Messages

1

Old Bugs (1.x/2.x) / Re: Scene crashes when trying to test it

« on: July 01, 2011, 10:47:38 am »

Leeks, it seems your problem is with the "get actor value" block.  The actor value you're getting isn't set to anything; what you probably want is a regular attribute block.

Ridley64, the ramp in your scene is more like an upside down staircase.  It has like 374 points in the combined shape, so I think it is having a problem creating a shape that complex.  I'll have to see what we can do about this.

2

Old Bugs (1.x/2.x) / Re: Scene crashes when trying to test it

« on: June 30, 2011, 04:37:55 pm »

I'll need a game that demonstrates this bug in order to investigate.  It could be a bug with the tile combiner (in which case I can fix this) or it could be some Box2D size limit (not sure what can be done then).

3

Ask a Question / Re: Messaging between a scene and an actor (not working)

« on: June 23, 2011, 08:12:50 pm »

It works both ways.

4

Archives / Re: Remove while and repeat until blocks

« on: June 22, 2011, 06:41:32 pm »

On the note of game usages for while loops, here's some:
1. Procedural generation of levels or anything
2. Path finding
3. AI
4. Any other sort of algorithm that shows up in games (hint: there's a lot of them)

Matt_S: Interesting... it is obvious that is tries to find the common meeting point for three non-falling sequences, but it depends of fnXs if it really need a while loop or it can be computed directly without looping.

Yep, I chose the brute force solution because I had no clue if it could be computed directly.  Before I changed the names, it was much more obvious what the sequences were (i.e. the functions were named after the sequences, the variables were the first letter of the sequence name).  I'll just come out and say it's my (unoptimal) solution to a Project Euler problem, because if someone recognizes what the fragment does they surely could have come up with the idea themselves

5

Archives / Re: Remove while and repeat until blocks

« on: June 21, 2011, 11:56:58 am »

Alexin is right.  While loops shouldn't be used to wait for input or any such thing, but for algorithmic things, where they are irreplaceable.  Completely non-Stencyl related, but here's a real demonstration of a while loop:

Code: [Select]

// names obfuscated; if you can still tell what I wrote this for, you probably didn't need the help ;)
while(A != B || B != C || A != C)
{
    if(A == min(min(A, B) , C))
    {
        a++;
        A = fnA(a);
    }

    else if(B == min(min(A, B) , C))
    {
        b++;
        B = fnB(b);
    }

    else
    {
        c++;
        C = fnC(c);
    }
}
That requires some sort of loop, and since I don't know how many iterations it will take, it can't be a for loop.  Internet examples of while loops tend to be things that can be done with for loops, so I went through some old code to find a good example.

6

Archives / Re: Custom control blocks

« on: June 14, 2011, 01:33:42 pm »

This is similar to an older suggestion (by me I think) which I haven't yet gotten around to.  The original suggestion was more like events with custom triggers, like "do after" or "do every" blocks that weren't time based.  I was ultimately hoping for functions as parameter types for custom blocks and also as attributes.  At the time there were more immediate concerns, so it's still just in the idea stages.

I have a lot of other future projects, so I can't give a schedule for this.  I would prefer implementing your idea as a subset of general function object support, instead of implementing this separately.

7

Chit-Chat / Re: Wii U

« on: June 09, 2011, 03:58:58 pm »

I would prefer a straight Four Swords 3DS than a Four Swords for Wii U where the other three players need a 3DS anyways.

Also I expect you wouldn't be forced to use the controller for multiplayer, unless the game was utilising it in some special way.

That's probably true, but then you'd have even less use for the expensive-looking new controller.

8

Chit-Chat / Re: Wii U

« on: June 09, 2011, 12:24:17 pm »

If it's true that you can only use one screened controller, I think Nintendo majorly dropped the ball.  They should have stuck with something like the Wiimote+Nunchuck.  Split-screen multiplayer would be a complete mess if one player is forced to use a completely different type of controller; best-case scenario is that all players can use W+N combo (or classic controller), and then the new controller is completely wasted.

I've owned every Nintendo console since the SNES and every major Nintendo handheld ever (still not a 3DS, though I plan to), but Nintendo has some convincing to do.

Last minute addendum: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-09-only-one-wii-u-controller-per-console
Crap.

