It's like your recent Feb 2004 site update ... 

How's this thing coming along? Still alive? D: 

Expect a site update (of the arcane site) by the end of the month.

Looking for someone to replace FC as code-dude. 

If the project is still going/alive/speeding along behind the scenes, you might like to know that the following code fixes the trigger_read problem


void() read_touch ={

local entity stemp;

if (other.classname != "player")
return;


if (other.impulse == IMP_READ)
{
if (self.axhitme == 1) {
return; // leggo the key, dumbass!

} else {

self.axhitme = 1; // edge detection
return;
}
}

if (self.axhitme == 1)
{


self.count = self.count + 1;
if ((self.count > 12) || (self.count > self.cnt))
self.count = 0;
self.axhitme = 0;
}


if ((self.attack_finished > time) && (self.count == 0))
return;


// FIXME: Close book if the string in question is null
if (self.count == 1) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.message);
}
else if (self.count == 2) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.noise);
}
else if (self.count == 3) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.noise1);
}
else if (self.count == 4) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.noise2);
}
else if (self.count == 5) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.noise3);
}
else if (self.count == 6) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.noise4);
}
else if (self.count == 7) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.wad);
}
else if (self.count == 8) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.map);
}
else if (self.count == 9) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.deathtype);
}
else if (self.count == 10) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.model);
}
else if (self.count == 11) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.weaponmodel);
}
else if (self.count == 12) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.netname);
}
if ((self.count == 0) && (self.attack_finished < time))
{
// alert player with sound cue
stemp = self;
self = other;
centerprint (self, " ");
bprint("Readable message\n");
self = stemp;
self.attack_finished = time + 3;
return;
}

else
self.attack_finished = time + 0.1;
};


Arrgh, the board swallows all the tabs, so it's an unindented mess. Should still work though, I have the qc file here in any case.

You will also need to add

void(entity client, string s1, string s2) centerprint2 = #73; // sprint, but in middle

to defs.qc just below the original centerprint function. Technically all the changes to the centerprint bits are cosmetic, they weren't the crucial fix. What they do mean is that the crosshair doesn't get in the way of the text. It's just possible that doing this will cut off the ends of long strings, if so, change it back.

So, anything else need doing? 

it's not the board's fault; HTML viewers are supposed to treat any sequence of tabs, spaces and carriage returns as generic 'whitespace' which gets collapsed into a single space. 

maybe you could be the coder of the project since fat controller has left it 

Yeah, I'd be up for that. I've got a lot of free time on my hands until term starts again in October.
So what needs doing coding wise? I know the trigger_read was causing problems for a while, but I'm not sure what else is needed for the pack. Is there anything in particular that the mappers need, like a monster that doesn't work right? Or is there a head mapper I should get in contact with who'll set me straight? 

the head mapper is Tronyn, you should contact him for more details.

As for what mappers need - it would be nice for me to include earthquake and lightning effects. 

Is progs.dat ready? The architectural part of my map is almost ready. I think it's time for me to place monsters. I have a marksurfaces problem in my map, so I'll probably make a final battle in a separated map.

But I also have an idea that it would be good if we make all maps in progression one after other. I'm not sure if it will work, but I need hear someone's opinion. 

I can't use my own computer to edit anything right now, but my map has been at monster-placing phase for a while now. I think having all the maps in sequence would be a good idea.

Preach: Sorry I haven't been in contact, while trying to fix my mess of a computer I lost all of my email. An address that works for me right now is djg164@mail.usask.ca. Once Pulsar and I get some entities into our maps it'll provide a lot more ability to test/fix/code whatever with the arcane progs.dat. 

What progs.dat do you use? I found that the one FC posted a long ago (v0.9) had a lot of unworking stuff. Some monsters don't work, my func_plats don't move etc. And there's no spawn fuctions there afais. And no earthquakes and corpse removal so far.

btw is it possible to make fgd file for these progs.dat? 

I'm placing entities (monsters etc) in my map right now, and I'll test how well it works with the 0.9 progs. I'll compile a list of things that don't work and then email it to Preach for fixing. Pulsar, you could do the same with the issues you mentioned.

An FGD probably isn't that difficult; I haven't made one before but I think I know how; I'll look into it. 

