[v2.5a /idgames Release!] Zen Dynamics: A ZDoom Revolution

[Xaser]

Heh, sorry for disappearing, but I'd like to some clear stuff up now.

First of all,

Anyway, I'll upload this to the /idgames archive eventually, but for now I'm releasing it here as sort of a "public beta", so if anyone here finds any problems, please tell me so I can fix them before it's too late!

It's not quite final yet, so yes, I'm not surprised that there are a few bugs. You shouldn't be surprised either, but then again, that's my opinion, and since this is coming from someone who thinks 2+2=5, that makes me a questionable source of information.

Okay, I admit that I did build this on a slightly outdated version, so the behavior of the A_JumpIfInventory worked just fine for me. I'll make an "official" fixed version for that soon. Although, in my opinion, it shouldn't have ever been broken in the first place. Why change something if it's already working? I do like the addition of something that checks for full ammo and such, but... why change the behavior of a code pointer that's already implemented? Couldn't "A_JumpIfFullInventory" have worked just as well?

(Okay, sorry for the complaining, but in order to fix stuff, I have to re-download the wad and upload it again, and the dialup doesn't make that too easy, so I guess the problem lies with dialup. It's the devil, I say!)


About the comments about the behavior of the reloading, not only is it impossible to do otherwise, but if it was possible, I wouldn't change it (well, the first and 3rd point, anyway). Here's why:

1) In real life, you don't reload a gun by pulling the trigger, so therefore, you don't reload by using the shoot button, either.

2) Sorry, can't fix that. It might be a hassle when using weapnext/weapprev, but it's just unfixable with this system. I personally just use the number keys anyway, so it's a bit easier.

3) If you have a gun that's just sitting somewhere, not being used currently, it usually doesn't have any ammo in it, does it? I know this may not make too much sense in the case of enemies dropping the guns, but let's just say that they always fire off their last few shots before dying.


Finally, about the playing with the statusbar thing, it should appear in the space where Doomguy's head is supposed to be. Yes, I'd change this too, but it's still just not possible with this particular reloading system. Just play without the statusbar, I guess... I personally don't, since it obstructs a portion of the screen, anyway.

Also, sometimes picking up a Berserk pack attempts to switch to Doom's fist... though you can't fire OR switch weapons with weapnext/prev...

That shouldn't ever happen... I made sure to remove the fist at the beginning of each level. What maps does this happen to you in? It's possible that I missed a TakeInventory in the enter script, somewhere.

Wait, on second though, I think I might have stupidly used an OPEN script to take that, instead of an ENTER script. I'll just have to check that for the next release, then.


And a couple of other things:

All pretty much unfixable. Such side effects are to be expected if you abuse all the features this WAD abuses.

Abusing features? Well, it's worth it if it ends up with something like this, doesn't it?

FIX THE WAD, GODDAMMIT!!!

Calm down! You seem to be forgetting the fact that it's actually possible for people to get off the computer and go for a vacation for a while. It's hard to edit a wad without a computer, really.

It's a miracle that it works at all. It shouldn't.

Why not? Just because I figure out a reloading system of my own, it automatically should'nt work? That makes just as much sense as the "unofficial" ZDoom build shouldn't work because it wasn't made by Randy.

I fixed it. (Hope Xaser dosent mind)

Heh, I don't mind. I will be fixing it for myself and releasing another official version, since I think I found a way to fix the problem with the final boss not teleporting in.

As for LWM, her spirit lives in You Rock! :rockon:

Thanks! Heh, I guess I did get a bit of LWM influence, at least with the Hell's Battery, anyway.

The weapons are great and the reload animations look fantastic too. I felt having to manually reload them was a bit of a pain, and I got caught out a bit too often. However, it wasn't too bad once I remapped the reload to an easier key for me to reach and got into the swing of it. Minor amusing point - if you "fire" a gun that needs to be reloaded (ie it doesn't fire) it will still wake up monsters. However, every time I did that, I swore, so I just assumed the monsters could hear me rather than the weapon. Big Grin

I love the new palette too.

