Thomas, in the case of non-time limited puzzles, rather than trying to recreate pictures and such with sound, might you simply create an actual short verbal description of the pictures and such on each stone?... Each descript itself could come from a particular area in the sound environment which would then give not only the placement, but also the content...
-Just a thought... Smiles, Cara :) On Jan 18, 2008, at 5:59 PM, Thomas Ward wrote: > Hi Will, > Yes, that is certainly my aim. Right now the question of how much it > is > like the original depends largely on what language and APIs I build > the > game with. The version I am working on currently written in .Net is > quite a bit like the original, because DirectX does an excellent job > of > rendering the world in virtual 3D audio. I'm currently researching the > possability of porting it to Java for multiplatform support, but I am > uncertain how much of the 3D Audio support will be the same. Java's > javax.sound.sampled library seams to be primative for my uses and I > might have to use OpenAL through the Java JOAL library to get the same > or similar 3D Audio support. > Anyway, no matter which language I end up using for the final release > and APIs I still want to have Lara climbing ropes, jumping across lava > pits, jumping up to pull switches, etc all like the original games. > In fact, a true 3D environment is one of the elements that makes TR > very > fun to play. A 3D game offers a completely different element of > strategy > and opertunities which I will explain. > For example, in Tomb Raider 1 there is a room Lara has to pass through > that is filled with three wolves in it. If you attack them on their > level they will pounce on Lara and she will be dead meet unless you > have > something like the Uzi in hand. If you only have Lara's pistil you > get > when beginning the game, a very wimpy weapon, you could climb up onto > the wooden crosswalk above the room, look down, and sniper attack the > wolves from above. > That said, there may be some elements of the TR games that will be a > real witch to make accessible. Here is one example for you to > illistrate > what I mean. > In TR 6, Angel of Darkness, Lara enters an ancient tomb called the > Hall > of Seasons. Behind each of the stone doors are rooms that are each > almost like minilevels in themselves. One of the rooms is filled with > lava. The objective is to collect the fire crystal, but to do that > Lara > has to jump around on little stones or pieces of ground sticking up > out > of the lava all at weird angles and locations. What makes it really > hard > is after Lara jumps off a stone it sinks into the lava and can not be > used again to get back to the main door. You end up having to figure > out > a patern to get to the fire crystal, and then plot a safe course > back to > the door. > TR 4, Last Revelation, has a similar challange on level 3 that would > be > difficult to make accessible. To get through the exit gate Lara has to > solve the combination that unlocks the door. To do this Lara has to > jump > on specific stones with pictures on them in a specific order. Every > time > she lands on a correct one one of the torches on the wall lights. When > all the torches are lit Lara can open the gate. If you screw it up the > torches will go out, and you have to double back to a room where you > can > reset the combination by pulling a chain guarded by a big ugly mummy. > So while I think I can make a version 90% true to the original games > there are some things I will have to either leave out or change in > someway to make them more accessible like fixing stones in one place > or > come up with an easier more accessible way to unlock a certain door > etc. > > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > . > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of > the list, > please send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- View my Online Portfolio at: http://www.onemodelplace.com/CaraQuinn --- Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
