[Scruffie]

Hey. I've actually been here all along, just, not posting. You guys were always having so much fun, I didn't want to interrupt.

[Dr Lecter]

I like how she's far too tall for that door. 

Hell its boring to make people the right sizes!

[Dr Lecter]

I got working on my next game (don't ask where the first one went, my desktop computer had its motherboard and processor fried so it will be released when I get a new one, which may be a couple of months)

Here's a little preview of what is to come, and no prizes for guessing what this going to be a piss take of (assuming my graphics aren't THAT bad):

This post has been edited by Dr Lecter: 01 August 2005 - 08:05 AM

[Lordhoban]

Well, I just started fiddling around in AGS. It doesn't seem to have the best compression methods for images, though, forcing you either to go with something inferior or deal with astronomical file sizes. Does anyone have a solution for this, maybe allow JPGs to be used instead of the bigger PCX, PNG, or BMP files? Could there be a plugin that allows this?

That's been my only complaint so far.



This is a screenshot of a little of what I've been doing. I have several bits described when you click on them, a couple objects including the puzzlebox which you can pick up into your inventory. Oh, and if I select the bigger puzzlebox (the smaller one I'd already picked up when I did the screenshot) as the player character, it rolls, opens up, configures. It's pretty neat. I was considering going for a game with that as your main character. I can just imagine the reactions of the NPCs.

[Dr Lecter]

I don't think the engine knows how to display JPEG, I don't think a plugin would really do much since the graphics are quite a fundimental part of the engine, you'd probably have to talk to CJ and see if he can work it into a newer version. I guess it makes sense since he worked in the higher resolution games, for the lower resolution games, using JPEG would just be stupid.

This post has been edited by Dr Lecter: 01 August 2005 - 02:25 PM

[Lordhoban]

Why would it be stupid? Jpg offers better compression, which means you can fit more into your game and still keep the filesize down.

[Icey]

JPEG offers a LOSSY compression, it can easily get very ugly. PNG is a non lossy format, but is capable of cutting down the colours to a no bullshit size, and is thus a much more viable solution.

[Lordhoban]

Same file, compressed in three different formats.
Bmp: 1.407 megs
Png: 704k
Jpg: 340k

I'm not trying to argue, I'm just trying to find the best possible solution here. And, by my numbers, PNG doesn't cut it. I was looking at some of the games on the AGS site, and some of them seemed to have a higher level of detail (I can't be certain until I try them out, I'm going on screenshots and listed features), without the file size being too unreasonable. I'm wondering how that was possible so I can mimic their methods. Thought someone here might know. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

[Dr Lecter]

Alas, its not that I don't like JPEG, in the right situation they are quite useful, but I don't think AGS games is one of them. That aside, talk to CJ, if anyone knows if, when, why and how it'll be him (CJ=Chris Jones=Dude that made the AGS engine).
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/

This post has been edited by Dr Lecter: 01 August 2005 - 06:52 PM

[Lordhoban]

I'm currently trying to sign up for the forums, but I don't know if it went through. I've been looking for a direct e-mail, and I don't see one anywhere on the site.

[Dr Lecter]

Well I found one pluggin that lets you display JPEG in AGS, but not import it as a sprite. I think only CJ could put it in really since you would want it compiled in the exe.
But here's the link: http://www.2dadventu...om/ags/jpeg.zip
And here are some quotes that support the "JPEG sucks" theory.

Isn't this in the FAQ?
JPGs will not be supported, because it is a LOSSY format.
Also, it doesn't matter what format the pics are in when you import them.
AGS automatically compresses backgrounds in its own format. Sprites are stored uncompressed either way for performance reasons.

It's been discussed many times already.

Because the backgrounds in room files are all compressed by some lossless scheme, no matter what format of images you're using for import the resulting file size of the room is still the same. So there're no advantage in using JPEG at the time being, and moreover JPEG compression is lossy (unless of course the room files can also store lossily native JPEG compressed images as bg, which is not implemented at the moment).

So using different image formats only affect your working files not the resultant filesize. If you're really low on HDD space, just save your working files as PCXs and PNGs.

I guess that pretty much tells you that its not going to be put into the engine. That and that it doesn't have to be as the file size of the final game wouldn't be different at all. If I say anymore, I'll just be copying what I just quoted anyway.

This post has been edited by Dr Lecter: 02 August 2005 - 05:57 AM

[Lordhoban]

Still, that in no way says JPGs suck. It says the background images are compressed in their own format. Big difference.

But I think another problem exists. There is nothing to explain the size of these compiled game files. At around 20 megs, with 2 rooms worth, and 2-3 animated character files. I've seen other game sizes, and they are a heck of a lot smaller. There's nothing I can see to explain the size of the file in this case. Even if the images were uncompressed, that at most is 5 megs right there.

[SimeSublime]

Still, that in no way says JPGs suck. It says the background images are compressed in their own format. Big difference.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As far as I could tell, their point was never that jpegs suck, but that they were inappropriate in this instance.

[Dr Lecter]

If its that much of an issue for you use a different program.

[Lordhoban]

As far as I could tell, their point was never that jpegs suck, but that they were inappropriate in this instance.

Obviously, I haven't been clear enough, as that was the point. That's what I meant.

Lecter, I'm just trying to be specific, as you were drawing conclusions that weren't there to be drawn to support a theory that really was kind of superficial to begin with.

Now that we have that out of the way... I had a problem, I have since figured it out. Let's move on. Shall we?

How is your game coming along, Lecter? My own is progressing slowly, as I'm not working on it every day, but I have the interface locked in and am just starting on some of the graphics.

This post has been edited by Lordhoban: 10 August 2005 - 07:31 PM