Whee, looks sort interesting, too bad I can't get it to run in Vista.
Error(Clicking ignore just brings it up again.)
16-bit MS-DOS Subsystem
This system does not support fullscreen mode. Choose 'Close' to terminate the application.
The kicker? I'm telling it to run in a window, not fullscreen!
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Jun 3, 2008 9:07
Yes, it is 16 bits, not the modern 32.
...
You could try running it in DOSBox, a DOS emulator. That should rely on DOSBox's compatibility with Vista rather than back-assward compiled QB code.
I have, quite frankly, never liked compiled QuickBASIC, and I had to work like mad just get it to. I much rather prefer on-the-fly QB instead. I also prefer non-Vista, but whatchagonnado?
I don't know much (read: anything) about Vista, but does it still have the right-click Properties Window for executables that allows you to change compatibilities and other parameters?
"Okay, Marge, I'll be nice to your sisters. Then, I'll hug some snakes. Yes, I will hug and kiss some poisonous snakes! ... Now that's sarcasm." ~ Homer
Afiag
Posts: 252
Member #242
Jun 3, 2008 12:39
Yes, it does. Surprisingly. I get the same error as Lugiatrainer, but I just haven't gotten around to messing with it yet.
In any case, this is the most you need to know about Windows Vista: It is not user-friendly. It is idiot friendly. If you are adept at using all other versions of Windows and switch to Vista, you will be completely lost for at least a month. However, it's pretty suitable for people whom have never touched a computer before. Or idiots, which a lot of America is.
Build a man a fire, and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Jun 3, 2008 12:47
Yeah, I noticed the way MS was trending when I first saw the new version of Office. No menus? Wow, that must be helpful to no one ever.
I easily deducted that their new stuff was tested solely based on the input of unproficient users. I mean, who cares about power users? They learned it all once; they can learn it all over again. Too bad that logic falls apart simply based on how slow their giant graphiced, bubbly new interface operates. Ten clicks to do simple operations and no displayed short-cut keys? I am so there! "First and foremost, I am evil. And not 'movie evil' wherein there is a shred of likeability to me, but the unadulterated kind. But in all fairness, I do secretly have the heart of a good man. It's shrink wrapped in my freezer....but there incase the situation merits its use. Can I be ambivalent at times? Well, yes and no." ~ Sean Carless
Afiag
Posts: 252
Member #242
Jun 3, 2008 14:14
Because Bill Gates is/was stepping down from his throne of Chief Software Architect or whatever it's called. He let the lackeys run loose and didn't really look back on them much, and so now we get all this... crap. I guess he was supposed to have retired or whatnot by now, except he was kinda embarrassed by vista and doesn't want that to be his final image.
Either way, now we're stuck with screwed up paths, menus that assume you're stupid and tell you what EVERYTHING is/does, and compatibility with nothing. "Nero 6? No, you can't use something you've already bought. Buy Nero 8 now."
"Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes."
That way, when you do judge them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
MadGoblin
Posts: 1515
Member #2
Jun 3, 2008 22:44
So was this a Daemon Dawn topic or a "Vista/MS is MS" topic?
I mean, does anyone have anything to say other than they can't get it to work? Which, really, I guess would be expected. I mean, no run, nothing to say.
Well, I have to say that I am shocked on to accounts: 1) How many people have Vista. I mean, really? I mean, no body wants Vista. They tried to force it on folks out my work but all the boxes keep being hybrid with XP still. I can't even find out how to access the Vista crap-ortions. And 2ndly, I'm shocked at how offensive Double-D is (yes, I steered it back that way). It supports violence against blobs Being a piece of slime myself, I can't support it.
* MS = "maximum suckage." See Earthworm Jim cartoon and related inside jokes, c. 1997 "No butt head. Butt not here. Butt down here!"
- A two-year-old's defense to the insult "butthead" is impeccable.
Lugiatrainer
Posts: 400
Member #20
Jun 4, 2008 3:23
Well, I tried DOSbox, and it reminded me just how horrible using command lines is capable of being. I think I'll go shove my hand in a blender, it'll be more fun.
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Jun 4, 2008 8:47
Say what? Hatin' on shell interfaces? What kind of a nerd are you? * creates a Linux4LifeMedallion * How dare they let you do what you want when you want to instead of bombarding you with ninety layers of useless windows designed to keep morons from royally screwing over their system!
Whoops, gotta change my scanner driver again since it keeps breaking (strangely, back to the 16 bit problem). This oughtta only take an hour, and it should also keep pretending the scanner is a camera instead! Thanks for conveniently filling out the options for me! You so smrat, Windows!
What was I saying? Oh yeah, stay outta my booze!
"To heck with the robots; give me a transparent slut!" ~ David Letterman -- Good to be back!
