rcosgrove's Forum Posts

  • Thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear it's of use to people.

    rcosgrove

    There's already a PDF available for download

    The official Construct 2 manual is definitely only available in HTML. I spent a long while looking for an alternative version.

    While having a HTML manual makes updating it easier, I just found the HTML version more awkward to use compared to a PDF.

    • Richard

  • <div class="post-censorship-notice">rcosgrove can only post plain text URLS until they have 500 rep. 2 URLS modified. Why?</div>

    rcosgrove can only post plain text URLS until they have 500 rep. 2 URLS modified. Why?

    Captain: I've installed the Guest Additions on my XP's virtual machine. It's working without any hitch.

    I've also managed to get Virtualbox to use my Windows 8.1 Bootcamp partition as the basis of a virtual machine. The downside are that the setup isn't straightforward, unlike with Parallels, and that running Win8 in a VM slows Mac OS X down a lot.

    The instructions for setting up Bootcamp in Virtualbox are here: bit.ly/1mxsVWl

    You also have to install Guest Additions manually (instructions: bit.ly/1mxtks4), although it does have some issues under Win8 too.

    EDIT: Win8 doesn't exactly race along as a VM either.

  • Hello,

    I've added audio to a shooter I spun off from the make-a-shooter tutorial game.

    The aim of the game is to kill all the ghosts, grab the red keycard, and get to the exit: the yellow and black area.

    The problem I'm faced with is the "game over" sound. When you enter the exit after killing the ghosts the background music should stop and "Game Over" play. If you try it out, you can hear it's stuttering and distorted.

    However, if the same alert is played when the player dies "game over" plays properly.

    Both events use the similar routines. The only differences are the Player sprite is destroyed when he's killed, and the music stops playing when the player successfully reaches the exit panel.

    I've tried disabling the "stop music" event, reordering the events' orders, adding "Player destroy" to the gameover event structure the "gameover" sub-routine, and re-imported the gameover sound effect. So far nothing has helped.

    I've set up the game to make testing this easier: using the cursor keys to move head up to the yellow area to end the game successfully. To commit suicide run into 5 ghosts.

    Can anyone offer any assistance with this? The game's Capx file is below.

    Thanks.

    • Richard

    Ghost Hunt v5 Capx

  • Hi,

    I've just started learning how to use Construct 2. As I wanted to refer to the manual while keeping Construct on screen, I turned the HTML manual into a PDF so I can read it on my iPad.

    If anyone would like a copy of the PDFed manual, it's in my public Dropbox folder. The download link is below.

    This PDF is created straight from the original HTML manual. It has bookmarks based on the manual's header structure for easier navigation.

    bit.ly/Construct-2-Manual-PDF Construct 2 Manual PDF

    • Richard

    EDIT: Please keep in mind that the HTML manual will likely be kept up-to-date. I'll only be updating the PDF when I know the HTML manual has changed and when I find the time.

  • I've managed to (just about) work out how to get the ghosts doing what I want.

    I'm sticking a pin in the game now, as I want to move onto other things (like figuring out how to use Construct properly), but I've put the game up on the Arcade because someone I know is interested in what Construct can do.

    Thanks for the help.

    scirra.com/arcade/shooter/12439/ghost-hunt

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  • Thanks. Sorry to trouble you with it.

  • Link to .capx file (required! If link is blocked remove the http and www parts):

    dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5328690/ghost%20shooter%20v3%20-%20bug.capx

    Steps to reproduce:

    1. Run test game.

    Observed result:

    I received this error in Chrome:

    dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5328690/ghost%20shooter%20v3%20-%20bug%20-%20error.png

    And this error under Firefox:

    dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5328690/ghost%20shooter%20v3%20-%20bug%20-%20error%20Firefox.png

    As the error said it was a bug and to report it, I'm reporting it. No plug-ins are installed.

    Expected result:

    Test-run of the game. The monsters should patrol the layout randomly.

