You can view this content for free after you Log In or Sign Up.
Devlog - Automatic Stairs Creation
Following up on the latest feature in the previous blog post; the improved stairs system.
My prototype system for stairs was a relatively simple one - with only 2 main objects (the top & bottom entry points). Instead of treating stairs like a physical object, players would instead enter the "on stairs" state, only allowing them to move diagonally. That is how the original CV games did it, but can't work if we want players to land ON stairs after a jump. So we created a new object [o_stairs_mid] and placed one at each tile of the entire staircase.
The problem with this solution is that it requires I hand place every single step for every single staircase in every single room. It is extremely prone to user error, and if I wanted to move any of the staircases, I'd have to move EVERY single step. That's annoying.
So I've decided to automate the process, though this was a bit tricky.
My initial plan was to have [o_stairs_mid] duplicate on creation until it meets [o_stairs_top], but GameMaker wouldn't allow this because it could result in an infinite loop...
So I came up with another solution; involving measuring the desired length of each staircase to automatically create the amount of steps needed between both entry points. ---
Outline of Behavior
But this was still tricky... [o_stairs_bottom] needs to find the EXACT [o_stairs_top] I wanted. Using a collision_line to detect the top entry could still choose incorrect instances, such as:
Instances at the same X coordinate as my desired instance (like right next to it).
Instances above my desired Instance, but still along the collision line.
So here's what I'm ultimately doing: send out a collision line, save a list of every single entry the line touches, then filter out any instances that have a different direction (image_xscale), then loop through that list of entries, and select the closest instance.
Once I've found the closest instance, I measure the distance between the two entries in tiles, then [o_stairs_bottom] will create [o_stairs_mid] along the line until they meet [o_stairs_top]. Now, I only need to hand-place the entries and the engine will handle the rest on its own.
Automatic Stair Generation!
---
Get Equipped with the power to lie dormant for 8 years.
Oh, and I've added a slide ability.
This is a feature I've planned to include since the early prototype, but its inclusion was never essential, so I never spent time to include it. When the player starts sliding, they get a sudden burst of speed, and they decelerate over time.
I thought about making it identical to Mega Man's slide, but worried it would be too fast that too many people would prefer it over walking. That slide also would make it easier to die too...
I still need to create original art for it.
---
I hope everything works as intended. I have a nearly complete basic movement system, assuming I don't do extra stuff like wall jumps or back flips.
I'm noticing an issue with sprite warping (presumably due to sub pixel movement) and my old smooth camera system doesn't fix it (but it still works perfectly in my prototype even after it has been converted into the latest version of Gamemaker). So I might need to create a new camera system or find out why it's happening.
You can view this content for free after you Log In or Sign Up.
Female Link Friday - Winter Wandering 4
The Wintery Woods...
Unlike the last several illustrations in the Winter series, this piece paints the winter landscape as a much colder place. While the last few images used warm hues to create a cozier mood, this one is consistently painted in shades of blue. Even Link's colours are much cooler, less vibrant, and isn't being lit by a warm top light (notice the lack of a strong highlight).
My apartment's rent is being increased by 100 dollarydoos to a total of $1415 (way too close to my monthly earnings). I'll have to start earning more, but I must make sure to not screw myself through overwork and risk disrupting my flow.
Ability to support your Creator by pledging – one-time or recurring.
Means to reaching out to the Creator directly via Instant Messenger.
Subscribe
WE USE COOKIES
SubscribeStar and its trusted third parties collect browsing information as specified in the Privacy Policy and use cookies or similar technologies for analysis and technical purposes and, with your consent, for functionality, experience, and measurement as specified in the Cookies Policy.
Log in
