GearHead2 v0.302

[Joseph Hewitt]

I've uploaded GearHead-2 v0.302 to gearhead.roguelikedevelopment.org. Here's a list of the changes:

- Some more quest content, still only in Maquise Spinner
- Lots of new artifacts added
- Added error check code to saved game loader (gearutil.pp)
- When pilot is moved by ASL, mecha is dealt with (narration.pp)
- Mass effects only affect models on the map (effects.pp)
- Added error check to ReplacePat (texutil.pp)

- If no difficulcy context for quest artifacts, use quest difficulcy (playwright.pp)
- Artifacts may be selected by threat level (playwright.pp)
  So now, artifacts generated for quests will by default be selected based on the difficulcy level of the quest.

- Fixed smoke/fire transparency problem (glmap.pp)
- Quest difficulcy determined by proximity to PC's home town (navigate.pp)
- Master gears included in Quest metascenes get team assigned (navigate.pp)
- Quest fragments automatically unique unless tagged as reusable (navigate.pp)
- Quest NPCs get renown and skills set by quest difficulcy rating (navigate.pp)
- Added GJoinLance, MoveAndPacifyGG ASL commands (arenascript.pp)
- Lancemates may be given set AI types (arenaplay.pp)
- Quest elements may take same scene as previous elements (playwright.pp)
- Megalist will not include Special SAtts (randmaps.pp)

Try it out, let me know if you encounter any problems. My next task is the NPC mecha customization system.

[Epsilon]

The SDL version of GH2 seems to crash completely randomly. I've had two crashes so far: one when I was switching movement modes in a spinner, and the other when I was talking to a random person.

Also, when you're doing mecha combat in space, it can be awfully hard to see your text! Will GH2 ever get an interface like GH1's? I honestly really liked that one... I also liked being able to see my character's stats, the speed of my mecha, blah blah blah blah... Also, choosing "roguelike" as my movement of choice seems to put me in turtle mode instead. I miss being able to talk to people bu just bumping into them, and using doors the same way.

Also, for some reason the game wouldn't recognize one of the buildings in Athalea (sp?) as being an enterable, important building. I forget which one, though...

[Joseph Hewitt]

Quoting: Epsilon

The SDL version of GH2 seems to crash completely randomly. I've had two crashes so far: one when I was switching movement modes in a spinner, and the other when I was talking to a random person.

Ah, the inevitable cost of progress. I haven't had any crashes myself recently but maybe that means I just haven't been playing enough. Did you get any crash data in a console window (units, line numbers)?

Also, when you're doing mecha combat in space, it can be awfully hard to see your text! Will GH2 ever get an interface like GH1's? I honestly really liked that one...

Yes, it will. Here's my strategy for that: Right now I'm trying to get the game playable as quickly as possible. Once GH2 is actually fun to play there will be a great incentive to clean up the interface. Basically it's the same thing I did with GH1; early versions of that were impressively ugly.

Also, for some reason the game wouldn't recognize one of the buildings in Athalea (sp?) as being an enterable, important building. I forget which one, though...

It could have been a "dynamic building". If you get the message "There's nothing interesting in there", that's what's going on.

[Epsilon]

Also, my character seems to be stuck in Run mode when on foot, which isn't helping at all...

The building was one of the blue buildings.

I seem to be getting an AWFUL lot of email for not having any sort of Renown, by the way. Bug or feature?

And, I know this isn't a bug, but space combat is an absolute PAIN. I could see swaying around like this if my character had no skill in mecha piloting, but we're cavaliers. I'd understand not wanting to get rid of the realistic spaceflight, but at the very least, lower the amout of time you need for turning. I just barely scraped out alive of a one-on-one fight with a Trailblazer because he was simply outmanuvering me. Luckily his Pulse Rifle ran out of energy... Although I'm guessing a lot of this stuff will get better once a tutorial is in place.

As for the display, I can see not wanting to go all out with it, but at the very least, it would be nice to see stats for SF:0 stuff and DPI for mecha-scale fights. Even if it's in simple white text at the top of the screen.

EDIT: Also, I just managed to fail a mission without even taking part in combat. Do missions have stricter time limits now?