    Browsers affected:

    Chrome: yes

    Firefox: Yes

    Internet Explorer: Unknown

    Operating system & service pack:

    Windows XP SP3

    Construct 2 version:

    r161 (32-bit)

  • TiAm: Thanks for the advice. I'll look into moving the LOS command into the player. The behaviour I wanted to create was this:

    1. On start monsters patrol the layout in a random pattern.

    I did this by having the monsters face a random angle, and ricochet off layout edges in a different direction.

    2. When shot, monsters chase player.

    For this I set up an instance variable boolean on the monster which turns true when a bullet hits it. This causes the monster to change angle to face the player, and increase speed.

    These are the behaviour rules I'm having problems with.

    Bonesey: Thank you for your "for each" loop. It's very close to the behaviour I wanted to create, and it'll be very useful later. But I was trying to enable the player to approach monsters without being seen. The reason for these is I was aiming to make the monsters to move faster than the player when they spot him and are shot, to encourage "sneak-up-and-shoot-em-up" gameplay.

    3. When player crosses a LOS arc in front of monster, monster "sees" player and chases him.

    By "LOS" I mean an area in front of the monster: not necessarily the LOS function itself.

    4. When player moves out of the LOS arc, monster stops chases returns to normal behaviour. (Allows player to evade.)

    5. When player approaches monster from behind, monster ignores player.

    • Richard

  • Hi,

    After doing the platform and shooter tutorials, I've been trying to customise the shooter game with some additional features.

    I've got almost everything working properly (if not elegantly): doors open when the player collides, apart from the red door which requires a key; the red key and medkit spawns at random positions, but not in walls, doors and the player; ghosts chase the player when shot and pass through walls.

    But I wanted the ghosts to wander the layout, chase the player when they see him, and speed up when they're shot. The ghosts have LOS, but they don't react to the player when it passes within their line-of-sight. (LOS is set in events 1 and 11.)

    Can anyone suggest where I'm going wrong? The CAPX file is downloadable below.

    I have checked the forums and tutorials for advice on this, but the only guides I could find were for platform games, and didn't do what I intended.

    BTW Events 2 and 4 were my attempts at making the keycard and medkit spawn in random spots, but not walls, doors or the player. I've disabled them for now, while I try and think of more elegant way of doing it? that actually works.

    My next jobs for this game are to add more layouts, a start screen, and sound.

    Thanks.

    • RIchard

    dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5328690/Construct/ghost%20shooter%20v1.capx

  • Hi,

    I've started using Construct 2 to learn more about the game development process.

    I'm a copy editor by trade, and love writing fiction (screenplays mainly). I've been intrigued by changing careers into game development for a while, but didn't know where even to begin.

    I've begun to learn coding � HTML/CSS and Javascript for now ��and I'm trying to re-learn high school maths to help with the process.

    Right now, I'm making my way through the Construct 2 tutorials, getting my head around the logic of game design, while coming up with concepts for my own games.

    • Richard

  • Thanks Nimos, that was a help.

    Your suggestion didn't do what I needed: "Level 2 reached" means you've got to level 2 in the game - not the second platform. The game is only meant to display that text when you score 25 and are on the top platform (Flooring.floor 3).

    So I added this at step 13, after set prevFloor to Flooring.Floor.

    13 System? Score < 25? ResultText Set text to ""

          System? prevFloor < 3

    This clears the ResultText status update clear, until you get to 25 points and reach the top level.

    I wouldn't have thought to try that without your input: thank you.

    Now I just have to work out how to stop the score resetting to 0 when Tim leaps out of the top of the layout. For now I've put in an invisible wall along the top of the layout, to prevent him leaping too high.

    • Richard

    dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5328690/Construct/platform%20tutorial%202.capx

  • Hi,

    I've started trying out Construct to get a better understanding of what game design involves, as I'm a complete beginner to designing videogames but interested in the subject.

    I have completed the Shooter tutorial and the first part of the "Building a platform game - a beginner's guide" today.

    While I managed to get the platform tutorial working, I've become unstuck making the ResultText field show "Level 2 reached" at the correct time. (See page 6 of the tutorial).

    When the game starts the ResultText field says "Text".

