references and strings are the same thing

Code:

class Reference {
public:
    bool operator==(const std::string & str) const{
        return true;
    }
};

Yeah my next game does nothing in the enter frame event (all the logic is done on a timer, 60 times a second).

Is there any reason why I wouldn't want to just set the framerate to 120 FPS?  Would this effectively be giving everyone the max framerate their browser/PC can handle?

If you use movieclips it's tied to the framerate not your timer, so unless you feel like taking control of clip playback (a pain in the ass when flash does it for you) then it's extra work

I now have all the features that the flash version had in the engine, with the exception of doors that require 2 lights to open up. I'm gonna fix that up though, and rather than having a dark door, I'm gonna have a door with 2 pedestals next to it, so its more obvious when a door is "lit up" enough to go through. Same effect in terms of level design and puzzles, but more clear to the player.


new screenshot

So I'm doing a bitmap based flash game and I'm wondering what is going to be fastest in a browser.

1.  is getPixel(x,y) and then checking if that pixel is black or hitTestPoint(x,y,true) going to be faster?  With hitTestPoint(x,y,true) I'll have to trace the whole thing in vector but I would be willing to do it.

2.  Is there anything crazy slow that I shouldn't do with bitmaps or anything simple that I should turn on that would help me with them.  Right now the bitmaps are being held withen sprites so I can move them around in the ide easily, is there a better way to do this?  Also should I still turn on cache as bitmap?

3.  How do I set the exported quality of a flash movie from withen the ide?  It's all png's so I don't really want any smoothing.

4.  Any reason why when I put the fps to 60 it runs fine not in the browser, and in the browser it runs at say 45-50 but when I drop the fps to 30 the browsers can't get a constant 30?  can I trick it into thinking I want 60 frames but only doing 30 somehow?

1. getPixel is faster I believe
2. Use filters lightly
3. stage.quality = "low"
4. This is browser dependent and its best to just offer a download link too

looking awesome.

what if the moth trails had a blur and dissipated after X MSeconds? kinda like light tracer thingies.

I've tried it with various types of trails but they all end up distracting you more than adding to the mood. I'll play around with it more later.

Your button that says "Click" looks like it says "Dick"

My problem with design is it separates things too much. A lot of the design for my games comes out of using the programming in clever ways, and stuff that non-programmers wouldn't necessarily think of, and stuff that would sound crazy coming out of the mouth from someone. Like, often times I'll have to make a little tech demo of a concept and show people before they actually get what I'm talking about.  Likewise there's aspects of design thats specific to artists too, although it seems less like specifics of motion and mechanical things and more about the larger picture for them.

Anyway when you pull a dedicated designer out of that, you introduce an unnecessary layer of interpretation between them. I know what I want when I have a vision and an idea of how this character's motion is as he swings through space and such, and I can explain it decently, but still people don't understand until I show them a demo, by then I've already coded it. If there was a designer telling me, "Ok now this character needs to be able to grab a tree trunk and then spin around it, but slows down at the top of the loop, kick himself off a wall and jump backwards but not at too high of an angle (around 15°) and...", there's gonna be a lot of back and forth before it feels right for him, whereas if I was the designer, I would be able to code this up as I saw fit from the start.

The best games come out when the design is melded with the art and code, not separate from it.

I had to learn a little C# for a job, and I have to admit that I just don't get properties.

You end up writing basically the same amount of code, just to save yourself a couple of keystrokes per use.  I don't see anything in any of the use cases that you couldn't do with plain old getters and setters.  Am I just totally missing something here?

In flash at least, if you write a getter and setter that deals with basic types, it'll automatically let you do += -= etc on it. Like I have a vector class with a length getter/setter (but no stored length value), and I can do length += 5 and it works as you'd think its done.

Tutorial Level:

DO:
- Make it fun
- Make it fast
- Make it easy
- If you know the mechanics already, you should breeze through the tutorial in a few seconds


DO NOT:
- Pause for forced text
- Show lengthy cutscenes
- Make it longer than a few seconds if the person knows what they're doing
- Make it a separate menu option (people will not click it)


What I did for Closure was combine the tutorial with the title screen and credits roll. It worked quite nicely.

he started 4chan, which is influential if you ask me. He's responsible for... all of it. Someone brought up hitler before, by your argument you could say he's not influential in the least because he just started the whole argh kill the jews with mien kampf

"Evil" people are generally more influential than good people.

