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[IndigoFenix]

New functions are up: Controlled walking and cutscene mode switching.

More importantly, there is now a new tutorial section for advanced functions, accessible from inside the regular tutorial area, with demonstrations of coin hunts, switch doors, and cutscenes.

[Arx]

Cool!

Some day I'll get enough done to actually have keys for some of the locked doors...

[IndigoFenix]

Cool!

Some day I'll get enough done to actually have keys for some of the locked doors...

Keys are one of the easiest of the advanced functions.  Just set a persistent global variable like $*hasKey to 1 when you get the key and have the door run a block function that checks for the variable, then destroys itself if you have the key.  You can also set the key to destroy itself when it is created if you have already picked it up.

I fixed some divide-by-zero errors in the walk function.  You can now make sprites turn in a particular direction by telling them to walk zero tiles in that direction.

[IndigoFenix]

Tilesets now have a 'pit' tile option for single-tile pits that the player can jump over.  You can also make entrances that do stuff when you enter a room through a particular Gate by placing a sprite with a Touch function on the same tile as the Gate, so the player will trigger it the moment they enter.

Should this topic be in the 'Other Games' forum?

[Arcvasti]

As far as I can tell, the difference between Other Games and Creative Projects is that Other Games is either developers spreading awareness about their games or Bay12ers discussing games made by outsiders. Creative Projects seems more like its for Bay12ers who want to share/ask for help on their own creative projects. I think this'll be fine right here.

Also, PTW as this sounds really neat.

[IndigoFenix]

Well, in that case I should probably be more clear that I AM actually looking for help in the form of world builders... since the game's universe will get more expansive and interesting for casual explorers as new worlds are added to the network.  Any worlds players build early on should be retained with future updates.

[IndigoFenix]

I came up with an idea that may be either very good or very bad, and it is this: a universal currency that is used to build worlds.

Basically in order to build stuff you'd need to first collect coins which you could get by exploring.  To encourage traveling to new areas instead of just always going to the same place that has a whole bunch of coins in easy reach, there could be a limit to the number of coins you could collect per day.

You could also gain coins based on the number of people who visit your worlds and how long they stay.

Some people would abuse the system, but over time players should prefer to go to interesting worlds rather than boring ones, thereby rewarding players who create the most interesting worlds with the ability to make more.  For beginning players, it would encourage exploration and help them to get new ideas before they start building.

[Arx]

I needed loot for my chests, certainly. I like encouraging exploration, but I think more worlds are necessary before implementing that kinda' deal. I am ambivalent on implementing the idea right now, I guess.

[IndigoFenix]

You can now display portraits or full-size images through the Display function, with or without accompanying text.

Concerning the item system, the syntax will be basically the same as current persistent variables (a variable whose name begins with $*), where the name after that prefix refers to the item's id.  An item is simply a persistent variable associated with a given world, and will be able to store a string or numeric value, just like a regular variable, as well as an image, description text, and possibly a function that runs when it is 'used' in the right place.  They will also be described as 'key' or regular items, the difference being that the player can choose to discard a regular item at any time, while key items will be stuck to the player unless they are removed through a function in the world they originated in.  Key items can also be discarded through a special device in the Hub which will erase all items the player obtained in a given world.  There may or may not be a limit to the number of items a player can carry at a time.  A player's inventory will be saved to the database when they jump worlds through a Gate, but not if they leave using the escape button.

The variable reserved for affecting a player's coin count will simply be $*.  Coins will have their own special rules describing how many a player can carry at a time, how many can be saved per day, and other things.  There will be various contingencies in place to prevent large, boring treasure rooms.

The item system is not yet online, but if you use this system now it will work as long as you remain in a single world, players will simply lose all 'items' when jumping worlds.

[IndigoFenix]

Custom non-player sprite collisions are in.  They are handled in the Advanced Function Builder.

