[FA] FAangband development

[Psi]

There is actually a 6x9 font there, but for some reason beyond my understanding of the CE port it doesn't appear in the menu...

The port doesn't actually use standard fonts - I believe the guy who did the original AngbandCE port encountered problems in that area. His solution was to use a 'font' bitmap in the same way as graphics are handled. Therefore the fonts included with the game have to be hand drawn (well shrunk/stretched). You can do this yourself in an art package - just remember that you also need to create a colour mask bitmap of the appropriate size too.

[skunker]

The port doesn't actually use standard fonts - I believe the guy who did the original AngbandCE port encountered problems in that area. His solution was to use a 'font' bitmap in the same way as graphics are handled. Therefore the fonts included with the game have to be hand drawn (well shrunk/stretched). You can do this yourself in an art package - just remember that you also need to create a colour mask bitmap of the appropriate size too.

I'm working on this now, I'll let you know how it goes.
________

[Nick]

I'm working on this now, I'll let you know how it goes.

Cool. Good luck.

[Nick]

Breaking savefile compatibility

How do people feel about savefile compatibility being broken for 0.3.0? My main reason for wanting to do this is that some objects (particularly ego items and artifacts) are going to change quite a bit as a result of the new resistance system. It doesn't seem sensible to me (either from a character continuity point of view or a worth-all-the-coding point of view) to translate when so much has changed.

Opinions?

[Psi]

I'm working on this now, I'll let you know how it goes.

Make sure the fontname is in the same format as the others and contains the correct dimensions, as the games uses all of this.

[Psi]

How do people feel about savefile compatibility being broken for 0.3.0?

Losing monster memory is the big thing for me. My games don't last long enough for me to worry too much about changing version mid-game. Will there be any way to preserver monster memory?

[Nick]

Losing monster memory is the big thing for me. My games don't last long enough for me to worry too much about changing version mid-game. Will there be any way to preserver monster memory?

Should be able to manage something about that.

[Seany C]

Yep, monster memory would be the only big issue for me too. (although, I'm currently getting over my Druid-disillusionment by heretically trying ToME out - a new version will be a nice incentive to return to the fold )...

On the note of changes, here's the least impressive randart I've ever encountered:
>
The Hard Leather Cap of (I can't remember) (2,+8)

It provides resistance to light. It can't be destroyed by the elements.
>

It didn't even have the [LITE] flag!

[Nick]

Help and message recall

When viewing help files and looking at the previous message recall, there is a facility for searching for a particular word in there. Two questions:

1. Did anyone know about this?
2. Would anyone care if it went?

[HallucinationMushroom]

If they were to blow away I wouldn't even know they were gone, nor would I care. Btw thanks for your quote, I read The Farthest Shore and liked it.

[Big Al]

1. Yes I knew about it (though it's not as obviously documented in FA as in other 'bands). I didn't know that you could use it for message recall too.

2. I use it very seldomly, but on occasion. It would be a lot more useful if you could search all the help files at once, instead of having to search each one, one by one. The whole in-game help system is, overall, rather archaic looking.

[Seany C]

When viewing help files and looking at the previous message recall, there is a facility for searching for a particular word in there. Two questions:

1. Did anyone know about this?
2. Would anyone care if it went?

Hmm....

1. Nope

2. Technically, no, given that I didn't know about it, but it would be handy to have, given greater visibility so we can find it...

[Nick]

I read The Farthest Shore and liked it.

It's the third in a four-part series - all worth reading IMO.

[petebull]

When viewing help files and looking at the previous message recall, there is a facility for searching for a particular word in there. Two questions:

1. Did anyone know about this?
2. Would anyone care if it went?

1. Yes

2. A little - i don't use it too often, but now and then.

If you think about improving the whole help system I'd guess the need for that feature is decreasing.

[takkaria]

When viewing help files and looking at the previous message recall, there is a facility for searching for a particular word in there. Two questions:

1. Did anyone know about this?
2. Would anyone care if it went?

In V SVN I fiddled with the UI for the message searching; I think I made it nicer. I have used it a few times -- mainly to figure out when I picked up an item.