Game completely screwed up.

no-reply@allegro.cc (gamelord12) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 08:32:30 +0000

Everything was working pretty much how I wanted when only one player's character was drawn to the screen. Now, I run into all sorts of other errors. The best way for you guys to help me would probably be to compile and run my program for yourselves. I'll attach a zip of the files you need.

#SelectExpand
   1// Sword Play
   2
   3// Known issues:
   4
   5// two players are stuck together
   6// player 2, as far as I can tell, is not starting at the location I specified (x-coordinate 440)
   7// game crashes for reasons unknown
   8// occasionally game will skip the last frame of any animation, even when only one player is there and works properly...is that always going to happen or can that be fixed?
   9// many more sprite sheets still needed
  10
  11#include 
  12
  13#define BLACK makecol(0, 0, 0)
  14#define GREEN makecol(0, 255, 0)
  15#define WHITE makecol(255, 255, 255)
  16
  17volatile int frame1 = 0, frame2 = 0, p1 = 40, p2 = 440, player, stamina1 = 100, stamina2 = 100, ticks = 0;
  18const int frameRate = 8, staticy = 200;
  19bool first1 = true, otherFirst1 = false, first2 = true, otherFirst2 = false; // restarts the frame count every time a button is pressed
  20
  21// obtains sprites from a sprite sheet
  22BITMAP *grabframe(BITMAP *source, int width, int height, int startx, int starty, int columns, int frame)
  23{
  24  BITMAP *temp = create_bitmap(width, height);
  25
  26  int x = startx + (frame % columns) * width;
  27  int y = starty + (frame / columns) * height;
  28
  29  blit(source, temp, x, y, 0, 0, width, height);
  30
  31  return temp;
  32}
  33BITMAP *buffer; // used to smooth out the animation
  34BITMAP *buffer2; // used to smooth out animation even more
  35BITMAP *pic; // temporary variable for putting sprites into an array
  36BITMAP *SwordPlayTitle; // title screen picture
  37
  38// sprite arrays end in s (for sprite) to differentiate from functions
  39BITMAP *fightStances[4];
  40BITMAP *runForwards[9];
  41BITMAP *runBackwards[5];
  42
  43/*BITMAP *attackHeads[10];
  44BITMAP *attackHands[10];
  45BITMAP *attackFoots[10];
  46BITMAP *defendHeads[1];
  47BITMAP *defendHands[1];
  48BITMAP *defendFoots[1];
  49
  50BITMAP *powerStruggles[1];
  51BITMAP *pushs[4];*/
  52
  53void time(void); // used to count hundredths of a second
  54void frame1Function(int maxframes); // controls animation of current action for player 1
  55void frame2Function(int maxframes); // controls animation of current action for player 2
  56
  57void runForward(int player); // 9 frames
  58void runBackward(int player); // 5 frames
  59
  60/*void attackHead(int player);
  61void attackHand(int player);
  62void attackFoot(int player);
  63void defendHead(int player);
  64void defendHand(int player);
  65void defendFoot(int player);
  66
  67void push(int player); // 5 frames: one player stumbles backward, other stays in fightStance
  68void powerStruggle(void); // both players go through same two frames, then loser is pushed*/
  69
  70void stamina(void); // displays players' stamina bars
  71void increaseStamina(void); // slightly regenerates stamina every second
  72/*void decreaseStamina(void); // decreases player's stamina when an attack is blocked*/
  73
  74int main(void)
  75{
  76  allegro_init(); // uses Allegro
  77  install_timer(); // initializes timing functionality
  78  install_keyboard(); // allows use of keyboard
