin]

Yeah some of it is really straight forward but the scripting i think will be a little harder (unless of course you know how to script in ruby) so it shouldn't be too hard for you to learn

[ImmunityBow]

Ruby is a variant of the Perl coding language. It's pretty different from Actionscript 2.0 and 3.0.

[Tyrannigon64]

Cyndadile already answered my question about Ruby.

[Tyrannigon64]

Can we expect an SoT for March?

[SilentSentinel]

Depends. They are basically done whenever there's enough stuff to have one / when IB feels like writing.

[ImmunityBow]

I'll go ahead and say yes.

[MeekRhino]

Wooo! I love SoT. Although I think that this time around I have kept up with everything pretty well.

[Tyrannigon64]

At what point of the game does the demo go to? I mean, which cities can you go to?

[NyteFyre]

Just till the second Gym Battle.

[SilentSentinel]

Neo Bay, Sunset Village, Softwind City, and Cranewing City are the 4 towns.

[Merlin]

i'm curious bout something---y'all are basing topaz off the RSE series while connected to Johto, so (y'all are probably gonna kill me for this) why isn't the extra area to the west of Cianwood city there? They added it in Crystal before HGSS ever added it...
(unfortunately i haven't found a map containing that part that isn't from HGSS yet)

[NyteFyre]

We're going to, though probably not the whole thing.

[Merlin]

well there's supposd to be a spot with like the battle tower or something past cianwood which is why i asked, i noticed it wasnt on the map for this region is all....

[NyteFyre]

-blink- The battle Tower is just outside Olivine. The Safari Zone is just outside Cianwood.

[ImmunityBow]

Might have to do something with the earthquake?

[Tyrannigon64]

There was an earthquake?

[Cyndadile]

Yes. That's how the rest of Johto got blocked off.

[Tyrannigon64]

Q: What are the strengths/weaknesses of Light types?
A: We are still figuring out exactly how we want Light types to work, but they will work roughly like this:

Light attacks are Super Effective against: Dark, Ghost Light attacks are Not Very Effective against: Grass, Steel Light Types are Resistant to: Fighting , Poison Light Types are Weak to: Psychic, Ghost Light Types are Immune to: Dark Light Types have no effect on: Psychic

This quote is from the FAQ. Is this how the Light type is going to work? Is it still being figured out? I personally like it the way it is, except maybe Ghost as a weakness could be replaced.

[ImmunityBow]

From what I understand it was basically figured out. Ghost and Light being SE on each other is kind of interesting IMO, kind of like RBY Bug/Poison.

[Tyrannigon64]

So those are the official type advantages/disadvantages of Light?

[Reliability]

it was basically figured out.
So yes.

[phantom bezerker]

When does the damn demo come out?!

[Cyndadile]

When it is finished.

[BladeVap]

When does the damn demo come out?!

I recommend not asking questions like this. It just makes tempers flare, since everyone's doing their best, and yet you're STILL asking this.

[Sev]

agreed

[Cyndadile]

Who is the champion?

[Sev]

I don't think we have one yet.

[Tyrannigon64]

I think I remember the name Vincent...

[Cyndadile]

I wasn't sure if it was "Vincent" or Bradley.

[Tyrannigon64]

Yeah, that name rings a bell too.

[Cyndadile]

Both are rivals.

[Reliability]

Who is the champion?

Alisa (the new Vincent) is the Champion. Bradley will fight you right before the E4, or in a final plot line sequence, depending on which team you choose.

[Cyndadile]

Flintusk and Allufang (I'm pretty sure that's what they're called :P)

Are they fossils?

[SilentSentinel]

Yes, they are fossils.

[PressStart]

Hey guys, i joined not too long ago, so im kind of new, but i was actually a member before the site changed and all acounts were erased. But im trying to create a thread in the games section but it dosent allow me, i already activated the acount so im not sure whats going on.

[Reliability]

You have to have made a few posts before it will allow you to make topics. It's mostly to prevent spambot spamming.