ADDED misc/compare/zzt_megazeux.doc Index: misc/compare/zzt_megazeux.doc ================================================================== --- misc/compare/zzt_megazeux.doc +++ misc/compare/zzt_megazeux.doc @@ -0,0 +1,320 @@ +This document compares Free Hero Mesh with ZZT and MegaZeux and may be of +use to users of those other game engines. + +It does not really compare because ZZT/MegaZeux are primarily designed for +a different type of games than Free Hero Mesh is, but there is some +overlap, since many ZZT/MegaZeux worlds have similar kind of puzzles too. + +Free Hero Mesh is a game of complete information, so there are no dark +rooms like in ZZT. + +One significant difference is that in Free Hero Mesh, you can define your +own classes of objects, while ZZT and MegaZeux have several built-in pieces +but also programmable objects (which are individually programmable). In +Free Hero Mesh they are not programmed individually; you define them in +the class definition file and then use them multiple times; however, it is +possible for individual objects to have Misc vars in case you need any +parameters to specify further details than only the class (although usually +the Misc vars are not needed). + +However, like in ZZT and MegaZeux the programming is mainly working by +sending messages to each other, and by receiving messages from the game +engine; but these are executed synchronously, at the time of being sent. +Furthermore, after a message is sent it is possible to return from the +message, to what was executing before, even if it is the same object, +unlike in ZZT which doesn't do that. + +Another difference is that you can have multiple objects in one grid cell. +You can use CollisionLayers to make some or all objects mutually exclusive, +or you can use Climb, Height, etc to block movement. Note also that any +cell that does not contain any objects count as a wall; if you want floors +then you must define it as an object. (If you want an object to get rid of +others in the same location when it moves there, then one way to do this is +to use CollisionLayers and use the COLLIDE and COLLIDEBY messages to get +rid of the objects that were there before to make room for it to move. In +this way, it will be similar to statless pieces removing fake walls that +they pass over in ZZT.) + +There is no single "the player"; you can define a class with the Player and +Input flags to make it like the player, although it is then possible to add +multiple objects of that class (or none at all) into the level (but usually +you would only put exactly one, anyways). + +Diagonal moves are possible in Free Hero Mesh, although nothing will move +diagonally unless you explicitly program it to do so. + + +=== Attributes === + +Some of the attributes which may be meaningful to ZZT/MegaZeux users are: + +* Crush = Allows objects moving into it to crush it if it cannot be moved, +like gems and many creatures in ZZT. + +* Density = Defines the stacking order of objects (higher numbers are +in back and lower numbers are in front). So, walls and most other objects +would have low Density, and floors would have high Density. + +* Height = Set to a positive number to block objects from moving into it +if it does not have enough Climb. + +* Input = Allows it to receive keyboard input (like the PLAYER in ZZT). + +* Player = Defines this object as the "player" object, which has some +special meanings in the game engine, such as sending a reference to it +(and its coordinates) to all objects in the BEGIN_TURN message. (You can +actually have more than one such class if you want to, but normally you +would only have one.) + +* Shovable = Allows objects to be pushed. You can also specify the +directions it can be pushed, e.g. (Shovable N S) and (Shovable E W). (If +the Strength and Weight are left at the default of zero, then you can push +multiple objects at once, as in ZZT and MegaZeux.) + +* VisualOnly = Prevents interactions between this and other objects (except +for code which explicitly does so), like overlays in MegaZeux. + +There are also user-defined flags which you can use for your own use. + + +=== ZZT-OOP commands === + +Some of the ZZT-OOP commands and what to use in Free Hero Mesh, are as +follows. Note that many of the examples are not exactly equivalent; to do +the exact equivalent thing would usually be more