1
Ask a Question / Re: Adding actors to a list
« on: February 18, 2017, 05:45:47 am »
That works perfectly, thanks!
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2
Ask a Question / Adding actors to a list
« on: February 18, 2017, 04:59:34 am »
So I found something strange, potentially a bug, and a workaround for it, but to put it in the form of a question: How do you properly add an actor to a list? Even with the workaround, I want to know why it won't work as I expect it to.
I don't understand how I did it before. In one of my other projects, I managed to use the "Add [anything] to [ list ]" block in conjunction with the "For each [Actor of Group]" block just fine. I pretty much copied it, with the same extensions enabled and all, and it gives me a null reference error. I've tried variations, such as using it in a "When an actor of [group] is [created]" event, to no avail.
I tried debugging it. I can use the "For each [Actor of Group]" and "When an actor of [group] is [created]" to print the actor to the console just fine. It's when I try adding it to a list is when it gives the error. So that gave me the idea to add an item (a number) to the list through the attributes menu, and removing it in the creation event. I think it's the list producing the error. For some reason this allows me to then add actors to the list without flaw.
Here's some examples. This one will give the null reference 1009 error:
This one works just fine.
But I've done the first one in another project and it worked. I likely missed something. Any thoughts?
I don't understand how I did it before. In one of my other projects, I managed to use the "Add [anything] to [ list ]" block in conjunction with the "For each [Actor of Group]" block just fine. I pretty much copied it, with the same extensions enabled and all, and it gives me a null reference error. I've tried variations, such as using it in a "When an actor of [group] is [created]" event, to no avail.
I tried debugging it. I can use the "For each [Actor of Group]" and "When an actor of [group] is [created]" to print the actor to the console just fine. It's when I try adding it to a list is when it gives the error. So that gave me the idea to add an item (a number) to the list through the attributes menu, and removing it in the creation event. I think it's the list producing the error. For some reason this allows me to then add actors to the list without flaw.
Here's some examples. This one will give the null reference 1009 error:
This one works just fine.
But I've done the first one in another project and it worked. I likely missed something. Any thoughts?
3
Ask a Question / Re: Text Behavior: PLEASE HELP I JUST STARTED MAKING MY GAME
« on: December 05, 2016, 06:05:40 pm »
Make sure everything is set how it should be. Sometimes I would set an actor to be in the Player group, and maybe the program would crash before I saved it. So I'd forget to go back and fix it, and wonder why that stuff wouldn't work.
4
Chit-Chat / Re: What Have You Been Playing Lately?
« on: November 19, 2016, 01:35:31 pm »
Overwatch and Dishonored 2.
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Ask a Question / Re: Text Behavior: PLEASE HELP I JUST STARTED MAKING MY GAME
« on: November 19, 2016, 01:33:53 pm »
You should make an X and Y variable which changes to the region location, using the [x/y of Region] block, when the actor enters the region. Then plug that in to the text's X and Y, but offset the second line's value by the height of the first line. To get the height of text, use the [get height using Font] block.
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Ask a Question / Re: how do you get/move position on layer with parallax?
« on: September 16, 2016, 02:22:48 pm »
Independently from camera movement?
7
Ask a Question / Re: What is the best program to create characters?
« on: September 15, 2016, 10:59:14 pm »
I don't know of any, but you can use GIMP to draw like you would in Photoshop. I've only ever used it for graphic design. If you can see the image in my signature, I used GIMP to create that.
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Journals / Re: Untitled Tower Defense
« on: September 15, 2016, 10:53:05 pm »
Thank you two. I'd like to see yours as well, OGMG.
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Journals / Untitled Tower Defense
« on: September 15, 2016, 06:09:30 am »
I've been working on a tower defense game on and off since last November. Between being busy and distracted, I've gotten a few core features implemented. I'm pretty happy about what I've been able to do, even though it's not much, considering that I have minimal programming experience prior to this. No clue if anyone will read this, but I'm mostly keeping this log for myself.
I don't have any art drawn other than a single sprite. Everything else I either got from the forge or doodled. The only artwork shown in the following gifs/screenshots that I will likely use is the creep sprite. I'm waiting to do any art until after I get the main code in.
