Free Too Wan Go! Now I have to add more to Commando 3 to make it get the top place :(

Armor Games rocks! I got $135 for one of the games I made them, and Dan even donated $50 of it to the Red Cross, at my request.

My Flash skills are improving with every AG contest I enter - in the first contest, I spent about a day or two making a game for it... it got blammed and never got through. Second contest, I spent several weeks on the game, and I got eighth place. In the third contest, I've been working on my game for months, and will spend several more months on it. I'm aiming for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place with this one.

I look forward to many more years of working with Armor Games!

You'll have to forgive me for writing these in ActionScript 1.0, I never had any reason to learn AS 2.0. Also, these are just functions I wrote off the top of my head, some of them may not work...

Find distance function (checks the distance between two objects).

MovieClip.prototype.findDistance = function(mc1, mc2) {
var xdist = mc1._x-mc2._x;
var ydist = mc1._y-mc2._y;
return Math.sqrt(xdist*xdist+ydist*ydist);
};

Usage:

trace(findDistance(this, _parent.enemy));

Check if two movie clips are colliding, via circle to circle collision detection (requires findDistance function).

MovieClip.prototype.cToCCollide = function(mc1, mc2, maxDistance) {
return mc1.findDistance(mc2)<maxDistance;
};

Usage:

trace(this.cToCCollide(_parent.enemy));

Find the biggest value in an array of numbers:

MovieClip.prototype.findBiggestNumber(arra
y) {
var biggest = array[0];
for (var i in array) {
if (array[i]>biggest)
biggest = array[i];
}
};

Usage:

myArray = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6, 5];
myNumber = myArray.findBiggestNumber(myArray);

They also jacked Heli Attack 3 without permission from any of the development team. I had to actually tell one of the makers, and now Mr. Mo is acting all friendly to him. Mo also did this kind of thing to me when he was trying to make me sign one of his contracts... he's a lying, two-faced weasel.

At 7/10/05 06:29 AM, Ninja-Chicken wrote: On an unrelated note I completed commando 2 on impossible mode so it ISNT impossible

Good job.

Fetus, how will 'mixing the layers' make it any faster? It still renders exactly the same amount of graphics, and it'll make everything in the wrong depth. I don't want to lower the framerate to make it always run as slowly as the lag, because people will say 'boost the framerate' in every review we get. The framerate's only 21 as it is, and it's one of the more stable framerates you can get (multiples of 10 plus 1).

I don't want to use JPEG compression - I think it'd only actually make the filesize smaller, and wouldn't qacctually affect the speed (and if it did, not significantly so).

The game only lags whilst scrolling - it hurts Flash a lot to move graphically intensive backgrounds. I have already thought of using low quality only whilst scrolling, but I only want to use that as a last resort. If there's any way to keep it high quality but make it faster without sacrificing anything serious, I'd prefer to take that option.

Collisions are only checked when there are enemies on the screen - you don't get enemies whilst scrolling - you walk through the level for a few seconds, then it stops scrolling and enemies appear. Once you've beaten them, you can continue scrolling. It's meant to work a bit like SoulMech Shinobu. The game was scrolling very quickly when it just had coloured squares for tiles - it only lagged after we added the cool looking stuff. As such, I'm assuming the slowdown is a direct result of the artwork, not the programming.

There was nothing I didn't already know in that Optimization topic, and I always optimize things as thoroughly as I can. You don't use Flash for 4 years without learning basic speed techniques ;). I spend a lot of time on Flash Kit, so I learn all kinds of crazy techniques for keeping games fast. By the way, for the benefit of any other readers, here's a bigger optimization topic with loads of extra tips and tricks:

http://www.flashkit...=20&pagenumber=1

What's a 'happening'? And these backgrounds aren't animated - they're only one frame long as it is.

Sorry, but I already considered low quality. We might have to use it as a last resort, but otherwise, I'd like to see what our other options are, first.

Me and Kortex are working on a side-scrolling game. If you've seen any of Kortex's work before, you'll know how graphically intensive this game is getting to be. And that's the problem. The game is too slow. The engine was extremely fast when I just used squares of color for the tiles, but after we got som real art into it, it started to lag like hell.

What have I done so far? Well, I've split up the level into screen-sized tiles, so any off-screen tiles are removed. I've converted all vectors into Bitmaps (PNG compression, so you can't tell the difference). it runs perfectly fine in the standalone player, but in web browsers, it lags. It would be a bit too much of a hassle to make everyone download the game, especially if they only intend to play it once, so I need to get this running quickly in web browsers.

Which brings me to my next point. What can I do to make it faster? Pre-rendered scrolling doesn't make any noticeable difference (according to my brief test), and would be a bit to restrictive. Splitting each tile into two half tiles would be a long and fiddly process, especially since I have no real way to make images transparent on my computer (or at least, none that I know of), and the only way I've found to preserve the original image quality provided by Flash's vectors is to take screen snapshots. I'd also need to re-script a bit of the engine, too.

