Animal Forest (Beta)

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ID:181683
 
Nov 29 2009, 10:17 pm
Maybe some of you have played before on the BYOND version, but it's been a few years (yes it took me this long), I finally have a stable java version of the game out.

For those of you who don't know what AF is...

Animal Forest is a 2D player operated ORPG with strict roleplay rules enforced. There is no OOC (Out of Character) in the game except in the OOC channels. Your character does not know what a computer is.
There are 12 critter characters to choose from: Hedgehog, Badger, Rat, Fox, Mouse, Squirrel, Shrew, Rabbit, Beaver, Ferret, Weasel.
AF is mostly player operated, as in there are minimal NPC's in the game, all trade and currency is made by players, you do not level up in terms of how many monsters you kill, the only NPC's are skill trainers. Players collect items through craft skills and scrounging skill or through barter with other players. There is no set currency of the game, but you can create your own coins through stamping gold/silver/tin/etc coins with your burrow name. Players can create burrows (Homes/Shops) after a certain level of achieved play time, and can build their burrow to their own likings.



http://animalforest.no-ip.org

Also! My apologies on the slow server, I am hosting this myself, and to top it all off I'm on a wireless connection.
Dec 7 2009, 5:20 am
Pretty good job man.. But if you reworked the whole system in java, why would you reuse another tile system!? Everything would have had to of been reprogrammed anyways you should of made it draw as a pixel system! Why make a byond game in java if you just have it identical to byonds system. xD
Dec 8 2009, 9:34 pm
In response to Bladeshifter
I guess. These are just place-holder graphics. Besides, some of the features I have on the java game are impossible to BYOND standards. And besides, people with Linux can play! :O
Dec 9 2009, 12:37 am
In response to Buzzyboy
xD ah nice! Hey where did you learn to program java, and did you use a framework or somthin?

Ive read a couple java books, but i get so stumped on things. and most the java frameworks seem so useless >.< lol
Dec 10 2009, 1:15 pm
In response to Buzzyboy
Buzzyboy wrote:
Besides, some of the features I have on the java game are impossible to BYOND standards.

I'm curious, what are these features?
Dec 11 2009, 2:15 am
In response to Airjoe
The layout of the inventory? the layout of the equipment? the layout of the skills? Simpler map editor, since I created it. Support for tiles bigger than 32x32, lighting affects (that don't take a lot of CPU usage), A very small game size (LESS than 1MB, including the server source and images, on BYOND, it was over 43MB). As mentioned before, support on Mac, Linux, and Windows. Auto-updating client. I can use giant sprite sheets without having to cut them up and put into DMI's. A more controllable frame rate. Animations not only in increments of every 100 milliseconds. I don't have to restart the server and re-update the client every time I change the map. Less bulky save files. Better right-click support. I can open new frames that interact with the game without having to use JavaScript, or much less HTML.

Why use BYOND, when you could use Java/C/C++ is what I'm saying I guess? :/
The number of cpu's installed with java heavily outweigh those with BYOND installed.
Dec 11 2009, 2:16 am
In response to Bladeshifter
I learned a lot from the java API.

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/

But there are tons of online java tutorials. I'm sure if you google'd it, you'd find tons.
Dec 11 2009, 6:00 am (Edited on Dec 11 2009, 6:26 am)
In response to Buzzyboy
Buzzyboy wrote:
The layout of the inventory? the layout of the equipment? the layout of the skills?

Possible in BYOND.

Simpler map editor, since I created it.

I'll take your word for it since you didn't show it, but I'm partial to BYOND's own.

Support for tiles bigger than 32x32,

Possible in BYOND.

lighting affects (that don't take a lot of CPU usage),

Again, curious- you showed two screen shots. After playing your game, I see no special lighting effects.

A very small game size (LESS than 1MB, including the server source and images, on BYOND, it was over 43MB).

If it was over 43MB, you're doing it wrong.

As mentioned before, support on Mac, Linux, and Windows.

Ok, you have it there, but I personally don't mind the loss of like 6% market share- to each their own, of course. It's not worth the sacrifice of simplicity, in my opinion.

