Some questions...

[anthonyloprimo]

Hey all.  I'm new here, and I had just recently downloaded and started using this program.  I'm a noob and so... please forgive any of the ingorance or stupid questions as I am still trying to figure out this program (ZOLE) and learn what I can without bugging others.

I finally decided to start on a personal project of mine alongside the game I've been developing, and I decided after learning about the original choice to remake the original zelda for Game Boy and the project kind of falling through, why not attempt a little something like that!  Oddly enough I've found this program the same day I started looking into editors and I have to say I like it so far... as well as the fact I haven't found anything else much like this.  I also sort of like the idea of Ages being the main focus as of now for the editor as I could easily create some interesting twists (extra quest meged with main one for an interesting change of pace anyone?)

Anyway, I've started editing the map... that's about it.  By editing the map I mean changing tiles.  That's it.  I've ran into a couple of issues, though just to start...  One issue I specifically have right now is creating doorways, teleporters or whatever it's actually called in game.  If Link enters a cave entrance I place on the map (or other doorway), it seems to fade into white, fade back, as if he entered and exited the cave.  No transition, no warp, nothing.  Can't quite figure it out.  The next thing is a chest.  It seems that the one I placed simply gives me one rupee.  I was planning to do some sort of rupee prize but... 1 was definitely not what I was looking to have rewarded.

The last thing is... once I figure out how to move link to another map/room/screen (i.e. shop or house), I'm afraid I can't find the map group that is supposed to contain the houses.  The only group I thought of it being was "Indoor Big", and I noticed I can scroll to maps that are outside of the preview on the right (where you can click to change the current map you're editing) but... I can't find anything.  I'm probably going to replace some cave maps with those caves that some of the denizens hide in (The moblin, money making game, underground shops, etc) but I am thinking of attempting to do some kind of work with incorporating a town here and there (or at least a building or two) and I'd prefer to not clutter up the maps available with brand new ones if I can replace old ones.

...I do hope I'm not missing something that should be blatantly in your face even for a first time user.  In any case, it's time to take a break from trying to modify each screen to work for a game boy screen vs. the NES screen X_X

[Lin]

Please, don't try remaking the original Zelda using Ages as a basis. Seasons was the first Oracles game and was originally intended to be a remake. It has every single boss, enemy, and weapon in the original games, and the little gimmicks like the little dudes that either give you or steal your money when you enter their houses by burning trees. Small indoor maps are in the underwater areas at the right and bottom borders. I don't want to put you down, but it would be terrible seeing someone go through all the extra effort when they don't have to. You can easily use ZOLE to edit Seasons, but you're missing out on ZOTE and ZOSE. You would have to wait for the ZOHS (ZOLE 6).

In regards to your warping, you have to actually give the map a warp. Fatories made a great tutorial on them here: http://zeldahacking.ulmb.com/index.php?topic=230.0

Chests are the same - you need to give a map a chest value. If the item you wish to give the player does not come out of a chest, you need to follow this tutorial (it works for all items) to make the game not crash when opening the chest: http://zeldahacking.ulmb.com/index.php?topic=11.0

If you need any further help, join us in the IRC: irc.caffie.net #ZOLE

[anthonyloprimo]

Thanks for the information!  I've been toying with both games and I have to admit there's a distinct difference in the feel.  Seasons really does seem to have that "LoZ" feel to it, while being a GBC game.  It's disappointing that it's not fully supported yet, and I lack information for ASM work or otherwise.  I'd absolutely need help with that if I did try to work with it now which sucks.

Out of curiosity, with Ages being released later, is there any difference in the engine stability wise?  Fewer glitches?  Less likely to crash and whatnot?  If so, is there any chance of simply porting over elements from Seasons right into Ages, so we can re-use all of the enemy and other data that I would need without having to use a potentially buggier engine?

[Klavice]

Funny... I always thought Ages was made first what with having a different chest design and underwater levels all of which were absent from Seasons.

Do you know why my cartridge of Ages has a "Made in 1998" label on it and not Seasons?

[Radz]

That's likely because they used the same cartridge parts for all games and games created could likely have cartridges purchases or manufactured in different years.

I am fairly certain Lin is correct though.  The original plan was that they recreate the original Zelda, but then they repurposed the engine into the "Triforce Series" which consisted of three linked game, but that ultimately became too complex and they cut it down to two...the Oracle series...but Seasons started from that original Zelda remake.