Super Mario Bros. X Forums

GhostHawk wrote:Here's a screenshot showing that all BGOs can now be layered the way you want to. I probably used the most out of place ones, but the point is that layering is now implemented along with more level backgrounds.

Spoiler: show

Great, you made Z-Index
Original SMBX can support Z-Index, but, if you manually sorting BGOs in data array: all BGOs in SMBX displaying by his position in array. I.e. In LVL file after first "next" line in file (each BGO - 4 lines: x-pos, y-pos, ID, layer)

Nice, this is something I've been waiting for a long time. Also GhostHawk, I've got a couple of ideas in case you're interested:

• - Collision Trigger (Not a player-collision trigger, but with any other object).
  - Random Timer (Like SMBX's triggering wait timer, but you can add an option to randomize it between certain numbers).
  - Playable & NPC Affecting environment (Y'know, like NSMBWII's windy desert level, that moves all kind of NPCs and mario itself. This feature can also be found on DKC2)
  - Playable Editable Controls & Consequences (This might be hard to explain so read the following paragraph to understand what I mean)

You see, various game editors come with its predetermined controls for player movement, but what I suggest can also refer to some kind of player movement programming like Game Maker's system. More than programming, would be a tool, or mostly a window that comes with the program that lets you add custom buttons for the player to do something. EG, if you press the B button the player stands on a winning pose.

Wohlstand wrote:

GhostHawk wrote:Here's a screenshot showing that all BGOs can now be layered the way you want to. I probably used the most out of place ones, but the point is that layering is now implemented along with more level backgrounds.

Spoiler: show

Great, you made Z-Index
Original SMBX can support Z-Index, but, if you manually sorting BGOs in data array: all BGOs in SMBX displaying by his position in array. I.e. In LVL file after first "next" line in file (each BGO - 4 lines: x-pos, y-pos, ID, layer)

I wouldn't call it much of an index, the way I'm handling it is by drawing backgrounds first and those display in the order they're drawn in, then the tiles are drawn, and then all the foregrounds are displayed in the order they're drawn in.

Natsu wrote:Nice, this is something I've been waiting for a long time. Also GhostHawk, I've got a couple of ideas in case you're interested:

• - Collision Trigger (Not a player-collision trigger, but with any other object).
  - Random Timer (Like SMBX's triggering wait timer, but you can add an option to randomize it between certain numbers).
  - Playable & NPC Affecting environment (Y'know, like NSMBWII's windy desert level, that moves all kind of NPCs and mario itself. This feature can also be found on DKC2)
  - Playable Editable Controls & Consequences (This might be hard to explain so read the following paragraph to understand what I mean)

You see, various game editors come with its predetermined controls for player movement, but what I suggest can also refer to some kind of player movement programming like Game Maker's system. More than programming, would be a tool, or mostly a window that comes with the program that lets you add custom buttons for the player to do something. EG, if you press the B button the player stands on a winning pose.

I'm not sure about adding much of those, but I did have an idea for having a "Wand" level setting like you see in NSMBW castles. I'll have to wait about the other things you mentioned.

GhostHawk wrote:

Wohlstand wrote:

GhostHawk wrote:Here's a screenshot showing that all BGOs can now be layered the way you want to. I probably used the most out of place ones, but the point is that layering is now implemented along with more level backgrounds.

Spoiler: show

Great, you made Z-Index
Original SMBX can support Z-Index, but, if you manually sorting BGOs in data array: all BGOs in SMBX displaying by his position in array. I.e. In LVL file after first "next" line in file (each BGO - 4 lines: x-pos, y-pos, ID, layer)

I wouldn't call it much of an index, the way I'm handling it is by drawing backgrounds first and those display in the order they're drawn in, then the tiles are drawn, and then all the foregrounds are displayed in the order they're drawn in.

Z-Index/Z-Order it also is a drawing order, not only 3D-render, even in 2D: foreground, middleground, background -> result of sorting total graphics array by Z-Index before draw on screen, i.e. Render. This term is used in: Vector graphics, HTML, OpenGL, DirectX, etc... Small Z-Index - background, large - foreground.
And see: CPU overloading must not be overloaded to 100% (single-core PC) or one of core for multicore CPU, this is most importand, and main deficiency of software render, hardware render is most importand: OpenGL / DirectX

SnifitGuy wrote:Ghosthawk, will this be more optimized than SMBX?

