Scorpion Engine

[griffon]

Originally Posted by Mixel

^ For that last suggestion you could make a debug version of your game's statusbar panel with a load of variables displayed? I sometimes put a few variables off the edge of my statusbar, but have been meaning to expand it into a more comprehensive thing. (very useful for posting actor/block/player x/y coords for lining up behaviour in codeblocks etc)

Sure, that would work. I didn't even try to punch variables in panels yet. I was even wondering if you can insert variables in dialog "speak" boxes, for things like names and the likes. Does SE handle string-type variables at all? I remembered trying it once and getting some kind of error, so I just moved that to the back burner

Originally Posted by Mixel

I thiiink panels are basically their own "screen", with their own palette etc, its not actually rendering the stuff into the same space at all, so transparency couldn't work? (i have vague recollection of asking about transparency too but.. tbh not sure lol)

Oh. If panels are separate screens (like, the way you can separate the amiga display in different screenmodes vertically), then it's not possibile at all. I was hoping they were mere blittered overlays of sort. It would be handy to have both kinds, they have different purposes. Like, an overlay "window" would just be a special type of bob which you can insert text into. and it could have an associated animation on opening/closing. Or one could define 9 'blocks' for the 9 'direction' and make a custom size window with a command. just putting ideas out there.

[UltraNarwhal]

For anyone wondering why they get a 'no path nodes on map error', you have to draw paths in Tiled with the Polygon tool and not close the polygon (right click last node you place).

Future feature request: possible to have a mouse control scheme for games, enabling better controlling point 'n click/shooter/puzzle games.

[Jack Burton]

I started a very simple test project with Scorpion Engine : display a background and move a sprite.

The tile's part seems more or less OK, I could display the background (160x80 pixels). But I have some problems with the sprite (size 16x16). When testing with WinUAE the sprite is duplicated many times around the tiles, and I can't move it (the animation is done on Scorpion Engine though).


It looks like this on WinUAE :



Whereas it should look like this (mockup made with Brilliance) :



My code is extremely minimalist, so it's no wonder it doesn't work. I surely did it the wrong way. I tried to guess how it works taking example with the "supergodownthehole" project provided in the DemoProject directory.

Is there a tutorial which explains the Scorpion Engine basics ?
Any advice on how I can display and move the sprite on this background ?

Another question, is it possible to set the tile's size to 8x8 pixels (instead of 16x16) ?

[UltraNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Jack Burton

I started a very simple test project with Scorpion Engine : display a background and move a sprite.

The tile's part seems more or less OK, I could display the background (160x80 pixels). But I have some problems with the sprite (size 16x16). When testing with WinUAE the sprite is duplicated many times around the tiles, and I can't move it (the animation is done on Scorpion Engine though).


Is there a tutorial which explains the Scorpion Engine basics ?
Any advice on how I can display and move the sprite on this background ?

Another question, is it possible to set the tile's size to 8x8 pixels (instead of 16x16) ?

I've no idea what you've done here, making a level and a moving player shouldn't require any code except to load the level (player actor with platform control/a level map with player object placed/tileset with solid,platform defined).

Tiles are 16x16 only.

Here's an example project showing single line of code.

[domkid]

@Jack Burton, you have to create an actor (player/control platform) with its animations (walk, jump,...) and place it with Tiled (layer objects) by editing the map...
no need code for that.
https://www.youtube.com/user/earok/videos

[griffon]

Originally Posted by UltraNarwhal

For anyone wondering why they get a 'no path nodes on map error', you have to draw paths in Tiled with the Polygon tool and not close the polygon (right click last node you place).

Thanks for pointing that UltraNarwal, do you know how the paths you define in Tiled can be assigned to actors (enemies)? The idea would be to have some specific spawn points for enemies, slightly offscreen, that spawn enemies going from point A to point B. Spawning them is done with a block and some code, but I don't know how to have them follow a path. That'd be also useful for moving platforms...

[earok]

Sorry for the radio silence. Checked in a relatively minor update that nonetheless might be quite useful.

Previously there was a limitation that you could have an actor OR a block on the same tile. You can now have one of each (on different layers of course). Probably the best use for this might be to have special "attribute" blocks that affect actors that spawn on it (for example, when spawning an actor you could check to see if it spawned on a block, and set properties about that actor accordingly).

