How do I Create A Random Timer?

What I'm looking to do is have a timer that counts down to zero every time a level begins, but I want the starting number to vary each time the level is played. Is there an example of this somewhere?

Here you go.

Create a global variable "Random Timer"

Create 3 separate Events

Condition: On Layout start

Action: Set variable Random Timer to "round(random(a,b))" where A is your min number and B is your max number. This will select a number between the two.

Condition: Every 1 Second

Action: Subtract 1 from Random Timer

Condition: Variable Random Timer <= 0

Action: Do what you want here..

Edit: Added Round Expression. Thank you for pointing that out RamPackWobble

Badmiracle - If you change your last event from Variable Random Timer = 0 to Variable Random Timer <= 0 then it should work .

As you have it the timer will be a floating number and might never = 0 (it might be 0.4 then -0.6 for example)

or you could round the random to the nearest whole number.

There are other ways to do this.

no problem.

here is another method.

https://goo.gl/5z52Ix

Badmiracle

Instead of

Condition: Every 1 Second

Action: Subtract 1 from Random Timer

Use

Condition: Every tick

Action: Subtract dt from Random Timer

to be more accurate.

For the random number it is better to use "floor(random(b+1))" (or "choose" function if you don't have many numbers to choose from) instead of "round(random(a,b))".

round(random(a,b)) does not generate numbers equally, border numbers (a and b) have 50% less chances to be generated than the numbers between "a" and "b".

EDIT: it should actually be "floor(random(b-a+1)) + a" if you want a range between f.ex. 5 and 10. What I've mentioned before is for ranges starting from 0, like 0 to 10.