Levels Editor?

cyan3 · #1 10-15-2008, 03:05 PM

Any plans for making a new levels editor? The current levels editor is out dated and should have an updated version. Also versions of the levels editor should be made to support Linux and Mac Operating Systems without windows emulation.

Crono · #2 10-15-2008, 03:15 PM

They're apparently relying on players to make it for them and want it to be ingame rather than a superior seperate client.

cbk1994 · #3 10-15-2008, 03:25 PM

Stefan said this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefan

The size depends on the maximum texture size of the OpenGL driver. In the scripted level editor we made it so...

Which must mean they made one, or used Tig's, and haven't released it/added it to client-RC yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyan3

windows emulation.

Visualization is the correct word.

Loriel · #4 10-17-2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbk1994

Visualization is the correct word.

Nah.

DrakilorP2P · #5 10-15-2008, 05:13 PM

This is now a frequently asked question.

cyan3 · #6 10-15-2008, 08:23 PM

I would prefer an application editor I don't really like the idea of an online editor

DustyPorViva · #7 10-15-2008, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyan3

I would prefer an application editor I don't really like the idea of an online editor

Most would agree with you on that. They don't care though.

draygin · #8 10-15-2008, 08:40 PM

I'd be happy if I could just expand the tile selection area and make it wider. With my 19" wide screen I have a lot of wasted space because my editor is bigger than the level is wide.
I personally don't want to use an online editor as that means people can bug me while I tile... that and an offline tile editor is good for those people who aren't good enough to work on a server but want to learn on their own.

pig132 · #9 10-16-2008, 06:27 AM

I'd love some GS2 support.

Umat · #10 10-16-2008, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pig132

I'd love some GS2 support.

Not gonna happen on a seperate leveleditor.

DarkReaper0 · #11 10-17-2008, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umat

Not gonna happen on a seperate leveleditor.

Which is why we all cry silently on the inside.

knightfire35 · #12 10-18-2008, 07:52 PM

I agree, but It won't happen for a while.

DustyPorViva · #13 10-18-2008, 11:01 PM

I don't care about GS2, all I really care about is layers.

cbk1994 · #14 10-19-2008, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

I don't care about GS2

Agreed, though I care more about cross-platform-ness then layers. Probably because I rarely actually make levels.

Loriel · #15 10-19-2008, 05:23 PM

I am still not sure what layers would actually be used for.

Crono · #16 10-19-2008, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loriel

I am still not sure what layers would actually be used for.

Wouldn't need NPCs for drawover effects and don't need copies of the same graphic with different colored corners. First things that come to my mind anyway, but I'd rather see GS2 support so I could practice it offline. :/

cbk1994 · #17 10-19-2008, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crono

I'd rather see GS2 support so I could practice it offline. :/

Personally, I think it'd take far too much work to implement, and you still wouldn't have serverside.

Unfortunately, it's hard to learn GS2 since there is a lack of places to try it. I hope they fix this, but I don't think a level editor will do that.

DustyPorViva · #18 10-19-2008, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loriel

I am still not sure what layers would actually be used for.

A lot. The thing that annoys me about layers is how much wasted potential they have right now. I've played around with layers a lot, and while I found I could do a lot with them, it's almost impossible to because I'd have to manually do the layers in wordpad. No to mention what Crono said, it just makes it a lot easier to do casual tiling. no need for a dozen different tiles just for different terrains. No need to have NPCs for treetops anymore since they'd be able to be drawn over different terrains and display over the player. Simple stuff like that is just so tasty. Tasty.

Especially in the next version when Stefan adds a layer drawing value to the actual layers. I mean, layers are used in most 2D games since the support for it. For a reason, right?

DustyPorViva · #19 10-20-2008, 03:30 AM

I had an idea where you'd be able to host an NPC server off of your PC(much like you would any other server), and only have it available to your PC. This would allow the level editor to connect to connect to your NPC server much like it would for an online server, for the serverside function.

cbk1994 · #20 10-20-2008, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

I had an idea where you'd be able to host an NPC server off of your PC(much like you would any other server), and only have it available to your PC. This would allow the level editor to connect to connect to your NPC server much like it would for an online server, for the serverside function.

I doubt Stefan is willing to release the NPC-Server, no matter how much it is compiled, encoded, or anything else.

DustyPorViva · #21 10-20-2008, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbk1994

I doubt Stefan is willing to release the NPC-Server, no matter how much it is compiled, encoded, or anything else.

No more risking than releasing Graal, no?

cbk1994 · #22 10-21-2008, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

No more risking than releasing Graal, no?

Try telling Stefan that.

DustyPorViva · #23 10-21-2008, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbk1994

Try telling Stefan that.

No need to. He doesn't even give a damn about external tools, yet alone such a huge addition like this :P

No one has actually reverse-engineered the Graal client, as far as I know. Most they have done is editing things(I don't think I should actually mention the details).

