Title Screen Help! Colors, texts, parsers, etc!

XanMag
Calling out OurJud (and others!):

So... I like the idea of a title screen after seeing what OJ did and thought I'd take a stab at it.

1. I want to get rid of the game name at the top of the screen. It is currently "Title Test". All black in its place is what I am going for.
2. I want to get rid of the room title above the parser box. Currently I have black font as a substitute, but the period remains.
3. The parser box (is that what it is called - where you type?? :lol:) needs to go.
4. I currently have a black box as my background picture to "black out" the borders. In the editor, everything is black, but in the online play it has the big white borders. All black is the goal.
5. At the end of the title page after moving to the next room, I want to reset the stuff I feel like I need to remove for the title. Title of game, parser box, 'you are in a' prefix.

I know this is a mess of a thread with lots of stuff, but where else would I stick it?? (no smart @ss remarks, Jay!)

Thanks again!

XanMag

Forgive the crudity! I will be changing the text a bit, perfecting the timing, and altering the beautiful intro gif ( :D ) before formal publishing!

Forgewright
I changed the width in the display area to 1920 which gave a more full screen affect(still in a window though). I really like the intro XanMag. I would fade the music at the end.

OurJud
Okay, Xan. I can answer most of these for you, you'll just have to bear with me while I dig out the answers.

For now I'll just say I like the intro, but it's far too long for me. I'm not sure how many people will sit through it. And isn't there going to be a CpyRght issue with the song you're using??

I will return with answers.

OurJud

1. I want to get rid of the game name at the top of the screen. It is currently "Title Test". All black in its place is what I am going for.


Game >> Setup >> Uncheck 'Display title and author when the game begins'

I want to get rid of the room title above the parser box. Currently I have black font as a substitute, but the period remains.


Game >> Room Descriptions >> (halfway down page) 'Room description layout' >> Set room name to 0, and any others you don't want to display. I have mine set to (from top) 0, 0, 0, 4

The parser box (is that what it is called - where you type?? :lol:) needs to go.


That's the complicated one, I shall get back to you in due course.

currently have a black box as my background picture to "black out" the borders. In the editor, everything is black, but in the online play it has the big white borders. All black is the goal.


Game >> Interface >> Check 'Set a custom display width'. My settings are: Width 1300 >> Check 'Set custom padding' - Mine from the top: 100, 200, 300, 300 >> The only things I have checked in 'Layout' on this tab are 'Show command bar', 'Set a custom display width', and 'Set custom padding'

At the end of the title page after moving to the next room, I want to reset the stuff I feel like I need to remove for the title. Title of game, parser box, 'you are in a' prefix.


See previous answers, except for hiding 'You are in' prefix, which is another check box in Game >> Room Descriptions.
[edit] Havind read this question again, I see I didn't fully understand that you want to reinstate all these things when the game starts (I'm afraid I wouldn't know how to do that)

OurJud
Hiding command bar

1. Go to game code and add the following after <firstpublished>2016</firstpublished>

<css><![CDATA[

<style type="text/css">

div#txtCommandDiv {
border: none;
background: no-repeat;
}
input#txtCommand {
outline:none;
border: none;
margin:0;
padding:0;
max-width: 1000px;
}
#status { display: none !important; visibility: hidden !important; }


</style>
]]></css>

2. Scroll right to bottom of code and immediately before </asl> add:

<function name="ClearScreen">
request (ClearScreen, "")
OutputTextNoBr (game.css)
</function>
<function name="InitUserInterface"><![CDATA[
JS.setCommandBarStyle (GetCurrentTextFormat("") + ";border:" + game.defaultbackground)
JS.eval ("$('#status').hide();")
JS.SetBackgroundCol ("black")
JS.eval ("$('#txtCommandDiv').prepend('&gt;&nbsp;')")
JS.OutputTextNoBr (game.css)
OutputTextNoBr (game.css)
request (SetInterfaceString, "TypeHereLabel=")
if (GetBoolean(game, "inprogress")) {
}
else {
game.inprogress = true
}
]]></function>
<function name="HideCommandBar">
request (Hide, "Command")
</function>
<function name="ShowCommandBar">
request (Show, "Command")
</function>

NB: The last two HideCommandBar functions here, are in case you want to hide the flashing parser/cursor while the intro plays. If you do, just call a Function script at the start of your intro and call it HideCommandBar (Just don't forget to unhide it at the end, when the game starts, by calling a Function again and calling it ShowCommandBar).

