So long story short I’m kindive sortive finally getting the hang of actually designing a landscape in Decker. The gist is less is more. There’s a few scenes I’m proud of namely the Maintenance room, the Hard Disk. and the ‘Texas’ card. Tulsa city proved to be, I don’t know, hard to imagine. For me, rural or monolithic stuff like a big ol’ vault is easier for me to make a layout for. 

Quests, quests, quests, quests. I spent the better part of, well all day today in and out, between meals staring at my computer. I think I’m either willfully ignorant, or a terrible student frankly but  justI don’t get it. It’s Lil scripting, it’s embarrassing I don’t understand it. I should have asked Professor Schweizer earlier about it, but the idea is a simple two NPC interaction. When you first get to Tulsa I have a health clinic and night club for whatever reason. I’ve never played GTA or anything like that but in my nighttime exhaustion I made those two locations, So when you get to Tulsa, the game would prefer to lock you out of Club Atmos (functioning as the local Tvern with several NPC’s to talk to. But in order to access you it first need to get a check up in the clinic after a long stint in the Vault. They need to make sure you’re adjusting alright, it’s apparently routine for former vault dwellers to do that (that’s what I’m going with lore wise atleast). 

Since I can’t seem to script the Ranger is a stationary object without a cigar animation…For some reason that’s what stings the most because I could picture it so clearly. He also has a dialogue box, it doesn’t look too awful with it just sitting there. But there is multiple problems with these whatever decker calls them, fields, making it as none I think breaks it somehow. The truth is, I think coding and me may never get along well. Perhaps that’s why it’s painful, I tired of reading it over and over and over and just not getting it and then feeling my anxiety go way up and internally freaking out. I’m not even sure I can code anything by myself. It is just horrible.

It would be nice to just chat the professor up and at least get that very simple lock and key mechanism down. I have a coding example here, and I don’t know if it works. Though keep in mind it was originally intended for the Ranger. There were meant to be two interactions in the game in that variety. Using conversations rather than items as the variable that unlocks new areas. Neat idea right? Wish I could actually do it. Visiting the hospital first  unlocking Club Atmos is hopefully something I can eventually figure out. But to be honest this whole thing was so difficult for me. Trying to abstract this stuff into a glorified PowerPoint is not the same as 3D modeling in cinema 4D - there it’s much easier for me to visualize what’s going on. So at the very, very least I know my strengths are in designing for modern gaming. Rather than that awful puke green Gameboy, whatever JavaScript thinks it is, and oh my gosh Mac programs form them 80’s. Not trying to sound like a dick. I just need something more modern as 3D games were what I grew up with, I think I just intrinsically understand them more.

The thing about Decker is, designing a few of these environments was pleasing, the Maintenance room basically put itself together. As per usual I spent way too much time on each scene, agonizing over each and every last pixel. The only exception being Club Atmos as I don’t know what a club looks like (perhaps I am game dev material). Besides a cute face I’m a nerd through and through. 

Alright, I haven’t given up. I still have Schell’s next and then get that goddamn script where the lock and key thing makes since. Professor I will be bothering you about that tomorrow on Sunday. So apologies in advance. I just need a gameplay element, it has to be a a game. I just, oh my lord it’s frustrating.

here’s my coding examples:

on click do

if rangeBox1.text="Bout time you got here. There's a jeep 'round back with the keys in the ignition." There's two roads, you're probably goin' to Tulsa, right?”

  go[“Ranger Stat. W/ Jeep“]

 else

    alert[I’ should see the Sheriff first before taking this.”]

 end

end

on click do

 Ranger Stat. W/ Jeep.widgets.Dialogue1.text:"Bout time you got here. There's a jeep 'round back with the keys in the ignition." There's two roads, you're probably goin' to Tulsa, right?"

 alert:[You should get a move on"]

end

So these are for two buttons. It’s weird, becuase ai understand the coding structure better than how it’s organized and what’s talking to what.