Fry · #24 10-21-2008, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

No more risking than releasing Graal, no?

There is a difference between the client and the server for a game, yes.

DustyPorViva · #25 10-21-2008, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fry

There is a difference between the client and the server for a game, yes.

Err... duh... but what is the risk of a compiled server being released over a client? The client is just as important as the server, and if he's gonna be that paranoid about the server, he may as well just stop releasing Graal clients. Do you really think someone is going to reverse-engineer it?

It doesn't actually have to be a server, but simply a local hosting on the PC that doesn't even have the capability to communicate with an outside computer.

atomuskus · #26 10-24-2008, 06:01 AM

G-Construct recognizes GS2, but you can't play the levels in it yet.

Loriel · #27 10-24-2008, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomuskus

G-Construct recognizes GS2, but you can't play the levels in it yet.

At the very most gonstruct is going to start up the Graal client and convince it to run the level. Anything more would require basically rewriting Graal from scratch.

cbk1994 · #28 10-25-2008, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomuskus

G-Construct recognizes GS2, but you can't play the levels in it yet.

It doesn't recognize GS2. It uses GS2 syntax highlighting. I could put some PHP or even Java in there and it wouldn't know anything was wrong.

DustyPorViva · #29 10-24-2008, 06:18 AM

Gonstruct hasn't been updated in a while

I don't even think it's being worked on anymore.

Loriel · #30 10-24-2008, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

Gonstruct hasn't been updated in a while

I don't even think it's being worked on anymore.

Personally I was kind of hoping that someone else would jump on the project. You can pretty much edit levels at this point, so I am not very motivated to tack on random features.

atomuskus · #31 10-25-2008, 03:56 AM

I use it anyways since the level editor won't work for me.

DustyPorViva · #32 10-25-2008, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loriel

Personally I was kind of hoping that someone else would jump on the project. You can pretty much edit levels at this point, so I am not very motivated to tack on random features.

I found it was lacking in some areas to the point I couldn't use it. Also the fact that it didn't have layer support meant it didn't offer enough for me to move over from the current editor.

Mainly it had problems saving options/tile definitions. I don't quite remember though.

Fry · #33 10-25-2008, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DustyPorViva

I found it was lacking in some areas to the point I couldn't use it. Also the fact that it didn't have layer support meant it didn't offer enough for me to move over from the current editor.

Mainly it had problems saving options/tile definitions. I don't quite remember though.

The version in the source repository does saving and creating of tile definitions, could probably test that a bit and then update the executable.

Also if you could name some of the areas where it is lacking, they can maybe be fixed if they are reasonable, I just haven't had much time in the last few months, so not much has happened. The problem with most tile editing related changes is that they are personal preferences, in the future there should probably be a special options dialog for selection/tile behavior.

And the problem with layers is that there are some implementation obscurities in how Stefan intend(ed) to implement them in the Graal client, since, considering they are not even "officially" supported right now, there's not much information about it. That, and the actual usefulness of them (maybe someone could link a level where they are used?).

xXziroXx · #34 10-25-2008, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fry

That, and the actual usefulness of them?

As stated by others in this thread (and other threads), the biggest plus with using layers is to be able to use a foreground and then have tiles with transparency drawn on top of them so you won't have to make another of the same tile with a different foreground for each foreground type.

napo_p2p · #35 10-25-2008, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fry

Also if you could name some of the areas where it is lacking, they can maybe be fixed if they are reasonable, I just haven't had much time in the last few months, so not much has happened. The problem with most tile editing related changes is that they are personal preferences, in the future there should probably be a special options dialog for selection/tile behavior.

If you could get the flood fill finished, that would help a lot. Another thing I could think of is support for loading gmaps.

xXziroXx · #36 12-03-2008, 08:21 PM

Little bump, but, stuff like this is the main usefulness of layers - and yes, we DO need an editor that supports them.

Credits to Angelus for the level.

Loriel · #37 12-03-2008, 08:38 PM

Any chance you could post the level?

xXziroXx · #38 12-03-2008, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loriel

Any chance you could post the level?

If I'm not entirely wrong, the actual level is only on one layer. I think Angelus replicated it by using several images to make it look like it was layers, I remember him always saying how much layers would make it less complicated.

Basically, it would be divided in:

Layer 1 (lowest) - Some landscaping.
Layer 2 - The actual walkable part of the level, the part of the screenshot that's on the top.

The cloud images would also be placed on Layer 1, to make it look like layer 2 is above them.

Layers are 100% about making eye candy.

Fry · #39 12-03-2008, 09:39 PM

Is it actually possible to assign NPCs to layers? As far as I remember the tile-layer is a property exclusive to tiles.

xXziroXx · #40 12-03-2008, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fry

Is it actually possible to assign NPCs to layers? As far as I remember the tile-layer is a property exclusive to tiles.

Not as far as I know, no. But I remember Zero (zokemon) displaying an image below a layer, although I can't remember how he did it.