Creating games with Backbone - Step by Step for beginners!

[hipoonios]

It was as I thought then. Too bad, because it would nice to have an image of your current weapon in the panel.

[hipoonios]

I have managed to fix most of the serious bugs. So the game is pretty much finished now. But I'll wait to release it to next Saturday. Maybe I can find a way to improve the game even more

[clenched]

Originally Posted by hipoonios

However, My version will be quite different

With your vast longplay experience, I will be interested to see what you've come up with.

[Lemming880]

Originally Posted by hipoonios

........
I don't know what happen. But now all of sudden conditions have stopped working for me. I hope to find a solution soon.

But that is only one of the bugs I have encountered

Hi hipoonios. I hope you already fixed the bug but here's what I found. Not sure if this is/was your problem but in 'Amount', when you go back one step from 2 it will be 1, two steps back from 2 will be 0 (but still shows 1) so no conditions are set. Took me quite a while to figure this one out.

Good luck with the game.

[hipoonios]

Hi Lemmy880, nice to see you have registered here. So we can exchange experiences creating games with Backbone. I guess you saw my post on YouTube Hows Boxx 2 going btw?

Thanks for the help. But that bug you are talking about is not the same i have. In my case, conditions does not work on some objects for some reason. I have heard that Backbone can fuck up the script. If that happens, the only way to fix it is going back to an earlier backup. So better backup often!

In my game there is a boss at the end of each level. You can pass most of them and go directly to the exit without killing them. Even if a condition is set for that object. But it works on some of them. Haven't tested yet, but guess i could try re-add them in a game in so they get a new object number. Delete them and add them again with the same object number does not work.

[hipoonios]

Originally Posted by clenched

With your vast longplay experience, I will be interested to see what you've come up with.

HaHa, Don't expect too much! It's a Backbone game, done in less than 3 weeks

[empardopo]

Originally Posted by hipoonios

HaHa, Don't expect too much! It's a Backbone game, done in less than 3 weeks

I'm sorry for my stupid question but what is Backbone?

[Lemming880]

Originally Posted by hipoonios

Hi Lemmy880, nice to see you have registered here. So we can exchange experiences creating games with Backbone. I guess you saw my post on YouTube Hows Boxx 2 going btw?

Thanks for the help. But that bug you are talking about is not the same i have. In my case, conditions does not work on some objects for some reason. I have heard that Backbone can fuck up the script. If that happens, the only way to fix it is going back to an earlier backup. So better backup often!

In my game there is a boss at the end of each level. You can pass most of them and go directly to the exit without killing them. Even if a condition is set for that object. But it works on some of them. Haven't tested yet, but guess i could try re-add them in a game in so they get a new object number. Delete them and add them again with the same object number does not work.

Yup I saw your yt post, cheers. Boxx 2 is going well. It will have 2x more blocks and sprites. The level structure will be the same as Boxx: 5 levels (4 normal levels and 1 boss level). The levels will be twice as long and more packed and it will have a mini boss at the end of each level. I've finished 3 levels so far so 1 normal level and 1 boss level to go. Takes alot more time then I expected though. (And playing around with my new A1200 doesnt help much either). I hope to release it in 2014!

Not sure but I think my script is screwed too. I made a turret object with Weapon Shot Type: Any Direction. I had it working for once, shooting small balls in 5 directions. Now it shoots my game character (the green guy) as projectiles lol. Even though that sprite is in a different object file. There is no logic to this. But it has something to do with 'All Directions' because when I set it to 'Left and Right only' it works fine. I made enough backups but I can't seem to fix this one. Ah well, theres plenty other stuff in the game.

I remember having the same problem with the mini bosses not being recorded as killed but I would have to test it again. But in my case I let the mini bosses drop a key and set a condition for collecting the key instead of killing the boss and it works flawless.

Originally Posted by empardopo

I'm sorry for my stupid question but what is Backbone?

A program to create games. Check the first post in this thread.

[hipoonios]

Originally Posted by Lemming880

Not sure but I think my script is screwed too. I made a turret object with Weapon Shot Type: Any Direction. I had it working for once, shooting small balls in 3 directions. Now it shoots my game character (the green guy) as projectiles lol. Even though that sprite is in a different object file. There is no logic to this.

OMG! I have encountered that bug too!! It's so annoying! But good to hear that i'm not alone with this problem. I could not find a way to fix it. So had to go back to a previous backup. But the bug will come back if i edit frames for the weapon object. ARRR!! Damn Backbone!!!

Maybe try delete the weapon object and add it again in another object number will fix it?

When i started my project, i could not get "panels" to work. So what i did was open Reality (one of the demo games that comes with Backbone) and deleted all objects and levels etc. And used that for a start.

Now i'm not sure if that was a good idea. Maybe it has to do with some of the bugs I have.

[nobody]

You have to set the frames again for all directions, try it maybe will fix your problem.

[amiman99]

Originally Posted by Lemming880

Not sure but I think my script is screwed too. I made a turret object with Weapon Shot Type: Any Direction. I had it working for once, shooting small balls in 3 directions. Now it shoots my game character (the green guy) as projectiles lol. Even though that sprite is in a different object file. There is no logic to this.

