[asgromo]

I'm beginning work on a new platform infiltration game. I have experience in the genre, as I've played Metal Gear Solid, and failed at making several other games a little like this one. I have so far actually done little of this game, as I've been stumbling into problems getting my primitive sidescrolling engine to do what I want. I want realistic water, I have to use lava. And if you try to "move all lava s" to simulate gravity, it gives MZX some weird errors and I have to restart MZX. Augh. My engine is primitive, but that should be okay, since I'm trying to make this game somewhat like Flashback or Out of this World (a.k.a. Another World) and they both have pretty primitive, (albeit incredibly realistic engines) because their characters don't need to be able to jump backwards. So anyway... The character can at the moment jump left and right, roll left and right, kick left and right, move up and down ladders (actually, I'm working on getting the animations for that to look okay.), and of course run left and right. I plan for the character to also be able to shoot left and right when he finds a gun, and he will be able to creep in the shadows (using dynamic lighting) so enemies can't see him as easily. This is going to require some programming. One problem I'm already having is getting my height-depending damage engine thing to work. What should happen is this:
1) Robot finds that their is no customblock south of the player.
2) Robot locks the player, and continually increases the "falling" counter, as it moves the the player s and checks for a customblock south of the player.
3) Robot finds a customblock is under the player and then multiplies the value of the "falling" counter times 15 to come up with how much health is taken from the player due to the fall. (Each character fallen should take 15 health) Robot then takes that health, sets the "falling" counter back to 0, unlocks the player, and goes back to the standard checking part of the programming.
What's wrong is that it works the first time, but then it won't happen again. I can fall down and lose health once, but if I try again, nothing happens.
Anyway, I have a lot of these problems. Any ideas? Why does it screw up MZX to move all lava south? Whatever. If anyone can give an answer, don't hesitate.

[Tox]

Some things about "falling" lava:

Moving all lava southward will destroy any floors, customfloors, etc.. in its path. Also, lava will not animate while being moved, unless some waiting is added.

[asgromo]

-disgust-
I know, but I don't know what else to use.  But it doesn't really matter, since it screws up MZX if I try.

[Dr Lancer-X]

Post the exact code of your engine here. It seems to me that you have a programming fault in your engine.

[Mr. Apol]

Why exactly are you using lava? Is it because of the animation? If you wanted almost realistic transparent water, why don't you just make it a custom floor, then have the player change colors while on the water custom floor (dynamic lighting) to make it seem as if it were transparent.
Of course, if you did this, the custom floors probaly would still delete stuff if moved south. Or, instead of customfloors, you could use overlay, and use a robot to detect when the player is under the water overlay. Then it would write the player's character where the character is, but in a different color. Basically the same thing as the customfloors, but using overlay. This way, the overlay wouldn't delete stuff. Just make sure you write the character to the overlay over the character instead of char editing the overlay char! Though you're probaly not dumb enough to do that.

This may not work with your game, but that's my best guess..

[weasel]

Hmm, a game that's a mix between Metal Gear Solid and Flashback? HECK YEAH! I'm looking forward to this one! Can I help a bit with programming/testing? Send me a PM if you're interested and I'll send you my email address.

[asgromo]

Sorry I haven't updated in a couple of days. Work has been going pretty slow (low morale, busy school crap) and I had trouble getting back into the boards after the change to this "Invision Board."
I believe I'll use overlay for water. It seems like the most realistic to use. However, it will be HELL trying to make the overlay water move up and down, or in any direction. I'll probably have to rework the engine a bit to make up for the cycles the swimming and overlay checking this will take.
Any ideas?

[weasel]

Hmm...could you send me your code in a PM/MZX file? Maybe then I could help you.

[weasel]

Hey Asgromo, are you still working on this game?

[asgromo]

Not much really. Once again, the "oops-my-plans-were-too-ambitious-for-a-mzx-game-I-might-as-well-not-even-try" black hole seems to have enveloped around me. All of a sudden, I go with less ambitious plans and begin a different game. It's funny though, the more times this same thing has happened, the less ambitious my plans have been, and the better the games (or not totally made games) I've produced.

[weasel]

Well you know, I could try and do it in a different format than MZX...I'm learning C++ recently, so I could get some good libraries and see what I can do with them...

[asgromo]

Interesting... That might be cool. How much do you know about C++? I myself started learning, but at the moment, I really don't know that much.

[weasel]

Well, I only just started learning, and I just realized that the compiler I downloaded (DJGPP) didn't come with GCC for some reason, so I'm unable to compile anything. Of course, if you're good enough yourself, I can help you with backgrounds and such for the environments.

[asgromo]

Environments? What am I gunna use? I guess with a little work environments could actually be made with MSPaint. (Considering this is still a sidescroller.)