[UPDATED] Tutorial: Getting Started With Fangame Development

[klazen108]

make sure you're doing draw actions in the draw event - all "draw" code needs to be done in that event.

For example, I just did this and it worked fine https://prntscr.com/5p7oo2

Let me know if it's not working for another reason!

[128-Up]

Sometimes when I load a .gmk file to test it, I get this error:


___________________________________________
ERROR in
action number 1
of Create Event
for object menuBossDisplay:

Error reading byte.


I know there was an "error reading byte" thing mentioned earlier in the thread, but I'm sure this is a different problem. Any ideas what's causing it?

[klazen108]

"Error reading byte" is an indicator that you've got some code reading a file improperly. This usually happens to me after I add lines to my save code to save & read a new value from the save file, but the save file that exists on disk doesn't have that new value in it yet. Therefore, when it goes to read that value from the file, it errors out because it's past the end of the file. Once you save to the file again the new value will be in there, so it won't error out again. Does this sound like it could be your problem? It would match your "only happens sometimes" problem

If you think it might be something else, check the code in the create event of the "menuBossDisplay" object - try to figure out what it's loading, and why it might not be able to load that. Let me know if that helps any!

[128-Up]

I'm pretty sure I didn't change anything in the code... I have the feeling I'm missing something obvious, but idk, code's foreign to me.
EDIT: After deleting the save files made by the game (not Game Maker), I can start a new playthrough twice before the error kicks in again.

(click to show/hide)

EDIT 2: Okay, I fixed it! \o/ Turns out the problem was in the callMenuData script.

[Græy]

Are the non-GM based cross-platform engines?

I'm not willing to cash out $99 for GameMaker Studio's module that exports to Linux.

[klazen108]

As of now, I'm not aware of any basic engines available in any other programming languages with all the physics and gameplay worked out (and basic is an understatement - writing a game engine meant to be built upon is serious work!) If you're interested in developing a fangame without using gamemaker, but would like to get the physics right, feel free to ask questions, or research for yourself! I'd be very interested to see something like that developed ( ͡•ᴗ͡•)

On a side note, this tutorial is pretty outdated now... I need to write a new one for GMStudio now that we've got a working engine for it!

[GalacticHooloovoo]

Hello! First of all I'd like to thank you for this tutorial! It has been very helpful! However, I encountered a problem whilst playtesting. When I turn the music off, I am able to pass through the spikes without dying. Do you know how to fix this?
Thanks!

[Rad]

What engine are you using?

Does your player die to spikes when the music is turned back on?

[Anon70000]

Hello! First of all I'd like to thank you for this tutorial! It has been very helpful! However, I encountered a problem whilst playtesting. When I turn the music off, I am able to pass through the spikes without dying. Do you know how to fix this?
Thanks!

You're probably using Yuuutu.
Ctrl is a godmode in Yuuutu, iirc look in the scripts

[GalacticHooloovoo]

Found it! Thanks Anon70000!

[GalacticHooloovoo]

Oh! Also, I am unsure on something dealing with triggers. I know how to make it so that a spike will rise/fall, but I cannot figure out how to make it stop where I want it to. Can anyone help with this?
Thanks! (again)

[lawatson]

You can try making it follow a path and then setting its speed to 0 when the path ends (there's an event for it).

If you wanna go a step up, you can try to make it auto-create a path kinda like NANG triggers, although that might take a bit more knowledge to pull.

[bananaguy12]

This was very helpful, thanks

[cragl3yman343]

I am new to the whole game design world as I am planning on majoring it in College. I would like to begin practicing and some people recommend just starting with Studio while others have said to start with Seph or Lemon. I would like some opinions on the professionals of the I Wanna Be community. What would everyone recommend?

[lawatson]

I've been sticking with 8.1 for quite a while, and it looks like there's a lot of technical weird changes in Studio, but Studio has shaders and new functions as well as a lot more extensions on the gamemaker community, so I would suggest Studio to be your engine.