I have the same problem, I could not fix it. I noticed tha it's using the last frame of the player sprite, so to work around it I added "bullet" frame as a last sprite in player sprite set. Now it shoots that sprite.
I still have problem not registering some values when I save.

I'm kinda got tired of these bugs, sometimes I spend more time fixing the bugs then actually working on the game.

[Lemming880]

Originally Posted by nobody

You have to set the frames again for all directions, try it maybe

will fix your problem.

Thanks I checked that but didn't help but amiman99 helped out.

Originally Posted by hipoonios

When i started my project, i could not get "panels" to work. So

what i did was open Reality (one of the demo games that comes with Backbone) and deleted

all objects and levels etc. And used that for a start.

Now i'm not sure if that was a good idea. Maybe it has to do with some of the bugs I

have.

Not sure if using the demo game's project causes bugs. So far we have the same bugs.

Couldn't you get panel to work in both text and picture type or only picture type? In my case I wanted a picture type panel above the screen but it doesnt seem possible. And it's not Backbone's fault. I fail to save a picture in a small resolution like 256x40. I figured out you can make a brush in DPaint and save it as .iff but Backbone wont read the file. Now I've placed the panel below screen and used a 320x256 picture with on top the panel banner and the rest is background color so you dont see it.

Originally Posted by amiman99

I have the same problem, I could not fix it. I noticed tha it's using the last frame of the player sprite, so to work around it I added "bullet" frame as a last sprite in player sprite set. Now it shoots that sprite.
I still have problem not registering some values when I save.

I'm kinda got tired of these bugs, sometimes I spend more time fixing the bugs then actually working on the game.

Brilliant, that did the trick. And I was so close to figure out it was the last frame of the player object but didn't think of that workaround. Cheers a bunch.

Another bug I have now is that two of my object numbers are corrupt and scream 'Illegal gadget value' when I open them. I can just add new objects though.

Bugbone!

[hipoonios]

Originally Posted by amiman99

I noticed tha it's using the last frame of the player sprite, so to work around it I added "bullet" frame as a last sprite in player sprite set.

Clever! Will try it, thanks!

Originally Posted by amiman99

I'm kinda got tired of these bugs, sometimes I spend more time fixing the bugs then actually working on the game.

I would say, 10 times longer time because of the bugs. At least for me.

I had to redo an entire level because of a bug. The game just interrupt in one particular spot (middle in a level). There was no condition set that the level should end there. I tried all kind of things i could think of. But could never fix it. So had to delete the level and start over again. 5 extra hours work for just that...

[hipoonios]

Originally Posted by Lemming880

Not sure if using the demo game's project causes bugs. So far we have the same bugs.

You are right. We have the same problems. So it doesn't matter if i used the demo project as a start i guess.

Originally Posted by Lemming880

Couldn't you get panel to work in both text and picture type or only picture type?

Forgot to say that. It's the picture based panel that I could not get to work. I can see it for a second but then the game just interrupts with no error message. I'm sure there is no problem with my image, because it works with the Reality demo game. I have also checked the size, color palette and stuff of course.

[nobody]

One question to more advanced users than me. I know already that if you set a smaller play area like 256*176 is faster. What about tile size which is faster 16*16 or 32*32? Also if you make a map of a cave in example and dont use tiles in some areas (leave it black) does it make the game faster? I also noticed that if you use more than 8 objects 16*16 (sprites) in a screen the game slows down considerably. And what is optimal scrolling settings?

[hipoonios]

I haven't made any real speed tests yet. But loaded up Lemming880's "Boxx" and recorded a short video and checked how often the screen updates. It's update every second frame. So it runs in 25 fps. No matter how fast your Amiga is.

My game has a resolution of 320x176 (320x240 with panel). It has a lot more objects than Lemming880's game. And guess what... it runs in 12.5 fps! ... Backbone is a joke

Changing between Chunky and Slide scrolling in screen setup doesn't makes no difference either.

I see now why no one else has made a shoot'em'up game with Backbone before.

[nobody]

I made some prototypes of games before with backbone and the only one that is playable is using static screen, bubble bobble like with 5-6 objects in every stage, roaming enemies and some collectables (no weapons).
Obviously has some crap Amos programming because even Amos can do good scrolling on a500.

[s2325]

SuperTed - The Search for Spot [ Show youtube player ]

[mjnurney]

hi all,

first attempt at backbone here :-)

now a couple of questions if anyone can help...

when i set the conditions to end at a posititon on the screen a stop watch icon appears over the curser is this correct ?

i can sometimes click out of the level editor but if i try to create the game i get an error

error in game contact the programmer ....

:-(

mike

[hipoonios]

Originally Posted by mjnurney

first attempt at backbone here :-)

Cool! I hope you have a lot of patience, because you will need that

Originally Posted by mjnurney

when i set the conditions to end at a posititon on the screen a stop watch icon appears over the curser is this correct ?

This is normal. You also must click "Set Area to Get To" now you can set the end area. Very confusing. Took some time for me to figure out

Originally Posted by mjnurney

if i try to create the game i get an error

error in game contact the programmer ....

I have got this error a few times. For me it has worked with a reboot.

Good luck with your game! I'm looking forward to see it!