[Poll] About adding new in-game objects into assets for TheXTech

Description: Sub-forum dedicated to Vanilla SMBX - an original SMBX from 1.0 up to 1.3 made by Redigit in 2009 and maintained up to 2011 year. Also LunaLua-SMBX (1.3.0.1 and 1.3.0.2), a Vanilla SMBX equipped with LunaLua. Also content made for TheXTech exclusively post to here.
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Which standard do I need to follow when I start adding new in-game items at TheXtech in the future?

One of the existing standards (X2 or 38A)
11
Olhi, Yidaozhan Ya, SStar, gingrum, GianaSistersfan64, PunLord666, ......, Superbloxen, TDK, Seyimsi_LBS, YzuruPlays
33%
Make own standard which will be exclusive for TheXTech
17
Dark Lamp, h2643, Retro_games428, VillFlying99, vitzie629, Yingchun Soul, +KZ, SkullGamer205, Lx Xzit, Chanceux2, SMBX Equipo Estelar, Slash_18, EmeraldMaster777, FH357, Xilore 25, CreativeCoder35, Ibiscus
52%
I don't care, select as you want
1
KlickyGam3rs
3%
I don't know
0
No votes
I have a different opinion on this (explain in comments)
4
Wohlstand, Guih48, Core, Fangamestalgia
12%
 
Total voters: 33
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Post #1by Wohlstand » 22 Dec 2021, 20:03

Hello!

Since I founded TheXTech, it keeps the itemset to follow SMBX64 standard*, however, it introduces lots of additional functional extensions (such as an on-enter event at warps, cannon pipes, some NPC-specific setup, native support for custom music at the world map, etc.).

* (everything that vanilla SMBX 1.3 has)

There is a long-time question against adding new item sets in the future. Right now there are two major extended standards that exist: X2 was provided by the SMBX2 extension mod and 38A that was provided by the SMBX-38A game. Both standards add lots of new in-game objects (such as new blocks, BGO, NPCs, terrain tiles, sceneries, level enters, etc.), however, both standards were incompatible and made a major challenge to port episodes and levels between these engines if they using any non-SMBX64 in-game objects. Additionally, they were causing confusion of users who weren't know about engines differences who try to play episodes from one engine on another: as a result, they get errors and glitches in an attempt to play incompatible stuff.

On another side, the branches of SMBX get chosen by level and episode creators depending on the convenience of the development environment and available functionality required to implement the idea. And they were selected by players depending on downloaded levels or episodes to play them properly as intended by their creators. And then, chosen items standard shouldn't matter as I think myself.

The SMBX64 standard is heavily archaic and there are more and more cases where it isn't suitable to implement ideas of some. Additionally, several people ask me to add new in-game items as the current SMBX64 set lacks a lot of possibilities.

So, I do have the next choices of the future paths: follow one of two existing standards (X2 or 38A), or start my own path.

Follow existing standard (X2 or 38A)
  • + Ability of easier port of episodes from X2 or 38A (depending on standard chosen)
  • - Limitation: I will be not able to add brand-new items are wasn't exist at the selected standard until the item will appear at standard officially

Own independent standard
  • + Full freedom of the progress planning: I will add only items that were most needed for now, and I will don't add lots of useless ballast. I will be able to add brand-new items at any time with no care about other standards.
  • - Users will need much more effort to backport episodes from X2 or 38A standards into TheXTech

So, what do you think about this?
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Post #2by Olhi » 22 Dec 2021, 20:49

Glad you are opening this discussion :good:

In my opinion, we should follow an existing standard, and that standard should be SMBX2.

The reason why I think we should follow an existing standard is because since it's conception, TheXTech had 2 goals:

1. Preserve SMBX
2. Provide a learning environment for Moondust

Creating new content was never a core aim of TheXTech. But it is for two other open-source projects in our broader Community:

• Moondust (for Platformers in general)
• Super Mario ReInvent (Mario-specific stuff)

I don't think competing with these two would benefit anyone. The goal of making new stuff should be entrusted to them. Moondust in particular I worry would suffer, since TheXTech may take attention away from it, just like SMBX2 did before.

