4.8 Feature Requests

[PixelWrangler]

Most likely not... it's one of those features I hadn't looked into, and therefore didn't realize was already supported. (I removed my "if it isn't already supported" line from the post, too...) If/when I start using the functionality, I'll keep an eye out for functionality glitches.

Mod support is one of those things I got for free, so I haven't really tested it at all. It probably works, but I have no idea for sure.

[PixelWrangler]

Most likely not... it's one of those features I hadn't looked into, and therefore didn't realize was already supported. (I removed my "if it isn't already supported" line from the post, too...) If/when I start using the functionality, I'll keep an eye out for functionality glitches.

Mod support is one of those things I got for free, so I haven't really tested it at all. It probably works, but I have no idea for sure.

Ummmm... Was that you, PyTom?... looks like someone edited my post...

Weird.

Assuming it was... when I get the chance, and think of it, I'll try to remember to mess around with the MOD/Tracker capabilities and let you know what happens.

P.W.

[PyTom]

Gorram it. I clicked edit instead of quote again.

My bad.

[PixelWrangler]

Gorram it. I clicked edit instead of quote again.

My bad.

No problem... at least I know I'm not imagining things.

P.W.

[PyTom]

Okay, I've gotten 2/3 of the really big features done for 4.8. So since it looks like it will be coming out sometime later this week or next week, I think it's appropriate that I put out a last call for features.

In other news, I fixed a bug that prevents having character names starting with 'u'.

Am I upset? Heck no! I just got a haircut! And not one of those depressing "someone dumped me so I got a new hairstyle" haircuts that you see in Manga. No, this is my usual $3.50 haircut in which the barber cuts your hair without giving you any input whatsoever into the process.

Since it's been a month since my last haircut (due to the principle of minimizing the number of people who get to stick sharp objects next to your head), it really is a load off of my shoulders.

[PixelWrangler]

Okay, I've gotten 2/3 of the really big features done for 4.8. So since it looks like it will be coming out sometime later this week or next week, I think it's appropriate that I put out a last call for features.

At the risk of asking for an already-possible feature (I'm thinking there may already a way to do this), would it be possible to have it so that custom character horizontal screen positions can be defined by the user? Presently, I know there are left, right, and center positions, but being able to specify additional positions would allow for greater creativity in storytelling.

For example, the player is talking to two characters, one at the left and one at the right. Suddenly, a third character appears. The two characters move together to the left, and the third appears at the right. After a short conversation, the two characters at the left leave, and the one at the right moves to the center.

I'm not sure what the syntax would look like, but it might be something along the lines of:

Code: Select all

$ <position name> = position(<specify x value>);

So for the above example (apologies in advance for coding glitches):

Code: Select all

(Lengthy example removed to facilitate topic viewing. - P.W.)

Again, apologies if this is already implemented/possible... if it isn't, it would be great to see in the next release ( 4.8 ).

P.W.

[PyTom]

ould it be possible to have it so that custom horizontal screen positions can be defined by the user? Presently, I know there are left, right, and center positions, but being able to specify additional positions would allow for greater creativity in storytelling.

This is possible, and it's done using user-defined Positions.

So one can have something like:

Code: Select all

init: 
    $ hardleft = Position(xanchor='left', xpos=0)
    $ midleft = Position(xanchor='left', xpos=0.25)

Showing a character at hard left will align the left side of her image with the left side of the screen, while showing her at midleft will align her left side with the 1/4 mark from the left of the screen.

The hard part of this is figuring out exactly what it is you want, in terms of where the characters should be. (If the hardleft character is greater than 1/4 the width of the screen, then the two characters given above will start overlapping.)

[PixelWrangler]

This is possible, and it's done using user-defined Positions.

So one can have something like:

Code: Select all

init: 
    $ hardleft = Position(xanchor='left', xpos=0)
    $ midleft = Position(xanchor='left', xpos=0.25)

Showing a character at hard left will align the left side of her image with the left side of the screen, while showing her at midleft will align her left side with the 1/4 mark from the left of the screen.

The hard part of this is figuring out exactly what it is you want, in terms of where the characters should be. (If the hardleft character is greater than 1/4 the width of the screen, then the two characters given above will start overlapping.)

Excellent. Thanks for the tip, and sorry for yet another "already been done" suggestion.

I clipped the huge example code block in my post above, since the feature is already there. ^_^

P.W.

[chronoluminaire]

Since it's been a month since my last haircut (due to the principle of minimizing the number of people who get to stick sharp objects next to your head), it really is a load off of my shoulders.

About 9 months and counting Chrono has big bushy hair...

[PixelWrangler]

A couple of thoughts for features:

1. Support for multiple scripts

Though many games today run off of a single script, there may be those users who wish to "jump" scripts rather than editing a single, enormous one, especially for more complex games. There are commercial games out there that use this model as well.

The file layout for this model would most likely consist of a "configuration" script file with configuration/setting (init) data, and separate scenario scripts.

As an alternative to this, some method of working with many, smaller scripts, then compiling them into a single, final script might be an option. (many .rpy files concatenated into a single .rpyc, for example)

I'm not sure what the interest level is for this feature, but I thought I'd mention it, as there is bound to be an enormous project done in Ren'py at some point.

2. Compilation to executable

On the other end of the scale, how about optional compilation of game assets into a single executable for a game's final version? A good way to implement this might be to have user-selectable categories (sound, graphics, scripts, etc) for inclusion in the main .exe file, and optional obfuscation of the remaining by category.

For the most part, integrating the script into the executable shouldn't affect the .exe file overhead too greatly, and for smaller games, graphics/sound inclusion (especially if MIDI files are used) would be possible.

I realize the whole model of Ren'py was based on a compilation-free environment, but it might be a nice option to have. Again, any comments on the level of interest is welcome.

Both of the above features would most likely be incredibly complex and time-consuming to implement, so inclusion in 4.8 would not be expected, should there be sufficient interest.

P.W.

[PyTom]

A couple of thoughts for features:

1. Support for multiple scripts

This is already there. All of the .rpy files in the game directory are parsed and included in the game script.

2. Compilation to executable

This is basically impossible, due to the libraries that I use. Many assets require that they exist in separate files to work with pygame, and the py2exe process also produces a bunch of files.

[PixelWrangler]

A couple of thoughts for features:

1. Support for multiple scripts

This is already there. All of the .rpy files in the game directory are parsed and included in the game script.

(Insert standard apology for already-implemented suggestion and gratitude for PyTom's patience here)

Okay. So the end result would be a single .rpyc file? And I'm guessing the init settings would be in the first script, correct?

2. Compilation to executable

This is basically impossible, due to the libraries that I use. Many assets require that they exist in separate files to work with pygame, and the py2exe process also produces a bunch of files.

Makes sense. Not much you can really do about that. ^_^

P.W.

[PyTom]

Okay. So the end result would be a single .rpyc file? And I'm guessing the init settings would be in the first script, correct?

Actually, you get one .rpyc file per .rpy file. Any file can contain init blocks, but please note that the order in which those blocks are run is undefined outside of a file.

[Megaman Z]

Okay. So the end result would be a single .rpyc file? And I'm guessing the init settings would be in the first script, correct?

Actually, you get one .rpyc file per .rpy file. Any file can contain init blocks, but please note that the order in which those blocks are run is undefined outside of a file.

*raises hand* question! how would that work?
(now that TOZ ch. 1 is technically done [can't find a floppy drive, d***it!], I can start looking at what to use for TOZ ch. 2...)

[PyTom]

*raises hand* question! how would that work?

I'm not sure I understand the question.

Actually, I'm sure I don't. Can you rephrase it?