3. Back in the UI, go Game >> Script >> click the code view in Start Script and add:

JS.eval ("getCSSRule('a.cmdlink').style.color='#000000'")
JS.setCommandBarStyle (GetCurrentTextFormat("") + ";border:" + game.defaultbackground)

Finally I suggest you download and install the retrostyle.aslx library file if all the above fails. I'm not altogether sure what the retrostyle library does, but it wasn't until I added it (along with all the above) that I got my game to look how I wanted: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4760&start=60#p31475 (further investigation would suggest it includes the ClearScreen CSS hack, so you may or may not need to omit it from the last but one block of code in this post)

I think that's everything, but let me know if not.

XanMag
Oh boy. That looks like a lot of stuff I don't understand! Ha. I'll sit down today and give it a shot and let you know.

As far as a copyright... I thought of that but it's such a great song for the intro! :lol: I'll consider either seeking the right to use it, understanding the law better, or switching songs!

Thanks so much!!

OurJud
It looks daunting because it's long, but the only relatively complex one is the hiding of the command box. All the other stuff is ticking/unticking boxes in the UI.

If you just follow the steps for the command box, there's really not a lot to it.

I have to add that none of the above is my won work, and credit needs to go to Jay and others.

XanMag
Solved and saved to useful posts. Thanks!!

OurJud
Worth noting, Xan, that if you're hoping to hide the command box for the whole game, there's the old online bug which means that it will return if a player resumes the game from a save.

Nowt we can do about that, unfortunately, until Alex fixes it.

XanMag
So... as for the design only, I think I have it how I want it. You can suggest changes if you want.

Below is a new link to the opening title. After I move into the first real room of my game, I would like to re-enable the room title and room description. How would I do that? Anyone know? Thanks again all!

http://textadventures.co.uk/games/view/ ... title-test

OurJud
:D It's very very good and a great 'lead in'. I'd say the timing between pages is just about perfect (at least for my reading speed).

As for re-instating the elements, I'm at a loss, I'm afraid, but I'm sure it can be done.

I don't know if this is even where you need to be looking, but take a look at this document: http://docs.textadventures.co.uk/quest/ ... quest.html

XanMag
Okay. I have done some more work on the layout of the game. My issues are this:

After the title screen is done, you will need to 'look' to see the room description.

OLD STUFF:
1. I still need to add a dark green '>' symbol to my input text box just in case the player wanders away from the text box.
2. I still need to re-instate my room descriptions and room title after the title page if possible. I could just add the room description as a script to the 'after entering the room', but if I could avoid that by "simply" turning that option back on, it would save some work. But, I really don't want the panes there during the title screen.

NEW STUFF:
3. I've doctored the code for the panes. I would like to make the text in the panes either larger or easier to read if that is possible.
4. My game text occasionally crosses under my panes. How do I shrink my game text up a bit so that it never does that?

On-line play: http://textadventures.co.uk/games/view/ ... title-test
vs.
.aslx file:

I put both because I noticed some differences in sizing between the two. I had to zoom out a bit (ctrl+mouse wheel back) to have everything fit in the screen. After that it was okay.

Sorry to be such a pest lately, but after I get this stuff ironed out, I pretty much have done everything else already in my previous games!! So, thanks in advance (again!!)

OurJud
I can help you only with your first problem. You can use ShowRoomDescription to auto-show the location. I think you just call it with a function script.

XanMag
I'll let you in on my cluelessness...

How do I
OurJud wrote:...call it with a function script.
?

OurJud
XanMag wrote:I'll let you in on my cluelessness...

How do I

"OurJud"

...call it with a function script.

?


Add script >> (scroll down to 'scripts') >> Call Function >> Type ShowRoomDescription into the 'Call function' box (don't need to add anything to the big 'parameter' box)

XanMag
So... I will need to set 'call function' in the after entering room box for every room in my game seeing that I turned it off previously? Or is there some magic command where I can set this function to be called in every room the player enters?

OurJud
Hold on, you seem to be talking about two different things here.

Turned what off previously?

The ShowRoomDescription function was in response to this:

XanMag wrote:Okay. I have done some more work on the layout of the game. My issues are this:

After the title screen is done, you will need to 'look' to see the room description.


I think the other you're talking about is the HideCommandBar and ShowCommandBar functions (these remove / give the player the ability to type a command, and are primarily used to hide the flashing command cursor between intro screens)

XanMag
We are talking about the same thing, but it seems I didn't turn the room descriptions off... I thought I did because of my title screen and the fact that I only have three room descriptions written and I'm wondering around my game testing my time of day scripts and the fact I've had a few drinks, but... I did not. Bottom line... I'm an idiot. Ignore me. But, it is nice to know how to call the room description at will. I'm sure it will come in handy! :oops:

OurJud
So you've fixed it then? [edit] I see you have :)

Yes, there's no function to hide a room description, as such, but the ShowRoomDescription cold be used for a variety of reasons... none of which I can think of right now.

I never really considered why you wanted to call the room description, but now that I think about it you'd probably forgot to do one of two things; write a room description, or 'move' the player to the first room after the intro.

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