2011-05-11 23:20:21

Hi Aprone,
I'm not sure when you went to school but I was in elementary during the early 90S, and there was an ecosystem type game people played on the Apple called O'Dell Lake.  This game reminds me so much of that (but a much more upgraded version).  In that one, you were a fish (randomly selected) somewhere on the food chain and you had to make choices when other fish/animals appeared to stay alive.  Thanks for such a great game!

Just out of curiosity, which programming language do you use?  I thought about game development someday but it's always seemed so daunting.  You make it look easy though!

Best Regards,
Tiffany
My ultimate gaming goal in life is to find or develop an accessible version of the Oregon Trail.  Man, that game is awesome!

2011-05-11 23:31:16 (edited by Aprone 2011-05-12 01:30:03)

You know what, somehow that does sound a little familiar.  I was also in elementary school during the 90s, and I probably played the same game at some point.  Very cool, that you remember a game from so long ago!

I personally prefer to use visual basic 6.0.  A lot of people would try to talk you into using something different though, since that language is really old and isn't supported by microsoft anymore.


Someone pointed out that I had forgotten to include some of the new sound files in the latest patch.  I've uploaded a new zip so all the files are in there now.  Sheesh, I wish I would stop making dump little mistakes like these!

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2011-05-12 01:31:19

Hi Jeremey,
Lol...you make that sound so evil and suductive. Although you are right, I think most people would not recommend VB6 as a programming language if you haven't gotten confortable with it (as you obviously have).

Best Regards,
Hayden

2011-05-12 01:32:00

ok first of all i kinda forgot i posted that sorry:), secondly i'm using vista and the debug log is posted below it's kinda short...

Starting program
Creating DirectSound...

Silly Gohan, animals don't eat people. People eat animals.

2011-05-12 01:54:55

Hi Aprone,

I just wanted to let you know that the game only works with Sappi for me.  It won't work with Jaws, which is my prefered screenreader. wink Also, Sappi talks over itself. For example, if I'm looking at trees, it'll be talking about mushrooms as well, when I didn't even look at mushrooms. It does this mainlywhen I'm arrowing through my options.

"I've learned that this life's not just a game, just a line, between the pleasures and the pain." - Aaron Lewis

2011-05-12 02:03:15

Death, I'm almost positive you just need to register directX 7 on your computer to fix the problem.  There are instructions in the read me file for doing that.

Staindaddict, I'm in the process of adding Jaws and Window eyes support to the game.  I'm not sure how short or long it will take, but I wanted to let you know I am working to update that so everyone can use their preferred screen reader.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
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2011-05-12 02:06:28

Cool. No rush though, even with the screenreader issue, this game is still unbelievable. Can't stop playing it.

"I've learned that this life's not just a game, just a line, between the pleasures and the pain." - Aaron Lewis

2011-05-12 02:23:18

heh i can't figure out how to use command prompt:d

Silly Gohan, animals don't eat people. People eat animals.

2011-05-12 02:41:28

It's in the start menu, under accessories.

"I've learned that this life's not just a game, just a line, between the pleasures and the pain." - Aaron Lewis

2011-05-12 02:54:56

I've just uploaded a new version.  yeah, I know, every 10 minutes it seems like I upload a new version hahaha.  This update should add better support for screen readers, including window eyes.  I'm still not 100% sure if it will work on JAWS so someone will have to let me know who uses it.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2011-05-12 04:16:29

i can find it, just don't know how to use it

Silly Gohan, animals don't eat people. People eat animals.

2011-05-12 04:59:22

Thanks Aprone.  I'm new to programming and had picked up BGT to see if I could make heads or tails out of it with limited progress, so I'm guessing I should just learn a language (any language?) and start from square one.  It sounds like a lot of fun, and from the prowess you demonstrated with fixes coming out every ten minutes or so, I'm guessing learning to program would be the best way to turn ideas into playable games.

I got to mission five, with the Caiman, and man is it tough!  I'm convinced the caiman eats everything except for turtles, lol.  At least, my caiman wiped out my cats, mice, and fish, and I accidentally sold my abundance of turtles, thinking that would help.

During Mission Five, where you're supposed to build up a habitat of twenty turtles, I was having no luck and played around a bit.  Just added mice, rabbits, and snakes to my land tiles, and I have to say it was a very enlightening experience.  I imagine this is a very simplistic story of evolution and how species die out (my snakes ate all the mice and presumably the rabbits too, and starved themselves to death), haha.

Thanks again!  Will you be selling this game at some point?  I'd love to support your endeavors somehow if I may.

Best Regards,
Tiffany
My ultimate gaming goal in life is to find or develop an accessible version of the Oregon Trail.  Man, that game is awesome!

2011-05-12 09:11:21

hi.

aprone i've downloaded version 1.2 and he wouldn't start, i'll paste the text what stands in my debug log:

debug log:

Starting program
Creating DirectSound...
error: ActiveX component can't create object

do you know what this means?

hope you'll answer soon.

ciao

pelantas

Visit the following website to see what games we have:
http://www.nonvisiongames.com
Or the following English marketplace to see what retrogames and game merchandise I am selling:
https://www.retro-kingdom.com

2011-05-12 09:36:55

pelantas, it sounds like you need to register Direct X7.  In the readme.txt file it gives you instructions for solving that problem.  If you get stuck, and some people do, we'll be happy to walk you through it.  There has been quite a few windows vista and windows 7 users who got that issue resolved recently, so it is definitely something we can fix.

Death, once you open command prompt, you just type and press enter.  It doesn't really use menus or anything, it is just a console for entering commands.  The readme.txt has the commands you'll need to type.  Make sure you moved the file first, as the readme file instructs.

