A word on compasses and palettes - TTLG Forums UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! TTLG Forums Thief Editors' Guild A word on compasses and palettes profile | register | preferences | faq | search next newest topic | next oldest topic Author Topic: A word on compasses and palettes KGoodsell Member posted July 06, 1999 11:16 PM As silver's sig points out, you should always include the compass in Garrett's starting inventory. I think I've seen posts suggesting that the author's level will have finding the compass be part of the challenge. I think you should look at the compass as part on the Thief interface, not one of Garrett's tools. Garrett knows which way he is going, but often I don't have a clue! 2nd note. When you are adjusting an image to Thief's palette, the "nearest color matching" option sounds good, but often looks bad. The reason is that if there is not a very good match, you end up with a very bad one. If you have this problem, try using "Error diffusion dithering" instead. Also, resize first, then apply palette. These tip apply to Paint Shop Pro, and probably other programs as well. -Kevin IP: Logged silver Member posted July 07, 1999 03:35 AM re: the compass. in Escape!, Garrett is stripped of all his toys, but he still has a compass. this is a hint that the compass is meant to be part of Garrett's senses - just represented as a compass to the player, purely as an interface issue. ergo, my sig in any case, I don't actually play anyone's levels without first linking garrett's direction sense, er, I mean, compass, to garrett. ------------------ silver "always include the compass in the starting inventory!" IP: Logged TheTels Member posted July 07, 1999 01:19 PM uh, you mean I could dump you in the woods, and you would be lost wthout a compass? Cant you remember the way you go, wimp? Btw, I didnt evenuse the compass the entire game...I just had no use for it. In my level you will find the compass, but it wont be needed, level will be compact, anyway. And if you cant play without the compass, so be it. Tels ------------------ http://bloodgate.com/thief IP: Logged silver Member posted July 07, 1999 03:47 PM that's your perrogative, of course. and sure, some people like to use it, and some people don't. I'm just saying that in the game, I don't think it's supposed to represent a physical object - I think it's supposed to represent garrett's natural sense of direction. Just like if you dumped me in the woods, I'd be able to keep track of direction - but mostly because of the extra clues I'd have in the real world that are polygonized away in any game. even if I were totally indoors, I'd have my kinesthetic "sense" of turning that is sometimes lost in game, and the walls and details would be slightly different - more so than the textures in the game can show. so I wouldn't know which way is north, but I'd know if I got all turned around. and because we can't give the player real-world textures and a kinesthetic feeling of turning, we give him, instead, the compass, but it's not an object. it's just a representation to the player of garrett's senses, and the extra details he sees and feels in his "real world". and I still say the biggest clue to level developers should be the fact that garrett had the compass in "escape!" even when denuded of all his objects. they didn't put the compass with the blackjack and sword because it's not an object. it's part of garrett - his extended senses. on the other hand, I could see removing or disabling the compass if garrett is supposed to be drugged or under some sort of confusion spell. that would make sense with the intention that the compass is part of his senses. you can leave it out if you like, or treat it as a game object if you like, but I don't believe that's how it was intended in the game. then again, I haven't seen the level designers bible - if they even bothered to draft one, I could be wrong. I just know that if I wrote it, it would say the same thing as my sig ------------------ silver "always include the compass in the starting inventory!" IP: Logged KGoodsell Member posted July 07, 1999 04:19 PM I agree 100% with silver. But didn't Garrett have his sword in Escape also? I've always thought that was strange, but I assume it's just the magical properties of C's sword that make it invisible to anyone but the bearer. -Kevin IP: Logged boojum Member posted July 07, 1999 05:27 PM We put in the compass because QA (and anyone else playing the game) had the general reaction of "ARGH WHAT THE (*&@*#$ IS THE MAP GOOD FOR IF YOU CAN'T TELL WHAT DIRECTION YOU'RE GOING?". Now, for levels which don't have useful maps (like the Maw) then the compass isn't really helpful, and that may be the case for other sorts of compact levels... -Laura IP: Logged Datoyminaytah Member posted July 07, 1999 07:36 PM I agree the compass is probably best included in Garrett's default inventory, but if an individual wants to leave it out for some reason, I say go for it. IP: Logged Elfiran Member posted July 07, 1999 10:48 PM I'm also of the opinion that the level designer can either put it in as part of Garrett's starting inventory, or just leave it out. However, even though it's just another item to scroll by most of the time, I have on occasion used it. I agree, that it may represent Garrett's sense of direction. Just like in real life, if I drive somewhere, anywhere, 1 time, then I will always be able to get there again. The same holds true when I'm wandering around museums. Even though I probably don't know exactly where I am in the museum, I at least know the general direction to get out. I believe Garrett's compass kind of simulates the inherent ability of someone's sense of direction. IP: Logged All times are ET (US)next newest topic | next oldest topic Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic Hop to: Select a Forum or ArchiveList of Forums:General--------------------Community Chat & RPGDeveloper's AnnouncementsFlight SeriesLooking GlassLGS Classics--------------------Terra NovaUnderworld 1 & 2System Shock--------------------System Shock 1 & 2Thief--------------------Thief 2 & Thief Gold WishlistThief Editors' GuildThiefList of Archives:Chat & RPG Forum Contact Us | TTLG Forums Copyright Gibbed, 1999. All Rights Reserved. Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Version 5.38b © Madrona Park, Inc., 1998 - 1999. Return to your place of origin TTLG / Sshock2.com / Thief-Darkproject.com / GameForum