MintMan uses MightyGungnir
Lugiatrainer
Posts: 400
Member #20
Jun 4, 2008 12:53
I'm not hating on shell interfaces in general, just DOS. While not all shell interfaces are bad, they have much greater potential to be user unfriendly than a GUI, with a possible exception of being epileptic and the GUI constantly flashing. Anyway, finally got it working in DOSBox
Edit: How is saving supposed to work? Can't I pick up where I saved now that I've died?
(Re-edited after beating myself with an english textbook)
[Edited by Lugiatrainer on Jun 5, 2008 8:54]
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Jun 4, 2008 18:37
The DOSBox interface is only all that horrible when you don't modify the .conf autorun file. Other than that, it is hardly supposed to be used a strict shell interface, but largely just to run old DOS programs (games) that Windows long since lost good support for.
As for DOS in general, I find any version or emulation with tab completion not all that bad at all, although I do find myself trying to cut about half the letters out of my commands Of course, I was on 3.1 until about the turn of the century, so I guess I have my reasons.
When you load the game out ("L" at the start menu), you should be taken back to the Nexus at the last point in time you saved. You can only save the game from the Nexus and not simply where you were last playing. Otherwise, the game would be rather easy, no? "Oh no, I died. Welp, time to back to where I left off with full life! Dopty dopty do!"
You edited text was hardly English ("where I left saved now"?) so I'm having difficulty understanding just what it is you tried to asked. * brings forth a TypoBuster on Lugiatrainer with a Linux4LifeMedallion *
Why, what happens to you? In fact, what happens when you try to load at all and there's no save file I wonder if I have added that to the demo yet...
"And I know this all because I have a PhD in being awesome." ~ Sean Carless
Lugiatrainer
Posts: 400
Member #20
Jun 5, 2008 9:06
Oh, on the menu, apparently I was having trouble using elementary school level skills like READING. I didn't expect quicksaves, as they'd make actual save points pretty pointLESS. Was also going to mention how annoying it was to not get upgrades to HP/MP...when I finally got an upgrade. However, you can still make a game hard even with quicksaving, for instance, the Zelda Challenge ROM hacks, where you are expected to abuse savestates, and you'll still find the 16 lives go quite fast. * plants a virtual SavePoint tree because you can never have enough *
Lugiatrainer plants a virtual SavePoint tree
Afiag
Posts: 252
Member #242
Jun 5, 2008 9:47
Got it running. I imagine that eventually boss fights will be more than a normal enemy going something like "Hey! I'm gonna kill you!" and getting annihilated?
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year.
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Jun 5, 2008 12:45
Looking back, I wonder why I just didn't tell everyone to download QBASIC 1.1 instead of DOSBox. Well, I think QB works on Vista still...
Anyhoo, not noticing the Load option isn't much your fault. The main screen should have the normal Start New/Load/Quit Game format, but since the Start doesn't have the story section in it yet where Seth first gets his powers, it was sorta difficult. In fact, the first demo didn't even have the Nexus, so there would be no way to change out of Normal Seth Mode (which looks hilariously scrawny, by the by).
Anyhoo2, Zelda and sidescrollers are sorta like apples and oranges. In Zelda, restoring back to full life isn't that difficult (fairies or patience and a lot of weak enemies/bushes); just the levels/castles themselves are. This is a li'l different as life is actually a rare resource. What would happen with a quick save? Full life and go back to the start of the level or nexus? Hel, people would just kill themselves to get back to full life! If this game weren't limited by QB's severe memory constraints and the levels were much, much larger, then I could see such a thing, but with the sizes of the levels, it would be much easier to be able to full-life every time.
As for bosses, yeah, it isn't just a random enemy talkin' smack. Well, most of them, anyway. One of the bosses is the same guy, like, four times, just getting stronger and stronger, and he runs out of things to say, so he still does just mostly talk smack.
Works for me "If you could hear the color beige, it would sound like James Blunt." ~ Craig Ferguson
Afiag
Posts: 252
Member #242
Jun 5, 2008 13:51
You should probably make it so that you can turn in the other direction without moving.
Build a man a fire, and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
MintMan
Posts: 4061
Member #1
Jun 5, 2008 14:00
Well, there are plenty of games where you can't. Actually, come to think of it, no 2D comes to mind where you actually can, although it has long since been planned for the Down button to do just that.
Ah, old school 2D games -- where there weren't flaws in the control design, just added game difficulty! * picks a virtual SavePoint since it seems like he's always plantin' and never partakin' * "I seem to be the cure for nymphomania, apparently." ~ Craig Ferguson
Being a piece of slime myself, I can't support it.
However, you can still make a game hard even with quicksaving, for instance, the Zelda Challenge ROM hacks, where you are expected to abuse savestates, and you'll still find the 16 lives go quite fast. * plants a virtual SavePoint tree because you can never have enough *
