Custom Platform Movement + A Few Other Questions

[flyoffacliff]

Hello, I have made a lot of progress on my tank game since I last posted here. I have a few more problems:

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1. I programed my game so that player 1 and player 2 can change settings, such as turret aim and fire power using the same buttons. I use a current turn flag to keep track of who's turn it is. For example:

* "Q" button is pressed
+ Flag is off
= Increase player 1 fire power.

* "Q" button is pressed
+ Flag is on
= Increase player 2 fire power.

This worked fine for setting the power and turret aim. But not for movement. Because I am using the built in platform movement. Is creating custom platform movement really the only way around this? So that each player can only move on their turn.

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2. Also, each players name is stored in a global variable. In the top middle on the game, it should show which players turn it is. But once I put " 's turn" after the name in events # 27 and 28, it stops working. Is making 2 string variables (one to show the name of the current player's turn, and one to display the text " 's turn") the only way to fix this?

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3. Also, I want to make an in-game dialog box with a partially transparent background. What types of object should I use (active, backdrop, quick-backdrop, etc.)? And how do I do this?

---

Here is the file:
Mirror 1
Mirror 2

Thanks a lot for your help.

[GreenOnion]

*Problems*

Hmmr, well...

#1:
As for the platform movement, one way to do it is using Fodo's (Custom) Platform Movement extension which is included in the Clickteam bonus pack 1 thing: (http://www.clickteam.com/webftp/files/mmf2/Exts/MMF2ExtPack1.exe)
Not only is it way more stable and customizable than the built in MMF2 Platform movement, but it's capable to change which object it's controlling during runtime. Give it a shot.
(However, I'm not completely sure that it works with flash)

#1.5:
And - From the looks of it, you're making a side-scrolling strategy game ("worms-esque"). Given that you will be using the above extension, and figuring that there will be more than one player/infantry unit at any time, any not-currently-controlled units will become static (Stop moving and not answering to the laws of gravity, etc). To work around this, you could use the ForEach extension to make sure that all those units stay on the ground: http://www.clickteam.info/greyhill/r...rEachSetup.exe

... Doing something like this:

On ForEach loop "units"
+ Object "Player Unit" is part of ForEach loop "units"
+ Object "Player Unit" is not colliding with the ground.

> Set Object "Player Unit" Y to " Y("Player Unit")+2 "

Again, I'm not completely certain if this works with flash.

#2:
This should not be necessary. Are you sure the expression looks something like this?

Global Value A+"'s turn"

(i.e.)

Playername 1+"'s turn"

#3:
Assuming you know how layers work, a quick backdrop should work fine in a "static" layer - as in - one with zero coefficient in both X and Y scrolling. (Not following the frame at all)

---

If the two extensions above don't work, I could try rooting out a work-around, unless anyone else already has.
In any case; Good luck!

[AyreGuitar]

I haven't had a chance to look at your files, but:

#1 Could you not have an extra movement of type static and switch to that movement when you don't want it to move? You might need to store the current direction before switching and set it back again afterwards (for some reason changing movement types doesn't preserve direction of active)

#3 I find the Active System Box quite handy - you can give it an image with alpha and it will tile it across the ASB, you can set the text, have multiple lines and resize the box to whatever dimensions you need.

Hope that helps!

Update: I can't look at your file since it requires the Flash extension

[happygreenfrog]

(However, I'm not completely sure that it works with flash)

The platform movement object works with flash.

Also, the ForEach object works with flash.

[flyoffacliff]

Hmmr, well...

#1:
As for the platform movement, one way to do it is using Fodo's (Custom) Platform Movement extension which is included in the Clickteam bonus pack 1 thing: (http://www.clickteam.com/webftp/files/mmf2/Exts/MMF2ExtPack1.exe)
Not only is it way more stable and customizable than the built in MMF2 Platform movement, but it's capable to change which object it's controlling during runtime. Give it a shot.
(However, I'm not completely sure that it works with flash)

#1.5:
And - From the looks of it, you're making a side-scrolling strategy game ("worms-esque"). Given that you will be using the above extension, and figuring that there will be more than one player/infantry unit at any time, any not-currently-controlled units will become static (Stop moving and not answering to the laws of gravity, etc). To work around this, you could use the ForEach extension to make sure that all those units stay on the ground: http://www.clickteam.info/greyhill/r...rEachSetup.exe

... Doing something like this:

On ForEach loop "units"
+ Object "Player Unit" is part of ForEach loop "units"
+ Object "Player Unit" is not colliding with the ground.

> Set Object "Player Unit" Y to " Y("Player Unit")+2 "

Again, I'm not completely certain if this works with flash.

#2:
This should not be necessary. Are you sure the expression looks something like this?

Global Value A+"'s turn"

(i.e.)

Playername 1+"'s turn"

#3:
Assuming you know how layers work, a quick backdrop should work fine in a "static" layer - as in - one with zero coefficient in both X and Y scrolling. (Not following the frame at all)

---

If the two extensions above don't work, I could try rooting out a work-around, unless anyone else already has.
In any case; Good luck!

Thanks for all your help.

1. This one is driving me crazy. I can't use the extensions because I have the demo. I have spent hours on it now. I already had different events, which change the movement from "Normal" to "None" when the fuel runs out. I created an empty fuel variable, but it still won't work right. The tank movement is now jerky, slow, and the tank somehow moves left faster than right. Here is a copy of the game is this condition: http://snk.to/f-c7ufom9t . You can still use the links in the first post for the older copy.
2. Problem solved. I had the quotation marks wrong, I just wish I knew that before I spent hours creating this mess: 2.jpg and 1.jpg
3. I am not sure how to get the box partially transparent, so you can see a little bit of what ever is under it. Kind of like this, but in the game: box example.jpg

4. Also, is their anyway to store data, such as a save, without using Mochi? Would the ".ini" object work for flash? Also, does the hi-score object save hi-scores with flash. Or do they reset each time the game is run?

[GreenOnion]

Oh, you're welcome.
Anyhow...

#1:
I didn't realize that you only had the demo version of MMF2... And, sadly, I still can't open that .mfa file since it requires a flash extension which I don't have.
If you give me the link for it, then I could take a better (and a first) look at it.

#2:
Oh god...

#3
For making the box transparent - Look in the Properties window > Display Options. There, you can select an effect. (Flash can handle that, right? No, seriously, I have no idea about this flash thing ahrgg)
In this case, take "semi-transparent", then change the "Blend coefficient" slider. Violá!