If so I wanna help with the graphics end of it, I can't program that well yet but I can help design the chr editor because as a chr artist I know what we want.


-- SilverCat

---

Ok because of my lack of C++ knowledge, it makes it incredably difficult to write something compatible with it in a totally different language. Therefore, I'm doing my own version of VERGE in pure DirectX. Unfortuniatly, this means the old file types wont work with "V3" (though someone might be kind enough to build a converter).

I'm guessing you all are saying "Why?!?"
Well to start off, you know the song I just posted? That was going to be the main song in my game. So I poped open MapEd, and told it to play the thing... I got a flash of the screen, and the computer froze. When I restarted.... it happened again. Aparently, VERGE cant (or MilkMod rather) can't handle all XMs.
This is one of many annoyances, another being that the map editor freezes less than 10 minutes after I start using it.

I've already started to build V3 (i may call it VergeX, but I don't know what tSB's plans are for V2/7). I've already decided to make the code either the exact same, or very simular. Unlik V2, I am planning everything ahead of time, and therefore will be more structured, and therefore a LOT more stable.

With that said, here's what Verge3 can do (when it's done):

- Playes MID,MP2, and MP3 (note: midi is NOT dead. go
to http://www.yamahaxg.com/ and download there midi
xg40 synth. THEN try to tell me MIDI is dead)
- Supports image types GIF, JPG, BMP, DIB, PCX, and
several more
- high-quality output of sounds and music
- Sprite rotation
- Very stable environment
- You can position sounds, and when you move, they
move, therefore, you can make a campfire crackle,
and if your in the distance, you can hear it in the
distance (3D positioning of sound)
- Choose between 16, 24, and 32 bit color (though 16
bit color is plenty)
- 3D effects like explosions and lights, and other
simular things (dont use unless you shaded your
tiles, eg the tree makes a shadow on the ground,
otherwise it will make your game look really flat)
- Easy-to-use file commands, and even zipping
commands, so you can compress the saved data, and
make it impossible to edit outside of the game!

I could go on forever :p

I will also make the editors run at 640x480, since that is more realistic that 320x200 as far as editing goes.

Since I don't design much, I don't know what you guys call a "usefull" environment, so I'd love for you (slivercat) to help. And if your good at graphics, maby you could help with the interface graphics. Well here's my contact info:

Jabber: Cyberdude934
|
|-ICQ: 106876850
|-YIM: Cyberdude934
\-MSN: Cyberdude934

AOL IM: Cyberdude93411

---

And for the last time you CAN'T use the name "VERGE 3"!! ^_^

---

oh, maybe a little more. hahaha

---

verge-rpg. it's not just a job, it's an enema.

that was the origional purpose of the post :p

---

They laughed at the Wright Brothers when they said they could make humans fly.

---

yeah you heard me :)

---

Actuially I don't remember my password, so soon I won't be able to post under this name anyway. But yeah, Ear and I wont do it anymore.

---

I have to compare v2.7 to your design spec. Because it's fun.

- Playes MID,MP2, and MP3 (note: midi is NOT dead. go to http://www.yamahaxg.com/ and download there midi
xg40 synth. THEN try to tell me MIDI is dead)
Been there, done that. It sucked the life from my old PC when I tried it in conjunction with Final Fantasy 7. It does sound nice, though it's actually slower than MOD playback when you use a soft synth like that. I'm also still pondering the virtue of adding MP3 support.

- Supports image types GIF, JPG, BMP, DIB, PCX, and
several more
GIFs are patent encumbered and a general pain. JPEG is lossy, and thus unsuited to games. BMPs and DIBs are huge. PCXs suffer from crappy compression. v2.7 is going to use PNG and MNG primarily, although I'll probably add GIF, BMP and PCX loaders, simply because they're ubereasy to implement.

- high-quality output of sounds and music
Done already. Mikmod rocks. (libMAD isn't too shabby either)

- Sprite rotation
OpenGL. 'nuff said

- Very stable environment
v2.7 is rock solid on my machine, and others are reporting similar stability on their systems.

- You can position sounds, and when you move, they
move, therefore, you can make a campfire crackle,
and if your in the distance, you can hear it in the
distance (3D positioning of sound)
Already doable in v2.7 with a simple ambient MOD file and a hookretrace. (I might rearrange the interface a little to allow it with straight up .WAV files later on)

- Choose between 16, 24, and 32 bit color (though 16
bit color is plenty)
Video plugins are already capable of that feat, and I myself am coming to prefer 32bpp, not only because I can tell the difference, but because it's easy to code for. ^_^

- 3D effects like explosions and lights, and other
simular things (dont use unless you shaded your
tiles, eg the tree makes a shadow on the ground,
otherwise it will make your game look really flat)
Celas has already done some simple 3D stuff with v2.7.

- Easy-to-use file commands, and even zipping
commands, so you can compress the saved data, and
make it impossible to edit outside of the game!
"impossible to edit"? ^_~
I had also considered exposing the zlib interface that v2.7 uses. It would provide similar compression.

Anyhow, good luck! :)

---

"I can't wait for this latest pile of melodrama to disappear, so that the VERGE community can once again concentrate on games rather than on itself." -- Joe Lee

Once the main melody kicks in (at about 1:00) the song kicks ass as long as its running :) But without that melody, the kinda dance-beat thing doesn't really turn me on. It's a little too long and repetitive. Try some drum/synth variations throughout there.

Your musical abilities are coming along well!

That is all.

--Invicticide

---