Okay, so this *is* related to Midnight Mansion, I just didn't know where else to put it. I could use your help! It seems Download.com added a <blockquote>ratings</blockquote> feature at some point, and while Midnight Mansion has gotten great positive comments, no one has made use of the Ratings feature, which could help a bit more. So if you have a free minute, go here and give it 5 stars:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.download.com/Midnight-Mansion/3000-2275_4-10624857.html?tag=lst-0-5">http://www.download.com/Midnight-Mansion/3000-2275_4-10624857.html?tag=lst-0-5</a><br />
<br />
Look at the <blockquote>Average user rating</blockquote> just below the Download Now link. There is a blue <blockquote>Rate it!</blockquote> link there. You have to become a member to rate it (free), which is a nuisance, but I suppose that way each person can rate it only once.<br />
<br />
I'm hoping to get into the <blockquote>Highest Rated</blockquote> category. I don't know if you need an editorial review to get there, or if user reviews can do it, but only 2 Mac games are in that category right now, so I figure why not try.

Here is where everyone can post their thoughts on how to make the forum look.<br />
<br />
joeb

As with most things some of us believe;<br />
If it ain't broke don't fix it!<br />
While others are of the;<br />
It is illogical to assume that all things will remain the same.....<br />
<br />
As most of you know I have been asked to help out with a new look for the forum. With that goal in mind I am going to be posting several polls in this location trying to get feedback from the community about the forum. I will be asking some questions which will be yes and no. I will also have a drop box for SPECIFIC ideas.<br />
There are also a some RULES that as the person trying to make this happen I ask everyone adhere to in this part of the forum.<br />
<br />
1. Do not email or PM me directly unless I ask you to.<br />
<br />
2. This forum is for ideas only. Suggestions as to what software to use are not needed. I have a HUGE graphic toolset and will be using those tools because they are what I am familiar with.<br />
<br />
3. Please do not refer to any mansions past, present, future, unless they are one of the Actionsoft mansions. If you have an idea for a graphic put it in the drop box.<br />
<br />
4. Try to stay focused on what the topic is. If a suggestion about putting a dog with Jack is presented we don't need to discuss who has what dogs, who like what kind of dogs, etc.<br />
<br />
If I think a post is not about how the forum looks it will disappear. No PM or email warnings, it will just go. I would rather not censure any ideas but considering that as of this post there are 466 members THAT is a lot of opinions. As ideas appear that have strong support I will add new polls to address those ideas specifically. Also keep in mind that the final decision on look and feel will have to pass by Vern, Jacob, the Admins and other longtime MM people.<br />
<br />
Other than these specific issues I welcome everyone to participate. Like MM this should be a lot of fun and I am hoping will result in a great place to discuss and find new ways to enjoy the wonderful game Midnight Mansion. Remember, this is your opportunity to have a voice in how the forum looks.<br />
<br />
Best Regards to ALL forum members and look for some polls shortly!<br />
<br />
<br />
Joe B

Freddy has been asking me to <blockquote>fix</blockquote> something in the editor that I can't really fix. Instead designers must avoid it. And that is this: it is possible to place big doors directly on top of smaller doors, and the smaller doors will still be there, even though completely covered up. I know there is a door in Foggy Forest Mansion (a gray one) that has this problem, and I've heard of it also being in Catacombs. In Foggy Forest Mansion, I walked up to the gray door, ran into it while I had a key, and a *different* door I didn't see that was underneath was opened, and my key got used up.<br />
<br />
Designers shouldn't do this. To avoid, simply *use the eraser* tool to delete any doors you want to get rid of, before placing replacement doors in their place. Don't place new sprites directly on top of old ones. It might just cover them up, and you'll not know the old ones are there.

Hey Vern,<br />
<br />
I am to be built even to it all 8 original Mansion again. Thus all from Easy to hard. May I make this at all?<br />
<br />
:-[<br />
<br />
I hope, because I have already with 2 Mansion in the easy mode finally...

Since the second half of December 2006 we have new MM-boards thanks to Vern. As you will have noticed the changing of the layout has been postponed for a while. That is not so surprising since we all have a private life under sometimes difficult circumstances. And therefor :'( :'( even Midnight Mansion sometimes has to wait.<br />
<br />
Anyway, there is good news. I like to announce that Joe, who is certainly a graphics-master, said YES on the request of Vern and the Admins to start the works at the lay-out of our boards. We also gave him the permission to organize some polls, because he wants that all forummembers get their <blockquote>vote</blockquote> in how the look is going to change.<br />
<br />
Well, I drink a Belgian [smiley=beer.gif] on it: Tongerlo Triple.

I have to ask a dummy question.... and I'm sure the answer is anywhere in MM's documentation, but I haven't found it.<br />
<br />
One thing I NEVER understood:<br />
<br />
Why - on earth - are the bases of the levers changing from yellow to green, once you've planted a lever in one of your room designs?<br />
<br />
I have never understood the logic behind it..... in other mansions sometimes they're yellow, sometimes they are green.... and I'm sure it means something... but what ??<br />
<br />
However, whenever I put one up, it changes from yellow to green, even before I have applied a function to it.... in MindMines, for example, I found it often harmed my visual layout (color scheme)... that's why all the lever bases in MindMines are covered with layer-6 bits. <br />
<br />
So what's the secret ? 8-)

As I strive to put interesting features into my current mansion project, I've found that trial and error is currently my only method of design, and I think that stinks. I can't help feeling that I could be much more effective if I were able to describe interactions in Midnight Mansion mathematically so that I could model how a certain mechanism is to work before I go building it. It also occurs to me that some of what I want to know may already be common knowledge among the community.<br />
<br />
So, before I went haring off trying to figure all this out on my own, I figured I'd post a list of all the things I want to know and see what others can fill in. After that, I'll figure out the rest and post them in a follow-up, so we can all have a handy reference to build off of.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Units</u></strong><br />
If you're gonna describe something, ya gotta have units! Fortunately, we only need three in this case. I've chosen to use <span style="color: #009900;">seconds (s)</span> for time, <span style="color: #009900;">tiles (t)</span> for distance, and <span style="color: #009900;">tiles/second (tps)</span> for speed.<br />
<br />
Please use these units when posting quantities (or if there's a better unit, use it but explain it).<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Modeling Jack's Motion</u></strong><br />
<ul class="ppgc-ul">
<li>How fast does Jack run (tps)?<br />
<li>How fast does he fall?<br />
<li>How fast does he slide down poles?<br />
<li>How high does he jump?<br />
<li>How high does he jump from vines?<br />
<li>How fast does he travel horizontally while falling?<br />
<li>How far can he jump (can be obtained from the previous three)?<br />
<li>How fast does he climb ladders and vines?<br />
<li>How far can he fall without dying?<br />
<li>Bonus question: What effect do moving things (conveyor belts, moving platforms) have on Jack's horizontal motion, and is there a mathematical relationship between this effect and the speed of the platform?<br />
</ul>
<br />
<strong><u>Modeling other motions and times</u></strong><br />
<br />
General:<br />
<ul class="ppgc-ul">
<li>What is the conversion factor between the speed number you type into the dialog box and tps? Is this factor the same for all sprites that can have a speed?<br />
<li>How do duration numbers translate into seconds? (some dialogs say it's s/60, but others don't. Is this consistent?)<br />
<li>How long does it take a door to open?<br />
<li>How long does it take Jack to flip a switch?<br />
</ul>
<br />
Spiders:<br />
<ul class="ppgc-ul">
<li>How fast does a big spider descend/ascend? (tps)<br />
<li>Small spiders--actually, I can't make head nor tail of these numbers. If someone could explain what they mean I would be most appreciative.<br />
</ul>
<br />
Birds:<br />
<ul class="ppgc-ul">
<li>How does the amplitude number translate into vertical range (as in, given an amplitude number, how many tiles will the bird deviate up or down from its placed position)?<br />
<li>What does <blockquote>angle delta</blockquote> mean?<br />
</ul>
<br />
Fish: What relationships correlate initial speed, gravity, jump height, and speed of ascent/descent at a given vertical position?<br />
<br />
<u><strong>Final remarks</strong></u><br />
I think that's all the information anyone could need to model any aspect of the game. If we can figure out all these numbers, it should be possible to just plug things into a spreadsheet and churn out answers to all sorts of design problems.<br />
<br />
Here's a simple example if you're having trouble visualizing why I'd want to know all this: Suppose Jack is sliding down a pole. You have horizontal zapper beams across the path of the pole, and you want Jack to ride down in a cocoon of safety, with beams turning off just as he reaches them, and turning back on just as he passes through. I've seen this done before, and wanted to do it, but got stymied by the prospect of building it by trial and error. If I knew Jack's rate of fall on a pole (and what the zapper durations mean), I could just set up a few formulas in Excel and fill down to churn out the values for all of the zapper beams.<br />
<br />
Think of it. <em>Just think of it!</em> :o :o ;D <br />
<br />
Also, this information really should be in the manual. Eh Vern, wink wink nudge nudge? :-? :-?

I'm starting my new mansion, Utah and the temple of traps. With my first attempts with custom graphics, I will also allow many areas to explore, such as secret caves, an abandoned mine, a cave-in situation, and the ancient ruins of a temple. I will be working on this for awhile so don't expect this mansion to be out soon. I will post pictures once I am making the mansion and are finished with the graphics. This will be part one of my mansions, where Jack must go through all 7 or 8 to complete his mission. Each will have a new set of custom graphics, and I'm expecting to make an abandoned amptheater as the second mansion. I'm aiming for the indiana jones theme in this mansion, just so you know what to expect...  8-) ;D :o :o :o

<span style="color: #ff0000;">@ Matt &amp; Joe:</span> Are you in the mood to create the next episode? If so, I send you the CATACOMBS ORIGINAL file by email.