Re: A83: Re: Zelda: Test of Courage


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Re: A83: Re: Zelda: Test of Courage




My Zelda engine for the 86 was hard coded in the sense that you had to
recompile the source if you wanted to add/modify items or enemies and such.
Creating loadable modules for something like that doesn't make much sense
for a calculator game (especially since if I ever released it the source
would go with it).  However, all routines are usually not more than a few
calls to standard AI routines, and they are called from a table based on
their integer number.  Hence, when it comes down to actually creating
enemies and objects, the code is quite short.  The editor for the engine
allows one to change all of the maps, enemy positions, warps, doors, how the
map fits together, people, objects, etc.  Text is controlled in the editor,
but to actually change the text, you must recompile the source.

> Doesn't everyone else hardcode their assembly games in this manner?  Im
not
> sure what you are talking about.  Are you asking if we are using a map
> editor?

If you write a map editor, you will save yourself an immense amount of time.
A simple editor only takes a few hours to write in C.  And on the plus side,
other people will be able to help you with maps.

> We plan to have a map editor... if I ever get around to "hacking" one out.
>

Not necessarily.  It seems like it would be, but if you design it correctly
(the hard part), programming it is not all that tough.  And the beauty of it
is that once you get it done, it sort of just plays itself.  Sort of like
writing an emulator.

> My thoughts exactly... Wouldn't an interpreter for a Click-and-Play to ASM
> converter be more difficult than writing the actual game in asm.




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