my weekend project...anticipate help requests

[auxlen]

So I thought I best get the ball rolling here. I have a task set for myself this weekend and no doubt five minutes after I start I will be crying on here for help.

So I f you can point me to anything that will help me or pre-empt any of my dumb questions it would be appreciated.

I want to have a journal icon in the top left on all game frames (god bless hotspot magic).

The idea of the game is very simple. Go around a deserted location looking for clues (atmospherics are the name of the game more than innovative mechanics at this stage?it is my first game)

1. When a clue is found it is placed in the journal with a description. Not a hover description but like a handwritten text beside the icon of the clue in the journal
2. Players can look at the journal at any time. (GoBackToAPreviousFrameV1.zip) should help me here.
3. (this is the scarey part) When the player has all the clues (say 8 clues altogether) a gather evidence button appears in the journal and this trigger a new set of events.

I?ve seen a few similar posts but I?m the kind of fool that needs to start from the beginning and work from there.


Anyways. i apologise in advance for any truly daft questions coming your way.

[Lyberodoggy]

Try this:

Everytime one of the 8 clues is gathered, increase an integer variable

clues=clues+1

Create a hotspot in the journal frame, which will say gather evidence.
go to variables tab, make it so that this hotspot is enabled only when another integer variable equals 1, call the variable eightcluesfound
In the journal hotspot, place a code like this one: if clues=8 then eightcluesfound=1

[auxlen]

ok i am stuck.

i built a screen with 3 clues in it
and i have three journal frames

I unbderstand the clues=clues+1 variable and the if clues=3 then threecluesfound=1

but i'm a little bit stuck.

i see how i can set a if clues=1 then onecluesfound=1 and then set a journal frame to only become active when onecluesfound=1.

but this doesnt take into consideration the type of clue found...only the number of clues found.

so i have for example in the same room a footprint and a hair sample. how do i make sure AM knows which was clicked.

[reneuend]

Go to the "variable" tab for each hotspot and set a variable to "1" when the user clicks on it.

footprint = 1
hairsample = 1
etc...

[mercedes]

but this doesnt take into consideration the type of clue found...only the number of clues found.

so i have for example in the same room a footprint and a hair sample. how do i make sure AM knows which was clicked.

Where the hair is..make it equal to one..Where the clue is that says they found the hair..Have it only shown till hair =1 --bottom portion of the variable tab..
Same goes for the footprint..If the clue says something about both..then that's different..but im assuming your clue will only say..they found the hair..and another clue will say they found the footprint..

Peace

[auxlen]

Hi all,

still working.

well this is quite a challenge for me.

what i imagined is a jopurnal with 8 blank slots (attached a pic).
I have created avariable for each clue. so when a player findsa a clue the variable for that clue goes to 1 and clues=clues+1

so then i create a picture hotspot on each blank space that only becomes visible once a specific clue variable (eg blood) goes to one.

then when all 8 clues are found then Lyberodoggy's clues=8 then eightcluesfound=1 kicks in...am i right?


the biggest challenge is to get hotspots that look ok, now i think.

[reneuend]

Hi all,

still working.

well this is quite a challenge for me.

what i imagined is a jopurnal with 8 blank slots (attached a pic).
I have created avariable for each clue. so when a player findsa a clue the variable for that clue goes to 1 and clues=clues+1

so then i create a picture hotspot on each blank space that only becomes visible once a specific clue variable (eg blood) goes to one.

then when all 8 clues are found then Lyberodoggy's clues=8 then eightcluesfound=1 kicks in...am i right?


the biggest challenge is to get hotspots that look ok, now i think.

It would be a lot easier if Hotspots had properties you could read and set.
But with out it, here is what I think I would try:
Use a counter for when an item is picked up. Then add the image of the hotspot that was clicked on to the journal array element. This way you can put the items in the journal in sequence and in any order.

journal(page_num) = "image.jpg"

user clicks on hotspot(4)
> set page_num= page_num+1
'now add it's image to the journal
> set journal(page_num) = "image.jpg"

Journal Frames
'in each frame property. use the page_num to the journal page being looked at. journal1 would be page_num = 1, etc....
then Action.LoadAPicture Hotspot(1), journal(pagenum)
would load the picture to journal2's hotspot for whatever image was assigned to the array.

journal1
>user clicks next on journal 1 goes to journal2
>journal2 would load and the hotspot on journal2 would get the image for Journal(2) where it was assigned earlier when the user picked up an item.


does that help?

[reneuend]

I listed this on a different post, but here goes:

OK...Since AM doesn't seem to support arrays at a global level, I built it in a test.

Create 2 global variables:
'integers
pagenum
goldkey 'object that will be picked up. value of '1' when picked up
bluekey 'object that will be picked up. value of '1' when picked up
wrench 'object that will be picked up. value of '1' when picked up

'variants
journal 'variant

NOTE: Be sure to set journal = "" at the beginning of the game!!!!

'add the following function to your global procedures:

Code: Select all

Function GetWord(index,text,delimiter)
  index = index - 1
  aJournal = Split(text, delimiter)
  GetWord = ltrim(aJournal(index))
End Function


From the hotspots that will be picked up, enter the following code and alter to suite:
Note: you'll need to change ("goldkey", "Colored_Key1.ico") to fit your set up

Code: Select all

if goldkey = 0 then
   if journal = "" then
    journal = "Colored_Key1.ico"
  else
    journal = journal & ", Colored_Key1.ico"
  end if
  goldkey = pagenum
  pagenum = pagenum +1 
end if


On the Journal Frame Properties for each journal page add the following:
Note: pass the journal page "1" into the GetWord function and hotspot 1 is the hotspot on the journal page

Code: Select all

img = GetWord(1,journal,",")
Action.LoadAPicture Hotspot(1), img 


[reneuend]

OK....It works now!

[auxlen]

thanks all for your replies.

@reneuend. Your idea is a bit complicated for me but i am working on trying to follow it as it seems to be a great idea. (i've only had AM about a week)

[reneuend]

thanks all for your replies.

@reneuend. Your idea is a bit complicated for me but i am working on trying to follow it as it seems to be a great idea. (i've only had AM about a week)

Ouch! You picked an aggressive approach to using AM!

Don't fret. I sent you a PM...You'll have this done before the weekend is up!

[mercedes]

then when all 8 clues are found then Lyberodoggy's clues=8 then eightcluesfound=1 kicks in...am i right?

Yes that's right...You put that in each hotspot clues = clues + 1 ..and also if all 8 clues found..go to a frame or whatever u want the user to do..

You could do it that way or u can make a sub..called Clues

Like this..

Code: Select all

Sub Clues
If clues = 1 Then Actions you want
If clues = 2 Then Actions you want
If clues = 3 Then Actions you want
If clues = 4 Then Actions you want
If clues = 5 Then Actions you want
If clues = 6 Then Actions  you want         
If clues = 7 Then Actions  you want             
If clues = 8 Then Action.GoToFrame "FrameName"
End If
End Sub
Then in each hotspot..where u want the actions to happen
clues = clues + 1
clues

This is just another way.. but it sounds like u may have it with Lyberodoggy's way ....~

Peace

[auxlen]

Ouch! You picked an aggressive approach to using AM!

I know. I know what i want in my head and must have it. lol.
I'm more of a visual person, so i have great visuals and atmosphere but zero coding skills.

time will tell.