Newbie Game Question

[fwtep]

Hi, I know this must be a basic question, but I couldn't find quite what I was looking for anywhere. If this info is covered somewhere else, just point me to that, if possible.

In MM2 how can I set one object to randomly pick from a series of objects and shoot them out? In the project I'm creating to learn, I have 5 objects (just image sof the letters A-E) and I want to randomly pick one every 2 seconds and shoot them down the screen from top to bottom.

I know how to set something to happen every 2 seconds, and I know about picking a random object in a zone (which seems to me to be the easiest way to select the objects) but I can't figure out how to combine all of this and get it to work.

Any ideas? I'm hoping it's pretty much point-and-click, since I'm not a programmer at all.

Thanks!
Fred

[DavidN]

It's weird, I'm sure this should be a simple thing, but I can't quite do it in one simple action. As I can't think of a way to pick an object to shoot randomly directly, what I would do is use the random number feature and break this down into two steps:

---

+ Every 2 seconds
> Set (any counter at all, anywhere) to random(5)+1

+ Counter = 1
+ Only one action when event loops
> Shoot an A up the screen
> Set the counter back to 0

+ Counter = 2
+ Only one action when event loops
> Shoot a B up the screen
> Set the counter back to 0

[etc.]
---

The counter you use can be an alterable value of an existing object or a new counter. Setting it to (random(5)+1) every two seconds will give you a number between 1 and 5.

After a number has been selected, one of the other events will become true and an object will be fired depending on the number selected. The counter is then set back to 0 to prevent the event from looping.

[fwtep]

Interesting idea. But let me ask this: Am I really trying to do something new? I'd have thought this would be a common thing. (Again, remember that I'm both a newbie and a non-programmer. Actually I'm only sort of a newbie-- I had Klik & Play and MMF1 but never had the time to use them much and not at all for the past couple of years.)

Fred

[BrashMonkey]

Actually, DavidN's suggestion is exactly how I would do it as well. With copying and pasting the event and just changing the things you have to, It's not much work...unless you have a ton of things to choose from randomly....

Another trick would be to actually use ONE object, but with different animations that all look like different things (like letters or whatever)

then, every 2 seconds, shoot an object and set its animation to a random number!...thus pulling off the same effect with one event. <img src="/center/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Just make sure the animations are set to loop, and you have to take the time to learn the inherent number of each animation and limit the rando number that's generated to that range.

good luck <img src="/center/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[DavidN]

That's it! I knew I was missing something. I used the same technique for dropping bonuses in a Breakout game.

[fwtep]

Yeah, DavidN's suggestion worked out great. Thanks guys!

Fred