Boulder Dash Forum

it must have one (at least for the non-c64 version with the editor). it is required for the arrows that are drawn by the editor.

It has transparency, just like the provided one, but the game won't load it.
Here's the file: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=40D9FO16

RTADash wrote:It has transparency, just like the provided one, but the game won't load it.
Here's the file: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=40D9FO16

I downloaded it, and it does not have an alpha channel. Really Under the doors, above the explosions, there are arrows, a lock, an x, a question mark etc. Those should be white with cyan outline, and transparent background. Gimp shows that with a checkerboard pattern.

Can you fix it for me? I'm wallowing in a sea of incompetent imaging programs.

Here it is: http://jutas.eet.bme.hu/~cirix/gdash/c64_gfx_bd2.png I suggest you to install the gimp, it's free: http://www.gimp.org/windows/, choose the 'installer'.

Thanks! I'm liking that image editor too...

Repository for caves and replays:
http://jutas.eet.bme.hu/~cirix/gdash/repo.php

Not very well tested, so please do not abuse it
Automatically generates the maps, too. Click on the icon to view them.
And feel free to upload your games and replays!

Cool!

I haven't made any caves yet because I've been waiting for the engine rules to stabilize somewhat, but I want to make some rube caves and will post them if I do!

The dragonfly gun is interesting, it had me puzzled for a while, because I thought the 'set visible area' feature was for changing the size of the player's screen (so, for example, they may only be able to see 5 squares in either direction instead of the usual).

Instead it seems to be for making certain fixed parts of the cave invisible. This is interesting, because it means you can have behind-the-scenes 'workings' which aren't visible to the player, such as the dragonfly gun. Usually you'd want to make your mechanisms visible to the player, because it's fun to see them work, but if they are ugly this is a good way of covering them up. Still, I can't think of many other uses for that feature, but it's good to have it.

If it were able to create arbitrary areas we could produce levels which, for example, have horizontal scrolling for one part of the level, and then vertical scrolling for the last part, if you see what I mean? Good for that 'adventure' feel.

A question about graphics sets:

Well, two actually.

1) Can I force a cave to use a certain graphic set?

2) Can different caves use different graphics sets? For example, like the arcade game Rockford does?

Thanks ^_^

Sendy wrote:Instead it seems to be for making certain fixed parts of the cave invisible. This is interesting, because it means you can have behind-the-scenes 'workings' which aren't visible to the player, such as the dragonfly gun.

At first, it was a way to hide the unused parts of an intermission cave imported from C64 files. There are a small number of them, which have "usable" parts out of the screen (ie. out of the top left 20x12 area); others simply need that for precise timing.

Sendy wrote:1) Can I force a cave to use a certain graphic set?
2) Can different caves use different graphics sets? For example, like the arcade game Rockford does?

Currently, no. Maybe I will add it. Somehow it adds the problem of distributing graphic sets together with the cave files... And when the new game has more elements, but still the older graphic set etc etc.

To all: I also encourage everybody to upload replays to the file repository! I would really like to see how others play - and also I think everybody is interested.

cirix wrote:

Sendy wrote:1) Can I force a cave to use a certain graphic set?
2) Can different caves use different graphics sets? For example, like the arcade game Rockford does?

Currently, no. Maybe I will add it. Somehow it adds the problem of distributing graphic sets together with the cave files... And when the new game has more elements, but still the older graphic set etc etc.

It could use a generic graphic for certain elements if none are present?

You'd only have to download a certain graphics set if the author had 'forced' it to use that set. Most cavesets would not use it, I just fancied doing a BD game with different environments/graphic styles, like cave, ice, factory, etc.

Sendy wrote:You'd only have to download a certain graphics set if the author had 'forced' it to use that set. Most cavesets would not use it, I just fancied doing a BD game with different environments/graphic styles, like cave, ice, factory, etc.

Maybe. (I liked snowy caves in creatures very much ) Maybe if you are into drawing, it would be nice to have a GDash default theme which is different from the original, due to the copyright reasons

I'll give it a go. I'm sufficient at pixel art, but not good at drawing people, but if I modify Rockford it should be fairly easy.

I can't believe I just discovered this, but the in BD1 file that comes with GDash, Cave L has 'orange' as color 1 when it should be 'gray' (the medium one)