9

Chit-Chat / Re: Wii U

« on: June 07, 2011, 02:02:37 pm »

The controller is interesting, but I'm a bit worried about some things.

1) The Wiimote looks like it would still have some gimmick uses, but otherwise it seems like it will be obsolete.  Except of course for backwards compatibility, like how you need a GameCube controller to play GameCube games on the Wii.  So RIP Wii MotionPlus.  Or maybe they plan on having the Wii Remote + Nunchuck + Wii MotionPlus live on as a second controller type for the Wii U, which would be a great inconvenience, especially for people who don't already have the Wii controller family.

2) Yeah, you can play games on the controller without the TV.  Yeah, some games can use the screen for something important.  But you can't do both with the same game.  That means the only games you can play without a TV would be the ones where the developers couldn't come up with a good idea for how to use the controller screen.  It would be a nice way to prevent screenlooking in what would otherwise be split-screen games, but again, that precludes any other use for the controller screen, and what does that mean for your HDTV?

3) The controller looks pretty bulky.  Nintendo has been pretty good about making their controllers comfortable in the past though.  I never was good at holding the DS one-handed in order to use the stylus, so I'm a bit worried about how that will feel with this controller.

4) The button and stick placement seems a little weird.  I'm glad it has two shoulder buttons on each end, but the lower shoulder buttons don't look right.  The sticks look weird being placed right above the buttons and D-pad, but I guess it doesn't matter since you can't use the D-pad and left stick at the same time.

I think the concept will work really nice, but it seems like they're leaving the Wiimote + Nunchuck behind, which was the most iconic thing about the Wii and still had a lot of untapped potential.  I mean, we've still got the new Zelda that has yet to come out, where you have full control over Link's sword, but now the Wii U is going in a completely different direction where, oh joy, you have a menu on the controller.  Perhaps there will still be lots of Wiimote + Nunchuck games, but the W+N uses won't be any different than the current gen except for developer creativity.  For a Wii "sequel", it seems to deviate too much.

Now, things I'm completely happy about.  I'm glad it's getting a graphics boost, and I'm glad Nintendo is planning a better online system.  I'm glad the controller has a full assortment of buttons so that multi-platform games can be ported without needing some gimmick motion to simulate a button press.

I'm done with my rant.

10

Chit-Chat / Re: If an intruder came into your home

« on: June 07, 2011, 12:50:33 pm »

Where's the "shoot to incapacitate" option?

That option doesn't really exist.

11

Old Bugs (1.x/2.x) / [DM] Undoing doesn't always change the displayed text in a dropdown [b373]

« on: May 15, 2011, 12:38:45 pm »

Simple repro case:
1. Place a block with an actor field.
2. Select an attribute through the dropdown.
3. Select a different attribute through the dropdown.
4. Undo and observe that the text doesn't update.

I pretty much have this fixed, but I've got other things I need to finish up before I can commit this fix.

12

Ask a Question / Re: Problem with planetary system

« on: May 14, 2011, 03:00:49 pm »

Maybe I'm not understanding the situation, but if you want the planets to move in circular orbits until they're disturbed, then you just start them out with the right orbital velocity such that the centripetal force needed to maintain the circular motion is the same as the gravitational force between the two objects.

F = GMm/r^2 = mv^2/r

GMr = v^2
v = sqrt(G*M*r)

It must be moving perpendicular to the radial axis for this to hold.  So just start off the planets with this speed and they should stay in their circular orbits.

It's possible that the numerical integration used by Box2D (Implicit Euler I'm thinking) will eventually cause this system to break down, but until then, don't worry about it.

13

Archives / Re: New Chooser item: None

« on: May 11, 2011, 07:02:13 pm »

This is referring to dropdowns on the behavior page for actors/scenes, right?  Not the design mode dropdowns?

14

Game Ideas / Re: Killing the Magic by Making Games

« on: May 07, 2011, 03:13:41 pm »

I think if you can't enjoy games because of what you learned by making them, then the games just weren't as good as you originally thought.

On a similar note, TVTropes will ruin your life.  I've just been waiting for a chance to link to that.

15

Chit-Chat / Re: PSN down, information may be compromised.

« on: April 27, 2011, 05:44:25 pm »

Hearsay, but relevant to everyone's interests: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/04/ars-readers-report-credit-card-fraud-blame-sony.ars

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=302