We still here

Apr 23, 2010 at 10:41 AM
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People that are checking the site regularly and still hope for a release of Zelda 3 C: Please post you names here as encouragement and to show support!

Eggz
I have been following this hacks progess since 2004. Gamemkr, you are doing a great job and what you have accomplished so far is truly amazing. Keep it up!
 
Apr 23, 2010 at 12:51 PM
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Hello, first time poster.

abcd888

The first time I heard of Q4C was before several weeks (so I have to wait 7-8 years less :) ), and since that I have been checking this site and the official site every day. I know that the hack will be perfect when it's done. I will be patient and wait as much as I need.

Cheers!
 
Apr 23, 2010 at 5:41 PM
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I made this account just to say that I've been lurking for the past year and a half. I can't wait for this hack. :D
 
Apr 24, 2010 at 7:45 PM
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Yeah. We still here alright. I too just signed up to get an account so I could let you know I check the website all the time. Good luck, and can't wait to play the final product.
 
Apr 25, 2010 at 8:39 AM
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As soon as Parallel Worlds was posted, I found out about this hack and have checked this site regulary since then. The game looks good in all ways and I simply can't wait to play through it.

Support is here, we believe in you!
 
Apr 25, 2010 at 8:54 PM
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Hey! I'm still here too. I have it set up so I get an email whenever there's a new diary entry, but I still come back now and again for the forum posts. GameMakr, this community has faith in you! I know the hack will get successfully completed, and I know it will kick rich amounts of ass when it's done.

The time may have come to rethink some of the more ambitious aspects of this project, however, and focus on the "core misson" if you can define one for yourself. Just an idea.
 
Apr 27, 2010 at 9:46 AM
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If I ever get around to playing the Zelda series I'll certainly try this at some point. It looks like a really nice little project, so I wish you (all?) good luck for getting it finished.
 
Apr 27, 2010 at 1:59 PM
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Still checking, still patiently waiting. Can't wait.
 
Apr 28, 2010 at 1:17 AM
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yeah im still here too. check this site almost every day, and i still daydream about playing this when its done, and im also still trying to work on graphics when i have the time. i cant wait until we can get back to working on this project regularly again. but i do realize that real life must take priority, and i, as well as a vast majority of those following this project, respect that. itll be great when its done though.

lol on a side note, i finally found time to play through ocarina of time for the first time. about 12 years late, id say...
 
Apr 29, 2010 at 12:57 AM
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Still here after about eight years and counting. :)
 
May 2, 2010 at 5:16 AM
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Another long time fan here! I've posted here before I think...

I've been following this project since high school...now I'm in grad school. :p I'm not resentful, but I hope that even if Gamemaker does decide to quit someday, he'll release a lot of the stuff he put together over the years. I'd like to see it!

That said, I'm in no hurry, and still check the site a couple times a week. All my best to Gamemaker and his family!
 
May 4, 2010 at 10:38 AM
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Hey man this looks awesome. When I heard about this a long time ago I thought it was just another l2tp remix, I had no idea you were making your own graphics! Congrats on the kid. Just a friendly word of advice, if you had some sort of feedback system that didn't require you to sign up, you would probably get a lot more feedback. Looking forward to someday playing this game!
 
May 16, 2010 at 6:42 AM
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Just recently heard about this personally, but I've told a few of my friends and they are just as excited as I am about something like this coming out. I can't say thanks enough for the time and involvement you put into this.
Keep at it bud :)
 
May 18, 2010 at 10:21 AM
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S'orlok:

I'm another long-time reader, first-time poster.

I came across the Z3C blog a while ago, and felt something of a kindred spirit in what GM is attempting. The way he tackled problems (such as using Excel for a level editor) and his overall positive outlook struck me, as did the way he demanded perfection with things like the hook-shot working on roof tops. When Parallel Worlds came out, it did nothing to decrease my interest in Z3C. Indeed, although PW was an ambitious hack, I found myself thinking "Game Maker would have balanced this better", etc.

