Ah, didn't see those edits.

If maped3 works, then cool. The .map file type won't be ascociated with the .exe though, and as lots of other programs tend to call their files .map that is a good thing. As long as you can open a .map file in maped3 and create new ones, you're fine.

As for file types I'll do a quick run down of all the ones I know:

.exe - Run it. All you'll need for your game is verge.exe

.dll - Contains extra code stuff - you don't need to modify them. Just make sure 'fmod.dll' is in your game folder

.vc/.vh/(whatever) - verge doesn't actually care what extensions your code files have, you just need 'system.vc' as the start point. If it looks like verge code, open it in textpad

-.cfg/.log/.txt/(whatever) - Any text editor will do. 'verge.cfg' is useful as it has various settings for when verge.exe runs, 'v3.log' contains any information you dump at runtime, 'vcc_verbose.txt' contains compile infomation, people sometimes include a 'readme.txt' with information on how to play the game, and store game data in files called whatever they want, often .dat or something

.tws - Textpad project file, just a handy way of opening all the texty files related to your game all at once

-.xvc - You don't need to open 'system.xvc', it's just your code in compiled form.

-.gif/.bmp/.png/.pcx/.jpg - Images, paint shop pro of photoshop are recommended, GIMP however is free

-.wav/.mp3/.ogm/.mod/.s3m - Music or sounds, lots of programs will play them, editing is a little harder

-.map - maped3.exe is your man. If you have beach.map you need a beach.vc to go with it

-.chr - run chrmak5.exe to turn you picture of your character animations into a .chr file verge can use, takes a bunch of command line instructions, so it is easier to have a .mak file with all the parameters in

-.mak - command line instructions for chrmak5.exe to create a .chr file

-.vsp/.dump - compiled map stuff or something, no need to worry about, maped3 handles it. The .vsp files contain the tileset information, but you can't edit them directly.

-.vpk - everything compiled into one file, prettier way of doing it, again, no need to open

Summary: To run a verge program, all you need is a directory with 'verge.exe', 'fmod.dll', 'v3.cfg' and 'system.vc' with your code in. Everything else is extra and you can add later.

Think that covers it, I recommend you go here and try and put together my SwapColours() program, all the bits you need are linked. Just copy the two bits of code into a blank system.vc and put the graphic in the same folder, and then try running verge.exe

After that, try using a different picture, or display the picture a third time. Have fun. :)

Zip

[Edit: A few corrections and clarifications - thanks Gayo]

Zip,

Couple problems verge had with the hello world program. I copy/pasted it, ran it, and got the error "system.vc(3): Expecting ")", but got ";" instead.

This was a simple fix. Added a ")" before the ";"

However, after that minor fix, the program runs fine but no text is printed on my screen (neither is the buffer, for that matter). I tried playing around with the Print syntax but i r n00b and can't even get PrintString("Hello World!"); to work because it gives me an error of not knowing what the "!" is for.

Maybe this is a sign from above that coding are not 4 me. Hah, thanks for trying though.... /emote "thinks maybe he should take a programming course first"

That is, of course, all my fault. Is should remember to always test any code rather than just assuming it works. Looking at it again, the line should read:
PrintCenter(ImageWidth(screen) / 2, ImageHeight(screen) / 2, screen, 0, "Hello World!");

You noticed the missing bracket at the end yourseld, the other problem being that height and width need to be divided by two to print something in the middle.

I'd say given the success of noticing my first error, you should stick with the programming a little longer and see how it goes. Try and get my bits of code in the grphics section to work, then bug me agian on IRC or zippedmartin AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk

Zip

Here's an introduction to a basic game loop along the same lines, copy this into system.vc and give it a go (I've tested first this time).

void autoexec()


{


	int x = ImageWidth(screen) / 2; // Sets variable x to middle of screen


	int y = ImageHeight(screen) / 2; // Sets variable y to middle of screen


	while (!b3) // If escape is not pressed


	{


		if (up) // If up arrow is pressed


		{


			y -= 10; // Decrease y coordinate


			unpress(5); // Set up to zero again


		}


		else if (down) // If down arrow is pressed


		{


			y += 10; // Increase y coordinate


			unpress(6); // Set down to zero again


		}


		else if (left) // If left arrow is pressed


		{


			x -= 10; // Decrease x coordinate


			unpress(7); // Set left to zero again


		}


		else if (right) // If right arrow is pressed


		{


			x += 10; // Increase x coordinate


			unpress(8); // Set right to zero again


		}


		RectFill(0, 0, ImageWidth(screen), ImageHeight(screen), 0, screen);


		// Reset the screen buffer to plain black


		PrintCenter(x, y, screen, 0, "Hello World!");


		// Prints said text at centered from coordinates x, y


		ShowPage(); // Displays the buffer on the screen


		UpdateControls(); // Check inputs


	}


	exit("Bye!");


}

See if you can modify it yourself to make sure the text cannot go off the screen. Hint: use if to check the values before changing them.

