The end of swopping-files ?

[Freddy]

Thanks to a reminder by Vern AND to aquaMat's recent work at Discotheque of Doom, I am pretty sure that almost all custom mansions in future will be playable without any files-swopping.

The following 2 mansions will be updated by the admins to prove that it is really possible: Immortal Ruins and Discotheque of Doom.

Two other mansions can be done fast as well, but first need to be beta-tested and fixed in a serious way. From one of them, I already received an update to do some aplha-testing. No beta yet, I am afraid.

For the few designers who also used customized graphics, sounds and/or sprites (Wingy and joeb) I advise to contact aquaMat. Not only to know how he handled his sprites and graphics, but also why and which problems he got. And IF Wingy's 3 and joeb's 2 mansions could be changed like DoD, than ALL CUSTOM MANSIONS SHOULD BE FREE OF FILES-SWOPPING.

What a comfort would that be!

[Semi-Native]

Amen to that. File swapping gets pretty tiresome.
That would be really great.

[joeb]

HUH?

Where's the start of this thread? I have absolutely no idea what this is about but since I being asked to fix something I'd kind of like to know what it is I'm fixing.

Thanks guys,

Joe B

[Freddy]

You didn't miss anything joeb!

But I was going to make this introduction-post with the

good news

, followed by the updates of IR and DoD. And emails to Wingy and you. Alas, this afternoon something came in between and the post stayed isolated and was probably confusing.

What is going on ... ? Two seperate things! But that hopefully will lead to one target: the end of files-swopping. I explain. More clearly now.

1° When I did send an email to Vern a few days ago, with an idea about a better handling of music- and screenfiles, he replied me that already in MM 1.0.8 he added a feature to make things even more easy than what I was asking for right now. I am to blame that I missed that issue, but the good news is that we, admins, don't need any help of all the seperate designers to make the needed updates. The update of Immortal Ruins will show how it is possible, after downloading a mansion, to drag ONLY ONCE the mansionfile and the datafolder to the Custom Mansions folder. And afterwards no more files-swopping. So far the story about screens and music.

2° This second part is about graphics, sprites and sounds. And a coincidence! A few weeks ago aquaMat reported me that, since version 1.0.9, his Discotheque of Doom couldn't be played any more in a proper way. He sent me images of indeed awful looking rooms with white areas and other odd stuff. He assumed that it had to do with the new feature of

built-in

graphics and sprites that are possible since 1.0.9, while DoD was build before. He very surprisingly came with an update where all his graphics and sprites were built-in. Thus, since the last update od DoD (version 2.1) the graphics- and sprites-files don't need to be swopped any more. I know he put a lot of time and energy in it, but I am sure he will share his experiences with the 2 other designers, Wingy and joeb, who worked with customized graphics, sprites and sounds as well. Now, and here comes the coincidence, if Wingy and joeb, because of problems with some of their mansions (since 1.0.9) or not, would be so nice to built-in their graphics, sprites (and hopefully also sounds) as well, than files-swopping will be the Paleolithicum!!

My next steps are:
1° creating updates for IR and DoD;
2° sending emails to Wingy and joeb.

[joeb]

Thanks Freddy.


I don't know why aquaMat had an issue with custom graphics. I just put them into the mansion file and they work fine. No swapping needed! I need to find (unless you know where it is) the doc from Vern about the custom backgrounds.
If I remember correctly the background screens need to be put into a Screens folder. That folder and the custom mansion file need to be in their own folder inside the Custom Mansions folder in the MM folder structure.
For instance the mansion I'm about to release, which Matt has named Radeka (don't ask me why the name), the setup would be:

Custom Mansions -> Radeka (folder)
Radeka (folder) -> Radeka (mansion file)
Radeka (folder) -> Screens (folder)
Screens (folder) -> background7.jpg, background8.jpg, etc.

Is that right? Also FYI I think you mean file SWAPPING.

Speaking of Radeka, who do I send it to for testing?

Thanks,

Matt & Joe B

[Freddy]

@ joeb: Speaking of a superfast reply! Thx.

I don't think that aquaMat had problems with building in his graphics and sprites. But BEFORE doing that, playing his mansion with 1.0.9 showed odd features that he couldn't fix in an easy way. He may tell you everything about it, but he is on holiday for the time being. Lucky guy!

Concerning the backgrounds (= screens), don't worry. That is our stuff. Besides e.g. the Radeka mansionfile, we make a Radeka Data folder with both the screens and the music. Both file and folder need to be dragged to the Custom Mansion folder for once and for ever. Sounds nice, isn't it!

Please send your updated mansions to me. But, unless you changed things in it, no screens or music. All those files I have. Please have a look at my question about the secrets as well. See my email from the 8th of December. Thx.

The updates of IR and DoD are already downloadable.

[joeb]

email or PM? I don't see anything in my email from you. You might have gotten filtered out though. I've been getting like 90% spam so I keep adding filters and it might have caught a word in your email that was on my restricted list. I'll just add you to my email pass addresses rule.
Sorry about that.
Radeka was a 60 room mansion that would have been my contest mansion. It has since expanded to ~100 rooms and is by far the most difficult Matt & I have created. His original name for it was Sneaky Chateau because of all the little visual hooks. We've created a swamp brick that Jack can move thru but he's 80% hidden. There are also slime snakes which blend in with the swamp brick and can only be recognized by their bright yellow eyes when they're swimming. Some of the traps might be considered

CHEAP DEATHS

but I don't consider them so because if you watch for things (like web strands) you'll know that there is a critter (web strands = spider) in hiding. Should be to you in about a week (or sooner)

Thanks,

Matt & Joe B

[joeb]

Here's a swamp shot with one of the snakes sittin on a platform and 4 more swimming in the muck

jb

ps that's a custom bg that you don't have yet.

[Freddy]

joeb wrote: email or PM? ...

Email. Sent it again, a few minutes ago. Please give a yell if it shouldn't arrive. Thx.

[Freddy]

joeb wrote: Here's a swamp shot with one of the snakes sittin on a platform and 4 more swimming in the muck

jb

ps that's a custom bg that you don't have yet.

Superb. The snakes are almost invisible! :o

And of course, when a designer created new music or screens, those files need to be sent as well.