I'll compile a list of things that don't work and then email it to Preach for fixing. Pulsar, you could do the same with the issues you mentioned.

That sounds like a good idea. I'll do it.
So monsterspawning don't work? oh I plan a lot of spawning in monsters in my map.

And FGD would be great 

The Baron uses the DDZ base, with permissions, and EvilBastard is mentioned quite prominently in the Nehahra credits.

I must confess though I didn't have the experience with converting models in the skinmap department in 2000, so the skinmap was atrocious and the vertexes suffered degradation, which was a bit saddening as I'm a great admirer of Evilbastard's work.

I've already rectified that for the re-release and Ep4 though, and the baron looks great.

I had to comment because I took offense with the "rip-off" comment. I always give credit where credit is due and have no interest in taking the credit for other people's work, which is why there were so many names on the passive contributor's list. I am so conscientious of it that I am nearly anal about it and I see nothing wrong with using models that have free permissions if said models reflect what you envisioned in your head (though I am more often than not *inspired* by existing models, rather than inspired to create or find a model to match an image in my head). The alternative is trying to build a model just like it. Why rebuild something that already exists if you're free to use it? It would be silly to do so.

Anyhoo, pluck your turds out of my bubble bath :( 

That was in response to an old post #196.

But I couldn't let it go :p 

quality modeller, ratamahatta and hueteotl were another two of his I really liked. 

i hope you guys finish this project some time, i still play the odd q1sp, and this is something i really look forward to. good luck guys! 

Did you recieve my email? 

I just got it, my connection's been on the blink over the past few days. I'm looking into the problem, but not got anywhere yet. I don't think it's the problem mindcrime mentioned, it looks like there's already a second items field and all the flags look small enough. If you can come up with reproduction steps that produce this bug every time that would help me narrow it down. I've managed to reproduce it a few times when I run out of ammo with a weapon, but not reliably. 

using the zerstorer spawn64 qc instead of hipnotic func_spawn, since it is faster and lightens the load for the engine. Since FC's progs don't have a func_spawn anyway (right?) maybe we could just forget putting those in and put in the spawn64 instead?

Update on my map: I've got all the gameplay (doors, buttons, routes, etc) done and am just starting to place monsters and items.

Kona: Thanks, long time no see 

Nails are not collected at all. And weapons (NG and SG) dessapear when ammo is out. And not always disappear when I switch to another. 

I believe I've got the disappearing weapons bug, or at least one of them, there was a flag being subtracted from the wrong field that was corrupting the items list when you took damage exceeding the amount of armour you had. It's possible other bits of code will be doing the same thing, so I'll keep testing.

The nail thing was also pretty easy to fix, and I'm confident that'll be ok. The wrong ammo icons might take a little longer, FC changed all the values of the item flags around, and that has an impact on the HUD, which basically reads the items fields for what to display. Do make sure you're playing it with -rogue though, that improves some things.

Afraid I can't give out the progs with these fixes, I'm posting this from a public computer as the network here has failed again. Nor can I download any source, which would help me get some things sorted. So in the meantime, what is spawn64? Is it essentially adding a spawnflag to a monster to make it teleport in when triggered rather than spawn at the start? That was what I was planning on doing, func_spawn seems a bit too much for most purposes. 

well, the basic idea of the zerstorer spawn function is that it checks if you've checked the spawnflag for it (can be 64, can be whatever) and then stops the code before setting model, movetype and solid values and the call to walkmonster (or fly/swim) (but after setting the .th_ functions). it also sets the .use to a function that completes the monster setup. so when the monster is triggered, the model gets set and it becomes visible, plays the teleflash and then goes to the stand animation awaiting to be awakened. 

Update on my map: I've got all the gameplay (doors, buttons, routes, etc) done and am just starting to place monsters and items.

So we decided to make all maps in sequence? I remember you wanted my map to be the first one. Then you should keep in mind that player already has most of weapons when you place monsters. Right? 

Ok, I can get internet from my computer now, so I've uploaded the latest progs. Grab grab grab:
http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/ajd70/progs-11-10-05.zip

This is just a bug fix, weapons don't disappear randomly, and trigger_read works. Features like proper ammo icons and spawnflags for teleporting are on the way, but I figured getting something usuable quickly would be most beneficial. For best effect use the -rogue switch on the command line.