complicated. + +Comments = A comment starts with a semicolon and lasts until the next +line break. + +Labels = A label has the same syntax as in ZZT. It may go at the beginning +of a block or in the middle of a block. However, messages are different +from labels; built-in messages have no prefix, and user-defined messages +have the # prefix. A message goes at the beginning of a block only (if +in the middle of a block, it instead refers to that message). + +Pop-up text boxes = In Free Hero Mesh, you can only display one text box +per turn and it does not block execution. As in MegaZeux, you can add +colours as well. Use the "PopUp" command. If you want to display numeric +values taken from a calculation or something else, you can do that too. + +Example of pop-up text boxes: + ZZT = Hello, World! + MegaZeux = [ "Hello, World!" + Free Hero Mesh = "Hello, World!" PopUp + +#BECOME = An object could create a new object in its place and destroy +itself, by using "Create" and "Destroy" commands. Note that destruction +does not stop execution in Free Hero Mesh (although it will prevent it +from receiving any further messages). + +Example of becoming something else: + ZZT = #BECOME NORMAL + Free Hero Mesh = Destroy . $Normal Loc 0 0 Create . ret + +#CHANGE = Free Hero Mesh does not have the #CHANGE like ZZT has, although +you could have it broadcast a message to all objects that you want changed +and for those messages to respond by replacing themself with others. + +#CLEAR = See #SET. + +Example of inventory: + ZZT = #CLEAR keycard + Free Hero Mesh = $Keycard 0 DelInventory + +#DIE = Use "Destroy" to destroy this object; put "." afterward if you want +to ignore the return value (which is zero if it is successfully destroyed). + +Example of destruction: + ZZT = #DIE + Free Hero Mesh = Destroy . + +#END = The command is "ret", but this is unnecessary at the end of a block, +because it is implied at the end of each block. + +#ENDGAME = There is no "health" but you can use "LoseLevel" to stop the +execution and lose the game. (Unlike ZZT, no further execution occurs in +this case.) Use "WinLevel" if you win the game instead of lose (this also +stops execution). + +Example of ending the game: + ZZT = #ENDGAME + Free Hero Mesh = LoseLevel + +#GIVE = You can define your own global and local variables. + +Example of increasing variables: + ZZT = #GIVE GEMS 15 + Free Hero Mesh = @gems 15 + =@gems + +#IF = See the section about conditions below. You can use the "if ... then" +or "if ... else ... then" block for conditional blocks, and you can use the +"=:" sigil for GOTO. Write the condition before "if". + +#PLAY = You can use the "Sound" command, which can play a MML string +similar to ZZT and MegaZeux, or a wave sound. You cannot queue sound +effects; you must either replace it or ignore if it is already playing. + +Example of sound effects: + ZZT = #PLAY tcase + Free Hero Mesh = "tcase" 0 Sound + +#PUT = Create objects by the use of the "Create" command. In ZZT this will +move other objects out of the way and will not overwrite the player but can +overwrite other objects, making it more complicated to do similar things in +Free Hero Mesh, although it is still possible. (The example below will only +create an object without even checking for duplicates or moving anything.) + +A simple example of creating an object: + ZZT = #PUT S DOOR + Free Hero Mesh = $Door S XYDir 0 0 Create . + +#SEND = In ZZT, it can be used like "goto" as well as to send messages to +other objects (or to all objects or itself). + +Example of GOTO: + ZZT = #SEND qqq + Free Hero Mesh = =:qqq + +Example of sending a message to a single object (assumes that the global +variable @spinner references an object): + ZZT = #SEND spinner:stop + Free Hero Mesh = @spinner #stop 0 0 ,Send . + +Example fo sending a message to all objects: + ZZT = #SEND ALL:MESS + Free Hero Mesh = 0 #MESS 0 0 Broadcast . + +#SET = You can use a user-defined global variable. It is not limited to +either set or clear, but can store any value. You can also use an inventory +display if you want it to be clearly visible which flags you have. + +Example of global variables: + ZZT = #SET keycard + Free Hero Mesh = 1 =@keycard + +Example of inventory: + ZZT = #SET keycard + Free Hero Mesh = $Keycard 0 1 SetInventory + +#TAKE = You can define your own global and local variables. Free