I've always loved tower defense games since first playing Elemental TD in Warcraft. The Income Defense maps on Starcraft, a two player tower defense/attack game, is one of my favorites and is a big inspiration for the game I am developing. My game will be a two player tower defense rpg/rogue-like with a necromancy theme. You choose your path - invade or defend villages, summon the dead... and you die. You will die a lot, but it will be OK, because there will be progression even after death in this game.
Initially I intend it to be single player - you will play versus the computer. I do not know if I can or will implement multiplayer. In a match you will defend, attack, or both.
When I first started the project, I used a modified version of the Follow Path behavior in Stencyl to order the creeps around. I made it so I had a waypoint actor that when placed in the scene editor, a path would be created in the order I had placed them. A bug occurred sometimes when I had to edit the path, and I eventually desired a more dynamic system, so I began researching A* pathfinding. I tried adapting pseudocode examples, but I just couldn't figure it out. Thankfully, merrak wrote this extension, which does that I tried doing. You're a lifesaver, merrak. After I got that, I wrote my own version of the Follow Path behavior to give myself greater control.
My game has a top-down view, so all space is occupied by tiles. Using merrak's extension and a bunch of custom code, I made my game only find nodes on a specific layer named TilePath. Also made it only form diagonal connections whenever there's a lateral tile in between (so if two corners are touching, creeps won't skip over my laid paths). Because of this, all I need to do is draw the path on that TilePath layer, and the game will detect it. Additionally, I can add a tag to a tile, such as "water", and if the creep detects that it is over such a tile, it can slow down or speed up accordingly. The game will find the best path as a result.
This will allow me to speed up the process of designing paths, either by hand or randomly generated ones. I will also be able to generate multiple paths in the same level, where my original system I could only have one per type of waypoint actor.
I'd like to remind you that this is placeholder art, except for the creep.
Here's the minimap in action. You can move the camera by clicking on the minimap, or dragging the scene around.
https://i.imgur.com/W02dWr0.gifv
This shows the rest. Green colored blips are your guys, and red blips are enemies. Currently all creeps only move to the player actor, but that will change, of course.
https://i.imgur.com/oLJiQnn.gifv
I also have a speed feature that slows or speeds up the game, but I forgot to record it. In the final game, your "towers" will actually be characters, as some other TDs do. They will form your party across the game. I simply couldn't use towers, because it didn't make sense to me when you replay a level, the towers from the previous time through the level disappeared.
Your heroes (towers) will progress as they gain experience points and level up. They do this outside of a level. They will have abilities of their own, like towers do in other TDs, but I may possibly include short perk trees. Maybe not. Not decided on that yet. You will also be able to designate their equipment, which will have properties of their own. This may make it seem like a match consists of setting and forgetting your heroes, but to keep you busy you'll have spells to cast and undead to summon.
I have more ideas for my game which I may write about later.
Now that I have more free time, I hope to get a lot more done... if I don't get wholly consumed by Overwatch and the other games I've been waiting years for.
I don't have any art drawn other than a single sprite. Everything else I either got from the forge or doodled. The only artwork shown in the following gifs/screenshots that I will likely use is the creep sprite. I'm waiting to do any art until after I get the main code in.
I've always loved tower defense games since first playing Elemental TD in Warcraft. The Income Defense maps on Starcraft, a two player tower defense/attack game, is one of my favorites and is a big inspiration for the game I am developing. My game will be a two player tower defense rpg/rogue-like with a necromancy theme. You choose your path - invade or defend villages, summon the dead... and you die. You will die a lot, but it will be OK, because there will be progression even after death in this game.
Initially I intend it to be single player - you will play versus the computer. I do not know if I can or will implement multiplayer. In a match you will defend, attack, or both.
When I first started the project, I used a modified version of the Follow Path behavior in Stencyl to order the creeps around. I made it so I had a waypoint actor that when placed in the scene editor, a path would be created in the order I had placed them. A bug occurred sometimes when I had to edit the path, and I eventually desired a more dynamic system, so I began researching A* pathfinding. I tried adapting pseudocode examples, but I just couldn't figure it out. Thankfully, merrak wrote this extension, which does that I tried doing. You're a lifesaver, merrak. After I got that, I wrote my own version of the Follow Path behavior to give myself greater control.