Braille, I've always been torn between the desire to provide free entertainment to everyone here, and the desire to eat food and pay bills hahaha!  If I was somehow earning money from games, I would be quite happy because honestly I'm poor, lol, but I absolutely HATE the idea that some people either could afford my games or missed out on the fun because they just don't buy games.  Believe me, I'm not a very nice guy to most people I'm around, but I guess at least I can say I'm not selfish.  Because I don't know of a way to get money without you guys having to give money, it is just easier for me to release free games.  Wow I rambled on for a bit there, lol.  I can tell I'm very tired right now.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2011-05-12 10:26:30

i've foundded the system folder from a windows 7 32 pc and pasted the direct x file into it. but the problem now is i couldn't find the next step. it stands in the read me text file, but the place where to solve this problem i couldn't find.

please aprone or somebody else explain please step by step what i should do.

but so far i am greatful with your help aprone.

ciao

pelantas

Visit the following website to see what games we have:
http://www.nonvisiongames.com
Or the following English marketplace to see what retrogames and game merchandise I am selling:
https://www.retro-kingdom.com

2011-05-12 15:45:55 (edited by death 2011-05-12 15:49:09)

i got it to work fine, thanks for the help just needed to figure out how to change directories which i did. For future refrence just type cd then the directory it should work.
Ok so jaws isn't reading it just thought you should know:)

Silly Gohan, animals don't eat people. People eat animals.

2011-05-12 17:44:57

Pelantas, your next step is to open up the command prompt as an administrator.  Normally, I right click on the icon and select "Run as Administrator" but there is a keyboard method for doing the same thing.  Use the Windows context key.  You highlight the icon you want to launch and press the context key and the same menu will appear as if you right clicked on the icon.  Make sure you've run command prompt using the "run as administrator" feature or this won't work.  Almost all of the people who've been asking for help registering Direct X7 skipped this step and that is why they got stuck.

Once command prompt opens, type the following 5 commands, and press enter after each one:
cd..
cd..
cd\windows
cd\windows\system32
regsvr32 dx7vb.dll

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2011-05-12 18:21:07

I've just uploaded another version. I've already confirmed that this finally fixes the window eyes support, though I'm sure, somehow, it won't work for everyone using window eyes. I'm just being pessimistic, hopefully it'll all work now. I've also taken another shot at getting JAWS to work. I think I was looking at old documentation because when I started over, I'm absolutely certain the stuff I found last time said something different. Hopefully this will work for JAWS now too, so please let me know if you use Jaws and it works!

The update is the same link as always.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2011-05-12 20:50:00

Hmmm, the only way to get money without charging the gaming community that I can think of would be ad-supported projects, but that might be a bit difficult since we're a small market.  I can't imagine a company like Freedom Scientific advertising in Audiogames.  Please do let me know if you ever accept donations though.  I've had more fun with Lunimals than any one person should.  smile

Best Regards,
Tiffany
My ultimate gaming goal in life is to find or develop an accessible version of the Oregon Trail.  Man, that game is awesome!

2011-05-12 21:01:28

lol, well I appreciate that Braille Bookworm.  I suppose I could set up a donation page, since I've had a few people ask me to.  I've always told myself, well I'll do it after I make my next game, then my next game, and so forth.  I think it was back after Daytona 1, when I was first asked if I would put up a donation page.

Hmmm, rending out advertisement space in the game, that has me thinking.  If I left out the fact that these games are audio games, I wonder if I could get small mainstream game companies to rent ad space!  Hahaha, I can imagine it now, a sighted friend or family member walks by as you play, and they see the entire screen filled up with a dozen advertisements.  lol!  That put a smile on my face thinking about it.

Actually, there is a simple visual component to Lunimals, for those who might have some limited vision.  It isn't much, but they can get a color coded representation of their dome's tiles.  It was something I put in, but I never bothered mentioning it.

By any chance, have any JAWS users tested the new JAWS support yet?  I'd really love to know if my latest attempt fixed it or not.  If not, I really am tempted to try that 45 minute demo because it is really bugging me.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2011-05-12 21:14:22

That would be hilarious!  Since many of us don't have enough usable vision to see the advertisements, those companies would be able to cover the screen with as much clutter as they'd like.  Once, I was surfing the Net and Mom walked past and said,  "Wow, sexy girls!"  Apparently, an advertisement for some swimwear was showing.

Best Regards,
Tiffany
My ultimate gaming goal in life is to find or develop an accessible version of the Oregon Trail.  Man, that game is awesome!

2011-05-12 22:30:07

Aprone,

Jaws is working, but every time you arrow through an option, a message box pops up with an OK button. You need to hit the OK button to continue with the arrowing through the options.
I'm sure you'll find a sullution if you try the Jaws demo yourself. It'll be good to try it, it'll probably help a lot. smile

"I've learned that this life's not just a game, just a line, between the pleasures and the pain." - Aaron Lewis

2011-05-12 23:36:59

staindaddict, it sounds like you've got it set on message box mode.  It is one of the alternative output methods, but it isn't actually the "JAWS support" one.  I need to fire up another computer in my house, in order to try the JAWS trial.  My laptop is 64 bit and I thought someone said the trial JAWS is 32 bit.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software

2011-05-13 02:53:21

Hi,
Ok...so I'm stuck on one quest on mission 3. What do birds eat, exactly? I can't get any algae (I haven't figured out how you're supposed to do that, unless there is a water tile) and I can't figure out how to grow mushrooms either.

Best Regards,
Hayden

2011-05-13 03:16:16

Birds only eat bugs.  Algae only grows in water, and it grows automatically without you needing to do anything to it.  Algae is that green slime that grows inside people's fish tanks.  That seems like the best way to explain it, since a lot of people have probably stuck their hand into a fish tank as a kid lol.

- Aprone
Please try out my games and programs:
Aprone's software