Messages

1

Maps In Progress / Re: Alien 3 and parallax backgrounds

« on: July 13, 2010, 10:53:50 am »

I've started mapping this game for real now, thanks to all of you.
So far, so good.

Oh, I thought you were talking about something else.  Yeah that can't be fixed with a code because the any code that holds the animation still also causes it to move with you.  Example: 7E002499

BgMapper works great though.  Here's what I made using it and photoshop.  SNES transparencies usually use Linear Dodge.

I managed with this aswell. Only difference is that I got the layer from vSnes and I use Paint.NET so the correct blending mode is called "Additive".
Just wanted to add that. This thread has taught me alot and maybe it can even be of use for someone else some time 

2

Maps In Progress / Re: Alien 3 and parallax backgrounds

« on: July 09, 2010, 10:17:54 am »

That's the problem?  You should have just said "the background is too dark".  Here try these in regular old ZSNES:
7E0200FF
7E0202FF
7E0204FF
7E0206FF
7E0208FF

It works perfectly.
I'm sorry. I tried to explain in my very first post. When I said "make the emulator display an obscure color, like pink (or even better, transparent for the output image), as its background rather than black." this is exactly what I was looking for. I just don't know what the emulators can do if you fiddle with them a little. Especially not zsnes since I don't use it.


About this.

Ohhhhh I see. It is entirely possible that the background is actually 1024, making it twice as wide as the loading area. It could also be more. Keep moving to the right and see if you can find the other matching piece to what it started with.

I made another image to show you.

That it's twice as wide seems accurate. So this method can be used to map faster. But again, look where it is cut on the left side. At the exact same spot as it was in my previous picture.
But actually, this is something good too. If you trust it, you won't even have to figure out where the joint is. It is right where you left off.

3

Maps In Progress / Re: Alien 3 and parallax backgrounds

« on: July 09, 2010, 04:26:31 am »

We might misunderstand eachother slightly. Probably because I wasn't clear enough from the beginning. My apologies.

That layer you show us in the picture is another issue and honestly I was thinking of leaving it out.
No, for me the very background is enough hassle.

Hope I can make some sense with my picture.



As you all can see, it is possible to produce a map from this. It's just that I've always used some overlapping to make sure everything is correct.

4

Maps In Progress / Re: Alien 3 and parallax backgrounds

« on: July 08, 2010, 05:09:57 pm »

All of you seem to praise VBA. I should map something using it to see for myself. And hopefully learn something also.

OK seriously, which rooms have these parallax backgrounds?  I've looked through a ton of levels and I can't find them.

Alien 3 on the SNES. Not in the starting corridore but as soon as you enter a door.

5

Maps In Progress / Re: Alien 3 and parallax backgrounds

« on: July 08, 2010, 11:28:09 am »

When I tried to map again today I came to the conclusion that, like we mentioned, more of the layers are put in the memory than what's currently displayed. Sadly they can be chopped up and put out of order. It also seemed to me that rather then fluidly updating the layer I inspected, it was given to you in chunks. As if you enter a new area as you progress through the level.
Therefore you're prevented from making the graphics overlap to make sure it's in its right position when putting your map together. You simply have to trust that it is cut at the exact right spot. Of course there's no reason why it shouldn't be cut right where it left off plus you should be able to spot if it wasn't. But that is just not how I've been working so far.

Don't know if I made myself clear. English is not my native language. I can sort of see that what I write myself might sound a bit awkward, but I'm still not able to improve it =S

6

Maps In Progress / Re: Alien 3 and parallax backgrounds

« on: July 07, 2010, 05:14:35 pm »

Guys, thanks alot. Seems like we actually found the sollution to this.

I changed my zsnes to version 1.51 and it now works as expected. I still prefer Snes9x and there was something about it's compatibility with vSnes on the vSnes webpage but I will settle with the combination zsnes + vSnes for now.

I simply open the savestate in vSnes, pick SceneViewer, go straight to the 'layers' tab, and here its already set on 'regular backgrounds' so all I did was picking 'costum' in the 'transparency' box to the right then picked a pigpink color.

We can't consider the case closed just yet tho. I was playing around with it a little and I'm a little puzzled with what is displayed in the 'layers' tab. It's NOT exactly what you see under the 'screen' tab. It's alot more. Hopefully this won't cause any troubles and might even be useful.
It's getting late here and I will put this method into use tomorrow and then get back here for the final verdict.

7

Maps In Progress / Re: Alien 3 and parallax backgrounds

« on: July 07, 2010, 05:56:28 am »

I checked out the vSNES tool but I couldn't get much out of it. First of all it seemed only compatible with the saves zsnes creates and I'm not friends with zsnes. I gave it (zsnes) a try though. First game I tried didn't even start. Second one starts but no sound (not that it matters but hey, it should work). Manage to save and load. Restart the emulator and load but then all colors get screwed up. Curse zsnes. Finally I manage to open the save in vSnes but I guess I'm many tutorials away from getting anything out of it.

tl;dr - I don't like zsnes and vSnes is complicated.

