[GM] V6 Grid Navigation

[EqwanoX]

lol, it now creates maps for you which is an innovation to the engine itself. v6 used only 1s and 0s, v7 uses many more, im actually still experimenting with it. i'll release the final version at some point.

i kind of agree that v6 isnt completely outdated, it can still be used for more detailed maps and uses much less sprites sinse you only need one sprite of the map itself, but haveing it make the map is so much easier than makeing it manually and without the grid lines. v6 is also easier for walking animations and roaming npc's (which everyone HAS to have for some reason), im still trying to implement these into v7

[Tireas Dragon]

Actually V6 used "2's" "3's" and other numbers for special squares like the gold is on square 2 and the door is on square 3.

[GabrielCA]

I know this is an old thread, but...

About these grid navigation systems : could you make them work so that you can move diagonally ?

Is this feature absent in the grid navigation engine because GM can't detect more than 1 keyboard key type at a time ?

[Silverwind]

Yeah, I can do that. One day when I get a free moment I'll post it up.

The only reason I myself haven't done it so far is that GM's window is only large enough to fit 7 grid spaces down and across (using my tile sizes) which doesn't leave allot of room for obstacles, especially if you can move diagonally around them.

[GabrielCA]

Also, about V7 :
it takes almost 2 seconds to draw new maps on my old G3/400MHz machine : I find this V7 to be a bit slow, although it doesn't move smoothly between tiles like V6, so it feels fast when moving the player around.

[EqwanoX]

for diagonal movement i think youd have to use the number key pad, its so simple you should be able to make it yourself, just simultaniously alter moveX and moveY

i remember v7 not being that bad on my g4, and really, who uses g3s nowadays? you can get a g4 for 100$ easy off craigslist, my g5 cost 250$ and my intel cost 400$

v7 can be slow but its so innovative, a small map(town size) in v6 can take up 2 to 3 megs and large maps(level size) take up 6+megs so if your game has just three levels then saveing is gonna be very laggy with a source thats 15+megs. v7 maps use hardly any space at all AND eliminates haveing to make the map in a graphic editor. theres still work to be done though, i havent figured out how to add npcs yet

but if your a beginner i highly recommend v6 cause its so easy to use( i mean, isnt the source only 30 lines?), and will help you get familiar with the basics. its so easy its hard NOT to work it in somewhere, like with elements, i through it in sinse its only useing one small map

[Silverwind]

v7 maps use hardly any space at all AND eliminates haveing to make the map in a graphic editor. theres still work to be done though, i havent figured out how to add npcs yet

What? But, you haven't made any changes to the collision routine. What's up with NPCs not working?

EDIT:

Ack, I really wanna program a few of these things! I'm working a seven day week and my evenings are taken up with a new website client, but as soon as I get a free hour I'll get cracking on these requests.

[GabrielCA]

for diagonal movement i think youd have to use the number key pad, its so simple you should be able to make it yourself, just simultaniously alter moveX and moveY

i remember v7 not being that bad on my g4, and really, who uses g3s nowadays? you can get a g4 for 100$ easy off craigslist, my g5 cost 250$ and my intel cost 400$

v7 can be slow but its so innovative, a small map(town size) in v6 can take up 2 to 3 megs and large maps(level size) take up 6+megs so if your game has just three levels then saveing is gonna be very laggy with a source thats 15+megs. v7 maps use hardly any space at all AND eliminates haveing to make the map in a graphic editor. theres still work to be done though, i havent figured out how to add npcs yet

but if your a beginner i highly recommend v6 cause its so easy to use( i mean, isnt the source only 30 lines?), and will help you get familiar with the basics. its so easy its hard NOT to work it in somewhere, like with elements, i through it in sinse its only useing one small map

Of course, I know no one uses G3/400MHz's anymore, but good code runs fast even on old machines.

Using the numeric pad for diagonal is a great idea (and probably the only solution), since it seems you cannot detect two keys at once with GM.

[Silverwind]

I can do it both ways, but it's a lengthly explanation and I only have a few seconds to type (and with one hand as I'm eating a sandwich).

[GMG Mike]

Of course, I know no one uses G3/400MHz's anymore, but good code runs fast even on old machines.

Straight C code running on your 400 MHz G3 likely outperforms GM scripting running on a 2.7 GHz G5. The tradeoff is that a GM game is much easier to program.

SC is faster, but still nowhere near compiled code.

[EqwanoX]

but good code runs fast even on old machines.

i looked into it and i noticed stranded forest (which uses v7)runs faster than the v7 demo! and stranded forest is running alot more code.... i experimented and realized i didnt use sprite sheets in stranded forest cause i wasnt familiar with it at the time. so sprite-cut is what makes v7 slower, but i made a version of v7 with spritesheets along with flipped sprites, AND  smooth movement (which doubles the sprite movements to like 300) and it runs with no lag what-so-ever on my intel, so theres only "so much" consideration we can put into the code design vs. production time and ease of use, sprite sheets make life so much easier its worth the speed sacrifice and besides noone here uses anything below an intel... accept you and your g3. and i actually use my g5 for most of my work while i use my intel for internet

i love bashing gm, gm is so much slower than sc, the rougesoft rpg engine is so laggy and yet it uses v6! hows that possible, its slower than v7 and thats moveing 150+ sprites, when will silverwind learn!

[Gan]

Maybe I should start bashing... TntBasic can handle like 10x more sprites than Sc without lag.


-Gan

[EqwanoX]

tnt basic is to complicated though

[WarHampster]

You are all losers! Program in assembly and you'll never have to worry about performance again!

[GMG Mike]

Maybe I should start bashing... TntBasic can handle like 10x more sprites than Sc without lag

TNT is harder to use - and there is no officially supported Universal Binary. I believe TNT Basic also uses OpenGL - something we can transition to in the future.

It's all about tradeoffs. For example, in TNT, you have to define variables and choose whether or not you want an int or a float. In SC, you don't have to define variables, and all variables are doubles. SC is easier, but slower.