ZZT Techniques

Discuss popular GCS tools like ZZT, Megazeux and Adventure Game Studio, as well as programming and other topics related to game design.
User avatar
Nanobot
Member
Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2002 8:35 pm
Location: Chico, CA (USA)

ZZT Techniques

Post by Nanobot »

In ZZT, did you know that you can...

• Instantly set the value of a status counter to anything, and also multiply and divide almost instantly?

• Teleport an object to a remote place on the board, teleport the player, or place something just about wherever you want on a board?

• Move large groups of objects as one with absolutely no breaks?

• Incrypt all status information into a password that can be used in a separate ZZT game file?

• Create an entire menu system on a single board using only a single passage and no board edges?

• Cause the game to begin playing from the instant the title screen loads?

• Determine excactly when an energizer or a torch dies out?

• Create a centipede with anything as its body (from solids to tigers to working objects)?

• Create things with one of 101 different color combinations in-game without the use of any special pre-layed things?

• Create things with one of all 256 different color combinations in-game by using just text and an object?

• Under certain conditions create custom text in-game?

There's a lot to ZZT that you probably don't know about. Most of the techniques listed above have been discovered in just the last year or two, and new things come up all the time. If you think ZZT is too limited for you, you may be wrong.

Let this be a thread to discuss various techniques that can add that extra punch to your ZZT game.

<font color="#EFEFEF">Limits are for the weak.</font>
User avatar
John The Ax
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1475
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2002 9:57 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Post by John The Ax »

Geez, Nano, just tell me how to do those, and I'll be happy!
Image
Image
Warning: You are being watched.

GameFAQs Contributor Page
User avatar
Nanobot
Member
Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2002 8:35 pm
Location: Chico, CA (USA)

Post by Nanobot »

You can start by downloading my Mystical Winds Encyclopedia from the Utilities section of Z2. I'm going to work on version 1.5 before long, and that will have updated information.
User avatar
John The Ax
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1475
Joined: Sun Sep 15, 2002 9:57 am
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Post by John The Ax »

Ok, thanks!
Image
Image
Warning: You are being watched.

GameFAQs Contributor Page
User avatar
Dogbreath
Admin
Admin
Posts: 4620
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2002 7:02 pm
Location: In the back of a jacked-up Ford.

Post by Dogbreath »

Actually, yes, I did. In fact wasn't one of my engines put in MW? (the world info crossover thingy) Oh well, this is helpful to newer people.
User avatar
Dogbreath
Admin
Admin
Posts: 4620
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2002 7:02 pm
Location: In the back of a jacked-up Ford.

Post by Dogbreath »

Btw, nano. Whenever you post you stretch the screen. Do you think you could fix that?
nastypoisonspikes
Way too much free time
Way too much free time
Posts: 733
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2002 3:48 am

wow

Post by nastypoisonspikes »

looking at all that stuff you can do makes my mouth water! Or mabye its that Cherry Ripe bar on the desk over there......mmm......*licks lips*............

Nope, must be that amazing stuff you can do with ZZT that I never new about.

Not that it is much use to me, my attention span for making ZZT games is about a day, unfortunetly.
User avatar
Nanobot
Member
Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2002 8:35 pm
Location: Chico, CA (USA)

Post by Nanobot »

Dogbreath wrote:Btw, nano. Whenever you post you stretch the screen. Do you think you could fix that?
Say bye bye to the happy images. :(
User avatar
Da_Goat
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2026
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2002 6:14 pm
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA, Earth, The Milky Way, The Universe, Nothing and Nowhere.

Post by Da_Goat »

:cry:
User avatar
Nanobot
Member
Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2002 8:35 pm
Location: Chico, CA (USA)

Post by Nanobot »

Don't cry. They're still alive and well at DigitalMzx and Zeuxworld. :)

(see links below)[/spam]
User avatar
Cloud
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2002 6:28 am

Post by Cloud »

Nano, no offence, but i couldn't work your MWZZTAE. It said it was missing files and MWZZT was uh, strange.
I will kick Sephiroth up the arse!
http://zzt.the-underdogs.org
User avatar
Nanobot
Member
Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2002 8:35 pm
Location: Chico, CA (USA)

Post by Nanobot »

Ehh... Forget about MWZZT. It never caught on, and you'll be wasting your time trying to work it. I don't know why MWZZTAE isn't working for you. It seems to work for me.

MWZZT was worthless, but now we're coming upon a means to make real new versions of ZZT. This is an exciting time. I just hope Atrocity doesn't decide to become stuck-up and keep everything to himself...
User avatar
Dogbreath
Admin
Admin
Posts: 4620
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2002 7:02 pm
Location: In the back of a jacked-up Ford.

Post by Dogbreath »

Cloud? From the zzt boards? (I remember the avatar, granted not much else) Oh well, always nice to see another user. (btw: wasn't that originally retro's avatar?)
User avatar
Da_Goat
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2026
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2002 6:14 pm
Location: Prescott, Arizona, USA, Earth, The Milky Way, The Universe, Nothing and Nowhere.