That said, I'd need alot of tutoring before I could perform any hack on anything 



To turn it around and leaving the background layer on like RT is saying might be possible in some areas. Gonna try it out right now. Will also see if I can reach Trop about that code Will.

8

Maps In Progress / Alien 3 and parallax backgrounds

« on: July 06, 2010, 09:47:00 am »

I started working on Alien 3 for the SNES. There's a cheat code making all gameplay trivial, which I'm thankful for. Also the screen scrolls nicely, revealing all corners without having to walk back and forth 100 times to reach that last row of pixels. All conditions are great except for one thing. The parallax background.

I tried making a search here to find out how to best deal with it but couldn't find any real sollution. So I will create this post and try to be as specific as possible.

I'm using the 'snes9x 1.51 win32' emulator, so I can easily just remove that layer, it will be replaced with plain black. Sadly there's alot of back in the foreground layer preventing me to just use the magic wand tool in Paint.NET to remove all black and slide the background in beneath.

I realize this is a common problem but what is the best sollution?

My ideas are these:

• Just leave the background black. (Worst sollution. Think I rather don't map the game then)
  
• If there was a way to tweak the emulator (or if there's another emulator that can already do it) to either freeze a layer (doesn't even sound likely to me) or
  
• make the emulator display an obscure color, like pink (or even better, transparent for the output image), as its background rather than black.
  

To me the last one seems like the best pick and it also sounds realistic to me 

9

VGMaps Social Board / Re: Problems submitting or This is where I convince ppl to use gmail

« on: March 26, 2010, 10:06:28 am »

There are gmail notifiers for both chrome and ff. I especially liked the one I had for ff before I stopped using firefox. It was good at handling multiple accounts.

Well, initially I was thinking of rapidshare as a last resort but I tried that sendspace this time. Always fun to try something new.

10

VGMaps Social Board / Problems submitting or This is where I convince ppl to use gmail

« on: March 25, 2010, 12:52:36 pm »

Maybe I should just PM Jonathan ahout this but I'm making a thread anyway. I tried to submit some maps yesterday but my mail couldn't get through. "Diagnostic-Code: smtp;552 5.2.2 This message is larger than the current system limit or the recipient's mailbox is full. Create a shorter message body or remove attachments and try sending it again."

The map is saved as png and I've run it through PNGGAUNTLET. One (1) map is still around 13MB. So before I start bitching about email providers limitations I'd like to know if maps this size will be accepted anyway. And if so, how can I submit them?

11

Map Gab / Re: Young Merlin - SNES

« on: January 03, 2010, 07:27:14 pm »

I've submitted the first chunk of maps on this game, they can be found here https://www.vgmaps.com/Atlas/SuperNES/index.htm#YoungMerlin (thanks Jon for posting them so quickly )

If you find any errors (I doubt it  ) or have anything else to say about them I'm happy to listen.

12

Map Gab / Young Merlin - SNES

« on: December 30, 2009, 05:06:40 pm »

After some half-finished projects I'm finally back in my right elements, Snes and isometric view. Working with NES simply isn't my thing. There's something artistic about compiling maps like this and NES compared to Snes is like comparing some crayons with brush and palet. At least for me. (If someone ever get the idea to do Addam's Family for NES I'll gladly send what I've done if it can be of any help =)

My progress on Young Merlin
Starting area: 100%, including editing
Pinewood: 97%, unedited
Mine: 100%, incl edit
Underwater: 10%, just started.

I'm planning on submitting what I've done as soon as the underwater map is ready.

13

Maps In Progress / RE: Moving objects

« on: July 02, 2009, 05:17:01 pm »

Wow! As always in this forums, quick and informative answers. Thanks.



But how can I determine an enemies starting position if I can't freeze the game?



I've done very similar to how you did there on the SEGA version. It's even striking!

Like in the dining room: I also decided to cap the monster when he was right under the lamp since that's how you defeat him.

Didn't even know there's a SMS-version. Need to get it and try.

14

Maps In Progress / Moving objects

« on: July 01, 2009, 02:09:53 pm »

Lately I've been (slowly) working on a map for The Addams Family on the NES. Since NES games are no graphical explosion I thought I'd include all enemies to make the maps more interesting and aesthetical.



How do you guys usually do when you include moving objects?



I'm having trouble making up my mind about in which position I should cap the enemies. So far I've just picked moments when it "looks good".



It's hard to combine appeal and consistency.

15

Map Gab / RE: Using the maps

« on: June 12, 2009, 01:48:14 pm »

Very good =)



And about the rooms on residence deck: guess there's no perfect way to arrange them.