finally figured out what i needed to be searching for to find a proper text output. apparently, i was using entirely the wrong bit of the windows api to try and display text. anyway, when i first switched over, it broke the text output. then i realized the window updates properly, but wasn't visually updating until you do something to the window (touch the scroll bar, move the window on your screen, highlight the text area, etc). but it's text, it scrolls, and i can output as much as i want - though, to prevent it from bloating too much, i'm (temporarily) putting a limit of around 33,000 characters as far as how much it will display at a time... which is about ~7000 words, give or take, which i assume will be fine. i can always bump it up if need be.
still, the largest issue (not being able to get it to display scrolling text) is solved. button input is working fine, text output is working fine... just need to figure out why the thing isn't visually updating. in the meantime, i just need to play around with reading text from a text input (for player names) and the game will be back at 0.4.0.
2/14/2012
2/13/2012
difficulties
well. the 10key now takes input properly, although i need to figure out how to output large amounts of text to the game and system displays before any sort of release will be possible. at current, i can add however much text i want (and actually add new text instead of just replacing it), but the box isn't scrolling. also, i'm having some difficulty in getting button clicks to work properly; it's not difficult in the least with visual studio c++, but then again, i actually know what i'm programming without it.
i think i found a muse tonight.
i think i found a muse tonight.
2/11/2012
slowly, but surely
still trying to figure out exactly how to get the game to do what i want it to do. one big task tonight was to go through all of the functions in the entity class (characters, basically) and make sure all of the functions that report error messages when they get passed an invalid value report it to the system messages panel. also, replacing several hundred instances of commands that output text to the console so they could display to the game panel. not terribly difficult work, but there's a lot of it, and it needs to be done.
now that i'm getting around to it, though, i'm really glad that i'm getting to this early in the development. it's basically going through all of the code i've written up to now and rewriting it all slightly.
also, there's a poll up right now about which race gets the next codex entry. golems are leading so far, with trollkin not far behind. nobody cares about the ambulatory iguanas, it seems.
now that i'm getting around to it, though, i'm really glad that i'm getting to this early in the development. it's basically going through all of the code i've written up to now and rewriting it all slightly.
also, there's a poll up right now about which race gets the next codex entry. golems are leading so far, with trollkin not far behind. nobody cares about the ambulatory iguanas, it seems.
2/10/2012
definite progress
if the rest of the week remains relatively peaceful, i should be able to get 0.4.0 out by this sunday.
2/09/2012
first look
obviously, it's still kind of shit. and too large to view properly in the blog. but, i know how to put it together, which means i should have a full, if non-functional, window up by tomorrow, and (if things go well) a semi-functional window by the end of the week. the 0.4.0 release is going to be a bit of a step back in terms of what you can do, since i'm going to have to rebuild everything to work with the gui, but it should allow you to create and view your character. 0.4.1 is going to add locations back in, 0.4.2 is going to bring saving back in. after that everything should be more or less in place, so the development speed should pick back up again.
out of curiosity, which codex would everyone like me to put up next: coastdweller, trollkin, or golem?
2/08/2012
somewhat progress?
well, i've found out how to fix the errors the compiler is giving me when i try to set up a button with 'NULL' passed as the last parameter: you ignore it.
no, seriously. just compile the code anyway and it runs fine. i've also figured out how to make text appear, though i'm honestly still working on getting it to function for what i want to use it for (displaying game-related text to the player). going to spend some time toying with code, getting frustrated, and then giving up to play minesweeper for a few minutes before coming back to it. for the curious, my best time is 181 seconds on expert. it helps distract me from the growing realization that i'm basically going to have to re-code the entire entire to make it work with the gui, although there will be a decent amount of stuff that i can (almost) copy and paste that has to do with things like classes, function declarations, and simple data. this also might be a good place to learn how to use xml with c++, but on the upside, i should be able to pop up a dialogue box now so you can save wherever you like, name saves whatever you like, and try to load files that have nothing to do with the game.
in other words, i am doing more than just writing fluff for the world.
no, seriously. just compile the code anyway and it runs fine. i've also figured out how to make text appear, though i'm honestly still working on getting it to function for what i want to use it for (displaying game-related text to the player). going to spend some time toying with code, getting frustrated, and then giving up to play minesweeper for a few minutes before coming back to it. for the curious, my best time is 181 seconds on expert. it helps distract me from the growing realization that i'm basically going to have to re-code the entire entire to make it work with the gui, although there will be a decent amount of stuff that i can (almost) copy and paste that has to do with things like classes, function declarations, and simple data. this also might be a good place to learn how to use xml with c++, but on the upside, i should be able to pop up a dialogue box now so you can save wherever you like, name saves whatever you like, and try to load files that have nothing to do with the game.
in other words, i am doing more than just writing fluff for the world.
Codex: Dwarves
In-game description: Short, stocky, stubborn, and reclusive. Dwarves are shorter than humans and generally not as well socialized due to their sometimes hermetic lifestyles, but their excellent eyesight in the dark makes them well suited to a cave-dwelling lifestyle.
