Hey all,
I found out about Game Editor just a couple days ago through the Blender 3D forums - something about wanting to make Blender 3D and Game Editor compatible (or something of the like, I really don't remember). However, I'd been looking for good, open-source 2D game-creating software for quite some time, and this seemed like an awesome idea. So far I've had a *lot* of fun with it (and it's only been a day!). So far I haven't gotten frustrated with all the much - though that's because I have some experience with game logic in Blender 3D.
I have just a few questions that I couldn't find the answers to through searching google or the forums (at least nothing recent or that was entirely useful).
1. I'm creating a pixel-style (very low quality graphics, but good gameplay - I hope) "pirate" game, and would like to have the option of setting the level to end once a certain score is reached (say 2000 for now). Does anyone know a simple way - or can you provide a script - to do this?
- I have already created a coin and an enemy which give points, and a score board that works in terms of changing the numbers when points are received.
- If it's a script, could you please provide a brief instruction on which script should go where and such? Sorry. I'm used to logic bricks and the like - haven't done much coding apart from showpointer scripts in python.
2. In the trailer on the home page, there was a clip with a game being played on the DS..? So it is possible then for these games to be transferred to the DS platform? I know a few people who would really enjoy playing a game I've created on their DS. I've got Ace Cards for the DS (three), so I have a place to put the file. But if anyone can give me details on how this is done and how commands from the GE are related to commands in the DS (i.e. how do I control the "L" or "R" buttons, the stylus movement and tapping, blowing into the mic, etc), or if this really is possible, that would be greatly appreciated!
3. I have an animation for a ninja that follows a simple path, and I even have animations for when he turns to face the other direction. Unfortunately, however, he just follows the path and then walks backward. I know it's a simple problem, but somehow in all my attempts I cannot manage to get him to turn around when he goes back along the path. So if someone could tell me how to get the "cute" little black pixel ninja to turn around when he reaches the end of the path before retracing his steps, that would be really awesome! (:
4. This is a big problem for me right now, and it's really irritating that I can't find a way to work the timers or anything to make it operate the way I want it to, so I'd be really grateful if someone could provide the answer to this. My pirate character can shoot bullets left and right. Awesome. And I've disabled the "repeat" option for firing bullets in either direction so that the player has to press the appropriate button in order to get a single shot, then press it again for another. However[b], not only do my enemies only take one piece of damage, the shots are consecutive and can be fired one after another extremely quickly. Could someone please tell me how to create a delay timer between shots? About 10 seconds or so between shots would be really good, I think. I'd really appreciate it! Otherwise this game will be way to easy!
[b]5. I haven't done it yet, but I plan on going through the checkpoint tutorial I found. However - unless the tutorial will tell me how to do this, is it possible to set it so that when my character collides with the "death" material I have underneath the level (I called the actor "death", and set the collision so that when my player character collides with the actor, the game ends), instead of the game ending, he simply loses a point of life and then returns to the spot he was at when he fell off the edge of the level?
6. This ties into questions 4 and 5, I think. I couldn't find a decent tutorial on some *really* basic health points. I don't want a health bar for this game (I'm trying to keep the HUD as simple as possible so that it's more old-school mario-style! ), but I do want my pirate character to have 3 hits before he dies. I'd also like to give HP to the ninjas (again not visible). Then I'd like a delayed death so that the death animation can have a chance to play before the character returns to its original checkpoint (assuming I'm successful in creating checkpoints with the tutorial I still have yet to go through), and I'd like the same thing for the ninja. I have the ninja "destroy itself" and add a coin as soon as its dead, but I'd like to play a reaction animation before he "becomes a coin". I believe these all have to do with the delay timer I asked about in question 4. Just let me know if you have a way to do this! Thanks so much!
7. I think that this is my last question for now - I know I'll have several more down the road, but if these get answered it should be enough to give me the boost I need to continue finding my way around Game Editor. I've created as much of the main menu in the main menu tutorial I found in the forums, though I'd like to know how to load a saved game, how to have multiple save files and how to save your character's progress in an individual level (save his most recent checkpoint), as well as how to advance from one level to the next. (:
I think that's all for now. I plan on making enemies that chase your character and throw things at him in later levels, but for the first level I believe that answers to these questions are all that I'll need. If you can answer just one of these, that'll be a BIG help to me, and if you can answer all of them... well... you're definitely gonna be my favorite person for a while. Let me know if you can answer any of these or offer pointers and such. Like I said, today was my first day, I had a lot of fun, and would like to keep having fun and learn my way around this so far awesome 2D game maker! Thanks so much! And thanks for taking the time to read all this!