I've resisted creating a forum account for a while, but something in GM's last post struck me as a bit defeatist. Now, I don't doubt he'll finish the project. But I know from my own projects how crushing the weight of each new feature can be. So, if GM reads this thread, I'd like to wish him a hearty "Good luck, and we're behind you all the way". After all, how many other people running sites with monthly updates of few paragraphs can claim a viewership so loyal and so enduring?

Also, we really like it when you post pictures. :D Hehe, I know you're aware of this, but Truce Dam was just so.... satisfying.
 
May 21, 2010 at 7:31 PM
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I actually just stumbled onto this today. I must say that I am impressed by what little I've seen and I will be checking back weekly to see any progress. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to play this! =)
 
May 28, 2010 at 12:18 AM
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Hi everyone, I haven’t really posted anything in the forums in a while but I haven’t really had anything noteworthy to say. But I do have something to say today. I do want to say that this post not only goes out to everyone following the project but also to GameMakr24.

I really appreciate all of the people who are following this project, I started out just by reading the updates on the diary page then I contacted GameMakr and told him that I wanted to be a part of the project. Then I just started trying to help out anyway I could. I sent him e-mails on constructive criticism regarding his screenshots, drew a few sprites and offered ideas as well as graphics from other games that would work well with Zelda3C.

Then I began working on dungeon ideas, by the way the majority of my work is almost entirely related to dungeons. I started out just drawing out dungeon rooms on paper but then I found Hyrule Magic and went from there on. I then began e-mailing GameMakr videos of my dungeon designs and puzzles that I made in Hyrule Magic. I would basically record a video and describe or solve my submissions by playing the game and talking out loud so GameMakr would know exactly how they work and what they do. I have e-mailed GameMakr so many videos I lost track of how many I sent. Several times GameMakr would send me back feedback regarding a particular video submission stating “I didn’t know you could do that.” or “I didn’t know the game worked that way.” yes, I actually taught GameMakr new things about the Zelda3 game!

I have tried very very hard to put everything that I got into this game. Everything that I have submitted to Gamemakr represents hundreds of hours of playing and studying the game. I have poured all of my passion and creativity into this and I believe that hopefully some pretty cool stuff that I have developed actually gets into the final version of the game. There was actually a period of time when I was literally obsessed with this game. I was like in the zone when thinking of new ideas. The funny thing is that GameMakr never asked me to do any of the things that I did. GameMakr never asked me to work on dungeons, GameMakr never asked me to make videos, but I did it anyway because I truly wanted to be a part of the project and to have made a contribution to the game.

Currently I haven’t really done anything related to Zelda3 and there are three main reasons for this. The first reason is that I have come up with so many ideas in Hyrule Magic that I cannot think of anything else to submit to GameMakr. The second reason is because I do not know how to program or hack at all. I have been trying to learn but it is not easy. I did have a hacking lesson from Reshaper, one of the Zelda3 programmers but I need more hacking lessons from him to actually be able to hold my own and to help GameMakr with the hack. Reshaper did teach me a lot and I took down notes so I can study them over again. The third reason is because GameMakr has not really given me anything to work on.

GameMakr is the leader in this whole hack, he knows what parts of the game need to be worked on and what parts are pretty much finished. I don’t know what parts of the game to work on or the details involved in them. So how am I supposed to help out with this hack when I do not know what I need to do? I have asked GameMakr for a checklist or something to that matter but I haven’t received any yet. He did give me some things to work on but they require programming that is beyond my capability.

I just want to be able to work on the game on a regular basis when I have spare time. I know that there are hundreds of things that need to be accomplished in this hack. I’m sure that I can handle some of them. For instance, what about the graphics on Epoch tower? You said they need an overhaul, well give me a screen shot and the details and I’ll give it a try. What about your over world program, why can’t you send it to me and I can work alongside of you. All I have to say is GameMakr if you don’t give me anything to work on I might as well not even be a part of the project because I’m not working on anything. GameMakr I’m just a little frustrated because I want to help but I can’t help. GameMakr, you are a great person and I enjoy talking with you, I want this hack to be completed. So please, I am requesting that you can find something for me to work on, something for me to do, something so that progress is being made. Please, you don’t have to do it right away but please find something.

