A weird MMF2 bug or horrible user error?

[Gamerdude]

I've been having a lot of problems with my ported game in MMF2. Allow me to explain. I'm creating a Sonic the Hedgehog fangame. For those of you familiar with the series, you should understand what I'm about to explain. The first problem is this. Sonic can become invincible if he breaks a box that has that power, when this happens, visual effects are created, like so: http://gamerdude.thisisourcorner.net/images/help1.jpg

Now, when I start moving throughout the level the counter in the top left part of the HUD start to move all over the place. Currently, they are in a layer seperate from the rest of the game's objects. Most game objects, including all objects that have to do with invincibility are in layer 3, the main layer. The HUD is layer 5 or 6 I believe. It moves along with the main layer. Here's what the counters looked like at one moment while going berserk: http://gamerdude.thisisourcorner.net/images/help2.jpg

Compare that screenshot to the first one. The first one shows where all the counters should be, the second shows them going berserk. Now, invincibility is only temporary and obviously ends after a period of time. Once invincibility is finished (the invincibility group in the event editor is deactivated), the counters stay put in whatever spot they're currently in. I have absolutely no reason why this happens. No event or action even references any of the counters or the HUD layer in the invincibility group, so I have reason to believe that nothing should affect the counters. No events tell the HUD layer to move anywhere, nor to reposition any of the counters at any place on the screen (not just in the invincibility group, but anywhere in the engine). Secondly, I've noted that only the counters are affected, not active objects, or at least not that I've noticed. It also seems to be confined to just the HUDs layer (changing layers doesn't help). What does help is taking away all the invincibility stars. If I remove them and stop them from being created, I get no problems. I've tried altering the way I create the stars (create object and shoot object) and it didn't help. I suspected maybe the object count might be the culprit, but this has happened in a level with 700 objects and in a level with 1100 objects. The frame's object limit is set to 7000 just to be safe, again, doesn't help.

I'm totally lost...this worked perfectly fine in MMF1, but ever since MMF2 it started to have problems. I'd rather not release the source, however, because of the severity of my problem, I'm willing to do so. If anyone thinks they may be able to fix it, I'm willing to send it to them. Thanks guys...hope someone can help me out.

Just as a note, I'm using the latest build of MMF2.

[whoisthisguy]

I can confirm that this is a legitimate problem, because I ran across something like this just today when implementing background scrolling in my game engine. When scrolling is in effect, particles (active objects) created via a separate process in a layer that is set not to scroll will randomly move even though they're not supposed to.

For example, 50 particles are created on that non-scrolling layer, and out of those 50 two will move as if they were moving along with the frame as it scrolls. This is not supposed to happen, and I just can't figure out why it is. This isn't limited to my active objects; I've seen strings and counters do it as well when they're created within the non-moving layer, but regardless of the object type, whether or not it'll move incorrectly is seemingly totally random.

[Gamerdude]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one having a problem, so maybe it's not just the way my events are. Unless we're both doing something wrong . Hopefully Yves/Jeff will see this thread and possibly look into it...or at least confirm it is/isn't a problem.

[Flava]

I have also had problems and errors with the layers. Whenever I use quick backdrops, sometimes they get distored and become blocky if say I restart the frame after scrolling..

Therefore I just tend not to use the layers system/function. Check that all your layers co-efficients are 1.00000 though, that could explain why everything is moving around maybe (didn't read your whole post to be honest <img src="/center/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />)

[Yves]

Could you send me your file next week so that I try to see what happens? (not before Monday, as I've a slow connection, I'm on vacation until Sunday)

Yves.

[Gamerdude]

Sure Yves. I'll PM you a link to it on either Monday or Tuesday. I'll be on vacation for a week starting next Wednesday, so that'll give you some time to look at it. I appreciate it.

Also, Flava, one of my layers does move, it's my background parallax layer. Nothing but the background is in it though.

[00J]

"I've been having a lot of problems with my ported game in MMF2"

Have you considered rebuilding it from 0 in MMF 2?

[ChrisStreet]

While we're on the subject, I've been having a couple of problems with layers as well. My game has four of them:

Layer One = Background
Layer Two = Occasional actives flying around in the background
Layer Three = The actual level itself
Layer Four = Health Counters and things.

Code, for example, such as:

START OF FRAME: Move "ObjectA" to Layer 2, Move "Healthbar" to Layer 4.

The health bar moves fine to Layer 4, and ObjectA moves to Layer 2 (I tested both with a displayed counter, comparing the layers).

The main game character resides, as does the rest of the level, on Layer 3. The Healthbar(Layer4) appears in front of the game character - but so does ObjectA(Layer2), which should be BEHIND the character(Layer3).

There is no other code that concerns layers.

[Gamerdude]

[]"I've been having a lot of problems with my ported game in MMF2"

Have you considered rebuilding it from 0 in MMF 2? [/]

Yes, I have. However, considering I have 1,200+ events and not as much time as I had when I originally made this engine, I really, really don't want to spend the next few months gradually rebuilding the engine. I'm also afraid of doing it and finding out that I have the same problem...it would be an utter waste of time. So, I'd like to hold off until Yves can analyize the problem...if he can't figure something out, I'll end up just scrapping the visual effect and trying to make something totally different.

[Master_Doom]

I've got a solution. Are you using the new spray thing cause if you are just make an animation.