Recompiling Apollo

Let's first run my building script

A complete rebuild of all stuff will be in order!

It is of course not yet said that everything works the way it should, but we'll have to see...

Adaption completed

The removal has already been done, by the way

It doesn't end there yet. Previously the old GameVar sub did the saving of stuff.... But since I had to remove that part, it can no longer do that, so a few adaptions are required

Linked

The Neil Glue code

Code to make the API go

I think I will resort to my original plan to put the gamevars in the main core of the Apollo Engine....

I really do not know why this happens, but I do know that the GameVars routine may be to blame for #141 -- The reasons why are beyond me. Nothing stacks up in there, so stack overflows are impossible in every single way.... Yet they happen... What I could find was pretty specific on that...

Resuming!

Issue with hidden area floor 14 Excalibur

And let's go on....

Identifier issue

Let's resume at Excalibur Floor 005

Experience bar was NOT supposed to remain visible once the level cap has been reached

I'll go for the Flower Jungle now... In this cycle I'll skip most of the side-quests... I trust them all right now... I may need one or two more cycles to do the very last things before the alpha can be officially open....

Thanks to my Dumbledore debug system I have a few characters close to the level cap... This allows me to test a few important things I want to be tested before the open alpha will be released

I've tested up to finishing the science facility

Stach has not yet been updated to this, this will be done later....

I DID IT!!!!

In C++ the packed block didn't load into memory causing zlib to malfunction

That should also be taken care of now, but let's see

The same issues here

Fixed those

Some things were not right

Fixed that!

I forgot to detect the BLOCK tag in JCR6 files

Builder takes it up (partially)

Some preparations to advance the builder

I've taken care of Belioss and Marlon's garden

Made sure the blocks are flushed before Apollo is closed.

At this moment no visual effect in the game, but that was supposed to happen, since the game files do not use blocks yet.... At least that means there are no conflicts, which is good....

Let's see

Classes in the C++ library for JCR6 adapted for Blocks support

I cannot yet make the game take advantage of that yet.... Adapting the building is not the hard part since the builder is written in C#, however Apollo itself is NOT. It's written in C++. I need to adapt the C++ libraries, and that is due to the way the memory management works in C++ more of a challenge....

NJCR supports it now as well.....

That does not necesarily prove things, though....

A test program looks hopeful... At least Heks doesn't show any serious trouble....

And I also did the writer only yet... Without writing, reading cannot be tested after all...

It's far from sure that this game my take advantage of that, but future games might

The C# version of JCR6 should now be able to create blocks to pack multiple files together in one big packed block.... Similar to solid archiving in 7z and RAR

DA FUUUUCK!?

Take IV

I hope

But it'll have to wait until later, I'm afraid!

But I didn't fully see what I wanted to see, so some fixups are still required

At least there are no crashes

Take III

Neil Bug on new items

Take II

Two unknown identifiers fixed

Take I

Testing won't exactly be easy, but I'll give it a try anyway. Also time is also not my best friend today, but let's see what I can do!

Linked to the ability

A new animation for Quake as the old seems impossible.

Resume at Phantasar

I know I should fix the Quake move, but I'm short on time today, so it'll have to wait a few more days

The master test has been done

Alpha channel issue in White Apocalypse

Let's resume the Black Castle

A good night's sleep

the Master is for tomorrow... I must know when to quit a session!

Up to defeating the Elite Cid's apprentice

Let's go on!

It DOES appear that the game runs faster now on the enemies, but it's too soon to be sure

Idiocy

I'm first gonna test the Black Castle ... Again....

(The only reason I kept them in is because I wanted the game to be like the original. I actually regret that decission)

And I really must stress this... this is the first AND last time I'm working with enemies in the field in an RPG game like this...

I've set up an alternate way of distance calculation... Hopefully this fixes the slowdown issues I got with the enemies in the field

Well up to the point where Wendicka meets her biological family everything has been tested

Dang! Hearing heavy metal is not a good idea while you're having a headache

I guess this is a lot better

A test will have to confirm this I suppose

I can only hope this really makes things better, but I really don't know

I've also sped up the disappearing of the Goddess as that took waaaay too long!

The (undefeatable) boss on the Volcanic plains will powerup faster... This fight just took too long!

Let's push that one too then....

Oh, and older unpushed fix?

AT LAST!

Take III

Illegal Function Call

I can't do anything right, can I?

