Messages

Matti, thanks very much--I knew it must be something simple like that, and your fix worked perfectly.

And Khris, I appreciate the explanation--it's helpful to understand not just the structure of the code but what's going on "under the hood."

Thank you both for answering! Much gratitude.

Hi scripters,

I know there are modules for countdown timers out there, but I wanted to see if I could script my own based on the background speech of an invisible character rather than a GUI. It seemed simpler, but evidently is not.

The problem is this: I can't get the countdown to update - it will display the initial value of the min and sec variables but never change. I've read the "string formatting" and "string.format" sections of the manual several times, and my "repeatedly_execute_always" function is running other things like looping animations perfectly well.

I have tried reordering the lines of code several different ways, and changing the frequency of updates to the timer (for example, updating only every 3 seconds), as well as substituting "if" statements for "while" statements. Nothing changes. I feel like I must be missing something obvious but cannot figure out what it is.

Any help would be hugely appreciated. Relevant code is below (I haven't coded what to do at 0 yet because this problem has gotten in the way):

Code: ags

int min;
int sec;
String TimerText;

function room_Load()
{
  min = 2;
  sec = 60;
  TimerText = String.Format("%d : %d", min,  sec);
  SetGameSpeed(40);        //40 loops = 1 second
  SetTimer(1, 2400);       //2400 = 40*60 = 60 seconds
  SetTimer(2, 40);         // 40 = 1 second
}

function repeatedly_execute_always()
{
  if (IsTimerExpired(1))
  {
    min -=1;
    SetTimer(1,  2400);
  }
  if (IsTimerExpired(2))
  {
    sec -=1;
    cTimer.SayBackground(TimerText);
    SetTimer(2,  40);
  }
}

Hey all,

I already announced my current game in production before noticing this thread, but better late than never!

I have been writing fiction for over 15 years, got started in pixel art by drawing custom icons in Windows 3.1, and have steadily progressed as a musician from learning to play random folk songs into this past year more seriously composing music. I also took logic classes in college, so programming isn't a huge leap so far. Bringing all of these hobbies together in game dev has been awesome.

I'm having a lot of fun making my game, even when that means perusing old forum threads for the answers to basic problems (which I'm grateful I usually do find). I dabbled in AGS like 12 years ago and have wanted to get back into it ever since, so I'm excited to be here!

My quick stab at a dump truck.

Hey all,

I'm new here--I have a game in production, and I'm very grateful for how helpful you all are in the forums.

Yesterday I read this article on the Guardian about trying to design the next Wordle.

The game the author came up with is fun, and while it's not an adventure game, I think the discussion touches on fundamental aspects of game design and puzzle design that directly relate to making adventure games enjoyable yet challenging for the player. I found it useful for myself, at least.

Here it is for those interested:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/dec/22/i-was-asked-to-invent-the-next-wordle-how-hard-could-it-be

Hope you enjoy!

--RootBound

Happy release day! 4 years of development sounds like a journey--and the game looks extremely polished. A job well done.

Thanks for all the positive comments! It's definitely motivating.

Thank you so much! I've been working hard on the art, so that's very validating! 

UPDATE: RELEASING AUGUST 20!

Hello! I've been reading the forums and relearning AGS for a while now (I first played with it over a decade ago), but this is my first post here and will be my first completed game.

TUNNEL VISION is a first-person point-and-click adventure. You must stop a sabotaged runaway train from reaching the tunnel where a bomb lies. First, save the passengers, then save yourself--the clock is ticking! Yes, it's basically the movie SPEED on a train. I'm okay with that.

Features:

-A simple one-click interface
-1980s 4-color CGA-style pixel graphics
-5 puzzles to solve
-Original music
-As much story as I can cram into a game with 4 playable rooms.

I'm aiming for this to be a short game (probably playable in five minutes once you know all the puzzle solutions). I wanted to make something small and manageable enough to complete in a few months (provided the coding stage doesn't massively delay things--fingers crossed). I've been reading the AGS manual a lot and have been practicing the coding a bit already, though, so I'm hopeful.

Some images (not necessarily the final versions of graphics).







This project is still in early stages, but I've been making consistent progress.
On the whole this has been fun so far, and I plan to release the game as freeware given how short it is. I'm excited to keep you all updated. Thanks for reading!


[UPDATE Aug 10 2023]

Art: 100%
Music: 100%
Story and puzzle design: 100%
Coding: 100%