Average male height: 4'6" (136 cm)
Average male weight: ~119 lbs (~54kg)
Notable traits:
A handful of dwarves (less than 1%) are born with white irises. All Dwarves are able to see in absolute darkness, making them excellent miners. The down side of this, however, is that some Dwarves have difficulty seeing in brightly lit conditions. They have hair color mostly the same as humans, although redheads are more common, and a good number also have gray or white hare even at a young age. All male Dwarves wear some form of beard and mustache if given the chance, with braids and fanciful patterns being common. Some Dwarves develop tough, leathery skin, and a scant few suffer from a condition that can harden it to an almost stone-like composition. Their skin tends to keep lighter tones, with the darkest-skinned Dwarves still having little more than a healthy tan. Dwarven women are rather famously busty for their height, a reputation which they aren't shy about in the least.
Physical traits:
Dwarves tend to be somewhat heavy for their size, with barrel-chests and thick, strong arms. Despite their height they aren't lacking for strength, and their low center of gravity lets them leverage it extremely well. Dwarves generally live into their hundreds, with some pressing even to 300 years old. Unlike some other long-lived races, Dwarves retain their vitality throughout their entire lives, peaking physically around 60 years and then declining slightly until reaching a plateau at 100.
Society:
To outsiders, Dwarven society is at best mad and at worst absolute anarchy. Dwarves rarely have any kind of formal hierarchy or rulership, with virtually every Dwarf being able to trace their heritage back to some prince or other royal. If anything, Dwarves operate mostly by communal agreement, and while a single physical city might consist of a great many Dwarves, these will be divided into many 'wards', each bent towards a specific task. Put simply, like minded Dwarves attract each other, and they tend to be too single-minded on accomplishing their tasks to bother fighting.
Culture:
The largest consequence of being quick to breed and long-lived is that Dwarves are practically suicidal compared to other races. They have no problems throwing themselves into dangerous situations, whether it's mining without properly supporting their tunnels or getting drunk and trying to kiss a bear. Beyond this, Dwarven culture tends to revolve around three things: metal, architecture, and madness. The famed Dwarven ingenuity is largely a product of long lives devoted to a single idea which may or may not be possible in the first place. If nothing else, it has lead to the greatest triumph of the Dwarves, which is their metallurgical knowledge. Hundreds of years of experimentation has lead Dwarves to mapping the exact process of refining and combining metals and alloys, measured down to the weight of a grain of sand and the exact construction of the tools, and yet they have not found the finding perfect tin alloy for dinnerware.
Average male height: 4'6" (136 cm)
Average male weight: ~119 lbs (~54kg)
Notable traits:
A handful of dwarves (less than 1%) are born with white irises. All Dwarves are able to see in absolute darkness, making them excellent miners. The down side of this, however, is that some Dwarves have difficulty seeing in brightly lit conditions. They have hair color mostly the same as humans, although redheads are more common, and a good number also have gray or white hare even at a young age. All male Dwarves wear some form of beard and mustache if given the chance, with braids and fanciful patterns being common. Some Dwarves develop tough, leathery skin, and a scant few suffer from a condition that can harden it to an almost stone-like composition. Their skin tends to keep lighter tones, with the darkest-skinned Dwarves still having little more than a healthy tan. Dwarven women are rather famously busty for their height, a reputation which they aren't shy about in the least.
Physical traits:
Dwarves tend to be somewhat heavy for their size, with barrel-chests and thick, strong arms. Despite their height they aren't lacking for strength, and their low center of gravity lets them leverage it extremely well. Dwarves generally live into their hundreds, with some pressing even to 300 years old. Unlike some other long-lived races, Dwarves retain their vitality throughout their entire lives, peaking physically around 60 years and then declining slightly until reaching a plateau at 100.
Society:
To outsiders, Dwarven society is at best mad and at worst absolute anarchy. Dwarves rarely have any kind of formal hierarchy or rulership, with virtually every Dwarf being able to trace their heritage back to some prince or other royal. If anything, Dwarves operate mostly by communal agreement, and while a single physical city might consist of a great many Dwarves, these will be divided into many 'wards', each bent towards a specific task. Put simply, like minded Dwarves attract each other, and they tend to be too single-minded on accomplishing their tasks to bother fighting.
Culture:
The largest consequence of being quick to breed and long-lived is that Dwarves are practically suicidal compared to other races. They have no problems throwing themselves into dangerous situations, whether it's mining without properly supporting their tunnels or getting drunk and trying to kiss a bear. Beyond this, Dwarven culture tends to revolve around three things: metal, architecture, and madness. The famed Dwarven ingenuity is largely a product of long lives devoted to a single idea which may or may not be possible in the first place. If nothing else, it has lead to the greatest triumph of the Dwarves, which is their metallurgical knowledge. Hundreds of years of experimentation has lead Dwarves to mapping the exact process of refining and combining metals and alloys, measured down to the weight of a grain of sand and the exact construction of the tools, and yet they have not found the finding perfect tin alloy for dinnerware.
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