I haven't decided yet but I'm seriously considering allowing multiple actors to spawn on one tile too (though multiple blocks would never be possible)

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@JackBurton - the default resolution is 256x224, if your map is smaller than that (as you say, it's a 160x80 level) it's going to display junk data outside of the window.

Either of these solutions will work:
- Make your map at least 256x224 in size, OR
- Make the screen narrower in the Project tab and the screen shorter in codeblocks.

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@griffon no support for string type variables yet. If and when I think of how to handle them, I'll put them into Scorpion. I can see how they might be useful for high score tables, translations, being able to set a custom player name etc.

Panels are entirely separate copper lists. UI that overlap the screen can be faked in several ways (the easiest is to use an actor, maybe with the camera lock movement type. Amigo the Fox uses the parallax system to display lives and score on screen like a console game might).

To create a teleport destination, create an "event" in the map tab and give it a teleporter ID.

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@ultranarwall. Let me think about the mouse thing. One problem might be, which port does player 1 use? (since the second port normally has player one's joystick and the first port normally has the mouse). Another one might be is how to handle click events, I could possibly use the existing "attack" event for the left mouse button and a new special event for the right mouse button.

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@mixel recolouring blocks should be doable, let me dwell on that

[UltraNarwhal]

Originally Posted by griffon

Thanks for pointing that UltraNarwal, do you know how the paths you define in Tiled can be assigned to actors (enemies)? The idea would be to have some specific spawn points for enemies, slightly offscreen, that spawn enemies going from point A to point B. Spawning them is done with a block and some code, but I don't know how to have them follow a path. That'd be also useful for moving platforms...

It was recently changed, so a path actor will go towards the nearest path.

[domkid]

Originally Posted by griffon

Thanks for pointing that UltraNarwal, do you know how the paths you define in Tiled can be assigned to actors (enemies)? ...

spawn "actor" on block at "x:y" (on the path) which will be assigned by an event(trigger) or block(collide)...

[acidbottle]

Probs about time to throw a demo out there but ..

Am not entirely sure I understand how exe2adf works within scorpion. Says my output exe is windows during compile and does not create.

Used adf opus which did create an adf but this is non bootable in winuae, perhaps need a system-config file? Runs okay from workbench in amikit tho, or tthrough wb and cli on a real amiga

Have a few bugs, like many. Need to send you my files earok again though my email provider's server has decided to down tools for the past week! Once sorted will send across to look at, 1 level in particular has gone bonkers and wonder if its map size related ...

[UltraNarwhal]

Originally Posted by acidbottle

Am not entirely sure I understand how exe2adf works within scorpion. Says my output exe is windows during compile and does not create.

When clicking exe2adf it'll ask where to find the .exe. Earok now provides that file in the tools directory, so select that and it should ask where to save the .adf.

[acidbottle]

Cheers for that, do now remember it mentioned when earok said he was going to include it!

Works like a charm

[Jack Burton]

Originally Posted by UltraNarwhal

I've no idea what you've done here, making a level and a moving player shouldn't require any code except to load the level (player actor with platform control/a level map with player object placed/tileset with solid,platform defined).

Tiles are 16x16 only.

Here's an example project showing single line of code.

Thank you for your example project. Indeed, I could see that it's possible to move a sprite with almost zero code. That's really interesting.
I made some tests by replacing your sprite (the blue square) with my sprite and it worked (except for the black/grey square around it, I couldn't find a way to use transparent color). [ Show youtube player ]

I think my problem so far lies in the map part. I made a map with Tiled (tiles + layers + sprite placed), but I can't load it into ScorpionEngine (.tmx vs .tsx), so I used the "Generate map from PNG" option instead. And then while I could display my map, the sprite wasn't displayed at all (of course since it wasn't placed on the map after the generated map from PNG)...

Originally Posted by domkid

@Jack Burton, you have to create an actor (player/control platform) with its animations (walk, jump,...)

Yes, at least the actor/animation part was okay for me.

and place it with Tiled (layer objects) by editing the map...

I couldn't figured out how to load the map I edited with Tiled on ScorpionEngine. I think it's my main problem right now.

no need code for that.
https://www.youtube.com/user/earok/videos

Sure ! Thanks for the link.

Originally Posted by earok

@JackBurton - the default resolution is 256x224, if your map is smaller than that (as you say, it's a 160x80 level) it's going to display junk data outside of the window.

