Question about TGB 2D's capabilities
by Janna TM · in General Discussion · 06/15/2009 (3:53 am) · 4 replies
I'm looking to design a game that has very specific requirements. I'm so far very enthusiastic about TGB, but I'm not sure if it will allow me to incorporate all the aspects that will make the game useful for my end purposes. It would help me out a lot if someone could comment on whether the following requirements are realistic or not:
- One of the most crucial apsects is that I'm able to measure performance. So, say on a math-related game, someone solves 6 equations, I need to be able to see this final result.
- The games I intend to design will include a math, memory and vocabulary range-type game. For the math game, for example, I plan to let the player solve addition, subtraction (etc) problems that show up in a bubble. If the participant solves the problem, the bubble pops which would result in 1 unit of performance (or 1 point if you like). It is important that I can control the numerical problems that come up in each level.
- The game would also include a timer.
Given the capabilities of the Torque Game Builder, would you say these things are possible? Also, given that I'm a beginner at the program, do you estimate these aspects to be very hard to construct?
Thank you!!
- One of the most crucial apsects is that I'm able to measure performance. So, say on a math-related game, someone solves 6 equations, I need to be able to see this final result.
- The games I intend to design will include a math, memory and vocabulary range-type game. For the math game, for example, I plan to let the player solve addition, subtraction (etc) problems that show up in a bubble. If the participant solves the problem, the bubble pops which would result in 1 unit of performance (or 1 point if you like). It is important that I can control the numerical problems that come up in each level.
- The game would also include a timer.
Given the capabilities of the Torque Game Builder, would you say these things are possible? Also, given that I'm a beginner at the program, do you estimate these aspects to be very hard to construct?
Thank you!!
#2
Simple: Single sprite sheet of number, 0 - 9. Turn sprite sheet into a cell based animation for each number. For each bubble, you can either use an individual sprite or make it a part of the number sheet and mount it to a bubble.
I could keep going, but I could see you writing a few scripts (maybe 2-5), then using the WYSIWYG editor to finish the game off. I think creating the assets would take the most amount of time, and not the game's development.
06/15/2009 (7:40 am)
@Janna - As Joshua said, the most difficult part for your game concept will be asset generation and picking a method to accomplish your game play. I can think of 4 different ways to integrate the game play from script, varying in complexity.Simple: Single sprite sheet of number, 0 - 9. Turn sprite sheet into a cell based animation for each number. For each bubble, you can either use an individual sprite or make it a part of the number sheet and mount it to a bubble.
I could keep going, but I could see you writing a few scripts (maybe 2-5), then using the WYSIWYG editor to finish the game off. I think creating the assets would take the most amount of time, and not the game's development.
#3
Timers exist (or some form of delaying an action with specific intervals and calling a function for calculation), and global variables can keep global state. You might have the meat of your game logic done during the first day. Saving state/high scores and all that is also fairly simple.
06/15/2009 (9:51 am)
I could see you use the editor first to set the playfield up, then the rest could be all about scripting. So TGB is pretty flexible :)Timers exist (or some form of delaying an action with specific intervals and calling a function for calculation), and global variables can keep global state. You might have the meat of your game logic done during the first day. Saving state/high scores and all that is also fairly simple.
#4
I’m still a real beginner at scripting, but managed to get the bubbles in the level at random speeds and spawning at random points. What I’m now struggling with is how to make the bubble clickable and how to make it respond to, say, ‘5’ or ‘16’ when these are entered as solutions to questions as 3+2 and 4*4.
Also, the math questions shouldn’t appear randomly. Rather, I intend to have a set amount of problems (say 30 equations that need to be solved in the level) that need to come up in an exact order and should always be the same for that given level. This is because I need to ensure that all participants playing the game will get the same equations to solve.
The idea I had myself on how to approach this was to create one bubble for each equation to be solved and put in underneath the bottom of the view window. I would then create the equation and mount it to the bubble. Then in script I would set the time lapse for each bubble to plan when it would occur...
There might be an easier way to do this though. It would be great if someone could give me suggestions on how to solve this in script.
Your help is really appreciated! Thanks!
06/26/2009 (3:57 pm)
Thanks for all your responses!I’m still a real beginner at scripting, but managed to get the bubbles in the level at random speeds and spawning at random points. What I’m now struggling with is how to make the bubble clickable and how to make it respond to, say, ‘5’ or ‘16’ when these are entered as solutions to questions as 3+2 and 4*4.
Also, the math questions shouldn’t appear randomly. Rather, I intend to have a set amount of problems (say 30 equations that need to be solved in the level) that need to come up in an exact order and should always be the same for that given level. This is because I need to ensure that all participants playing the game will get the same equations to solve.
The idea I had myself on how to approach this was to create one bubble for each equation to be solved and put in underneath the bottom of the view window. I would then create the equation and mount it to the bubble. Then in script I would set the time lapse for each bubble to plan when it would occur...
There might be an easier way to do this though. It would be great if someone could give me suggestions on how to solve this in script.
Your help is really appreciated! Thanks!
Torque 3D Owner Joshua Janssen
Course it does vary on what you plan to do. Typing of the Dead would be hard to emulate on TGB without a bit of optimization. Ultimately, it will depend on how well you adapt to object oriented coding.