Development Info Gearhead gets graphical

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Gearhead

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/pyrrho12/programming/gearhead/">Gearhead</A>'s <A href="http://www.libsdl.org">SDL</a> version of the <b>v.0814</b> release is basically out and playable for those who were holding off on this one until it had some graphics. You can get <A href="http://gearhead.roguelikedevelopment.org/gh-0814-sdlwin.zip">the windows files here</a> and the <A href="http://gearhead.roguelikedevelopment.org/gh-0814-sdlimage.zip">graphics files here</a>. Here's a few quick screenshots I snagged from the game to give you an idea:
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<div align="center"><a href="http://www.rpgcodex.com/screenshot.php?file=gearhead/sdl001.jpg"><img src="http://www.rpgcodex.com/images/screenshots/gearhead/sdl001tb.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a> <a href="http://www.rpgcodex.com/screenshot.php?file=gearhead/sdl002.jpg"><img src="http://www.rpgcodex.com/images/screenshots/gearhead/sdl002tb.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a></div>
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I kind of dig the reaction meter in the dialogue. Nice touch.
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Thanks, <b>EEVIAC</b>!
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[EEVIAC]

I tried to send you some screenshots but Yahoo ate them. Seriously, if you like Avernum, download this. Lots of subplots, skills, professions, random dungeons, weapons, mechs, choices - the ASCII version was fun, but this is something I'd pay money for.

I personally like the helmets with built in PDA features - rather than walking all over town trying to find a person I just press <T> type in their name, and its done. There are bracelets with the same functionality, presumably for J-Pop Idols that aren't into the whole combat look, and I'm pretty sure you can install equipment into existing armour/clothing as well.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Well, it does have some problems. The first one I noticed was mountains and things can block towns from view. The second is that once in a town, it's kind of hard to find out what town you're in.

It also really needs more tiles so that buildings look distinctive.

But yeah, it's pretty damned slick. A little more polishing, and it would definitely be worth some money.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Wow. That uhh... looks great. Uhh.. yeah. Great. :paranoid:

 

[EEVIAC]

That happens in dungeons too, small critters can be hidden pretty easily. I doubt there'll be any transperancy effects to come. Ranged attacks also seem kind of nerfed, so long as you have good dodge and can close to melee range quickly. In one game I got hold of a mono-scythe that did ridiculous amounts of damage. It wasn't long before I sold off my ranged weapons. Its the same for mech-combat, although rockets are pretty effective.

Work on lances and lance-mates has been started, so I might be able to team up with an engineer instead of destroying rocket pods while trying to install them.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Finally, a reason to download it... again!

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Transparency isn't needed.. Just don't spawn mountains and things near those kind of objects, give them a one or two space grace area.

Oh, the internet phone is uber cool. I've been playing with it in the game. I get news, emails, etc. on the thing. It's pretty nice.

Robots seem really good too. I took out a small mecha with my rover earlier using rockets and then used a few autocannons to finish it off. Is there any concept of salvage in the game? If there is, I couldn't figure out how to do it.

 

[EEVIAC]

I got a mission from a bounty hunter where I had to take down a group of meched raiders. Problem is I'm not supposed to kill the leader. So I go to the battlefield - POW! POW! POW! - take out the others. I find the leader and try to take out individual parts of his equipment. He just absorbs damage and doesn't surrender. Finally I whack him with my Beam Sword and he explodes. When I go back to the bounty hunter lodge the girl tells me "that couldn't have gone any worse."

Actually, while writing this, I had the idea that maybe I could have called him with my strange PDA Helmet (AC:21 full functionality, except news.) I might ask on the yahoo groups board about salvage. Have you tried going for head shots?

 

[Peacedog]

Does anyone know what causes stats to go down?

The interface could use some work, as well as information presentation (a Genforge like tab function to name all visible NPCs on the map would be fantastic). But I like what I see thusfar.

 

[EEVIAC]

Hunger, tiredness, and encumberance affect stats like reflexes and speed. Tab-bing through known enemies is on the dev's to-do list, I'm not sure about NPC's. Its not hard to open Notepad after using <l>ook and writing down who's where.

I tried out my idea for initiating communications with enemies and it didn't work. What made it worse was that I was on Aegis mission and I killed the pilot of a Joust. The thing was in perfect condition and I couldn't take it. All those credits sitting out in a field to rust.

 

[Peacedog]

How do I deal with tiredness?

I don't want to tab through NPCs. I want to hit a key, and have their names appear over their head. Like Geneforge.

Writing down names on notepad doesn't fix the problem. Everyone looks the same.

 

[EEVIAC]

<Z> key is the key for rest - you can't rest if you're hungry - the game will tell you if you're hungry. To find out the name of an NPC, use the look key <l>. <h> is the key for help - it lists all the keyboard commands.

By the way, on the topic of salvage, here's the reply I got at the Gearhead_dev yahoo group :

First, other than the weapons you grab during combat, you can't salvage anything unless the fight is set to award you salvage when you win. Second, to be awarded anything other than complete, pilotless mechs, you'll need the Tech Vulture trait. (To get those pilotless mechs, try learning intimidation; that'll make it more likely for enemies to eject in combat.)

Anyway, all random encounters in the wilderness should give you salvage. So do generic kill-all-enemies war missions. Raid-the-base missions don't give you salvage; neither do arena fights or most missions for corps. In most circumstances, just listen to the person who gave you the mission; if they say you get salvage, then you get it, and if they don't mention salvage then you don't. Note that the salvage will end up in the next city you enter after the fight (normally the one you took the mission from, in the case of a mission); after a fight in the wilderness, all the salvage you got will follow you around until the next time you enter a city...

Oh, and parts that were destroyed in combat can't be salvaged--not even if you'd normally be able to get them repaired.