Some dumb questions.

[font:Comic Sans MS]Hi, I am using the demo of mmf2 for a gaming class, and I was wondering if someone would help me with some questions I have.
1) I am making a top down shooter (kinda like radin x)that scrolls up. I have a random star creator and to activate the enemeys I am making the frame scroll slowly forward, so that when the enemeys get close to what you see they activate. Now the problem is that my star creator is at the bottom of the frame, where I want the application to start, but the part the people see is at the top, how do I move what they see to start at the bottom of the frame?

2)does anyone have some AIs for enemey fighters I could use (I would give you credit)

3)the auto rotate only has 32 frames, It looks choppy when I turn it, can I make if have more frames than 32?

4)Is there anyway to track where the mouse is?

5) I want to make tracker missiles, how do I make it track the closest bad guy

More questions to come!!

Thanks for answering!!!! [/font]

1)Create a new Event > Start of Frame > Create new Action > Center vertical position of window in frame to [color:#339933]#frame height#[/color] but without the dashes.
2)What AI do you need?
3)You can always try to rotate it in the event editor.
4)The Expressions [color:#993333]#xmouse#[/color] and [color:#333399]#ymouse#[/color] track the mouse.
5)The Closest? I do not know how to do that but you would have to run fastloop for every badguy to see which is closest and then target that.

1 check

2 I need top down space ships, and top down ground based enemeys with guns or swords.(these would be used in a class, nothing else)

3)check

4)check

5) I think I will just make it track the mouse

I will soon edit my list and have more questions, but....

[size:20pt]THANKYOUDRAGONGUY!!!!!!![/size]

5) If you didn't want to fastloop every enemy and calculate distances, you could just create a circular object thats pretty large, uncheck 'visible at start'

Event
- Missile is in play area
Set Circle Object position at 0, 0 from Missile

- Circle Object is overlapping enemy ship
Set missile direction to look towards enemy ship

That would simulate some basic 'homing movement' when the missile gets close to an enemy. Although it won't rotate smoothly towards the enemy (you may see sudden direction changes), it'll definitely give you something to start with.

If you need to have more that one homing missile on the screen at once, you may need to create Bind IDs using Alterable Values. Basically an ID that is unique, but the same for both the circle and the missile, set when the missile and circle are created. Then you can do an event like this:

- Missile is in play area
ID of Circle = ID of Missile
Set circle object at 0, 0 from missile

I tried to implement question 1 and it did not work, any other ideas?

@Ryan, is there any way to put in a counter that saves the first speed and direction, and then compares the new thrust speed and direction to the first speed, and then caluclates the real speed and direction. The only problem is that it would be in a line not a curve, but that could be fixed with an every condition.

I'm sorry I can't do that, I stink at math.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by calebfig

I tried to implement question 1 and it did not work, any other ideas?

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Are you sure it didn't work? What did you type in? You did remember to remove the [color:#999933]####[/color]'s, right? What is your frame's real and virtual heights?

What I told only makes it scroll to bottom at start, you can make it scroll towards the top slowly after that with another event as well as the previous one.

Code:

---

Always
-Center Frame Y to -1 of where it currently is

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*SMACK*
You were right, I did make a mistake! I was using my star creator to track weather I succeeded, but in a fit of stupidity, I made them not follow the frame!!!

Thank you for your patience.

The Advanced Direction Object has a function that finds the proximity of different objects to a point, and sorts them by distance. It'd be great for homing missiles.

@calebfig yes thats exactly what you'd want to do to smooth it out. Just have a "Target Direction" Alterable Value.

Then
every 0.05
- Current Direction < Target direction
- Add 1 to current direction

Current Direction > Target direction
- Subtract 1 from current direction


however, the we have the problem of the direction 0 and 359

If it needed to go from 359 to 0, I'll take the long way around. Rather than just going to 360, it'll subtract all the way back down to 0.

Time to put your maths hat on: Note ABS means Absolute - always provide a positive answer. So a negative value will become a positive, and a positive will stay positive.


Here we go:

(run this once when you've got a target)

- Set Alterable Value A to ABS(TargetDirection - Current Direction)
- Set Alterable Value B to ABS(TargetDirection - (Current Direction + 360))


(always)

Value A < Value B
Current Direction < Target direction
- Add 1 to current direction

Value A < Value B
Current Direction > Target direction
- Subtract 1 to current direction


Value B < Value A
Current Direction < (Target direction + 360)
- Add 1 to current direction

Value B < Value A
Current Direction > (Target direction + 360)
- Subtract 1 to current direction


I believe that would work, but i may have missed something. This is the kind of logic you're going to need to deal with on a regular basis in games programming, so start practicing!

That makes sense, but I couldn't figure out how to find the missiles current direction.

If you have 'automatic rotations' enabled on the missile object (its a checkbox under the runtime options inside the level editor)

to get the current direction (in 360 degree format, not 32) try using

Set Alterable Value D to ->
Retrieve Data From on Object
Missile Object -> Scale / Angle -> Get Angle

Alterable Value D will now give you the current direction. You should rename the Alterable Value D to something like "CurDir" just so you don't lose track of your Alterable variables. Or just always use the Get Angle function whenever you need to know the missile's direction.

As a side note: you could theoretically use the 32 directions to do the same thing, just replace the number 360 with 32 in the above instructions and reference the directions using Animation->Current Direction Value, however 360 degrees will give you much a smoother rotation.


Note:
I just realised in my previous post

Quote:

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Value B < Value A
Current Direction > (Target direction + 360)
- Subtract 1 to current direction

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Is not necessary. Current Direction will never be > (Target direction + 360) because Current Direction will be between 0 and 359.

Anyway, what I've provided may not work 100%, however hopefully it'll put you and the right track and get you thinking as to how best to solve the problem. If you treat it like a challenge, you'll be very satisfied when you solve it.

Hi calebfig,

I wasn't happy with the theory I gave you in that post (it didn't sit right with me) so I've decided to make you an example.

The homing missile problem is quite involved, it challenged me to get it working, so I understand your difficulties.

Heres the example in this this post. I hope you get some benefit out of it, I surely did.

There's also a good article I found that explains the theory behind it. I used it in my example, in MMF code form.

Thank you guys so much!!!

A and B the C of D

Just a few more questions and I will be done with my class...
1) I am making a game called "geris Garden" for my final project.
you are an elderly gardener trying to keep his garden in pristine condiditon. I have trees that if you do not water them they "die" I am trying to make them be destroyed but leave another object in there place. I have tryed stuff for several hours now and am at my wits end. can one of you help me edit the game?

2)Another question I have is how to use the pause screen function if there is any tutorials on how to use that could you point them out to me?

3) oh, right how do you send files via posting so I can send you the game?

3)If the game is under 1mb and it is a mfa, put in the file archive forum using the file manager.If it is an exe file, put a
link to it in the open topic forum.

Marv

Ok, It is in the file archive under "Geri's garden" If you alter it please let me know.