Post by Da_Goat »

Um, I'm pretty darn sure it is him.....
1) Same name
2) Same avatar
3) Linking to z2
4) You need to stop obsessing over new members
5) there is none
6) same as 5

Oh yes....and The Simpsons rule!
And you (well, somebody) lied! UT2003 isn't more like Q3A than it's like UT! It's awesome, especially double jumping and stuff. (sorry, I was sick of ZZT for a little bit)

*goes and smiles at nanobots happy images*

And on the new versions of ZZT.....how's the Windows ZZT thing coming along? Is it out yet?
User avatar
Nanobot
Member
Member
Posts: 38
Joined: Sun Sep 29, 2002 8:35 pm
Location: Chico, CA (USA)

Post by Nanobot »

Da_Goat: It'll never come out. So far, everyone who has tried to make a new version of ZZT hasn't known enough about the inner-workings of ZZT to get it right. Because of that, nothing works right, and they eventually quit. And if you'll notice, the only successful ZZT clones weren't MEANT to work like ZZT.

Dogbreath: Cloud=Retro=Scorch=some other names
User avatar
Dogbreath
Admin
Admin
Posts: 4620
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2002 7:02 pm
Location: In the back of a jacked-up Ford.

Post by Dogbreath »

Nanobot wrote:Dogbreath: Cloud=Retro=Scorch=some other names
So I had guessed. Been a while since I last checked Z2.

EDIT by Da_Goat: Cool, I got to fix Dogbreath's Quote! Next time, put quotation marks around the guy's name.
User avatar
Cloud
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2002 6:28 am

Post by Cloud »

I am Retro. I had to change my user name cos Zamros kept hacking me until he was grilled by Madtom. I use these boards now because that bastard funk banned me and got demoted for abusing his powers. :devil:

And yes, Scorch is Retro, Retro is cloud, Cloud is Scorch.
I will kick Sephiroth up the arse!
http://zzt.the-underdogs.org
User avatar
Dogbreath
Admin
Admin
Posts: 4620
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2002 7:02 pm
Location: In the back of a jacked-up Ford.

Post by Dogbreath »

So it was Zamros hacking you? I thought that was donut or (gasp!) the "rogue hacker." In any case, it wasn't even funny, it was more fun just to watch you be idiotic by nature.

As for Funk, you've been banned before by the owner of the website before and I should think Funk had a good purpose for banning you. His rank was not demoted for banning you (he still has the ability to do so, sir) but was instead reduced to supermod meaning that he doesn't make site-wide changes but instead has control over the message boards. In any case, he's certainly not a bastard, not as much as you in any case. he also hasn't been 18 for 3 years in a row...
nastypoisonspikes
Way too much free time
Way too much free time
Posts: 733
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2002 3:48 am

Post by nastypoisonspikes »

I don't like Zamros; he was a dick to me on IRC for no reason.



I WANT VEGEANCE! I DEMAND VENGEANCE!


j/k.......or am I?
User avatar
Cloud
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2002 6:28 am

Post by Cloud »

Dogbreath wrote:So it was Zamros hacking you? I thought that was donut or (gasp!) the "rogue hacker." In any case, it wasn't even funny, it was more fun just to watch you be idiotic by nature.

As for Funk, you've been banned before by the owner of the website before and I should think Funk had a good purpose for banning you. His rank was not demoted for banning you (he still has the ability to do so, sir) but was instead reduced to supermod meaning that he doesn't make site-wide changes but instead has control over the message boards. In any case, he's certainly not a bastard, not as much as you in any case. he also hasn't been 18 for 3 years in a row...
Look, i came here to escape those guys at Z2, not listen to you ranting about stupid beliefs like i've been 18 for 3 years, which is a pile of BS. I was 17 when i started 3 years ago about 4 months before i went 18, and now i'm 20, and i'll be 21 in 3 months time (22/02). And, if i say Funk's a bastard, that's just my oppinion. Defend him all you want, but it's my oppinion as he gives me a hard time. And i was banned from the 1st ZZT.org boards because of the Scorch/Chuck hate war, but i was banned, not chuck, so that was the first time someone abused their powers to ban me, not the other part of the problem. Funk didn't have any reason to ban me as for the last 3 months, i've just been posting about video games and TV, not flames, and people flame me. I return fire and it's
Funk:Scorch, no flaming."
Zamros: Scorch, you homo.
Scorch: Zamros, fuck off.
Funk: Scorch, you're banned.
Madtom: Why did you ban him?
Funk: He was causing trouble with Zamros and Zamros is a mod.
Madtom: Zamros, were you hacking Scorch again?
Zamros: No.
Cloud: Lying bastard!
Funk: Scorch, your're banned, keep out.
Retro: aragont fucker.
Funk: Banned.

And i surpose it's all my fault that Z2's ran by a bunch of Scorch haters? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
I will kick Sephiroth up the arse!
http://zzt.the-underdogs.org
Locked