Magic & Mercenaries: The Curse of Eternal Darkness

[Ysaye]

I went back to the original layout.

I don't have time to fight with people over what's the right way to get the job done or how big certain windows are or whatever dumb thing they think that really doesn't matter when it comes to a CRPG. My original layout is similar to the Gold-Box games, which was intentional from the start. Those who get it and understand what I'm going for will like the game and those that don't can pass on it. Personally, I think some people have some really shallow criteria and I never should have let them get into my head to begin with.

Agreed ProphetSword! - back yourself in! From my perspective you had stated clear intentions and I ideally want you to keep to them. Whilst the other option was good as well, it doesn't keep to the original intentions and so it is inferior under those intentions IMO.

I liken it to this - if you are designing and building a house of a particular style, then it may be that that style has some things that are not ideal from a number of perspectives (light, environmental location, space etc.) but you are either committed to the elements that you want or you are not, and this stems from the original attraction. Countering the original aesthetic reason without a strong overpowering reason will only lead to significant regret IMO.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

why even have a game wndow at all, just replace it with another stats window of things you don't need to know all the time but are on screen all the time anyways

 

[Ysaye]

why even have a game wndow at all, just replace it with another stats window of things you don't need to know all the time but are on screen all the time anyways

Because it is consistent with the original vision - IE. to be like a Gold Box game.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

why even have a game wndow at all, just replace it with another stats window of things you don't need to know all the time but are on screen all the time anyways

Because it is consistent with the original vision - IE. to be like a Gold Box game.

Will it be consistent with the goldbox games and run on my commodore 64?

 

[Ysaye]

why even have a game wndow at all, just replace it with another stats window of things you don't need to know all the time but are on screen all the time anyways

Because it is consistent with the original vision - IE. to be like a Gold Box game.

Will it be consistent with the goldbox games and run on my commodore 64?

"To be like" is the important bit you missed there. ProphetSword even said originally "to have colours and style .... like the Commodore 64" - not to "have a game that runs on Commodore 64.".

 

[rusty_shackleford]

why even have a game wndow at all, just replace it with another stats window of things you don't need to know all the time but are on screen all the time anyways

Because it is consistent with the original vision - IE. to be like a Gold Box game.

Will it be consistent with the goldbox games and run on my commodore 64?

"To be like" is the important bit you missed there. ProphetSword even said originally "to have colours and style .... like the Commodore 64" - not to "have a game that runs on Commodore 64.".

So what's the point of copying something that existed due to hardware limitations?

 

[ProphetSword]

So what's the point of copying something that existed due to hardware limitations?

To recapture the feeling of the original games and take some of us back to our youth.

For example: "Skald: Against the Black Priory" is doing something similar...

...but nobody seems to be giving anyone a rash of bullshit over this game...why is that?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

So what's the point of copying something that existed due to hardware limitations?

To recapture the feeling of the original games and take some of us back to our youth.

For example: "Skald: Against the Black Priory" is doing something similar...

...but nobody seems to be giving anyone a rash of bullshit over this game...why is that?

But that's an old version with the old UI.

 

[Ysaye]

So what's the point of copying something that existed due to hardware limitations?

To recapture the feeling of the original games and take some of us back to our youth.

For example: "Skald: Against the Black Priory" is doing something similar...

...but nobody seems to be giving anyone a rash of bullshit over this game...why is that?

But that's an old version with the old UI.

Really it still has the same game window dimensions, doesn't it? - it is just there is an area which is blackout-ed at the bottom with no message bar there whilst traversing. Then in combat it is cut down significantly.

But more importantly, I don't remember or am aware of there being a bunch of persistent complainers trying to influence the interface for Skald? - the designer has made that choice of his own volition.

 

[anvi]

Their window is way bigger. Also it isn't first person so seeing more wouldn't achieve much. But whatever, your argument is retarded. Make it monochrome and ascii, nobody is going to buy it anyway.

 

[V_K]

They don't give a damn about it being graphically trendy; because there are plenty of CRPGs out there that are flashy and modern.

My only reservation about the GB-style UI is not about trendiness but rather that with how large contemporary displays are, you'll have to keep your head turned slightly to the left to concentrate on the exploration window, which isn't necessarily good for one's neck.

 

[ProphetSword]

I've altered the original layout in order to make it compatible with widescreen displays and to put it more in step with the way that the Gold-Box layout looked...

And before some idiot comes along and tells me that the exploration/image window is the size of a postage stamp, here's a comparison of the new screen layout next to the original. Even though the exploration/image window was fine in the original, the new layout is easily twice the size, not to mention the entire screen is wider overall going from the 4:3 aspect ratio to 16:9 or 16:10.

 

[anvi]

That looks way better. Just gimme one more inch by shrinking the gap between Character Name and Condition and we got a deal.

 

[ProphetSword]

That looks way better. Just gimme one more inch by shrinking the gap between Character Name and Condition and we got a deal.

I initially had it closer but it looked...off? I'll see what I can do with it.

 

[JarlFrank]

I liked the older one better tbh

 

[anvi]

Looked better in the middle, but it seems a bit bigger. Finish the gameplay and do the UI at the end?

 

[ProphetSword]

Working toward modernizing some parts of the game. Not everything needs to be stuck in 1990, I suppose.

Old inventory screen:

Updated inventory screen:

Old character sheet:

Updated character sheet:

 

[anvi]

Looks miles better. Where did you get the gear icons?

 

[ProphetSword]

Looks miles better. Where did you get the gear icons?

Bought them.

 

[JarlFrank]

Looks miles better. Where did you get the gear icons?

Bought them.

Bad investment, they're ugly.

 

[anvi]

They were a good call. Starting to look more like a real game.

 

[Bad Sector]

Bad investment, they're ugly.

Depends on the money spent, if he could find a better artist for similar amount of money and/or if he could make icons of at least similar quality himself without spending a lot of time that could have been used in other aspects of the game.

At the end of the day money and time are limited and - at least IMO - things like item icons are of the least importance in most RPGs; as long as they do their job to look like the things they're supposed to be, they're fine.

 

[JarlFrank]

The issue I have with these icons is that they look like mid 2000s MMO or 2010s mobile RPG. This game is supposed to evoke "Gold Box" but these item icons evoke "World of Warcraft".

 

[anvi]

2000's MMOs look a hell of a lot better than 1980s crap.

 

[dragonx1]

any updates????