Hero Mesh +does not automatically limit them to zero, but you can do that by yourself. + +Example of decreasing variables: + ZZT = #TAKE GEMS 15 noitem + Free Hero Mesh = @gems 15 lt if =:noitem then @gems 15 - =@gems + +Free Hero Mesh has macros and global subroutines, so it is possible to +define macros and/or global subroutines to shorten any common operations +that you want to have in your puzzle set. + + +=== ZZT-OOP conditions === + +#IF ALLIGNED = ; see below +#IF ANY KEY = (=P $Key) +#IF BLOCKED N = N XYDir Walkable lnot +#IF CONTACT = (P Rook F Player) +#IF NOT XX = @xx lnot +#IF XX = @xx + +For alignment, one way, if your code is in the BEGIN_TURN messages which +has From set to the player object, would be to do: + From Seek 1 band lnot +This will find the direction toward the player and check that the direction +is not a diagonal direction. Another way would be: + Xloc From ,Xloc eq Yloc From ,Yloc eq lor +You could also find the player by scanning the board, instead of "From": + (=P Player) Seek 1 band lnot + + +=== Full example === + +; The name of the class always starts with $ and is the beginning of each +; class definition block; in this case, it is named "$Floor". +($Floor + ; Defines the name of the picture to use. (You can define the pictures + ; by using the picture editor.) + (Image "Floor") + ; Sets the Density so that the Floor is drawn behind other objects. + (Density 100) + ; The Height is left at the default of zero so that other objects can + ; move onto the floor. +) + +($Player + (Image "Player") + ; This object is the player, takes input, and is shovable. + Player Input Shovable + ; Other objects can't step on top of the player, so set its Height. + (Height 10) + ; (Rook) defines the action for the arrow keys (you can use (Queen) if + ; you want diagonals as well; this example doesn't use diagonals). + ; First it finds the object in front and sends a #TOUCH message to it; + ; if that message returns zero (which is the default if it is not + ; defined for that object) then it tries to move the player. (The + ; initial "dup" duplicates the direction so that it is used twice. + ; "ObjDir" finds the topmost object in the specified direction. + ; User-defined message names always start with # (as shown here). The + ; two arguments follow, in this case both zero since they are unused. + ; After that, ",Send" sends the message, and will have the return value; + ; "lnot" is logical negation, and "if ... then" is a conditional block.) + (Rook dup ObjDir #TOUCH 0 0 ,Send lnot if Move then ) + ; Allow passing your turn by pushing the space bar. Free Hero Mesh is + ; turn-based, so if you do not want to move but want to allow other + ; objects to move, then you must pass your turn. This block is empty + ; because there is nothing to do; it merely needs to be declared. + ('SPACE) +) + +; This object is simple since it does nothing. +($Wall + (Image "Wall") + (Height 10) +) + +($Boulder + (Image "Boulder") + (Height 10) + Shovable +) + +($SliderNS + (Image "SliderNS") + (Height 10) + ; You can specify the direction it can be pushed. + (Shovable N S) +) + +($SliderEW + (Image "SliderEW") + (Height 10) + (Shovable E W) +) + +($Pusher + ; You can define multiple images for a class; you will select one for + ; each instance, in the level editor, and this can control the behaviour + ; of the game by the "Image" command (explained below). + (Image "Pusher_E" "Pusher_N" "Pusher_S" "Pusher_W") + (Height 10) + ; Every turn it receives the BEGIN_TURN message, which is what it is + ; doing here. "Image 1 lsh" left shifts the Image number (zero-based) + ; by one, to make the direction to move. Directions are 0 for east, 1 + ; for northeast, etc, up to 7 for southeast. So, this will cause the + ; Pusher to move once per turn. + (BEGIN_TURN Image 1 lsh Move .) +) + +($Gem + (Image "Gem") + ; Here, "Crush" means it can be crushed by movement, like in ZZT. + Crush Shovable + (Height 10) + ; This is the user-defined #TOUCH message mentioned above. First, it will + ; add 1 to the global @gems variable (since its initial value has not + ; been specified anywhere, it will be zero). And then plays the sound, + ; and then destroys itself. After that then it will return to the caller, + ; and since no return value is specified it will be zero. + (#TOUCH @gems 1 + =@gems "t+c-gec" 0 Sound Destroy .) +) +