Alright so let’s end on a positive note here. I have a notebook which contains lots of Zelda dungeon ideas that I created. This is the last of my work which contains some ideas that I haven’t submitted to GameMakr. I just got done scanning these pictures at my school. I’m e-mailing about 20 scanned pictures to GameMakr some of them he has seen and some he hasn’t. This is the last egg I have in my basket. I have nothing more to submit until I get an assignment from GameMakr. The pictures do NOT contain any spoilers of any kind. In fact I don’t even know if they will be in the final game or not. I feel comfortable showing these because they are just clips and bits from my personal sketch book. I wanted to show you guys at least something.



Untitlederock.jpg


This is a picture of some of my sketches of the items used in the game. When I did these I had planned on creating a hack all on my own, but making a Zelda3 hack is very hard so I joined the Zelda3C project.



Untitled1.jpg


I had an idea of putting those fire spitting shooters on conveyer belts but I don’t ever recall it working in Hyrule Magic. Programming would be required to make it work.



Untitled2.jpg


Can you guess what these creatures are? Give up… They are turtles! Honestly I don’t even know if turtles will be used in Zelda3C.



Untitled3.jpg


Here I was just trying to come up with something where the player has to pick the right path out of the 5 possible ones. As I got better and better designing I actually switched gears and went away from ideas like this. I don’t like playing a game where you just have to pick the correct path by trial and error, what fun is that? I later started making situations where the player has to look at a situation and think in advance what to do and how to solve it. I like to be able to look at something, think it through and do it and get it right. I don’t like just randomly guessing and hoping that one of my guesses was the correct one.



Untitled4.jpg


This is an idea that I had where top layer is used to “hang” things from the ceiling of dungeon rooms. Like for instance, you could hang vines or plant material, ropes or even metal chains like I did. If done right, it could have a cool effect but I don’t know if this is possible or not because of tile limitations.



Untitled5.jpg


A lot of my time was spent coming up with ideas and seeing if they will work in the game by using Hyrule Magic. First I start with an idea, like “Do torches ride conveyor belts?” So I would open up Hyrule Magic find a room with a torch in it, insert conveyor belt tiles, drag the torch on top of the conveyor belt tiles, save the new data to the Zelda3 rom file, open my emulator and go to the changed room to see if it worked or not. Turns out torches do not ride conveyor belts but darn it would be cool if it did. If anyone out there thinks that they have a good idea, try it out in Hyrule Magic like I did and send it to GameMakr. Anyone can submit an idea.

And just for the record, the ideas that I do submit to GameMakr are actually real working ideas that he can use in Zelda3C. I’m not sending him ideas like “dude, it would be super cool man if Link could ride a fire dragon that shoots out fireballs which set the enemies on fire making them explode”. Ideas like that require advanced programming and are not easy. My ideas are more like “Hey GameMakr, did you know that these 2 items are compatible under this condition?”



Untitled6.jpg


I actually thought this was kind of a cool idea. You have to throw a bomb while riding a conveyor belt but do it fast enough so that it lands onto another conveyor belt exploding and activating a peg switch. By the way arrows will not go through the square bricks. So bombs or the red brick will be the only way to get the switch.

Well I think I’m going to go home now.

I look forward to hopefully getting some mini projects from GameMakr so I can get to work.

Take care.
 
May 28, 2010 at 11:21 AM
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Here I was just trying to come up with something where the player has to pick the right path out of the 5 possible ones. As I got better and better designing I actually switched gears and went away from ideas like this. I don’t like playing a game where you just have to pick the correct path by trial and error, what fun is that? I later started making situations where the player has to look at a situation and think in advance what to do and how to solve it. I like to be able to look at something, think it through and do it and get it right. I don’t like just randomly guessing and hoping that one of my guesses was the correct one.
I really agree with this, but I will just point out that dungeons as a whole should be a bit non-linear, like Dark Palace / Misery Mire in the original or Rauru / Sheik in PW (Impa/Nabooru sucked). For example, I can't stand the fact that Saria's has two layers over the whole dungeons and you can get to the lower of them in only one room, and that dungeon as a whole is fully linear. I mean, one of the things I like the most in Zelda 3 is the fact that you get completely lost in the dungeons (can't say the same for OoT/MM for example)

You probably already know this but I guessed that it had to be said no matter how obvious it may be.
 