  79  set_color_depth(32); // sets color depth for pallette of sprites
  80  set_gfx_mode(GFX_AUTODETECT_WINDOWED, 640, 480, 0, 0); // makes the screen a 640x480 window
  81  SwordPlayTitle = load_bitmap("SwordPlayTitle.bmp", NULL); // loads title screen image
  82
  83  blit(SwordPlayTitle, screen, 0, 0, 0, 0, SwordPlayTitle->w, SwordPlayTitle->h); // puts the title screen picture on the screen
  84  textprintf_centre_ex(screen, font, SCREEN_W / 2, 460, makecol(255, 255, 255), -1, "Press Any Key to Continue...");
  85  destroy_bitmap(SwordPlayTitle); // frees up memory by destroying a now unneeded title screen
  86  readkey(); // waits for input to proceed
  87
  88  rest(50); // brief pause between input and loading the actual game
  89
  90  // loads frames for the fighting stance animation
  91  pic = load_bitmap("FightStanceSpriteSheet.bmp", NULL);
  92  for(int x = 0; x <= 3; x++)
  93  {
  94    fightStances[x] = grabframe(pic, 240, 240, 0, 0, 4, x);
  95  }
  96
  97  // loads frames for the running forward animation
  98  pic = load_bitmap("RunForwardSheet.bmp", NULL);
  99  for(int x = 0; x <= 8; x++)
 100  {
 101    runForwards[x] = grabframe(pic, 240, 240, 0, 0, 4, x);
 102  }
 103
 104  // loads frames for the running backward animation
 105  pic = load_bitmap("RunBackwardSheet.bmp", NULL);
 106  for(int x = 0; x <= 4; x++)
 107  {
 108    runBackwards[x] = grabframe(pic, 240, 240, 0, 0, 4, x);
 109  }
 110  
 111  destroy_bitmap(pic); // frees up memory by destroying a now unneeded temporary variable
 112  buffer = create_bitmap(SCREEN_W, SCREEN_H); // makes the buffer
 113  buffer2 = create_bitmap(SCREEN_W, SCREEN_H); // makes the buffer's buffer
 114  install_int_ex(time, BPS_TO_TIMER(100)); // calls the timer function 100 times every second
 115  install_int_ex(increaseStamina, BPS_TO_TIMER(1)); // increases the stamina bars for both players by 1 every second
 116
 117  // main game loop
 118  while(!key[KEY_ESC])
 119  {
 120    clear_to_color(buffer, WHITE);
 121    /*// attack commands for player 1
 122    if(key[KEY_W] && key[KEY_SPACE])
 123      attackHead(1);
 124    else if(key[KEY_SPACE])
 125      attackHand(1);
 126    else if(key[KEY_S] && key[KEY_SPACE])
 127      attackFoot(1);
 128
 129    // defend commands for player 1
 130    else if(key[KEY_W] && key[KEY_LSHIFT])
 131      defendHead(1);
 132    else if(key[KEY_LSHIFT])
 133      defendHand(1);
 134    else if(key[KEY_S] && key[KEY_LSHIFT])
 135      defendFoot(1);*/
 136
 137    // movement commands for player 1
 138    if(key[KEY_D])
 139    {      
 140      if(first1 == true)
 141      {
 142        frame1 = 0;
 143        first1 = false;
 144        otherFirst1 = true;
 145      }
 146      runForward(1);
 147      draw_sprite(buffer, runForwards[frame1], p1, staticy);
 148    }
 149    else if(key[KEY_A])
 150    {
 151      if(first1 == true)
 152      {
 153        frame1 = 0;
 154        first1 = false;
 155        otherFirst1 = true;
 156      }
 157      runBackward(1);
 158      draw_sprite(buffer, runBackwards[frame1], p1, staticy);
 159    }
 160    else
 161    {
 162      first1 = true;
 163      if(otherFirst1 == true)
 164      {
 165        otherFirst1 = false;
 166        frame1 = 0;
 167      }
 168      frame1Function(3);
 169      draw_sprite(buffer, fightStances[frame1], p1, staticy);
 170    }
 171
 172    /*// attack commands for player 2
 173    if(key[KEY_W] && key[KEY_SPACE])
 174      attackHead(1);
 175    else if(key[KEY_SPACE])
 176      attackHand(1);
 177    else if(key[KEY_S] && key[KEY_SPACE])
 178      attackFoot(1);
