Hi Kai,
Well, to help me draw level maps I actually created a level editor
that allows me to copy, cut, and paste things like walls, doors,
chasms, etc on a 2d or 3d grid. However, even without it it is not
that hard to actually draw or create a level such as you describe. To
create a room for a side-scroller all I need to do is something like
this.
// Draw the ceiling
for (x = 0; x < 51; x++)
g_map[x, 10] = SURFACE_CEILING;
// Draw the floor
for (x = 0; x < 25; x++)
g_map[x, 0] = SURFACE_STONE;
for (x = 36; x < 51; x++)
g_map[x, 0] = SURFACE_STONE;
// Draw the chasm
for (x = 25; x < 36; x++)
g_map[x, 0] = SURFACE_CHASM;
// Draw the left wall
for (y = 1; y < 10; y++)
g_map[0, y] = SURFACE_WALL;
// Draw the right wall
for (y = 1; y < 10; y++)
g_map[50, y] = SURFACE_WALL;
What we have here is a simple room 50 units wide and 10 units high. We
essentually created it by using surface constants and stored them in a
2d array. To figure out if we encountered anything all we need to do
is find out if the player's next x/y position will step into a chasm
or encounter one of the walls. Since my engine, G3D, actually deals
with a 3d array with an x/y/z position I have a set of trig formulas
to calculate the vector and figure out where the player's next x/y/z
position will be. However, since we are dealing with a simple
side-scroller we probably don't need anything that fancy. We can get
by just by adding or subtracting the player's velocity to or from x
and y. For example, here is some really really simplistic colision
checking. This isn't exactly the best collision detection method, but
it should work for a newbie like your self.
// Get the player's x/y coordinates
float speed = g_player.GetSpeed();
float x1 = g_player.GetX();
float y1 = g_player.GetY();
float x2 = 0;
float y2 = 0;
// If the player is moving left
// subtract the player's sspeed from x1
if (g_player.GetDirection() == -90)
{
x2 = x1 - speed;
y2 = y1 - 1;
}
// If the player is moving right
// add the player's speed to x1
if (g_player.GetDirection() == 90)
{
x2 = x1 + speed;
y2 = y1 - 1;
}
// Get the player's surface
int surface = g_map[(int)x2, (int)y2];
// Find out if the player encountered anything
int encountered = g_map[(int)x2, (int)y1];
// If the player stepped into a chasm kill the player
if (surface == SURFACE_CHASM)
{
KillPlayer();
}
// If the player hit a wall
// stop moving
if (encountered == SURFACE_WALL)
{
HitWall();
}
// Move forward
if (encountered != SURFACE_NOTHING && surface!= SURFACE_CHASM)
{
g_player.SetLocation(x2, y1);
PlayStepSound();
}
What we have here is a very simplistic colision detection system. It
basically tries to determine where the player will be when he/she
takes their next step and figures out if he/she hit a wall, fell into
a chasm, or moved safely to the new location. Does this make sense?
So if I wanted to add ledges etc to this room above all I'd have to do
Is draw them in by adding them to the array wherever I wanted them. I
might draw one in the middle of the chasm to jump/land on so the
player doesn't have to try the suicidal feet of jumping the entire
length of this chasm, or I could add ledges to either side. It really
is not that complex to create a level in this fassion.
HTH
On 12/28/10, Kai <kaixi...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Greetings Thom and Jim.
>
> Thank you for your responses to this subject.
> Thom: I do remember the in-depth discussion you,Kara, and crew were having
> about levels, vectors, and all that mind-boggling stuff. Most of it went
> right over my head however, as I'm horrible with math in all its forms.
> I guess my difficulty is in grasping spatial considerations. for example, in
> the game I'm envisioning, the player travels down a north/south corridor
> nine sectors wide. Assuming he stays in the center at sector 5 and walks
> down the corridor, once he encounters an obstacle (chasm, boulder, wall,
> etc), the obstacle may be at its widest point at that sector (in the example
> involving a chasm, therefore, that'd be where the chasm is widest across).
> In games where all obstacles are the same dimension (like Super Liam),
> there's no problem. But what if I want to make the obstacle taper off or
> have smaller points? (Perhaps a ledge that extends out into the chasm,, for
> instance.) Even in a two-dimensional environment, the implications of such
> calculations slightly baffles me. I understand the principle (make the array
> different at one or more coordinates), it's the actual perception of it in
> my head that throws me for a loop.
> and let us not even talk about adding a Z axis to such a game, wherein jumps
> and scalable obstacles can change the player's vertical position.
>
> Obviously, such a game of this magnitude is by no means going to be my first
> venture, but I would still like to comprehend the idea before I even attempt
> to make a foray into this region.
>
> Kai
---
Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org
If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org.
You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at
http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org.
All messages are archived and can be searched and read at
http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list,
please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