Auto-updating client. I can use giant sprite sheets without having to cut them up and put into DMI's.

Possible in BYOND.

A more controllable frame rate. Animations not only in increments of every 100 milliseconds.

Okay.

I don't have to restart the server and re-update the client every time I change the map.

Possible in BYOND.

Less bulky save files.

If you're using your own system in Java, why not use your own system in BYOND? You can either rite your own savefile, or use SQL.

Better right-click support.

Please elaborate. Your game's right click support doesn't seem to be special.

I can open new frames that interact with the game without having to use JavaScript, or much less HTML.

Possible in BYOND.



Why use BYOND, when you could use Java/C/C++ is what I'm saying I guess? :/

Why learn a difficult language not targeted towards game making when you can use an easy to pick up language with game mechanics built in? It's obvious you haven't been around BYOND in quite a while, since most of what you want is here, plus a community to target your game to. Your complaints ammount to "better lighting effects" which you didn't showcase, "better right click support" which you didn't showcase, and "better framerate" which I can understand, but at the level of graphics you're using, isn't really a big deal. This isn't an FPS where response time and screen refresh is key, it's a 2d top down game. Also, by the way, better framerates are possible in singleplayer games.

And BYOND gives you this nifty hub page which doesn't look like absolute <expletive deleted.

The number of cpu's installed with java heavily outweigh those with BYOND installed.

So package BYOND with your own installer. You have to distribute your game anyway, not a big deal to include a run time environment. Hell, you'd do it with Java anyway if Java isn't installed.

Also, why do you distribute a JNLP which just downloads and runs a JAR anyway? Furthermore, if you're so worried about being able to distribute to the most people possible, why the heck are you offering a .rar file?
Dec 11 2009, 8:29 am
In response to Airjoe
As mentioned before, support on Mac, Linux, and Windows.

Ok, you have it there, but I personally don't mind the loss of like 6% market share- to each their own, of course. It's not worth the sacrifice of simplicity, in my opinion.

Us 6%'rs do like to be supported. Also, java makes for easy porting to other platforms such as mobile phones. I rather dislike java, but its portability is well worth consideration.

Also, why do you distribute a JNLP which just downloads and runs a JAR anyway? Furthermore, if you're so worried about being able to distribute to the most people possible, why the heck are you offering a .rar file?

JNLP seems to offer the ability to automatically update the jar, or so it seems. As for the .rar thing, that is a very good point. Very few, if any, OSs support rar out of the box. At least with ZIP you get Windows and OSX(I think) support out of the box, and it is trivial to get it on Linux(probably comes stock on many distros).
Dec 11 2009, 9:04 am
In response to Danial.Beta
Danial.Beta wrote:
As mentioned before, support on Mac, Linux, and Windows.

Ok, you have it there, but I personally don't mind the loss of like 6% market share- to each their own, of course. It's not worth the sacrifice of simplicity, in my opinion.

Us 6%'rs do like to be supported. Also, java makes for easy porting to other platforms such as mobile phones. I rather dislike java, but its portability is well worth consideration.

I think it's more like, you 6%ers already understand your lack of support and have some form of Windows ready anyway :P
Dec 11 2009, 9:26 am
In response to Airjoe
The pre-installed and (well for C++ anyway) not branded aspect seems to be more appealing in so far as marketing goes for developers, when this comparison usually comes up here.

Buzzyboy may however be veering into a category of user that BYOND as a platform struggles to support, the more professional and formally educated developer market. BYOND very much does what it says on the tin, and what it aims to do. It's easy to pick up the language, easy to get a multiplayer world going, easy to get some persistence and so on. Where it struggles is when you as a developer have grown to use some far more rigorous platforms, with more task-oriented or architecture-oriented IDEs, interactive debuggers and provided revision control support, supported by a richer language set.

