Level Codes

[Hayden]

Edit: Stopped working on this. Skip to page three to see mainly why.
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If you open up a .lvl file in a notepad document, you notice it's just a bunch of letters and numbers..

I, personally, haven't learnt how to do this, but I'm trying, and I thought maybe some other people who make levels would want to at least try it out, but anyway:

You look at the notepad document, and see letters and numbers..
But if you visualize a level you know, then look at it's coding, you can work out what the numbers and letters stand for..

So, I've decided to gather the information needed to be able to make a level just by typing in the letters/numbers. I figure it's worth a try.

First, you need to know how big the levels are:
40 squares wide.
32 squares high.


Now, you need to know what letter/number means what..
Here's the complete list as of V1.0

@ = Entrance
X = Exit
I = Info board
1 = Cave block (rock)
L = ladder (bottom half)
P = ladder (top half)
B = movable block
& = Spider web
r = Rock
j = Jar
k = Skeleton corpse
2 = Grassy block
w = Water
v = Vine (bottom)
t = Vine (top)
| = Tree (trunk)
x = Tree leaves (middle)
) = Tree leaves (side)
q = Tree leaf/branch
3 = Ice block (rock)
d = Ice block (falling block)
i = Ice block (Ice)
4 = Temple block
l = Lava
b = Bat
n = Snake
s = Spider
S = Big spider
K = Walking skeleton corpse
h = Caveman
! = Shopkeeper
f = Frog (Blue)
F = Frog (Red)
z = Zombie
A = Vampire
M = Man-eating plant
m = Monkey
p = Piranha
{ = Giant Piranha
a = Alien (Out of UFO)
U = Alien (In UFO)
y = Yeti
Y = Giant Yeti
H = Cultist
T = Mummy
^ = Spike Trap
< = Dart Trap (Aim: left)
> = Dart Trap (Aim: right)
] = Totem Pole (Top half)
[ = Totem Pole (Bottom half)
_ = Spring Board
+ = Moving Spike Block
$ = Gold Bar x 1
* = Gold Bar x 3
# = Golden Idol
O = Crystal Skull
5 =  Emerald
6 = Sapphire
7 = Ruby
8 = Diamond
c = Treasure Chest
C = Crate
D = Damsel
. = Bombs x 3
: = Bombs x 10
u = Paste
R = Rope
` = Parachute
o = Compass
/ = Machete
~ = Spring Boots
V = Spike Boots
} = Bow
- = Pistol
= = Shotgun
W = Web Blaster
% = Spectacles
G = Climbing Gloves
g = Pitchers Mitt
? = Teleporter
( = Mattock
\ = Cape
J = Jetpack
0 = Empty space

That's everything in the level editor.

The notepad document goes:

Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4
Line 5
Line 6
Line 7
Line 8
Line 9
Line 10
Line 11
Line 12
Line 13
Line 14
Line 15
Line 16
Line 17
Line 18
Line 19
Line 20
Line 21
Line 22
Line 23
Line 24
Line 25
Line 26
Line 27
Line 28
Line 29
Line 30
Line 31
Line 32
Author
Music
Starting life
Starting bombs
Starting ropes
Next level


Then, there's a couple numbers and empty lines below that, but I don't exactly know what for.. Tell me if you find out.

Anyway, I'd really like to see if anyone can make a level this way.
This is all just out of curiosity, but it is out of very much curiosity, and I think it's worth a try, and someone with a good memory could make a level in about 5 minutes.

I'll inform you all if I can manage to learn how to do it.

I have attached a level notepad document containing one of everything accessible
in the level editor, if anyone wants to try and work with that
 
 - Hayden

[AresRomanGod]

Interesting. I'll try to find out the coding that you couldn't.

[eguee]

X- Any exit that does not link to [nextlevel]
At the end of all your code, 2 blank lines, then the X exit links, then the number of signs, then the sign messages.

[AresRomanGod]

X- Any exit that does not link to [nextlevel]
At the end of all your code, 2 blank lines, then the X exit links, then the number of signs, then the sign messages.

I hate you so much... you still beat me to it.

<3 eguee

[eguee]

Oh, signs and exits are left to right, then up to down.

[eguee]

Double post: Sorry, there's one more number before the exit labels. That's the number of exits  +1.

[Hayden]

X- Any exit that does not link to [nextlevel]
At the end of all your code, 2 blank lines, then the X exit links, then the number of signs, then the sign messages.

Thanks.
I'll try to use this later, when I'm experimenting with the codes..
Right now, I'm kind of not in the mood.. It's 9:50 PM here, watching TV. ;P

Anyway, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one interested in this. It would be amazing, and slightly funny, if someone could make a level containing about 10 levels in 20 mins or so.

Anyway, I'll research more on this stuff later. Thanks for taking interest with me

[Chainz]

Well... With this information in hand, and individual could actually design their own Level Editor!! It actually wouldn't be too hard... Hmm...
Good work with this information!!

[tyroney]

Too lazy to go check myself atm:  (plus, I'm at work)

For larger than one tile things, (big spider, other minibosses) where does the letter go in the level data?

[AirSalad]

I use that trick when i have alot of message tiles that need to be filled.

[Kegluneq]

interiot of TIGSource really exploited the editor: http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=4017.msg150599#msg150599
You need the debugger in order to try it out though, but I won't say where to get it in case it violates one thing or another.

[Hayden]

Well... With this information in hand, and individual could actually design their own Level Editor!! It actually wouldn't be too hard... Hmm...
Good work with this information!!

Thanks

I'm still not really in the mood for attempting to make a level with this coding, but I am in the mood to make a whole new level full stop..

So, repeating what I said yesterday, I'll test all of this stuff later. I decided to post it before I even started just in case anyone else wanted to try.
So, yeah. The next thread you see me post in will probably be a new level thread. I should probably take a break from making levels before I own 9/10
of the threads. ;P

[johnnoz]

odd, thought i'd already posted here...

anyway as i supposedly have not said yet: this topic should probably be stickied, or the info integrated into a bigger 'level editor info' sticky

[Hayden]

Er, thanks?

If anything, someone should create a new thread with the same information in it, so that they can describe it better than me.. I don't exactly have a 100% perfect explanation for it. Someone a bit smarter than me with knowledge of these kinds of things should host the thread. So, if anyone is happy to re-explain it all in a new thread or something, a little bit clearer, and with every detail, feel happy to..

[Hayden]

--Bump!--
!@#$ OMG I'm naughty for bumping !@#$


Anyway, I want to keep this alive. I'm still pretty interested in this information, I've just been a bit busy to be able to research it at all. Someone help me research it maybe?
Not needed, but i'd appreciate it. Either way, I'll try and look into it soon.

Thanks so much if you decide to help me with it.

Edit: Also, this doesn't count as a double post, because I only did it to bump - if I were to edit my last post, the topic wouldn't be around the top of the list, and wouldn't have bumped.