EDIT AGAIN: This popped up in my text box after winning an illegal arena fight:
> You strike up a conversation with Mullins.
> WARNING: Script value OLOSEBATTLE
> CONTEXT: if= V1 10 else GoNormalWin if=V5 0 else GoNormalWin Say 12 History 13 MechaPrise.mek FacXP 5 5 CashPrize Reward Threat SceneVar &ArenaID 2 200 500 V=2 V1
> You receive $1425

[Joseph Hewitt]

Quoting: Epsilon

I seem to be getting an AWFUL lot of email for not having any sort of Renown, by the way. Bug or feature?

A little of A, a little of B. Did you start the game with a faction?

Quoting: Epsilon

And, I know this isn't a bug, but space combat is an absolute PAIN.

Acknowledged.

Quoting: Epsilon

Also, I just managed to fail a mission without even taking part in combat. Do missions have stricter time limits now?

What mission was it?

[Epsilon]

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

A little of A, a little of B. Did you start the game with a faction?

Yep, Silver Knights. I suppose that's it, eh?

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

What mission was it?

I was supposed to take on an AOL scout outside one of the spinners and I jsut plain forgot about it. I got another email from the person and I found out I failed.

EDIT: More messages. I'm retyping these by hand, BTW, so I hope they're helping... I was cent to New Center to provide defense. I took out a Buru Buru, got a message on-screen saying that they were sent by Aegis Overlord Luna, and this dumped into my text box:

> Plot deadend in Core Story: #W +Pen +Tre +F-- +B-- +G-- C:MILIT !Ne E:-- F:++ F:AEGIS F:mil F:gov F:ENEMY P:++ P:SILKN P: mil P:ALLY N:-- T:++ T:SILKN T:MILIT T:ALLY S:meta S:++ L:perm L:++ L:ATHSP L:spc L:MAQUI L:ALLY I:--

Also, I've notices that both myself and the enemy occasionally fire missiles with the SWARM attribute that don't seem to hit anything, even when targeting something.

I've noticed that items seem to have pictures in shops now, very very COOL! I happen to be the proud owner of a Wacom tablet, if you'd like I can scratch out some drawings for items, even if they're only temporary placeholders. They're 100x150 .pngs with solid blue for transparency, right?

I also noticed in the images that all the portraits now appear to have little codes in brackets in the titles. Do these have a purpose?

MORE EDIT: Out of curiousity, I tried to do a little jogging around Cayley Rock. Without a helmet. So I died, and this pops up:

> Epshill chokes for 7 damage! Head destroyed. Epshill died!
> Just a minute...
> ERROR: Unknown ASL command FACREWARD
> CONTEXT: N1 5 Trigger FacWin N1 Trigger FacLose N2
> ERROR: Unknown ASL command N1
> CONTEXT: N1 5 Trigger FacWin N1 Trigger FacLose N2
> ERROR: Unknown ASL command 5
> CONTEXT: N1 5 Trigger FacWin N1 Trigger FacLose N2
> You wake up in a hospital.
>You enter Cayley Rock station.

[Joseph Hewitt]

Okay, so aside from the dying and the crashing and the plot deadends and the script errors, how do you like it so far?

Quoting: Epsilon

I took out a Buru Buru, got a message on-screen saying that they were sent by Aegis Overlord Luna, and this dumped into my text box:

You've reached the end of your first episode. At this time, a "wrapup" event of some kind was supposed to happen, but none have been added yet.

Quoting: Epsilon

Also, I've notices that both myself and the enemy occasionally fire missiles with the SWARM attribute that don't seem to hit anything, even when targeting something.

Right, that's another bug I've known about for a while but haven't fixed yet... I just wrote it in my notepad again.

Quoting: Epsilon

They're 100x150 .pngs with solid blue for transparency, right?

Yes. More items pictures would be great.

Quoting: Epsilon

I also noticed in the images that all the portraits now appear to have little codes in brackets in the titles. Do these have a purpose?

Yes, they do. Portraits are now sorted based on the charm, age, and mecha-owning status of the NPCs they represent.

