Working with tiles
sebmat86
Member Posts: 339
Hi all,
So, I´ve scoped the forum for topics about using tiles in GS and I have not found a satisfying answer. I´m working on a platformer (kind of a hard core platformer game, much like Super Meat Boy or Megaman etc.) where I´m going to have 11 chapters, each with 11 levels (scenes). Each level will be 960x640 and I´m using 32x32 tiles to build the levels in GS.
In the beginning, I started out drawing the levels and importing them as .png into GS and then placing invisible walls, floors etc. on top of the background. But this did not seem to work very good, I'm guessing because I was making (I still am) the levels kind of small... Like, everything was tiny, so that I could make as much use as possible of each scene. This made me scale down the invisible platforms and walls. Sometimes down to 10 pixels in hight or width. Also, the character was 8x8 pixels. Every scene lagged very much. I´m not sure if it was because of the large background images or that there were too many small actors at once. Or a combination...
But this made me remake the whole game, so I started making tiles instead. But I feel that the game lags anyway... I´m not sure what I have to do, or what way is the best way to build levels. Also, I´d love to get an explanation to why a certain way is better than the other. What makes e.g tiles, if that´s the case, eat up a lot of memory? Is it that every tile has collision-attributes and so on...?
So, just to clear things out. I´m trying to understand, once and for all:
1) Is GS tile-friendly or not?
> Should I just let the whole thing go down the drain or could it work?
2) What is the optimal way build levels?
A question off-topic:
3) I understand using many attributes slow down the game. But:
> What attributes slows the game most? I´m mainly
using TEXT-based attributes, because I haven't dug
too deep into the other attributes.
> Is there an "average limit" for how many there should be?
Guys, I am very much aware that my explanations may be vague and, yeah, just suck. Also I´m a noob at this. But if there are any questions, just ask, and I´ll try to explain better. Hope that my main point/question got through! And please, do share your own ideas, solutions and experiences!
Cheers
/Seb
So, I´ve scoped the forum for topics about using tiles in GS and I have not found a satisfying answer. I´m working on a platformer (kind of a hard core platformer game, much like Super Meat Boy or Megaman etc.) where I´m going to have 11 chapters, each with 11 levels (scenes). Each level will be 960x640 and I´m using 32x32 tiles to build the levels in GS.
In the beginning, I started out drawing the levels and importing them as .png into GS and then placing invisible walls, floors etc. on top of the background. But this did not seem to work very good, I'm guessing because I was making (I still am) the levels kind of small... Like, everything was tiny, so that I could make as much use as possible of each scene. This made me scale down the invisible platforms and walls. Sometimes down to 10 pixels in hight or width. Also, the character was 8x8 pixels. Every scene lagged very much. I´m not sure if it was because of the large background images or that there were too many small actors at once. Or a combination...
But this made me remake the whole game, so I started making tiles instead. But I feel that the game lags anyway... I´m not sure what I have to do, or what way is the best way to build levels. Also, I´d love to get an explanation to why a certain way is better than the other. What makes e.g tiles, if that´s the case, eat up a lot of memory? Is it that every tile has collision-attributes and so on...?
So, just to clear things out. I´m trying to understand, once and for all:
1) Is GS tile-friendly or not?
> Should I just let the whole thing go down the drain or could it work?
2) What is the optimal way build levels?
A question off-topic:
3) I understand using many attributes slow down the game. But:
> What attributes slows the game most? I´m mainly
using TEXT-based attributes, because I haven't dug
too deep into the other attributes.
> Is there an "average limit" for how many there should be?
Guys, I am very much aware that my explanations may be vague and, yeah, just suck. Also I´m a noob at this. But if there are any questions, just ask, and I´ll try to explain better. Hope that my main point/question got through! And please, do share your own ideas, solutions and experiences!
Cheers
/Seb
Comments
From experience, I have used lots of attributes in my games, without noticable slowdown - the thing is though, what else are you going to do? All games need attributes, don't they?! I think that you NEED attributes, so you should just get on with using them and see how far you get! I'm sure that if you do hit a wall and start to notice slowdown, you could then start looking at ways to optimise the way you are doing things. You might eventually find a way to shave a few attributes out, but I'd cross that bridge when, and if, you come to it!
Also, for attributes AND level building, I've read on these very forums that the optimum way to approach both of these is with the power of TABLES! Sorry, don't know exactly where to look, but it's all here in black and white somewhere! Start by checking out TShirtBooth's site...
http://gshelper.com/
..., he's a table freak, and search these forums for 'optimization', I think someone mentioned that attributes are faster, or more efficient, or less memory hungry, when stored in tables - don't quote me on ANY of the above ;D
Enjoy, DON'T ditch it, but if you do need to, simplify it! You'll probably find yourself doing that anyway, just to get it done!
Cheers
Wayne
I guess it is just to scope out more on this topic and about tiles. I have checked a lot of TShirtBooth´s vids on youtube, they´r great! But did not quite get that one about tables. As I said, I will try it out again!
Thank you for your help man!
http://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/comment/343260/#Comment_343260
Sorry, haven't read them fully, but the TSB video is on the first thread, and I think they're on about buidling levels with tables in the second thread!
BestOluck!