 179
 180    // defend commands for player 2
 181    else if(key[KEY_W] && key[KEY_LSHIFT])
 182      defendHead(1);
 183    else if(key[KEY_LSHIFT])
 184      defendHand(1);
 185    else if(key[KEY_S] && key[KEY_LSHIFT])
 186      defendFoot(1);*/
 187
 188    // movement commands for player 2
 189    if(key[KEY_LEFT])
 190    {      
 191      if(first2 == true)
 192      {
 193        frame2 = 0;
 194        first2 = false;
 195        otherFirst2 = true;
 196      }
 197      runForward(2);
 198      draw_sprite_h_flip(buffer, runForwards[frame1], p1, staticy);
 199    }
 200    else if(key[KEY_RIGHT])
 201    {
 202      if(first2 == true)
 203      {
 204        frame2 = 0;
 205        first2 = false;
 206        otherFirst2 = true;
 207      }
 208      runBackward(2);
 209      draw_sprite_h_flip(buffer, runBackwards[frame1], p1, staticy);
 210    }
 211    else
 212    {
 213      first2 = true;
 214      if(otherFirst2 == true)
 215      {
 216        otherFirst2 = false;
 217        frame2 = 0;
 218      }
 219      frame2Function(3);
 220      draw_sprite_h_flip(buffer, fightStances[frame1], p1, staticy);
 221    }
 222
 223    stamina(); // displays the stamina bars on the screen
 224    blit(buffer, buffer2, 0, 0, 0, 0, SCREEN_W, SCREEN_H); // puts everything that just happened in the last split-second on the second buffer
 225    blit(buffer2, screen, 0, 0, 0, 0, SCREEN_W, SCREEN_H); // puts that buffer on the screen
 226    clear_bitmap(buffer); // erases the buffer so that it can be changed again
 227  }
 228  remove_int(increaseStamina); // frees up the memory used to call this function over and over again
 229
 230  return 0; // makes this code compatible with non-MS compilers
 231}END_OF_MAIN()
 232
 233void time()
 234{
 235  ticks++;
 236  
 237  if(ticks >= 100)
 238    ticks = 0;
 239}
 240
 241void frame1Function(int maxframes)
 242{
 243  if(frame1 >= maxframes)
 244    frame1 = 0;
 245
 246  float comparisonVariable = 100 / frameRate;
 247  
 248  if(ticks >= comparisonVariable)
 249  {    
 250    ticks = 0;
 251
 252    if(frame1 >= maxframes)
 253      frame1 = 0;
 254    else
 255      frame1++;
 256  }
 257}
 258
 259void frame2Function(int maxframes)
 260{
 261  if(frame2 >= maxframes)
 262    frame2 = 0;
 263
 264  float comparisonVariable = 100 / frameRate;
 265  
 266  if(ticks >= comparisonVariable)
 267  {    
 268    ticks = 0;
 269
 270    if(frame2 >= maxframes)
 271      frame2 = 0;
 272    else
 273      frame2++;
 274  }
 275}
 276
 277void runForward(int player)
 278{
 279  if(player == 1)
 280  {
 281    frame1Function(8);
 282    
 283    if(p1 <= (p2 - 240))
 284      p1++;
 285  }
 286
 287  if(player == 2)
 288  {
 289    frame2Function(8);
 290    
 291    if(p2 >= p1)
 292      p2--;
 293  }
 294}
 295
 296void runBackward(int player)
 297{
 298  if(player == 1)
 299  {
 300    frame1Function(4);
 301
 302    if(p1 > 0)
 303      p1--;
 304  }
 305
 306  if(player == 2)
 307  {
 308    frame1Function(4);
 309
 310    if(p2 < SCREEN_W)
 311      p2++;
 312  }
 313}
 314
 315void stamina()
 316{
 317  textprintf_ex(buffer, font, 5, 15, BLACK, -1, "Player 1");
 318  textprintf_right_ex(buffer, font, SCREEN_W - 5, 15, BLACK, -1, "Player 2");
 319  rectfill(buffer, 5, 5, 5 + stamina1, 10, GREEN);
 320  rectfill(buffer, SCREEN_W - 105, 5, SCREEN_W - 105 + stamina2, 10, GREEN);
 321}
 322
 323void increaseStamina()
 324{
 325  stamina1++;
 326  if(stamina1 > 100)
 327    stamina1 = 100;
 328  stamina2++;
 329  if(stamina2 > 100)
 330    stamina2 = 100;
 331}

