Messages

1

Working with the Ultimate Platformer Engine / Re: UPE - Recommendations for Newcomers

« on: October 22, 2020, 10:29:02 PM »

@warrior
Thanks for asking! I'm afraid I haven't been able to make any progress on the game since Gamemaker Studio updated to version 2.3 - it's a major upgrade that offers a lot of new features, but unfortunately it seems to have broken the game. I've tried rolling it back to the old version but now it won't build the project at all.
I'm sure there's a way to get it up and running again, and I'll let you all know when that happens. Until then I might start from scratch on something else or just try remaking it.

For anyone who is planning on downloading Gamemaker Studio, I still definitely recommend it, but you might want to check with TingThing to see if the UPE will run in GMS2.3 (I didn't want to bother him since I have already changed so much of the original code it would be difficult to troubleshoot).

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Working with the Ultimate Platformer Engine / UPE - Recommendations for Newcomers

« on: April 02, 2020, 12:09:30 AM »

Hi there, long time no talk!

Due to the quarantine, I've finally had more time to work on my game again, and am having a ton of fun. I know that most users here are familiar with the Platform Builder program (which I have not used before) and not so much the Ultimate Platformer Engine. I wanted to give some brief advice (as well as say hi, since it's been so long since I last checked in here!).

1. If you are interested in using the UPE, I would recommend downloading Gamemaker Studio 2 asap. You can get it for FREE, although there are some limitations on things like exporting games and number of rooms. None of those should be an issue if you're first starting out - the goal is to get familiar with the program and make at least one extremely simple game you can practice and learn from.
https://www.yoyogames.com/get
EDIT - looks like it might be only available for a 30 day trial now (might let you keep using it after but I can't guarantee it). I would still recommend it, but make sure you have time to really dive in - it took me weeks before I was comfortable using it.

2. You can use "drag and drop" or "gamemaker language" for your project. Drag and drop is simpler, but I prefer gamemaker language (GML) - it seems more complex at first, but it offers much more control and there are many more tutorials out there. It is similar enough to other programming languages, like C++, that you can use tutorials/advice from people who don't even use this particular program and make it work for you.

3. If (this) then {this}; is your new best friend. These types of statements are essential to programming in any language. You can plan it out with flow charts on a piece of paper. It is not always the most efficient way to code, but it works and it's easy enough to understand, so I use it all the time. Most of us here are making games for fun, so keep it fun and don't worry about being professional right away. If it works it works!

4. A "create" event happens once when the object is created. A "step" event happens over and over again (UPE runs at 30 frames per second). Think about what you need to check for every time the game updates (like a pressed button), and what you can do just once (like setting the name of a character). There are other categories, but these are the most important.
 
4. Before downloading the UPE, you should mess around with Gamemaker. A lot. It will seem overwhelming at first, especially if you are completely new to programming like me, but I promise you can figure it out if you're persistent! There are pre-made games you can experiment with that are included with the download. However, I would HIGHLY recommend starting one from scratch and using Shaun Spaulding's Platformer tutorials on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPRT_JORnIupqWsjRpJZjG07N01Wsw_GJ

5. When you do decide to get the UPE, it will be absolutely overwhelming all over again! This is because it has pretty much everything you could ever need in a platformer game and more. However, TingThing does a fantastic job explaining what each section of code is doing through the comments. Personally, I had been using GMS2 for about a year before I downloaded the UPE, and I absolutely love the physics of this engine - I have never been able to get something so Mario-esque working on my own!

5. The UPE will take a seriously long time to download - you will think it is frozen, but it isn't, just hang in there and wait even if it takes 40+ minutes. It's worth it.

6. You will inevitably have questions, things you're confused on, etc. TingThing is the master, but I will help if I can - I'm no expert but I've been using the Gamemaker for almost three years now and the UPE for about one year, and I would love to help! Feel free to post here and/or message me any time.

3

Introductions / Re: Hi I'm Eschirm.

« on: June 26, 2019, 03:35:16 AM »

Thanks Mechasaur - I'm sure we will. 

And that is funny CGM. Honestly though I'm no real programmer, just figuring stuff out mostly through trial and error in Gamemaker Studio (it's kinda programming, but much more easily accessible for newcomers). I am pretty much in way over my head with most of the code TingThing has written, but he's been helping me with everything and I'm understanding more every day. I can try to help out too if any of you guys end up using UPE - it's a lot of fun!

4

Introductions / Re: Hi I'm Eschirm.

« on: June 16, 2019, 12:04:10 AM »

Thanks Antikore and Alley! I've been less active lately due to work, but appreciate the welcoming community.

And no, I don't know any Esan and Sain, sorry. I am a girl though - still a bit rare in the programming world, but we definitely exist!

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Introductions / Re: Hi I'm Eschirm.

« on: June 08, 2019, 11:51:46 PM »

Glad to be here! Thanks for making such an amazing project.

I'm using the Ultimate Platformer Engine. This is the first time I've downloaded anything off the Yoyogames marketplace since I started messing around with Gamemaker a year or two ago. I'm both overjoyed and overwhelmed with all the coding you've done, and having a great time digging in to see how it all works!

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Introductions / Re: Hi I'm Eschirm.

« on: June 08, 2019, 09:44:09 PM »

I've actually never played Mario Odyssey! I didn't realize it had that sort of mechanic, but I just watched the trailer - that looks awesome! Now I'm gonna have to play it. 

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Introductions / Re: Hi I'm Eschirm.

« on: June 08, 2019, 08:59:45 PM »

Thanks for the welcome! I probably won't be the most active of users but I'll definitely try to visit the forum whenever I get a chance.

It's just a hobby, but I've been working on a platform game where you go around as a ghost possessing different characters. I had originally started from scratch in gamemaker and had a decent engine going - basic controls, tile collisions, possessing characters and stuff - but as it got more complicated I realized I was spending pretty much all my time going back to reconfigure parts of the code that I should have organized better from the start.

I'm hoping now to try starting over with an engine created by someone more experienced, and so far I'm having a lot of fun seeing how much more efficient it is to use things like state machines and better organized scripts.

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Introductions / Hi I'm Eschirm.

« on: June 07, 2019, 10:08:28 PM »

I don't really have much to say about me - I'm fairly new to coding and learning it on my own, so awesome resources like this are really helping turn my long-held game-making daydreams into a feasible reality. Thank you!