My game has a top-down view, so all space is occupied by tiles. Using merrak's extension and a bunch of custom code, I made my game only find nodes on a specific layer named TilePath. Also made it only form diagonal connections whenever there's a lateral tile in between (so if two corners are touching, creeps won't skip over my laid paths). Because of this, all I need to do is draw the path on that TilePath layer, and the game will detect it. Additionally, I can add a tag to a tile, such as "water", and if the creep detects that it is over such a tile, it can slow down or speed up accordingly. The game will find the best path as a result.
This will allow me to speed up the process of designing paths, either by hand or randomly generated ones. I will also be able to generate multiple paths in the same level, where my original system I could only have one per type of waypoint actor.
I'd like to remind you that this is placeholder art, except for the creep.
Here's the minimap in action. You can move the camera by clicking on the minimap, or dragging the scene around.
https://i.imgur.com/W02dWr0.gifv
This shows the rest. Green colored blips are your guys, and red blips are enemies. Currently all creeps only move to the player actor, but that will change, of course.
https://i.imgur.com/oLJiQnn.gifv
I also have a speed feature that slows or speeds up the game, but I forgot to record it. In the final game, your "towers" will actually be characters, as some other TDs do. They will form your party across the game. I simply couldn't use towers, because it didn't make sense to me when you replay a level, the towers from the previous time through the level disappeared.
Your heroes (towers) will progress as they gain experience points and level up. They do this outside of a level. They will have abilities of their own, like towers do in other TDs, but I may possibly include short perk trees. Maybe not. Not decided on that yet. You will also be able to designate their equipment, which will have properties of their own. This may make it seem like a match consists of setting and forgetting your heroes, but to keep you busy you'll have spells to cast and undead to summon.
I have more ideas for my game which I may write about later.
Now that I have more free time, I hope to get a lot more done... if I don't get wholly consumed by Overwatch and the other games I've been waiting years for.
10
Ask a Question / Re: What is the best program to create characters?
« on: September 15, 2016, 01:40:31 am »
GIMP is a great, free photoshop alternative.
Inkscape is a free vector art program.
For pixel art, my program of choice is Aseprite. It used to be free, but no longer is. It's cheap, and worth it.
If you need 3D, then I'd recommend the free program Blender. It requires some tutorials to learn even just the interface, but is easy after you get past that.
Inkscape is a free vector art program.
For pixel art, my program of choice is Aseprite. It used to be free, but no longer is. It's cheap, and worth it.
If you need 3D, then I'd recommend the free program Blender. It requires some tutorials to learn even just the interface, but is easy after you get past that.
11
Game Art / Re: Anybody use wacom art tablet or any other tablet?
« on: September 13, 2016, 10:07:25 am »
I've used a wacom tablet for ages. I pretty much use it for everything, even general computing. The only things I don't use them for is FPS gaming, where the game spazzes out whenever I try. But it's amazing for everything else, even programs like Blender.
12
Game Ideas / Re: Zooming and Rotating camera
« on: September 07, 2016, 01:40:07 am »
How are you guys doing this?
13
Extensions / Re: [0.41] Bitmap drawing extension
« on: July 09, 2016, 02:03:39 pm »
These are great, thanks!
Would it be possible to add blocks for grabbing the image of a tile at a specified row and column? Or maybe to grab the tile image using the tile ID.
Would it be possible to add blocks for grabbing the image of a tile at a specified row and column? Or maybe to grab the tile image using the tile ID.
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Extensions / Re: Artificial Intelligence Tools Extension (Beta Release 3)
« on: June 27, 2016, 04:29:09 pm »
Thank you for this. I've read through several explanations, watched a few videos. Tried to adapt some example pseudo code to stencyl for A*, but no matter what I did I just couldn't wrap my brain around it. Then I found your extension. Thanks to you, it's all working now.
You're awesome.
You're awesome.