no-reply@allegro.cc (Goalie Ca) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 08:44:00 +0000

1) Use a more descriptive title
2) Give us some background. Help us help you. DOn't ask for us to just "fix it".

Debugging has to be systematic to work. Trace through your program at the first sign of a problem (or better yet. right before something happens). step through execution line by line while watching variables.

Test individual functions for correctness if you can.

no-reply@allegro.cc (HardTranceFan) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 09:01:08 +0000

How come you still haven't fixed your animation problem? I explained in quite some detail, complete with examples, how to do that in my last post to your thread (the response to your second post on that thread).

[edited to provide further help]

In response to your known issues in the comments at the start of the program:

Quote:

// two players are stuck together
// player 2, as far as I can tell, is not starting at the location I specified (x-coordinate 440)

Yep, that's because you're plonking them both at the came location, (p1, staticy). You're also using frame1 animation to display player 2 (albeit flipped).

Quote:

// game crashes for reasons unknown

Run it in debug mode and see where it stops?

Quote:

// occasionally game will skip the last frame of any animation, even when only one player is there and works properly...is that always going to happen or can that be fixed?

See my comment at the top of this post for that one.

Two of these 3 issues are quite basic errors (particularly the positioning one), and it indicates you have made very little effort, if any, to work out for your self why it's not working. That just plain lazy. I'm not going to help again if you're not going to give debugging a good shot before asking for help.

no-reply@allegro.cc (gamelord12) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:44:09 +0000

I don't know how to read a debug screen.

no-reply@allegro.cc (Onewing) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:49:30 +0000

What IDE are you using? (Dev-C++, Code::Blocks, Visual Studio, etc.)?

no-reply@allegro.cc (gamelord12) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:58:19 +0000

I'm using Visual Studio 2005.

no-reply@allegro.cc (Onewing) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 22:33:01 +0000

Quote:

I don't know how to read a debug screen.

Quote:

I'm using Visual Studio 2005.

Okay, you should have a debugger built into Visual Studio 2005. You can go to your help menu and do a search for "debugger" or even "debug", which will give you a start on how it works.

Note that you can set "breakpoints" and when running in debug mode, the program will pause at this breakpoint. Then you can manually step line-by-line through your code and see exactly where your code bombs.

Knowing how to use a debugger is not optional, it is a part of programming. No better time to learn.

no-reply@allegro.cc (gamelord12) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 22:40:16 +0000

Alright, got it working. Most of my errors were just due to copy+pasting and forgetting to change the things I was supposed to. Thanks for the tip on the debugging. I asked my brother for help in debugging, who just finished his sophomore year in college (computer science major) and oddly enough, he doesn't know how to read a debug screen either. Usually the help files in VS just remind you of syntax without actually explaining anything, but I'll give it a go.

no-reply@allegro.cc (Goalie Ca) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:35:29 +0000

Quote:

who just finished his sophomore year in college (computer science major) and oddly enough, he doesn't know how to read a debug screen either.

Not strange at all. As far as i know they never "teach" anyone how to use a debugger and the students just end up using "printf" debugging.

no-reply@allegro.cc (Jonatan Hedborg) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:48:56 +0000

Meh. I was taught how to use GDB at one of my uni courses.

no-reply@allegro.cc (Julian Guarin) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 06:45:05 +0000

Debugging is not only a matter of using a GNU/GDB interface or the M$ or the borland's one. Its also a matter of code.

There are plenty of coding techniques in doing debugging. glibc, or the MFC or the C standard support functions and macros in order to make debugging. In our particular case, allegro also provides some basic routines for debugging your program. check the "debugging" session in the manual.

And by the way I never was taught GDB in the university but thats shame because a lot of things about the processor and the system could be learned by the time.

however : fprintf(stdout,"this s the greatest debugger ever %d\n",var);