    When Tim leaps onto platform 1 and scores 1 point, the ResultText changes to "Level 2 Reached".

    The "Game Over" ResultText appears at the correct point: when Tim has 0 health.

    The system I've put in is:

    15 Player? Platform on Landed

    16     System? Score => 25, Floor = 3? ResultText set text to "Level 2 reached"

    17 System? Health = 0

            ResultText set text to "Game Over"

            System wait 3 seconds

            System set Health to 3

            ResultText set text to ""

    Can anyone point me in the right direction for a fix? I've tried shuffling events about and quadruple-checked the variables and conditions are correct.

    My game's CAPX file is available on Dropbox.

    Thanks.

    • Richard

    dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5328690/Construct/platform%20tutorial%201.capx

  • Firstly, the windows version appears unlicensed when I open it with virtualbox.

    That'll always happen when you run Windows 8 in any VM if you've already used its product key.

    A Win8 product key is only valid for registering one Windows on one computer. Win7 and Win8 create hashcodes based on your hardware configuration to associate that product key with that specific PC.

    Major changes in a PC's hardware ? such as a boot drive, CPU, motherboard or graphics cards being upgraded - can cause the hashcode to change, making Windows think the product key is being used in two PCs.

    A similar thing occurs when running Bootcamp-Windows in a VM. When you boot up the VM Windows detects a major "hardware" change, and asks for a new product key.

    You can purchase new product keys from Microsoft, but they cost as much as Windows does. You could also try asking for a new product key by telling them you've upgraded your motherboard and CPU and need to reinstall Windows and the product key is no longer working, or you've simply lost it. Microsoft will ask for some kind of proof of purchase though. I don't know if this could get you two valid product keys - but I doubt it.

    There was a register hack with Win7 that could workaround this issue, and there is one for certain versions of Win8. I haven't tried it. If you want to try this, Google will take you where you need to go.

    I haven't installed XP using Bootcamp, as Mavericks only allows you to install Windows 7 or later. I do have Win8 installed using Bootcamp, and run it as a VM through Parallels. But I've been unable to get Virtualbox to use my Bootcamped Windows for a VM: I just don't have the IT and coding skills needed to follow the how-to guides.

    And with XP I don't have to deal with product key issues, I can use Construct on my Mac OS 10.9 desktop, plus XP is faster than Win8: Virtualbox boots to XP in under 5 seconds.

    I haven't encountered any problems with running Construct under XP (32-bit, service pack 3, Apple Bootcamp drivers).

    he display adapter appears differently on the virtualbox (it uses its own), while on the bootcamp version the correct display adapter is used (from intel in my case).

    It's vice-versa for me: Virtualbox/XP uses Bootcamp drivers from Apple, but Parallels/Bootcamp-Win8 uses Parallels' drivers, which causes Construct 2 to crash. It runs OK if I boot directly to Win8.

    @AbidSyedK: Virtualbox is free, but I've found Parallels to be (comparatively) more user-friendly.

    That doesn't mean Parallels is easy to use, but as it's aimed at domestic users, not IT managers, it's probably as easy as creating a virtual machine gets.

    If you use Virtualbox you should also install the relevant Expansion Pack and Guest Addition CD image to get all of its functions working.

    EDIT: I edited this post to make my description of the Windows Product Key issue clearer.

  • I've been having the same problems with running Construct under Parallels 9 (Windows 8.1, Mac OS 10.9.1).

    I tried to set up Virtualbox to use my Bootcamp partition, using this how to, but couldn't get it to work. (I'm not allowed to post a link to the how to.)

    I've ended creating a Windows XP virtual machine with VB, which seems to run Construct without a hitch. Fortunately, I still have XP-compliant Bootcamp drivers stored away for it.

    • Richard

  • I think I have discovered the problem.

    When I attempt to run Construct 2 within a virtual machine within Mac OS 10.9, using Parallels and my Boot Camp installation, the crash occurred.

    When I ran Construct 2 after booting directly to Windows 8, the crashes didn't happen.

    Apologies for reporting a non-bug.

    • Richard