TheXTech should keep doing what it was made for: Preserve and increase accessibility of the many episodes that are already out there.

The reason I think SMBX2 should be the standard to go for is as follows:

SMBX-38A is not SMBX, while SMBX2 quite literally is. SMBX may have no official successor, but de facto X2 is treated as such by the Community, and it's not hard to see why: It has the same mechanics and it runs on the same Engine. Imo, it makes perfect sense to extend the preservation effort to it. And due to it's semi-open nature, it should be easier to accurately recreate the experience than it would be with 38A.

I am not against preserving 38A. If there is a feasible way to do so without interfering the functionality of X2 episodes, I'd be all for it. But X2 should be the primary target here. 38A may be better left with the 38A Config Pack for the Moondust Engine.

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Post #3by vitzie629 » 22 Dec 2021, 23:15

The reason I pick the option of making an own independent standard for TheXTech with exclusive features for TheXTech is that while the new-in game elements in SMBX-38A and SMBX2 are excellent, adding new-in game elements on TheXTech can be done at anytime despite users being required to have much more effort to backport SMBX-38A and SMBX2 episode standards to TheXTech.

While SMBX-38A has a Starman, frog suit, mega mushroom, mini mushroom, penguin suit, propeller mushroom, and blue shell, TheXTech should have them when an own independent standard is being made and the features would be TheXTech exclusive. SMBX2 on the other hand has only the Starman and mega mushroom which has way less power-ups than SMBX-38A.
Last edited by vitzie629 on 23 Dec 2021, 1:46, edited 1 time in total.

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Post #4by Yingchun Soul » 23 Dec 2021, 1:26

That's a good idea.
My Fairy Tale World asset require widely-oriented textures and objects as well.
Since current slot is not enough so can't add more objects, my future add-on objects for "Fairy Tale World" asset should can be resolved.
http://archive.wohlsoft.ru/_User/Yingchun%20Soul/Fan%20Works/FTW%20Future%20Elements.7z

Should be Custom add-on object system instead of SMBX2 and Chinese SMBX-38A.
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Post #5by vitzie629 » 23 Dec 2021, 4:35

Yingchun Soul wrote:That's a good idea.
My Fairy Tale World asset require widely-oriented textures and objects as well.
Since current slot is not enough so can't add more objects, my future add-on objects for "Fairy Tale World" asset should can be resolved.
http://archive.wohlsoft.ru/_User/Yingchun%20Soul/Fan%20Works/FTW%20Future%20Elements.7z

Should be Custom add-on object system instead of SMBX2 and Chinese SMBX-38A.
Thanks, and regarding your "Fairy Tale World" elements, that'd be interesting to me! Also, I have an image of NPC ideas regarding the power-ups, and the SMB2 cherry. The image features Starman from SMB1, SMB2, SMB3, and SMW, SMB2 cherry, SMB3 frog suit, SMW cape feather, SMB2 1-up mushroom, and more.
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Post #6by +KZ » 23 Dec 2021, 20:44

One of the things that I have hated the most about smbx, is that most of the versions are only for windows (so TheXTech makes me happy), if a thextech-only standard were made, there would only be even more confusion .. I will vote for the first option, for smbx2, smbx 38a is also desirable, but I think 5438a38a himself would have to make himself a thextech if he wants his game to be cross platform (also smbx 38a works quite well on wine, better than smbx2 :crazy: )

EDIT: uh, I read the post down here, smbx2 has a lot of incompatibility..
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Post #7by Wohlstand » 24 Dec 2021, 20:09

btw, I'll append some: at the Discord, we discussed with folks that there is another possible way to make own standard AND have the ability to easier port episodes from other standards:
  • While making new items, and if they were becoming equivalents to these X2 has (not counting items were are brand-new and was never existed at X2), make sure they have very closed characteristics and behavior to X2, but take the best of them and most important (ignore duplicates and ballast stuff)
  • At the backend, keep an ability to re-assign behavior algorithm for non-SMBX64 objects by configs
  • Provide the ID converter and game-side warnings to replace X2 items with equivalents at TheXtech



I also explained the fact, X2 has 4 versions that were incompatible with each other:
  • X2 Beta2 (it's a hotfix released after Beta1 one day later because Beta1 was completely broken)
  • X2 Beta3
  • X2 MAGLX3 / MAGLX3 Pal (they are both compatible, Pal is a minor but compatible update and a bugfix over the first variant. This whole version was a preview for Beta4, and was been released to provide the platform for MAGLX3 contest only)
  • X2 Beta4

Mainly, because of incompatible lua API changes and removal of a certain set of objects at newer versions.

There is already a number of episodes made for every version which can't properly work on the updated one. A major example is an episode made after the MAGLX2 contest that works on Beta2 only.
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Post #8by vitzie629 » 24 Dec 2021, 23:38

Wohlstand wrote:btw, I'll append some: at the Discord, we discussed with folks that there is another possible way to make own standard AND have the ability to easier port episodes from other standards:
  • While making new items, and if they were becoming equivalents to these X2 has (not counting items were are brand-new and was never existed at X2), make sure they have very closed characteristics and behavior to X2, but take the best of them and most important (ignore duplicates and ballast stuff)
  • At the backend, keep an ability to re-assign behavior algorithm for non-SMBX64 objects by configs
  • Provide the ID converter and game-side warnings to replace X2 items with equivalents at TheXtech



I also explained the fact, X2 has 4 versions that were incompatible with each other:
  • X2 Beta2 (it's a hotfix released after Beta1 one day later because Beta1 was completely broken)
  • X2 Beta3
  • X2 MAGLX3 / MAGLX3 Pal (they are both compatible, Pal is a minor but compatible update and a bugfix over the first variant. This whole version was a preview for Beta4, and was been released to provide the platform for MAGLX3 contest only)
  • X2 Beta4

Mainly, because of incompatible lua API changes and removal of a certain set of objects at newer versions.

There is already a number of episodes made for every version which can't properly work on the updated one. A major example is an episode made after the MAGLX2 contest that works on Beta2 only.
If you were to do your own independent standard with exclusive features for TheXTech, and while it said users must have much more time to backport SMBX-38A and SMBX2 levels and episodes, I would find it very interesting to have the ability to port levels and episodes from both the SMBX-38A and SMBX2 standards and have an own independent standard together in a single TheXTech branch! :)

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Post #9by Yingchun Soul » 25 Dec 2021, 1:48

So that's why my "Fairy Tale World" uses custom sorting system instead.

Nothing are compatible between these assets.
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Regarding New Music Additions

Post #10by vitzie629 » 26 Dec 2021, 5:02

While this post regards new in-game objects including backgrounds, BGOs, blocks, and NPCs, is it possible to add new music in TheXTech? Because I might soon have a list of suggestions for new music additions.

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Post #11by Wohlstand » 26 Dec 2021, 16:47

vitzie629 wrote:While this post regards new in-game objects including backgrounds, BGOs, blocks, and NPCs, is it possible to add new music in TheXTech? Because I might soon have a list of suggestions for new music additions.

music.ini already allows you to add any new music as you want (increase the number of entries and fill the new entry at the bottom). To get the ability to select them, you will also need to update the TheXTech SDK config pack for Moondust.
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Post #12by vitzie629 » 27 Dec 2021, 2:30

Wohlstand wrote:
vitzie629 wrote:While this post regards new in-game objects including backgrounds, BGOs, blocks, and NPCs, is it possible to add new music in TheXTech? Because I might soon have a list of suggestions for new music additions.

music.ini already allows you to add any new music as you want (increase the number of entries and fill the new entry at the bottom). To get the ability to select them, you will also need to update the TheXTech SDK config pack for Moondust.
How do I update the TheXTech SDK config pack for Moondust and can you give me a download link for that and additionally can you tell me step by step on how to add new music and provide me an example?

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Post #13by Wohlstand » 27 Dec 2021, 3:05

vitzie629 wrote:
Wohlstand wrote:
vitzie629 wrote:While this post regards new in-game objects including backgrounds, BGOs, blocks, and NPCs, is it possible to add new music in TheXTech? Because I might soon have a list of suggestions for new music additions.

music.ini already allows you to add any new music as you want (increase the number of entries and fill the new entry at the bottom). To get the ability to select them, you will also need to update the TheXTech SDK config pack for Moondust.
How do I update the TheXTech SDK config pack for Moondust and can you give me a download link for that and additionally can you tell me step by step on how to add new music and provide me an example?

- SDK config pack is always here: https://github.com/Wohlstand/TheXTech-SDK
- Nothing special: add new music files, edit music.ini at the root (increase the count number with one unit, and add the section that describes the new-added song), and then, make the same change into the SDK's music.ini.
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Post #14by vitzie629 » 27 Dec 2021, 4:20

Wohlstand wrote:
vitzie629 wrote:
Wohlstand wrote:
vitzie629 wrote:While this post regards new in-game objects including backgrounds, BGOs, blocks, and NPCs, is it possible to add new music in TheXTech? Because I might soon have a list of suggestions for new music additions.

music.ini already allows you to add any new music as you want (increase the number of entries and fill the new entry at the bottom). To get the ability to select them, you will also need to update the TheXTech SDK config pack for Moondust.
How do I update the TheXTech SDK config pack for Moondust and can you give me a download link for that and additionally can you tell me step by step on how to add new music and provide me an example?

- SDK config pack is always here: https://github.com/Wohlstand/TheXTech-SDK
- Nothing special: add new music files, edit music.ini at the root (increase the count number with one unit, and add the section that describes the new-added song), and then, make the same change into the SDK's music.ini.
Thanks, and while I attempted this act, I got it working! While it doesn't play in the Moondust Editor, it does work in TheXTech! I find that adding new music with music.ini to be cool, and thank you for my help! :)

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Post #15by Wohlstand » 27 Dec 2021, 4:26

> While it doesn't play in the Moondust Editor

It should work if you make the config carefully, do that at config pack's directory's music.ini, mainly because you are trying to modify global assets, not just episode/level-wide (which aren't supported by Editor yet, I was been lazy to implement that, I think to make this during the future big rebuild)
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Post #16by vitzie629 » 27 Dec 2021, 20:23

Wohlstand wrote:> While it doesn't play in the Moondust Editor

It should work if you make the config carefully, do that at config pack's directory's music.ini, mainly because you are trying to modify global assets, not just episode/level-wide (which aren't supported by Editor yet, I was been lazy to implement that, I think to make this during the future big rebuild)
Check this out! I made a YouTube video of an experiment of new music additions for TheXTech and in the description has a tutorial on how to use them here: https://youtu.be/fQZOg_z2ab8

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Post #17by Yingchun Soul » 28 Dec 2021, 2:11

New Music add-on is already implemented in the next version of my FTW asset (V1.2).
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Post #18by vitzie629 » 28 Dec 2021, 2:26

Yingchun Soul wrote:New Music add-on is already implemented in the next version of my FTW asset (V1.2).
Really? Is there a download link of the FTW asset v1.2 of yours or has it not been released yet?

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Post #19by Yingchun Soul » 28 Dec 2021, 2:49

vitzie629 wrote:
Yingchun Soul wrote:New Music add-on is already implemented in the next version of my FTW asset (V1.2).
Really? Is there a download link of the FTW asset v1.2 of yours or has it not been released yet?
Yes. Currently is WIP, for texture changes.
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Alt. nickname: "Elf of Happy and Love / 快乐爱的小精灵"

Check out my 2D Platform / TheXTech Assets:
Fairy Tale World
Nostalgic Paradise
Third Returns (Hiatus)

迎春花的精灵啊,请赋予我无尽的爱和指引,让每一座城在光明中重生,将大自然的力量和爱的力量集于一身吧!魔法凝结!

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Post #20by Chanceux2 » 5 Jan 2022, 16:05

I don't think there should be new items since TheXTech really is SMBX 1.3.0.1 with bugs fixes and faster loading times. I play SMBX2 or SMBX38A when looking at new items but when I look at TheXtech, I think of it as Vanilla SMBX with bug fixes.

So yeah I don't think there should be new items


EDIT: I just read the post at it seems like you won't add useless stuff? if so, I change my mind then.


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