GeometriX's Forum Posts

  • I'm keen. I can contribute coding and a bit of art (UI stuff and 3D stuff), but there are better coders and artists here than me. So I'll instead offer what I'm sure is a unique contribution: writing and editing. My full-time position is that of magazine editor, and I've got six years of writing experience. If you need someone to weave some magical (and grammatically correct) prose, then I'm your guy.

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  • Oooh. I don't think it's possible for a site to know what other tabs you have open. That'd be a hell of a security issue.

  • I use AJAX in one of my current projects, and it works completely fine in a game compiled through CJS and deployed to Google Play. It's in beta currently, so not public, but I've tested it with 20+ users on multiple networks and devices and it's been solid.

    It's likely then that your issue is either in your events or server-side. What is the exact problem that you're having?

  • There's a sample file that comes with Construct. Search for "save" in the templates list that pops up when you create a new project.

  • You practically answered your own question already. Use the expression Browser.URL. For example, Text object -> Set Text : Browser.URL

  • Either use the save state system actions or WebStorage (local) to store data persistently.

  • Yes.

  • That's very cool russpuppy! What sort of process are you using to store and play the levels that are built with the editor?

  • I forgot what they are called, but someone was showing me in Unity they have functions that trigger across ticks. So, you could say on function X, make the sprite slowly change opacity over Y seconds. This would save a whole heap of time for me!

    This might not be exactly what you're after, but you can do this by delaying actions in a loop with a wait -> loopindex*whatever action.

  • You can get it to work in preview if you change the package-preview.json file as well.

    Eh, I think it is very easy to edit a text file, but I do agree that a couple of toggles and/or options in the NW object would certainly make it easier and more accessible. Ashley, would this be possible? Support in this form for kiosk mode (forced fullscreen) would also be pretty neat.

  • It's very easy to make a frameless window in NW. Add the line "frame": false, to the C2\exporters\html5\node-webkit\package.json file, under the "window": { section. Apparently it's suggested that you also add "toolbar": false, but I haven't tested that.

    More info here.

  • I imagine modularity working in much the same way as Unreal's Blueprints. Ie: create a standalone object or collection of objects that can be dropped into any project, with all its own inputs and outputs, that can be used by other blueprints or the project as a whole. Ideally, these modules would be isolated from the main project to avoid event sheet bloat, in much the same way as a PSB Smart Object can be implanted into a Photoshop document and edited separately without getting in the way of the main document.

    This would massively improve the way that C2 is used, and would go very well with the new asset store.

  • It's not impossible to spread a game across multiple engines, but the effort required to do so could be far better spent on improving gameplay. And, besides, learning how to do what you want to do in multiple engines/frameworks is quite an investment of time.

    You can make any type of 2D game in Construct, although I stand by statements I've made previously that the likes of Adventure Game Studio or Visionaire Studio are better suited for point-and-click games. With that said, if you're going to make a hybrid game, then I'd definitely suggest that you stick with Construct. Puzzle elements are easy in Visionaire, but I can't imagine the pain involved in trying to beat the engine into a platformer game.

    A word of advice on how to go about doing all of this: once you've got your gameplay overview plotted out, make the platforming stuff first, then the puzzle bits, then the point-and-click bits. You'll learn a lot of useful skills and an understanding of C2 while putting together a platformer that can be transferred to any other game types.

  • There's a plugin that allows you to use the Android back buttonin CJS, called CocoonJS Android Back Button.

    Then, for your purpose, I think it'd be best to have an event in your game screen that accepts the input but does nothing with it. Then in your main menu, you could create your own popup message that exits the game with the Browser -> close action.

  • There are plenty of non-linear 2D platformers, quite like what you've described - the most well-known series are Castlevania and Metroid, which gave rise to the "Metroidvania" genre.

    Open world is a pretty arbitrary description for most games, but I think the important thing is to create a world that the player wants to explore - one that's worth exploring in terms of gameplay and risk/reward.

    Here are some ideas you can toss around in your head, see if they fit into your game idea:

    • Hub-and-spoke map design, or quest hubs. Essentially central points throughout the game to which the player must return. The gameplay could revolve around moving from one hub to the next by completing certain spoke quests (and often getting specific items), and optional spokes provide more gameplay, back-story or special items.
    • Indoors and outdoors. Create "depth" in the game world (not just height, although that's also important) by allowing players to enter interiors. These could be shops, NPC homes, secret areas or even new combat areas.
    • Smart loading. We don't have the ability to stream data in and out of memory with C2, so I'd suggest breaking up your game areas into manageable chunks. I know this contravenes the classic idea of "open world", but a short loading screen, as long as it's not too frequently encountered, is not a deal-breaker for most reasonable people.
    • Side-quests. Use these to give the player a reason to explore an area that they wouldn't normally bother with, or to go in search of secrets. This really encourages players to engage with your lovingly-crafted world far more than to simply get to the end and move on.
    • "Key items". Literally, items that act as keys. This is one of the crucial elements of Metroidvania games, and can be seen in many modern titles. Take for example a grappling hook, parachute or jet pack that lets you get to an area that would otherwise be impassable. You can use these to encourage players to return to old areas, which, when combined with the above, could really help to flesh out your world.