A degree doesn't help much there either, what they should just do is hire them for a 3 month "test period", pay them normal wages, and then judge from there if they're qualified enough to keep the job. From a company perspective this would work great, but not really for someone searching for a job.

you must get angry very easily if a comment on kotaku sends you into a rage. you may want to try meditation.

No I just need a break from the 2-3 weeks of nonstop coding i've been doing.

1. F, D, and spacebar is a really really ugly control combination. Use ASD, or migrate jump to the up arrow.

I've heard in many places that arrow keys + space bar are the "classic" configuration, is the problem adding the F/D keys?

2. You dont jump high enough to get the key

Can you elaborate? Do you mean the first key? I take it then it wasn't clear how to get to it?

Thanks for your feedback!

1. Ya arrows and spacebar are ok in some situations but F and D just make it feel cramped. Nevermind I'm on a laptop too. But ya UP generally feels a lot nicer as a jump key, or have both assuming up isnt used for anything else.

2. I took another look and didnt realize the clock was walkable. Played through the demo. Didn't feel too interesting, and it was confusing as to what was a surface and what wasn't, especially with the trap doors and stuff

1. F, D, and spacebar is a really really ugly control combination. Use ASD, or migrate jump to the up arrow.


2. You dont jump high enough to get the key

Will streaming cooperate with me wanting to separate tracks and play 5-6 at a time in sync though?

some dude keeps leaving comments about fez everywhere, accusing me of ripping you off.
it's pretty funny.

Link? That sounds pretty comical

Ya, the point of higher salaries is to create competition for the jobs that need it the most.


Like its a shame teachers are paid so little, it encourages every jow blow out there that if they can't accomplish their dreams, they can always become a teacher.

Unfortunately it falls apart at the higher end of the scale where the people that are paid the most have the job through family or inheritance, and total job security despite running a multibillion dollar company into the ground.

Although artist/programmer wise, they're about the same. Unfortunately, companies have a really tough time weeding out the bad ones, and thus waste so much money paying for unproductive people while the good ones get overworked and drained.

I seriously think the best thing this industry can do is downsize a lot.

Programming isn't boring, at least not to me. I could spend an entire day doing nothing but programming and not get bored, taking breaks only to fetch an empty bottle to piss in and ordering pizza.

Ya honestly I've had to remind myself to eat lately, and need to eat more really

Anyone else getting emails from the korean game conference after GDC? You'd think they'd put a little more effort into not making their emails sound like engrish

Dear Mr. Tyler,
 
This is the secretariat of KGC2009 & Awards, which takes place from 7th to 9th October, 2009 at COEX, Seoul, in Korea.
First of all, we would like to express our appreciation for your great interest for KGC2009, which is already the biggest game conference in Asia and expect bigger scale and better contents with 5,000 developers to attend this year.
 
We are writing this mail to suggest excellent opportunity as KGC2009 speaker to share your professional experience or your company’s latest technology with 5000 game developers and related professions in this game industry.
Please fill in the attached “Speaker Application Form” and send to us before 6, June, 2009, then we give your form and other application forms to the KGC Board so that they make final decision who will be speakers for each tracks of KGC session after several big discussion.
 
Although you or your company may need to spend your travel expenses, the opportunity for accessing and making new network with Korea other Asian  game industry by being a speaker of KGC2009, must be much more worthwhile for your profession, we believe.
 
We hope to receive your application as your earliest convenience and if you have any inquiry regarding this matter,
Please do not hesitate to contact us.
 
Thank you very much for your great interest for KGC2009 once again.
With best regards,

Why should the "fun" job pay more than the stressful job? It pisses me off that there's people like this that exist period.

I think he was trying to say that it's sad that if you want to make money you have to take a "boring" job

It's not really an option though, very few people could be professional artists AND programmers, it's usually one or the other, or mediocre at both.