[Epsilon]

How am I liking it? The change in scenery is nice, at least. The shop interface is nice. It's cool that NPCs greet you instead of launching into how they don't like donating blood or kicking puppies or whatever. The energy system for weapons works really well, better than I thought!

How am I -disliking- it? Space combat is an absoulte pain. Maybe it just takes getting used to, but I'm finding that drifting is making a lot of fights EXTREMELY tough, far tougher than they should. Tech Vulture dosen't seem to work. I'm always running.  Getting mission encounters to work is a pain, maybe they should be on the map instead of randomly appearing. There dosen't seem to be a lot of personal-scale action yet.

A lot of that stuff is obviously going to be fixed with time; GearHead started out pretty bland from what I've seen. It would be really cool if content and bugfixes were balanced out; even if it's just personal-scale weapons or a new Buru Buru variant.

EDIT: this is a problem... I bought a Trailblazer, but any time I select "Examine Components" and then try to examine anything, the program crashes. As in, closes down completely. I cought a glimpse of "backpack.pp" in the crashing window. I don't have this problem with my StarBlazer Buru Buru, ir with a Dora I just tested it on. Strange.

[Joseph Hewitt]

Quoting: Epsilon

Maybe it just takes getting used to, but I'm finding that drifting is making a lot of fights EXTREMELY tough, far tougher than they should.

I think this is mostly a matter of getting used to it. I hope so, at least... Maybe I should hurry up and add Earth or Luna.

Quoting: Epsilon

Tech Vulture dosen't seem to work.

Er... that's my fault. I haven't yet activated salvage in any of the missions, since until a while ago salvage wasn't working anyhow. I've written this on my to-do list.

Quoting: Epsilon

I'm always running.

Ah, that's another bug I'm at a loss to explain.

Quoting: Epsilon

Getting mission encounters to work is a pain, maybe they should be on the map instead of randomly appearing.

The encounters become visible if you make an Awareness roll. I'll also be adding a special sensor that can make them all visible at the cost of some energy points.

Quoting: Epsilon

There dosen't seem to be a lot of personal-scale action yet.

The quests add a bit more of that. See if you can find anyone with rats in their basement, for instance.

Quoting: Epsilon

EDIT: this is a problem... I bought a Trailblazer, but any time I select "Examine Components" and then try to examine anything, the program crashes. As in, closes down completely. I cought a glimpse of "backpack.pp" in the crashing window.

Could you zip the save file and email it to me? I tried to reproduce this bug but couldn't. There must be something strange going on.

[Tung Nguyen]

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

Ah, that's another bug I'm at a loss to explain.

Using the arrow keys or the turtle movement keys? I submitted a patch for the last version of GH2 that reinstates the equals key for normal forward motion. Just a missing if block.

[Epsilon]

Just mentioning, I selected Roguelike as my movement mode of choice, yet I still seem to be stuck in turtle mode, using + and - and 4 and 6.

EDIT: Ugh, looks like that problem with crashing on examination of the Trailblazer sensors seems to be no longer occouring...Should I still zip the file up and send it to you, Joseph?

[Joseph Hewitt]

No, that's fine. If it doesn't crash now then there's not much point.

[Reaver]

If you refer to my post about Eye Candy, if you want <And if you can rig it into the game.> I could probably build you an opening movie or something similar... .-.

[Anticheese]

Quoting: Reaver

If you refer to my post about Eye Candy, if you want <And if you can rig it into the game.> I could probably build you an opening movie or something similar... .-.

I dont mean to nitpick, But your post about Eye Candy was done today, And the last post was nine days ago

But I would be pretty interested to see how an intro movie would work in a roguelike...

Sure, It will work in the SDL, but the ASCII version?

[Joseph Hewitt]

Quoting: Anticheese

Sure, It will work in the SDL, but the ASCII version?

My original plans for DeadCold involved an intro movie. It would start with a stream of hexadecimal numbers in blue/light blue, as though looking at a system monitor of some kind. The random "static" of the numbers would coalesce into the ascii-art image of a skull, which would open its mouth as though screaming, then fade back into static.

Then that stupid movie "The Matrix" came out and they used a very similar device, but with green numbers instead of blue. And theirs didn't have a skull. Anyhow I never got around to implementing this but I still think it would have been cool.