2007-10-01
The new one-level set “Zelda II”, created by Alan Bond, is a
total remake of “Zelda” that was released about one year ago. It is
quite fascinating to see what can be created by clever use of ordinary custom
elements with (extraordinary) custom artwork! “Zelda II” looks and
feels like a completely different kind of game and contains techniques that
were thought to be impossible using the existing possibilities of R’n’D level
and artwork design! This is especially true for the inventory system,
which allows collecting and changing between different weapons which
all have their own ammunition. Another outstanding feature are dozens of
people and creatures to “talk” to, using a special message system
that circumvents the limited number of message envelopes to give valuable
hints that may be needed to solve the game. Further enhancements were done
to the shooting and combat system and also to the health system
that works in true RPG fashion now. All these features, combined with
impressive graphics, sounds and music, result in about three hours
of challenging game play that will let you forget that it’s all just a
single R’n’D level!
To play “Zelda II”, the latest version 3.2.4 of Rocks’n’Diamonds is
required, which can be downloaded from the
Download section.
“Zelda II” is now available from the
“Levels & Artwork” section!
2007-09-13
Important update:
The just released Rocks’n’Diamonds 3.2.4 contained a bug that could crash the
game under certain conditions. This bug was fixed and the download package was
updated accordingly.
If you already downloaded the new 3.2.4 package, please download it
again from the Download section to get
the fixed version!
2007-09-13
This new version of R’n’D contains several new, smaller features and will be
needed as the base for upcoming new and updated level sets; in particular,
there will be an update to the EMC level collection soon which will use some
of the new features mentioned below. The new version also fixes some program
bugs, so it is recommended to upgrade to the new version.
Most important changes since last release version 3.2.3:
- added file loader for native Diamond Caves II levels and level packages
- added new elements for newly supported Diamond Caves II levels
- added graphic configuration directives for control of game panel
- added new setup option to select game speed (from very slow to very fast)
- added new setup option to select scroll delay value (from 0 to 8)
- improved handling of title screen images and title text messages
- improved handling of title and menu screen fading definitions
- extended (R’n’D based) EMC graphics engine that can display long animations
- fixed broken editor copy and paste for custom elements between levels
For details, see the ChangeLog
file (also included in the package).
Now available from the Download section!
2007-02-27
In the last years, Rocks’n’Diamonds was getting more and more complex,
but there was only very few documentation available for it. Many people
asked for a manual that would explain things that are hidden or less
self-explaining.
Finally, Francesco S. Carta took a lot of time and
effort and created The Rocks’n’Diamonds Manual!
This great new manual currently consists of the following four parts:
-
The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
This part was really needed, and it hopefully answers most questions
that are asked again and again in the forum
and by personal mail (including the famous “How does snapping
work?” question).
-
The Program Manual
This is the main part of the manual and describes the installation of
the game, gives an overview of the menu structure (and especially
describes the various options in the setup menu), the tape recorder,
where your levels are installed and how to create your own level sets.
-
The Elements Reference
This is a description of most game elements and how they interact
with other elements, grouped by element type. In many cases this is
more helpful than the single element descriptions in the level editor.
-
The Editor Tutorial
This detailed description of the level editor not only shows how to
use the various “drawing” functions (including information about the
not-so-obvious aspects of some of the tools), but also explains in
detail how to edit element properties, including a section about
custom element programming, which makes it possible to create
completely new game elements with unique, new features.
All four parts are also accessible from the
manual’s start page.
Francesco has done a great job with the creation of this manual!
Thanks a lot for contributing this outstanding work to the R’n’D project!
Also available from the Documentation section!
2007-01-05
This release is mainly a bugfix release. It also contains some improvements
on program startup performance.
For details, see the ChangeLog
file (also included in the package).
Now available from the Download section!