Simple Help Needed for Project

[Aaron C-T]

I've decided to dive back into Clickteam tools, simply to give me something relatively stress-free to occupy my time now that my applications are in. I've also taken up shirt designing and stencil-art (using spray paint) as well. Most of the questions I ask aren't really "huge" and most are simple ones just so that I can get my head straight and see things a different way. The overall goal at the moment is to create an engine and meet various "milestone" points- stages of development which include as many of the features I wanted to have by that point. This is so that I can pace myself and to ensure that I actually end up with a finished project- even if it doesn't contain every little thing I want it to have. Anyone who cares to see these "milestones" can ask, and I'll post. Onto the current questions:

1) What would be the best control scheme for a platformer with mouse-controlled movement? I want to use the LMB to do things like lock-on to enemies and the RMB to jump. Ctrl would probably be a string of melee attacks, Shift would probably be summon, and Z would probably be crouch. However, I want the player to be able to have at least two other attacks. Which buttons would those attacks work most comfortable on?

2) Would it be better to have two-three more equipable attack buttons, or to have an on-screen menu ala Kingdom Hearts that lets you chose attacks other than the Ctrl ones?

[TRD]

1) I would use the W A S D keys for it, I'm right handed so when I use the mouse, I put my left hand directly on the W A S D keys, kinda like the arrows keys and they feel comfortable there, or you can use the number keys, (Not the numpad, my laptop didn't come with the numpad.)

2) On Screen menu in my opinion, I'm currently using something like that in my Tomb Raider game, Make a clickable icon to open the inventory then just click on your desired items (Or attacks), then just click on the exit icon to close it.

Hope this helps.

[Spike]

I was actually making a game before I started Sonic 4 called Gravity Ant (Dont ask, it was a long time ago...) You moved te mouse to the right of the ant to move right, and left to move left, the left mouse button jumped and the right mouse button shot his ray gun. This just reminded me of that (which I had completely forgotten about).

Anyway, I would make it so that if you jiggled the mouse back and forth very quickly it would change weapons. That would be cool.

[Aaron C-T]

So far the control scheme would probably work something like this.

RMB- Lock on, open doors, etc

LMB- Jump

W- Summon

S- Crouch

A- Attack Stringing/Fire

D- Equipable

However, I still don't think that's enough. I want some other actions to be available such as to mount your summon, cast spells, and the like. I suppose I can implement a menu but you'd still need to have buttons to cycle through it with. My immediate solution is the middle mouse button, but not everyone has one of those. The jiggle idea is cool, but it might also end up being awkward if you're in a fight.

[Zonar Games]

WASD are pretty good choices.

My immediate solution is the middle mouse button, but not everyone has one of those.

Thats true and thats why you could just have custom controls so if the player wants to use the middle button they can.

[TRD]

I suppose I can implement a menu but you'd still need to have buttons to cycle through it with.

How about making clickable icons to scroll through the inventory, up and down arrows or something like that.

[Aaron C-T]

It would require one button to scroll through and another to actually use the selected attack. Although, could always make it so that holding "D" down cycles through and tapping "D" uses the attack. If it's within my reach, I'll probably take up Zonar's suggestion for the overall controls (save for the mouse which would be default).

Milestone I- the Setup: Create a working engine with basic movement controls (jumping, left/right movement, and crouching). Player should be able to successfully ascend and descend slopes, and attack stringing should be in place. Player should also be able to lift and throw a crate. Begin creating the clock system. It should be able to retrieve the date, time, and month assigning them to the seasons of the year and a night/day setting. Although this will have no effect on the engine at the moment, it will be expanded upon later.

[Aaron C-T]

::Bump::

Eh, I'm adopting a static engine into a mouse-controlled one at the moment. I'm trying to make the mask follow the cursor. The cursor's position is set to the mouse icon's X and Y positions. My code looks like this:

Trigger:

Every 00"-25

+ X Position of [Mask] < X Position of [Cursor]

+ Right Sensor is not colliding with background

Solution:

Add 1 to X Counter

The reverse is of those controls left movement. Slopes, jumping and moving all work. It's just that you can't stop. The mask slides back and forth like a grandfather clock, even when it should be equal to the cursor's position. I tried adding "bumper room" and making it so that once the mask is within 15 pixels of the cursor it can stop, but the same still happens. I believe the problem is that the normal code for arrow-control would be something like "while right key is pressed," however the idea is that you don't have to click to move you just move the cursor away from the character and he follows. Anyone know of a solution?

Edit: Set the mask to bouncing ball movement and made it so that if it isn't in "bounds" of the cursor it moves towards it. The static slope engine still works. Only problem is that the mask feels the need to bounce. A fix for either of these methods would be much appreciated.

[SonicProject]

Don't know what it is about following the cursor but it tends to screw up from time to time. Rather than the default mouse position stuff, have you tried the Mouse Object extension?

[Aaron C-T]

Nope. I'll look into that right now.

[Serephim]

How about simply making an Active follow the Mouse, and redirecting the player to follow that?

Dunno, stuff like that usually works.

As for your menus, i suggest simply scratch programming one. Using extentions usually ends up backfiring on you if its something other than the Fast Loop, in my experiences anyway. If it fails, your ____ed.