It really may just be as simple as it suits your development style and intentions, but not his. You can argue pros and cons all day, but I don't think Buzzyboy is the target developer market, so he won't be very swayed by most of BYOND's selling points. You usually see what you want to see.
Dec 11 2009, 11:17 am (Edited on Dec 11 2009, 11:59 am)
In response to Airjoe
By right click support, I mean my admin tabs and such. I'm not sure how you can organize Popup menu's in a Stat panel. I'm not even sure you can add Tooltip's to them. The lighting affects are still in testing and only available to Beta Tester clients. Java is not difficult to any means. As for the support larger than 32x32, I believe BYOND's icon editor does not truly support actually....editing it, thus it's not fully supported, also when I made a 32x64 icon for a player, it just shrunk it down to 32x32 :/, very annoying. \
I'm not sure why you're encouraging me to learn the new BYOND systems, when I already know Java? I LOVE, and I mean ABSOLUTELY LOVE that I can have a seperate source for my client and server. I even help teach a java class in college, I'm not ever going to go back to DM. Java has much more freedom than BYOND does, there is no argument.

Dec 11 2009, 11:19 am
In response to Danial.Beta
Also, why do you distribute a JNLP which just downloads and runs a JAR anyway? Furthermore, if you're so worried about being able to distribute to the most people possible, why the heck are you offering a .rar file?

I ask myself the same question every day. :/

I actually uploaded a zip file of it also. I just assumed everyone knew how to open .rar files now a days. Either way, people can download the zip or the rar.
Dec 11 2009, 12:14 pm
In response to Buzzyboy
RAR is a proprietary format that has been obsoleted by open technologies.

For most uses, a standard .zip is fine as it's what most people are familiar with.

For rapid compression and decompression, gzip is best.

For maximum compression in a reasonable amount of time, 7z/LZMA is best.

No reason to use RAR ever again. :-)
Dec 11 2009, 12:37 pm
In response to Ryan P
Derailed again! >:|
As I said, I have both, what's it matter.
Dec 11 2009, 12:43 pm
In response to Buzzyboy
Buzzyboy wrote:
I'm not sure why you're encouraging me to learn the new BYOND systems, when I already know Java?

It has nothing to do with encouraging you to switch back as much it is to stop you from spreading FUD on these forums. Just about everything you claim makes Java so much better is possible in BYOND, and likely more easily so.


Dec 11 2009, 6:42 pm
In response to Airjoe
Everyone needs to lay off the guy! Java is awesome! And.. To anyone who says otherwise, Java is and will be more powerful and customizable then byond EVER will be. Just because its a from scratch language. With byond, everything is done for you. With java you can re-create what byond has accomplished OR even edit/improve the systems!

JAVA FTW! hahaha
Dec 12 2009, 2:36 am
In response to Buzzyboy
It might have more freedom in the sense that you're slightly closer to the metal and have more access to OS functionality, etc., but Java is still a bondage-and-discipline language, and DM isn't - that makes Java an instant fail compared to DM in my books. Maybe if you like the Java style it doesn't, but personally it makes me vomit blood.
Dec 12 2009, 12:18 pm
In response to Jp
I have never heard someone call it a B&D language, I think you're wrong on that one.

But it seems like every time I seem to post anything on the BYOND forums it seems like people instantly turn it into a Java vs BYOND competition.

People love BYOND for it's simplicity, yet still very powerful engine.

People love Java for it's versatility and automated garbage collection.

Not one of you has even logged into the game, instead you've chosen to be narrow-minded and ignore the whole purpose of my post.

Why do people hate BYOND? Oh. the community, that's right. Bye.
Dec 12 2009, 2:55 pm
In response to Bladeshifter
Bladeshifter wrote:
Everyone needs to lay off the guy! Java is awesome! And.. To anyone who says otherwise, Java is and will be more powerful and customizable then byond EVER will be. Just because its a from scratch language. With byond, everything is done for you. With java you can re-create what byond has accomplished OR even edit/improve the systems!

JAVA FTW! hahaha

Loading map...

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*yawn*
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*sniffle*
...

...

*map finishes loading*
"WOOT!"
*accidentally presses up arrow key*
Loading map...

"aw darnit." *takes another nap*
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