May 30, 2010 at 12:41 AM
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A long, long time ago, in a city far away, the Zelda3C project was conceived. It began less than a decade ago as research after the success of ZeldaC ~ Outlands, well before the advent of the editor, Hyrule Magic. ZeldaC took an entire year, and I knew Zelda3C would take at least three times that.

But times have changed. Life is much more demanding of my time now, as many of you know, with the increasing needs of family and career. I can no longer sit down at any time of my choosing and work for hours on end toward something great. There is always someone, or something, more important.

This would be a great opening to a "canceled project" announcement! Those who have stopped breathing, exhale -- I'm still too stubborn to give up my dream. The project has been inactive for another 5 months, with few exceptions, but I'm taking steps to jump-start it once more.

Why now? Is it because this thread has petitioned for a month? Because Erock the Mad Puzzler has showered me with 20 sketches of dungeon room designs? Because the planets are at last in alignment? LOL, all this and more.

I'm sitting in an almost quiet house, which is quite rare. Most of my extended family who live with (or near) us are on vacation or house-sitting for them. They will be back before I know it, except for the older of my two brothers, who has at least a month before his return. Further, my lunch breaks are returning to me with the departure of a good friend who is moving away.

Though I'm surrounded by boxes and clutter with little room to work, there's no music blasting and I can actually concentrate. The situation will resume before I know it, so now is the time to build some momentum! I need to remember how much I love this game, how much I've done, and what needs to be accomplished.

Various replies:

Eggz - Thanks for starting this thread. You've been a great, avid supporter. I need more funny motivational artwork! Okay, I don't *need* it, but I always enjoy it.

abcd888 - Mysterious name. I'm guessing, Quick, create a profile so a reply can be made. :) I'm glad to know another fan, but it amazes me that *everyone* checks this site so frequently. Maybe someday I can have regular content to post.

abcd888 (later post) - I agree with you that dungeons should almost never be a series of hallways (*cough*FFXIII*cough) nor simply a maze, like Erock was saying. Zelda 3's dungeons are like large houses where the players says, "Wow, okay, which rooms should I explore first?" The best layouts are those that can be investigated in an order of the player's choosing. Some rooms are treasure, some are more critical, and most are worth visiting. I could write a dissertation on this; moving on. ;)

The5thHerring - You're right -- I've known for a while now that the project has become so ambitious that I could spend forever and longer on it, or become too overwhelmed by the work involved. Only when I focus on one (1) aspect of the game at a time do I feel like I'm getting anything done. Even within development itself, distraction is possible.

DoubleThink - I can't resist saying this -- you should rethink your negligence of Zelda games, lol... There's gotta be about 14 different games by now, but you should play a few of the greats, like Zelda 1, Link to the Past, and Ocarina of Time. (I will resist mentioning several others...)

darkprince909 - It will be great to have your artwork skills when the time comes. I can't wait to actually need them. When I start the next outdoor structure, I'll keep you in mind. Congrats on playing through OoT -- better late than never!

xanth - In the impossible event that I do throw in the towel, I would choose a benefactor or two to take over for me. Quest for Calatia must exist, one way or another.

mickey_brown - Thanks for appreciating my approach on things! Yeah, the game will have new graphics, new story, new overworld, new dungeons, and probably more! I like the idea of unanimous feedback, though I wonder if it would be a spam magnet...

Hexlon - Thanks for spreading the word!

sorlok_reaves - I appreciate your continued interest, even though Parallel Worlds is out there. I know I sounded defeatist in my last update -- this is because I knew I was grounded with no relief in sight. Sometimes you've just gotta vent some frustration! ...Truce Dam? I almost forgot that I finished it! :) I like posting new pictures... hint taken.

Everyone else - thanks for chiming in! I know via the site counter that thousands frequent this site, hoping for new updates. And for those of you that 'lurk' -- I don't mind at all. I'm sure I'll hear from you someday when you play the game and become awestruck and/or stuck. ZeldaC kept my Inbox flooded for a long time, lol...