Im working on a RPG engine right now (not the one i was doing before. This one is gonna be basically all CPU controlled, except for the actions you give them.) and when i get started ill go ahead and help you with scratch menus.

I actully got a menu system working with text and everything. im working on a user controlled system to be able to Sort spells and items and stuff. When its finshed ill definately help you. (ILL BE THE FIRST ONE WITH A DECENT MMF RPG ENGINE!)

[Zal]

(ILL BE THE FIRST ONE WITH A DECENT MMF RPG ENGINE!)

Well actually no you wont. I've seen it done effectively before. Look at a few tutorials around the place and you'll see.

[Aaron C-T]

Serephim: That's essentially what I'm doing. I'm retrieving the mouse coordinates to a cursor sprite. The mask and sensors follow that sprite. However, the reason I've modded it from a static engine is so that it automatically pays attention to things like slopes. The player sprite would simply be centered on the mask and play the appropriate animations for what the mask is being told to do (run, jump, climb, etc). The only problem is that, for some odd reason, the mask won't stop moving once it's under the cursor. I basically need someone to look over the code in my other post to see if they spot a problem I don't.

Sonic Project: I can't get that extension to open in MMF2.

[TRD]

OK, how do you want it to stop, like what's the condition? Example: upon pressing 'K'------>Stop (Insert object).

*idea just popped up* Make a counter, 0 for off and 1 for on. You can probably use it to shut-off certain events or the actual moving can only be done when the counter equals 1.

Btw, what's your conditions for moving the object?

EDIT: OK, I read your movement method on the first page and I'll try to figure this out the best I can, I'll post later If I have a solution.

EDIT AGAIN: OK, what do you think about this, make a counter like the one above and set all your movement methods to activate if the counter equals 0, now as for stopping, click on the player object to set your movement to 0, (Static engine thingy) and set the new counter I've explained to 0. Now to continue your movement thing just click on you player object again while the new counter equals 0 to set it back to 1, therefore your movement thing will be activated again.

This probably won't help considering that I don't know what I'm looking at although I have a pretty good idea on what your trying to do, sorry if this fails.

[SonicProject]

Sonic Project: I can't get that extension to open in MMF2.

That would be because Clickteam sucks and should have added backwards support on the extensions with MMF2. ;

I ran into the same problem with other extensions... they haven't been converted for use in MMF2/TGF2 yet. *shrug*

[Aaron C-T]

TRD: Probably shouldy copied the events from the first page, my bad. I'll try that counter bit out it makes a lot of sense. Perhaps I can use it sort of like this.

Trigger 1:

X Postion of [Mask] < X Position of [Cursor]

+Right Sensor is not colliding with background

Solution:

Set [Movement Counter] to 1

Trigger 2:

Every 00"25

[Movement Counter] != 0

Solution:

Add 1 to [X Counter]

That should work, and get rid of anything I have in my current events that canceling out stopping.

SonicProject: They're idiots. xD

[TRD]

Let me know if it works, it should. Counters can keep your game simple and very stable in some circumstances/engines. If you saw my tomb raider preview, I've used alot of them, some of them came with the Iso-engine made by CLWE.

[Serephim]

Well actually no you wont. I've seen it done effectively before. Look at a few tutorials around the place and you'll see.

When i mean Decent, i mean..

My RPG engine is to Current RPG engines :: 360 movement is to static.

[Aaron C-T]

Serephim: So.. it's going to be copied millions of times? ::Shot::

TRD: Eh.. didn't work. Stupid mouse. ::kicks::

[Serephim]

Serephim: So.. it's going to be copied millions of times? ::Shot::

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

I hope so.

[LarkSS]

Why don't you take a static engine ( or make one =P ) and make the left and right key checks dependant on a variable rather than you actually pressing the key. ( e.g. Right Key = 2 means you've hit the key; Right Key = 1 means you're holding it down; Right Key = 0 means no interaction is occuring ) Now you can make it so if the X of the mouse is greater than the X of the Mask, set Right Key to 2 and Left Key to 0. ( Right Key should equal 2 for only one frame, after which it'll change to 1. ) Visa versa, if the X of the mouse is less than the X of the Mask, set Left Key to 2 and Right Key to 0. This should allow you to move left and right depending on the mask position compared to the mouse. I think that's what you're trying to achieve anyway.

Of course, you could simply replace the 'If Right Key is pressed' event instead of using that value stuff, but I like it since it offers more control by allowing you only to have to change the control input event and not every single event dealing with that control. Also, it's good for making it easy to change controls in-game without the default control changer.

Edit: Now that I think about it, instead of using the X of the Mask, I'd use the sides. I say this since if you don't, it'll keep moving back and forth in an attempt to be pixelly perfect to the mouse's position. E.G. Instead of checking if the X of the mouse is greater than the Mask X, check if the X of the mouse is greater than the Right Edge of the Mask X. ( 'Right X ( "Mask" )' I believe is the command. )

[Aaron C-T]

I'll try that over the weekend. Thanks.

[TRD]

TRD: Eh.. didn't work. Stupid mouse. ::kicks::

Seriously? Man, that's a ball-breaker, I'm out of ideas then.