So if you have any suggestions as to how we can speed it up, I'd be extremely grateful. If you want/need to see the game in action in order to help us, that's up to Kortex, so you'll need to get in contact with him.

Note: the script only works in MX 2004.

I haven't exactly read through this topic thoroughly, but it seems to me that nobody has mentioned viruses (or virii) yet.

Mac OS X is extremely secure. There's literally not a single virus that can penetrate it. And I know this from several reliable sources.

In comparison, Windows has over 200 new virii written for it EVERY SINGLE DAY.

As a Mac user, I have never in my entire life have had a virus, nor have I ever even needed to run any kind of antivirus software.

Macs don't age easily. I'm using a 450 Mhz iMac G3 right now, and it's still able to run most of the programs I use. It's at least 3 years old, and works like a charm.

Apple produce all the Macs by themselves. This means that you actually know the differences between varying models, and you're actually able to keep track of which one is which. It's easy to figure out which is the most powerful.

Macs are designed well. Have you seen the iMac G5? Or perhaps the Mac Mini? They're both crazily small, and some of the best computers around.

With Macs, everything is simple. Anything you can do is documented somewhere, and it's all easy to access. The operating system is amazing, and unbelievably stable.

I'd like to personally thank Tom Fulp and The Behemoth for making Alien Hominid. It's the first game that has ever been good enough (and cheap enough) to persuade me to import it. And I'm loving every single moment of it.

For any Europeans who are anxious to get hold of a Gamecube copy of it, then here's how:

Firstly, go to dvdboxoffice.com, and click on the 'Games' tag. Then click on Gamecube. Wait for the page to load, and then look in the bottom right of the page - there's a list of 'Hot Sellers', with Alien Hominid in it. It costs 42.95 Canadian dollars, which roughly translates as €26.50, or £18. Apparently DVD Box Office do free airmail shipping worldwide, but even if you do end up having to pay for it, you're still getting a bargain.

Also, since Alien Hominid is import-only at the moment, you'll be needing an NTSC-compatible, probably 60 Hz television screen. Most widescreen TVs nowadays are likely to have those specifications, so you ought to be safe if you have a fairly recent screen.

Finally, you'll be needing an Action Replay for the Gamecube (or, more specifically, a Freeloader). You'll need it to run import games on a European 'cube. The Action Replay is better value than a Freeloader, since it has a Freeloader option built into it, as well as being able to use cheat codes on your games. If you're really stuffed for cash, I guess you _could_ get the Freeloader alone, but it only costs a tiny bit more to get an Action Replay, with cheats and all that. And yes, you ought to be able to import the Freeloader as well. It claims to be able to:

-Play U.S. and Japanese games on your PAL GameCube
-Play US games on your Japanese console
-Play Japanese games on your US console

But it's probably safer to buy one locally, from your own country.

Using the Freeloader:
Alrighty, I've never used the Freeloader itself, but I've used the built-in one for the Action Replay. Just boot up the Action Replay disc, and select 'Freeloader'. Then open the lid of your GameCube, and insert the Alien Hominid disc instead. With any luck, it ought to work.

If you put in Alien Hominid without putting in the Action Replay/Freeloader disc beforehand, it won't wreck your Gamecube or anything - it'll just say something like the disc cannot be read. This happened to us once, and the game still worked afterwards, when we ran the Freeloader.

The only downside to all this importing stuff is that you'll have to use the Freeloader every time you want to play it. If you so much as turn off the Gamecube, you'll need to go through the Freeloader process an extra time. But it's not that big of a deal. Believe me, Alien Hominid is worth all the hassle.

At 1/16/05 10:34 AM, Element272 wrote: okay great to know i can say biatch to some1 here =)

but anyways i rly need a programming dude cmon people, there has to be some1

A programmer, you say? Well, I've got 3 years of experience, so I guess I'm your man. Get hold of me on AIM; my screen name is:

alexbirchuk

Try out my tutorial for making FPS games in Flash.

You want to make sure he can't go through walls? Ack. There are SO many ways to do that. The way I do it is the most efficient way I can think of, but it could be a helluva lot better... especially with tiles . Firstly, the script for the player:

onClipEvent (load) {
_root.movespeed = 5;
movespeed = 5;
_root.goup = true;
_root.goleft = true;
_root.goright = true;
_root.godown = true;
}
onClipEvent (enterFrame) {
if (Key.isDown(Key.LEFT)) {
nextFrame();
_rotation = 90;
if (_root.goleft) {
_x -= movespeed;
}
}
if (Key.isDown(Key.RIGHT)) {
nextFrame();
_rotation = 270;
if (_root.goright) {
_x += movespeed;
}
}
if (Key.isDown(Key.DOWN)) {
nextFrame();
_rotation = 0;
if (_root.godown) {
_y += movespeed;
}
}
if (Key.isDown(Key.UP)) {
nextFrame();
_rotation = 180;
if (_root.goup) {
_y -= movespeed;
}
}
if (Key.isDown(Key.LEFT) && Key.isDown(Key.DOWN)) {
_rotation = 45;
}
if (Key.isDown(Key.RIGHT) && Key.isDown(Key.DOWN)) {
_rotation = 315;
}
if (Key.isDown(Key.LEFT) && Key.isDown(Key.UP)) {
_rotation = 135;
}
if (Key.isDown(Key.RIGHT) && Key.isDown(Key.UP)) {
_rotation = 225;
}
if (_root.timerone == true) {
_root.goup = false;
_root.godown = false;
_root.goleft = false;
_root.goright = false;
}
}