Heh, thanks for the compliments and stuff.

I know how to fix the issue about the gun-fire waking up enemies or whatever... but the last time I checked, the A_AlertMonsters code pointer didn't work at all. Has this been fixed in more recent versions of the "unofficial" ZDoom build?



And finally, big huge thanks to everyone who left comments (positive or negative, where the negative ones help me fix stuff, heh)! I'm glad to see that you've all played it, anyway.






(Wow, that was a long post. )

[Cptschrodinger]

Heh, thanks for not minding. I just wanted people to enjoy it. Plus I did owe you one.

[Bashe]

Yay, I beat the game, but I found the secret ending, so it feels kind of cheap. I shall go back and fight the real boss!

[Cutmanmike]

I still need to try this. Curse my idle ways.

[Graf Zahl]

It's a miracle that it works at all. It shouldn't.

Why not? Just because I figure out a reloading system of my own, it automatically should'nt work? That makes just as much sense as the "unofficial" ZDoom build shouldn't work because it wasn't made by Randy.

That's not what I meant. What I mean is that your checks for zero inventory gave useful results. There would have been a good chance that they didn't.

[Xaser]

That's not what I meant. What I mean is that your checks for zero inventory gave useful results. There would have been a good chance that they didn't.

Oh, okay then. I thought you meant the whole reloading system in general. Either way, this problem is fixed and stuff, so I guess we don't have to worry about that any more.

[Graf Zahl]

The reloading system is exactly the kind of stuff I added A_JumpIfInventory for so that couldn't surprise me at all...

BTW, it'd be nice if you included the ACS source for the ACS library the next time. I was lucky enough to spot the problem without it but it might have been different.

[leileilol]

cool

[Xaser]

BTW, it'd be nice if you included the ACS source for the ACS library the next time. I was lucky enough to spot the problem without it but it might have been different.

Done. The problem was in the DECORATE code, but it would be alot more helpful to everyone if I were to have included the scripts lump in there. So anyway, I've added it for the next release (which should be up shortly). Heh, this is the first time I've use libraries anyway, so I was bound to forget something.

[Xaser]

Doublepost+Update!

Zen Dynamics 1.2 has been released!

This version fixes a few bugs, including the one-shot reload problem, the berserk switching to the fist, and (I hope) the problem with the boss not teleporting back.

Also, I noticed that in Map07, it was possible to simply skip the whole boss battle by finding the secret exit during the first stage. I've now added an extra barrier that prevents this from happening, as it was way too easy, otherwise.

So what are you waiting for? Get it now and such!

[/lameass salesman mode]

[DoomRater]

Darn it I've downloaded this wad three times now. I hope the final downlaod is worth it, but coming from Xaser it should... I mean, come on, it's from XASER! I'll come back to talk about what I thought of it.

EDIT: This thing is hard. It's gonna take me a while to get through it. Oh by the way, I'm muchly impressed, the reloading is pretty cool, and I can use this to practice my Perfect Dark skills once again, especially since reloading only subtracts as much ammo as what wasn't loaded in the first place. COOL.

[TheDarkArchon]

1) In real life, you don't reload a gun by pulling the trigger, so therefore, you don't reload by using the shoot button, either.

By the same token, you won't fire a gun, find it's empty and not do anything about it (Because that would be stupid).

Also, the Streetsweeper is nigh on useless: The Viper is a lot more efficent at killing.

[BouncyTEM]

bug or something and stuff plus things and more{ignore the weapon, i was bored XD}

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put in spoiler to spare the topic and not mess up the page.

[Phobus]

I assume your talking about the bit that looks like a forgotten upper texture or something similar and not the STARGR textures on the slope being the wrong way round.

[Xaser]

That's the unfixable HOM I referred to on the first page. I think it's just caused by ZDoom's weird handling of portals and such. If anyone can help me fix this particular home, I'd really appreciate it. At this point, I have no clue how to get rid of the darn thing.