Take II then

I was hoping I could do this in ONE take... oh well

That was the result of take I

Syntax error

First I'm gonna take a shower

And unless people read this devlog (which I know only a few do) you'll never be the wiser, anyway

I know this is a rushed solution totally not a good candidate for a beauty contest. I must admit I'm tired of this project, I want to seek a new challenge, and this serves the bill right.... There is a point were perfectionism only gets you down the drain.

But it seems to be in order again.... (I hope)

Something went wrong with the devlog

Leeet's go! Resume the testing!

Correction required

Resuming!

Must be repeated all da time!

Dumbledore boost.... It was needed or these tests will take by far too long

Byt also to prepare my food

About to resume the test....

Up to Science Facility (halfway) checked.....

Something suspicious happened, but I must have seen it wrong, based on the data I checked

Again!

Fixed it

Syntax error

Resuming at arrival Ji rubbe

When targets were killed by poison prior to doing their moves they'd still perform their move.

Needs to gain powerups for Wendicka's Mjöllnir were ridiculous so I nerfed them greatly.

I have a few plans for Star Story II, but it will take a long time before that project will actually start (if it starts at all, as these projects are very hard to set up properly).

I need some food... I'm getting hungry

That works

Take V

....

Parameters added to the wrong function call....

Why?

That didn't work....... at all

Take IV

That should do it!

Well, perhaps having this the way back is also a good idea, eh?

That all works

Take III

Syntax error (x2)

Take II

Forgotten group

I was right... It would not be only one take

Take I

Now testing the vault feature, I hope that's only one take, but knowing me.... Well

Tested up to reaching the Hawk

I will now investigate the quick vault store feature... Only works with a mouse

The "Quick Vault Icon" is not really needed, so it will be scrapped. Result of some earlier designs, but the current work out is that way that it won't do well

Cheat fix

Nothing in the issue tracker that makes sense to do now

Done up to the point where the junkyard starts

Things simply went too slow here

Boosted my Dumbledore cheat

Well It's time to resume this cycle test!

I've come to the point in the game were Yirl and Foxy come back in. Foxy in particular can be a bit of a hassle due to her randomized spell learning, yet, her current status is that way she should get the last moves I still haven't fully worked out on her, but the only way to test that, is by just letting things go on.

Testing done, up to the arrival at the (outside of) the illegal bar.

Leeeet's GO!

While testing the Yaqirpa for cycle 4, this cheat will show its worth (or bugs)

The Script has been fully worked out!

To make all this possible to go faster I added a special cheat to do this

Well time to kick a few things off, then!

The new cycle is therefore set to be done with more speed, and a new debug cheat was added to make this possible.

The SaveGame Transfer tool will have to wait, until the alpha is released. This means that those who want to transfer will have to wait until the beta. This tool is not really a full promise anyway, but I'd like to get it done.

While this alpha version is released, I'm gonna test the easy and hard modes, although when it comes to the hard mode, no very serious tests, as I don't expect much trouble there, but I need to make sure some basis setups work well there.

We're slowly getting more and more to the point where tests of new cycles are more of a formality than anything else. If no crucial issues come past me, this this cycle test, it may be time for me to prepare the first public alpha release.

Perfect!

Take XL

AHA!

Nothing happens?

Take XXXIX

Wait! One cosmetic thing, may still turn out things to be a bit better!

All done!

Take XXXVIII

Let's do this differently

Not yet zufrieden

Take XXXVII

Yeah, that makes the game a tiny bit easier

I've decided to be nice and the right border of how far blocks can be placed will be shown....

Take XXXVI

Achievement Awarded if deserved

I need to debug the perfect game achievement

But I will make a few things better, though!

That will do

Take XXXV

Interrupted by a phone call, so let's go for that again!

Take XXXV

Forogtten music stack popping

Position ranking

Cut the end timer by 4

Let's get down to business, to get this done!

I'll be back later to take care of all that!

Forgot the music stack pop

end timer too long should be shorter

Cosmetic bug: Position of ranking not right

Linkback to game works

Basis is ok

Take XXXIV

Member issue

Take XXXIII

Everything should work now, but testing is required, so here goes!

The required linkups done this time

End of game sequence written

Perfect

Take XXXII

Almost there (I think)

Take XXXI

I hope

<INVALID DEVLOG RECORD>

Take XXXI

Static issues