I'm pretty sure yes.

SnifitGuy wrote:Ghosthawk, will this be more optimized than SMBX?

I'm fairly certain it will be, considering that Redigit was usually drunk when coding SMBX.

Pseudo-dino wrote:

SnifitGuy wrote:Ghosthawk, will this be more optimized than SMBX?

I'm fairly certain it will be, considering that Redigit was usually drunk when coding SMBX.

Are you implying I'm not? This is torture.

But seriously, everything is going to be made to the best of my ability.

Fealing the preasure huh? It's what releasing something you're working on sooner has. There are various factors that help this turn of events result into "torture", hope you understand them well.

I'm certain the possibility of adding any of my suggested implementations is rather low, but I hope you end up agreeing. Good luck.

Hey everyone, I was able to get recording software and give a narrated demonstration of VSMBX's progress. The video quality is pretty butchered thanks to YouTube and the recording itself, but oh well.

Here it is:


EDIT: Newer stuff is mentioned at the middle and end, in case you want to skip the introduction and basics.

Nice update GhostHawk, looks awesome. I like the feature that allows you to place in the Background/Foreground despite how the BGO is supposed to work, it's a really nice feature. I suppose you plan to add a lot of features from SMW, like the varied section scrolling which makes the section scroll on a different direction when it reaches a certain point, the Switches palaces, world map end definition, etcetera.

By the way, you should add the option to add slopes to the sizeable being nontransferable from below while you can still stand over it, like the ones from SMW.

SnifitGuy wrote:It's great to see all of these features and how close this is to SMBX. Will the window be the same size as SMBX's? I was watching the video and noticed that the game window (where you actually play) was stretched.

The game window is a bit bigger, than SMBX's but the stretch is caused by some distortion of the video. I don't know why it came out like that.

SnifitGuy wrote:

GhostHawk wrote:

SnifitGuy wrote:It's great to see all of these features and how close this is to SMBX. Will the window be the same size as SMBX's? I was watching the video and noticed that the game window (where you actually play) was stretched.

The game window is a bit bigger, than SMBX's but the stretch is caused by some distortion of the video. I don't know why it came out like that.

Ok, that's good to know. Will the image actually stretch if you resize the window?

Nope, instead it shows more of the level.

Oh, I was wondering.
Will the Visual Basic logo be removed from the interface?

SMBXxer wrote:Oh, I was wondering.
Will the Visual Basic logo be removed from the interface?

Lol, yeah. I'd change it now but I couldn't be bothered to. :p

OK so I'm watching the new video and writing this post while doing so.

About the level scrolling; I think I'd personally prefer the method that SMBX uses over the scroll bars. Could you at least include this as an option?
The menus seem almost identical to those in SMBX, which is really cool.
Nice job fixing the background limitation bug. That's useful.
The background/foreground option will also be really useful especially with custom graphics and water.
The new system for sizables seems like it'd work better than SMBX's method but it'd take some getting used to.
The new appearance for transparency is also really cool. Hopefully you can fix those performance issues.

Overall this is really really cool and I commend you for sticking with it and taking a project like this this far.

Could you please allow "layered" npc settings - such as let's say, a Goomba in an egg, in a bubble, based on the order you click the buttons?

FanofSMBX wrote:Could you please allow "layered" npc settings - such as let's say, a Goomba in an egg, in a bubble, based on the order you click the buttons?

Oh, yeah. That's a really good idea.
Oh, and Ghost Hawk, you have a beautiful voice.

FanofSMBX wrote:Could you please allow "layered" npc settings - such as let's say, a Goomba in an egg, in a bubble, based on the order you click the buttons?

Actual gameplay isn't implemented at all yet so I'd guess that that would be a far future addition. It would be really cool though.

SMBXxer wrote:Oh, and Ghost Hawk, you have a beautiful voice.

Also this.

Are you going to make VSMBX compatible with SMBX's .lvl and .wld files?

He already said, no.
But I wish it was.