The 'Collide' event is called whenever a sprite steps onto any other sprite (NOT when another sprite steps onto it though).  In any events within the collide function, the '@' symbol refers to the other sprite in the collision.  To specify events pertaining to a particular sprite class, you'll need to give that sprite class a 'start' function that sets a particular variable, which the colliding sprite can check for.

For instance, lets say you want an 'Eater' sprite that can eat other 'Edible' sprites.  In the start event for each of the edible sprites, you'd set a variable 'isEdible' to 1.  Then, in the Collide function for the Eater sprite, you'd set a block to check 'if isEdible of @ is equal to 1', and if so, destroy @.

This isn't too useful yet since sprites don't have any real AI, but combined with Step and Jump functions you can make interacting puzzle elements.

[Arx]

Looking nice. Time, time, time...

[IndigoFenix]

Aaand now there are pushable blocks for all of your stock block-pushing puzzle needs.  Sprites can be set as pushable in the basic function builder.  There are also 'block' and 'ball' graphics added.

[Retropunch]

a universal currency that is used to build worlds.

This would be really good - I definitely think that the game needs more, well, game in it.

How about if you gave all players a set amount of gold and then put some more scattered around other worlds that you've built (to guarantee a certain amount). With this you can build your own world, with each block/object costing a certain amount of gold. Once your world is built (or it could go up as you're building it), you then get a certain amount of gold (based on how much you put into the world or other factors) to use as loot. When your world gets entered/looted, you could then get a certain percentage back.

This could easily be expanded on. For maze type worlds you could have a 'completion item' which gives the builder (in percentage) and the player more gold, this would only be buildable after a certain amount of gold and certain amount of wealth had been spent on the world already and has to be a certain distance from the entrance portal. I'm sure there are loads of other ideas, but I'd definitely encourage some sort of 'game' systems being put in place, even if they're pretty loose.

[IndigoFenix]

a universal currency that is used to build worlds.

This would be really good - I definitely think that the game needs more, well, game in it.

How about if you gave all players a set amount of gold and then put some more scattered around other worlds that you've built (to guarantee a certain amount). With this you can build your own world, with each block/object costing a certain amount of gold. Once your world is built (or it could go up as you're building it), you then get a certain amount of gold (based on how much you put into the world or other factors) to use as loot. When your world gets entered/looted, you could then get a certain percentage back.

This could easily be expanded on. For maze type worlds you could have a 'completion item' which gives the builder (in percentage) and the player more gold, this would only be buildable after a certain amount of gold and certain amount of wealth had been spent on the world already and has to be a certain distance from the entrance portal. I'm sure there are loads of other ideas, but I'd definitely encourage some sort of 'game' systems being put in place, even if they're pretty loose.

Well, this could be done, although I don't want to place too many limits on what can and cannot be built, especially since some functions let you make new objects procedurally... no point in making each new object have a cost when you can just make an object that produces more on its own.  Perhaps more coins will be used to make bigger rooms and more worlds, and leave it at that.  The whole idea is to encourage more building by making the players feel as though they ought to be doing something with the coins they collect, not to restrict it.

In the meantime, I've fixed a few bugs with object motion.  The 'step' default function doesn't work properly, but you can make looping functions by creating a custom function that calls itself when it is completed.  This allows you to make things like moving obstacles.  You can make them do something when they hit the player by making a collide function that checks 'if @ == *' (meaning, if 'other' equals 'player').  There's a demonstration of this in the updated starting area.

[Retropunch]

Well, this could be done, although I don't want to place too many limits on what can and cannot be built, especially since some functions let you make new objects procedurally... no point in making each new object have a cost when you can just make an object that produces more on its own.  Perhaps more coins will be used to make bigger rooms and more worlds, and leave it at that.  The whole idea is to encourage more building by making the players feel as though they ought to be doing something with the coins they collect, not to restrict it.

Good point, perhaps coins could be just used for special stuff and for adding extra space. I really like the idea of getting rewarded for making a good world though - I'm not sure of the best way to do that, but it'd give you a reason to work harder on building worlds.