Zip

Crazy thoughts that aren't really applicable but I'll write them anyway.

It would be cool if the tutorials where certifable. Once done a partcipant sends in his results. i.e. he's made a small fetch-quest game. He's sends the game in, carefully selected people, ensure that it is what it should be ... and

Then on the forums she gets a little star certificate next to her avatar or on her avatar, or just written in her profile. This would help stratify the Verge community and therefore give some idea who might be best to listen to for advice.

It would also provide something to aim for when creating a complete game is beyond reach for the aspiring game programmer.

The down side would be the extra work for all the already busy dev people.


I like postly anon. because I can come with lots of outlandish ideas that would require lots of work without being held accountable :D

This is actually a really good idea that I have also had at multiple times in the past.

Who were you?

I'm a noob (on Verge). so you could talk about all the different aspects that the programming does to the actual game. talk about things in detail a quote on what they will do in the actual program. also give screen shots to what it'll do to the actual *game* ...emm that's what i had problms with

Could we make mmorpg's? that would be wiked.

Technically we can. Practically, we can't. I for one certainly don't have a multi-million dollar software company and tons of developers on my side. And if I did, we probably wouldn't be using Verge :) No offense to Verge or anything.

MMORPGs in Verge have been discussed before. The capability is ...somewhat there, but the processing needed on the scale of most MMORPGs probably couldn't be handled by Verge, and there is way too much resouce creation and management involved for a game of that calliber.

btw i think u should totally re fresh the manual be saying that you need to do this and that to make the guy walk not the guy walks by .. blah blh blah! i u get what i mean. ie. put it all into different subs like:
chptr 1: moving the charatcter around ur own made maps
chptr2: the way to make ur own maps
etc make it so that a baby could understanding and go into lots of detail cus moi et eltimo r really confused about it allllllll thnx 4 reading

btw i think u should totally re fresh the manual be saying that you need to do this and that to make the guy walk not the guy walks by .. blah blh blah! i u get what i mean. ie. put it all into different subs like:
chptr 1: moving the charatcter around ur own made maps
chptr2: the way to make ur own maps
etc make it so that a baby could understanding and go into lots of detail cus moi et eltimo r really confused about it allllllll thnx 4 reading

Well, actually, that's what tutorials are for, my friend. Manuals are supposed explain what the various aspects of the engine do, not directly how to do something with the engine.

Have you read Rysen's Tutorial? I'll make one that's better, more recent, more fun to read, and easier to learn from. I'll entitle it "On the Verge of Verging". And no, don't use my previous example of a tutorial at all. Look more at something awesome like Why’s (Poignant) Guide to Ruby which incorporates some awesome things in with a lesson.

Quote:


Indeed my tutorial is old, but there really isn't much (if anything) out of date in there that you wouldn't do now.

Anyway, good luck with your tutorial overkill. God knows I have 0 time to work on mine these days. *sigh*

Quote:


I agree, to that...

Rysen's tutorial is the first tutorial I read before Overkill's. Both tutes are good and both caters to diffent field. Rysen's is like introductory. Same to Overkill's but a bit advance. Overkill got in depth with programming.

I say, for beginners, read Rysen's then Overkill's. And once Overkill is done with the *new* one, I'm cofident enough to recommend it too. : )

But reading is not enough. Like all experts say, practice, practice, practice!

Ok, here's a question that I've yet to find an answer to...

Seeing as VERGE runs on Mac, does it run on the iPhone too?

I've been wondering about this one for a while b/c I have a program that I made for a Windows-based PDA. It's called AirChat and it detects and allows you to text-message anyone within your wireless range.

Something akin to a chat-room without the actual server ^^ (see google "ad-hoc networks" for more details :P)

I have been working on porting it to Mac with additional features, and I remembered something about iPhone being based around Mac.

I didn't want to rush out and purchase a new iPhone without first knowing whether VERGE would run on it or not.

Well, I'm not entirely sure, because I don't own an iPhone or anything Mac based, but judging from the fact Apple has its own restricted API when it comes to iPhones, which is limited to registered developers, I'm going to say "no". Now granted, I could be wrong, but I don't think as it stands, that Verge will compile out of the box for iPhones.

There's likely some third party stuff that'd allow it to work, but not exactly certain. D: