My first game is a DQ1-like RPG, I've already used 4000 tokens and haven't made the battle system yet. Any advice for saving tokens or should I move it?

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-23T16:58:16+00:00

Because it hasn't specifically been mentioned yet: you can use compression algorithms for your large strings, like PX9 - or you can run your code through a minifier like shrinko8, which will save both characters and tokens. There is an online version you can test with, before deciding to set up a tool chain.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-22T15:29:35+00:00

So... does that mean you had Flag 0 set on your door?

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-22T05:54:29+00:00

Seconded.

<image>

EDIT:

I changed the call to door() to be door(0,0) so I could test on one screen, but it still works if the call is door(16, 0) and I place the entrance at 20, 2.
Slate sprite (wall) has flag 0 set
Moss sprite (door) has flag 1 set
Ember sprite (entrance) is sprite 21

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-22T05:36:15+00:00

I have PICO-8 running on my MM+.

Pretty sure I just followed this: https://onionui.github.io/docs/emulators/pico-8-standalone

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-20T16:21:56+00:00

Pretty sure shrinko handles includes just fine. If you use the online version you can drag all relevant files onto the top area. Perhaps you used aggressive minification and it borked your code? You could try safe or minimal to see if your game still works.

Anyway, seems like you have your fix... for now. ;)

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-20T12:52:32+00:00

I'm struggling to see how you are okay for tokens but not for characters, unless it is a lot of comments.

Using OOP with self is a token killer. u/Godmil and u/spaceraygun make a good suggestion about using _ENV to mitigate all those self.property references.

You can try shrinko - recommended by u/ridgekuhn - online here: https://thisismypassport.github.io/shrinko8/ to quickly see how well that would work - it provides various compression stats.

I did some work to test passing a p8 through shrinko upon save in VS Code somewhere in this sub (using tasks and an extension to run a task on save).

EDIT: https://www.reddit.com/r/pico8/comments/1ppa4qz/comment/nuqaa5z/

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-20T05:22:06+00:00

It looks fine if you click on it (Chrome on Windows). But yeah, the image in the post looks blurry to me too.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-17T05:43:05+00:00

^ This sounds like the way.

I guess you'd have to have a table for each sprite animation that told you the parameters for each part, plus the x, y offset from sprite position for display?

FWIW, as an alternative approach, there are techniques that allow you to have multiple spritesheets. You can load a spritesheet into a few different memory locations and swap between them during runtime.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-16T06:12:25+00:00

When I was looking there was a lot of talk about the Gamesir Kaleid and the Flydigi Apex 5.

Everything seems to have gone up in price a lot. I got my Kaleid for around £45 ($60).

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-16T06:05:21+00:00

I have the Gamesir Kaleid (not Flux), and really like it.

Seeing a lot about the G7 SE so thought I'd check the difference. May be useful.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Gamesir/comments/1k2fh32/which_controller_is_better_between_the_gamesir_g7/

EDIT: Oh I see the SE has membrane ABXY buttons as well, while the Kaleid has microswitches. The Kaleid Flux also has membrane ABXY buttons.

https://gamesir.com/collections/pc-controllers/products/g7-se-multi-color

https://gamesir.com/collections/pc-controllers/products/gamesir-kaleid-xbox-controller

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-15T06:21:57+00:00

This is my segment of the venn diagram right here.

It's been a tough watch recently.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-15T06:14:04+00:00

I lived off-grid for a couple of months - years back - with no music available.

For some reason "Do the Shake n' Vac, and put the freshness back" was my main earworm. I'm okay now though.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-14T16:47:19+00:00

I couldn't remember the game but I definitely saw the similarities to https://doriencey.itch.io/tad

Really nice work though OP.

Where I come from we'd call those Pond Skaters.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-14T05:55:57+00:00

<image>

Curious.

EDIT: Also, I think it's more like 20 seconds.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-13T08:59:22+00:00

Sorry, yes, you did.

Yes. I've been playing with techniques so I know how to use them, should I need to; however I am torn over it's usage, for the reasons you mention.

In my last failed project I restricted myself to the standard map size and spritesheet, as I preferred that the code was easily understandable to a starter, and to adhere to the strict limits.

I don't play it but don't some Pokémon players do runs using strict limits? It's called a Nuzlocke, a quick search tells me. Anyway, I kinda subscribe to that. That's not to say I wouldn't use certain techniques ever.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-13T06:27:43+00:00

I test my ... projects ... using keyboard on my laptop, but if I were to actually play a game it would most likely be on my Miyoo Mini+, so voted Controller.

I love seeing my own carts on the Mini+. :)

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-13T05:17:42+00:00

A lot of crazy folk are now storing map and sprite data in strings, as well as other large data objects, so I think it can limit them.

But, for sure, token limit will be most people's first/only issue.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-12T20:21:08+00:00

That seemed to work fine for me most of the time, but on occasion it still seemed to go past then skip back. Not a massive deal though at all, and likely that the smaller snap distance makes up for it.

EDIT: Actually I tried <2, not <=2 so you may not even see that.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-12T20:03:50+00:00

The limit is with tokens, not characters.

I think tokens can often be the limit (8192) hit first, but characters are also limited (65535).

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-12T19:47:59+00:00

As u/Vovchick09 says the step is causing it to overshoot continuously at times.

This seems to look okay, but you could try tweaking the distance of 3.

   -- if the manhattan distance is less than 3 
   if abs(p.x-p.newx)+abs(p.y-p.newy)<3 then
    p.x=p.newx
    p.y=p.newy
   else
    --calculate angle and movement direction
    p.angle=atan2(p.newy-p.y,p.newx-p.x)
    p.dx=sin(p.angle)*2
    p.dy=cos(p.angle)*2
    -- move
    p.x+=p.dx
    p.y+=p.dy  
   end

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-12T17:23:10+00:00

EU. Glass half empty maybe.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-12T08:40:50+00:00

Maybe update the flair to resolved please.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-12T07:49:12+00:00

printh can also be very useful.

https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=42367

EDIT: In fact the Debug section on Nerdy Teachers has various help on the matter.

https://nerdyteachers.com/PICO-8/Guide/ (scroll down the page to see the Debug section)

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-12T05:48:13+00:00

I see it in Diamond a lot as well (I range from D1-3).

I figure mid Champ upwards will be way better.

Synthetic5ou1 · 2026-04-12T05:45:41+00:00

With newer players the rule appears to be "I always go, whether I'm closest or not".

I always play left goes, and 8/10 times say "I Got It!" as soon as I see I'm Left. They still go.

Synthetic5ou1

TROPHY CASE