And, for the walls, I use this. This may not be the best way, but I find it okay - you'll need to put it onto the movie clip you want to use as a hit area for your character:

onClipEvent (load) {
_visible = false;
}
onClipEvent (enterFrame) {
this._x = _root.character._x;
this._y = _root.character._y;
touchingdown = 0;
for (i=1; i<_root.walldowns+1; i++) {
if (hitTest(_root["boundarydown"+i])) {
touchingdown++;
}
}
if (touchingdown == 0) {
_root.godown = true;
} else {
_root.godown = false;
}
touchingup = 0;
for (i=1; i<_root.wallups+1; i++) {
if (hitTest(_root["boundaryup"+i])) {
touchingup++;
}
}
if (touchingup == 0) {
_root.goup = true;
} else {
_root.goup = false;
}
touchingright = 0;
for (i=1; i<_root.wallrights+1; i++) {
if (hitTest(_root["boundaryright"+i])) {
touchingright++;
}
}
if (touchingright == 0) {
_root.goright = true;
} else {
_root.goright = false;
}
touchingleft = 0;
for (i=1; i<_root.walllefts+1; i++) {
if (hitTest(_root["boundaryleft"+i])) {
touchingleft++;
}
}
if (touchingleft == 0) {
_root.goleft = true;
} else {
_root.goleft = false;
}
}

Put this script on each of the boundaryright1, boundary2, boundary3, etc.:

onClipEvent(load) {
_visible = false;
_root.wallrights++;
}

Boundarylefts:

onClipEvent(load) {
_visible = false;
_root.walllefts++;
}

Boundaryups:

onClipEvent(load) {
_visible = false;
_root.wallups++;
}

Boundarydowns:

onClipEvent(load) {
_visible = false;
_root.walldowns++;
}

You'll need to make sure you name the boundaries appropriately. For walls that block him going to the left, call them:

boundaryleft1
boundaryleft2
boundaryleft3
And so on...

Do something similar to that for all the other boundaries, okay?

Yeah, I guess I might do something like that. Thanks.

At 1/2/05 09:52 AM, Fuzi0n wrote: You should see a Alien Hominid banner above the forums, if not keep refreshing till you do see it (http://www.alienhominid.com/), click it and you can get all the infomation about the game there. Its PS2 and GAMECUBE.

Yes, but (like I said) their store doesn't ship to Europe.

Somehow I have the ominous feeling that this question ha been asked time and time again, and that by posting here I'm about to get flamed.

However, I desperately want AH. I've looked on the online store, and I haven't been able to find anything saying the store ships to Europe. I know everyone's gonna think I'm dumb for even considering getting an American version of the game, but here's a quick note:

I _can_ play NTSC games. Sure, my Gamecube's European/PAL, but my TV supports NTSC and 60 Hz. Also, I have an Action Replay with a built-in Freeloader, so my Gamecube can run any game, regardless of the region it's from. Just thought I'd say that.

I've looked on Amazon.com and been able to find plenty of PS2 versions of the game, but I want a Gamecube one... I think the GC controller a lot easier to make precise movements on. At the time of writing, there is allegedly one GC copy, second-hand and at twice the price that the Online Store are selling it from. I think I saw a decent copy once, but I can't find it any more. I want to know somewhere else I can buy it from that will ship to Europe. Please post any links or make suggestions.

Ah, never mind. The Gamecube version just popped up on Amazon. Interesting that only the PS2 version was there last time I looked.

If this is a double post, I'm sorry. I can't find any 'Edit' or 'Modify' buttons. Or maybe I'm just not looking hard enough.

...

If they exist, send me a screenie.

Damn it. I can't find anything saying that Alien Hominid can be shipped to Europe. The website doesn't say anything about it, and neither does the online store. So I've sent about a thousand emails to Tom, the Behemoth, and the publishers of the game... but only the publishers replied, and they just told me to email the Behemoth again. So much for that.

Can anybody here confirm that Alien Hominid can be shipped to Europe? Tons of people here are forced to import games because they never come out in Europe, or simply take about half a year to be announced. We have the appropriate equipment to play NTSC stuff, but none of that helps if we can't actually buy the game.

Hopefully, my dad should be going to America soon. However, we cannot guarantee it, and we desperately want AH for Gamecube. Does anybody here know if it can be shipped to Europe?