Either of these solutions will work:
- Make your map at least 256x224 in size, OR
- Make the screen narrower in the Project tab and the screen shorter in codeblocks.

Thanks for the advice.
Is there any chance that ScorpionEngine could use 8x8 tiles in the future or do you plan to limit the size to 16x16 ?

[Mixel]

Originally Posted by Jack Burton

I made some tests by replacing your sprite (the blue square) with my sprite and it worked (except for the black/grey square around it, I couldn't find a way to use transparent color).

You save the graphics out as pngs with transparency in whatever app you’re drawing in.. Scorpion does the rest.

I think my problem so far lies in the map part. I made a map with Tiled (tiles + layers + sprite placed), but I can't load it into ScorpionEngine (.tmx vs .tsx), so I used the "Generate map from PNG" option instead. And then while I could display my map, the sprite wasn't displayed at all (of course since it wasn't placed on the map after the generated map from PNG)...

.tmx is the map file .tsx is the tileset.. if you save the map to somewhere like a “levels” folder inside your project scorpion should see them fine?

When you “create new map” from within scorpion and tell it to save from the maps folder, that’s the simplest way?

Is there any chance that ScorpionEngine could use 8x8 tiles in the future or do you plan to limit the size to 16x16 ?

Idk if he’ll ever add it, but you can do a lot of 8px tile-like stuff with filled quarters and clever use of slopes.

[earok]

@JackBurton Tiled Maps need to be made from Scorpion in order to have all of the layers, tilesets set correctly etc (it's particularly important to do it that way so that the actors and blocks tilesets are automatically configured and linked to the ones that Scorpion generates every time you add new actors or blocks).

8x8 tiles aren't planned (partly because of complications with using the Amiga blitter for anything other than multiples of 16), but as Mixel pointed out, clever use of slopes and such can be used as a substitute, at least on platform games.

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I soft launched 2022.1 to the official repo (decided to drop 2021 final since it's well into 2022 already). I haven't been able to get into EAB for a day or so, so I wasn't able to announce that until now. Only real change since last time was a hotfix to a bug with bounce collisions on actors moving downwards.

I tend to do videos to announce major version numbers, what I might do this time is just do a brief video intro of all of the demos as they currently are, which will make it easier to update for future versions (having said that, not all of the new features like orbiting and palette swaps have demos, so I may need to do a quick demo for each of those).

[earok]

Forgot to build and check in that bounce fix, whoops. Done now

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I'm going to try to start doing Scorpion Engine streams when I'm working on demos and my own games and such. It's going to be adhoc and probably quite amateurish, at least to start with, but feel free to follow me at https://www.twitch.tv/earok/ if you were interested in watching or chatting.

[skyzoo73]

Originally Posted by earok

Forgot to build and check in that bounce fix, whoops. Done now

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I'm going to try to start doing Scorpion Engine streams when I'm working on demos and my own games and such. It's going to be adhoc and probably quite amateurish, at least to start with, but feel free to follow me at https://www.twitch.tv/earok/ if you were interested in watching or chatting.

very interesting, I will follow your streams for sure! It will be an opportunity to understand something more about the SE!

[earok]

Thanks for the follow!

Went on my first stream, Neeso helped me with the balance of audio and voice, as well as advice and feedback. I worked on an update for Super Go Down The Hole, the "pushable elephant" was always a bit messy but I reworked it completely and now I'm much happier with it (checked in).

Unfortunately I discovered that my home internet connection is useless for streaming (it surprised me a little bit because I don't normally have problems with screen share on Zoom etc), but my mobile connection was much better. I have no idea how much data I burned up so I'll need to work out how long I can realistically stream on mobile data, at least until I get home fiber sorted out.

[acidbottle]

Awesome to see an earok twitch channel, will follow for sure

[Mixel]

Originally Posted by earok

Unfortunately I discovered that my home internet connection is useless for streaming (it surprised me a little bit because I don't normally have problems with screen share on Zoom etc), but my mobile connection was much better. I have no idea how much data I burned up so I'll need to work out how long I can realistically stream on mobile data, at least until I get home fiber sorted out.

Ahh I missed this one! Exciting though, Good luck getting the bandwidth sorted.. before fibre I had to stream 720p with a janky bitrate to ensure a stable connection. :/ However amateur you think the stream is it’s no doubt both inspirational and useful.

The push fixes sound nice too, btw!