And then there's Erockbrox. :) This message is soooo long, I actually haven't read it yet. [Edit - I've discovered that my own post is twice as long, lol!] Recently Erock sent me a whole sketchbook (scans thereof) that I need to process. But as always, I'm more concerned with the difficult challenge of getting my overworld finished. I always feel that if I don't create the world above, I can't design what's under it...

::Reading Erock's post...::

First of all, the things Erock taught me that I didn't already know are ways in which dungeon objects and/or Link's items interact in ways Nintendo didn't realize and/or implement. I have an organized workbook documenting his findings so that I can quickly reference them when I start designing with these objects and items in mind.

As far as granting tasks to anyone without hacking knowledge, I'm not sure how to approach this. Collaboration doesn't come naturally without constant sharing, which is something I haven't had time for. There's no import feature in HM, which means that even if someone submits puzzles in separate ROMs, I'll still have to duplicate them piece by piece. (This is still far more desirable than sketches unless they're done with clear labels, intended goals, and colors when peg switches are used.)

It's even more impossible to submit outdoor areas, as my building blocks are far different from the collection Nintendo set up. Block 179 (of over 8000) may be a small Lost Woods tree to you, but it's part of a range of pine trees to me. Even if multiple parties had the same set of blocks, that set changes as new blocks are constantly created.

And then there's the editor I've designed which is not friendly to anyone without a complete understanding of how the game works. Although talented people have appeared to help me with the project, I find I'm not ready for them yet. Yes, I'm glad to have a few composers, artists, and programmers backing me. But how can I focus on the things they offer at this stage? All I have time for is painstakingly focusing on new buildings and other pieces, going to great lengths to make them work properly.

I need an overworld that connects everything people will submit, a realm where I can test these things and set them in motion. So many answers will surface, like "What sprites graphics do you need?", "Which areas are great enough to have their own songs?", "In what definite order will items be discovered?", etc. (That last one is almost answered, but based on assumptions.)

Where areas are not complete, I've placed grass and mountains to mark off where entrances will generally lie. But there are still so many unknowns I work through every time I start a new area. "Will there be two or three entrances to this dungeon? I don't know -- it depends on whether this event will function properly." Every aspect of the game is dependent on the outcome of the overworld in some form or fashion.

What I really need to speed up overworld design is an improved editor. No one could create a "fresh" world that doesn't recycle pieces of Hyrule without this. HM gives you the ability to make changes, but it doesn't provide the control you need to avoid creating duplicates (resources are scarce), nor the ability to quickly find pieces you've already created for reuse, nor the visualization to see how Link will interact with current settings.

I have created a better overworld program that piggybacks off of HM, as many of you know. I've improved it over the years, but it has continued to fall short in terms of creating things quickly. Taking this program to another level was my last focus before I drifted away. Its next phase is almost complete, which will make auto-filling existing blocks faster than ever. (Grass, cliffs, trees, water, etc.) (Hey, I'm not reinventing nature, only what exists in nature!)

I believe that once this comes together, I can start laying down miles of Calatia's turf. I shouldn't have to spend hours on a conglomeration of joined trees or a series of layered cliffs. "Wow, I've developed this part of the area! Wait, this isn't even big enough to fill a screen!"

I've done my best to express the trials and mindset of this project. I'm amazed that I almost never get messages that are angry or impatient from any of you. Lots of feedback, lots of encouragement, nothing less. You guys are a great fan base and I appreciate your following along, all this time. I also love the enthusiasm of people like Erock who go ahead and work on what they can, even with shortages of feedback and guidance. I'm lucky to have this kind of help; now if only I can take the best possible advantage of it!
 
Jun 6, 2010 at 5:16 AM
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its absolutely incredible to hear from u, GM!!!! its great to hear that the project is still going on your end even after all this! ive technically been part of this project for a few years now, and ive seen it go through a lot of ups and downs, but i know in my heart that one day, it will be complete, and you, reshaper, erock, josh, me, and everyone else that leaves their mark on this project will be remembered as being responsible for the greatest rom hack in existence!! i cannot wait to play this masterpiece, and i also cant wait to offer my artistic talents to help complete it.
 
Jun 6, 2010 at 10:52 PM
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Nice to hear from you, GM. I'm very, VERY glad to see that things are slowly coming along. =3
 
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