Making shmup boss in GM

[ohmsweetohm]

I'm trying to make a shmup boss Blackheart(From Battle Garegga) in GM, but I'm not sure how to make it. The thing I have trouble with is making boss movement and path. How to make it in GM?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Rozyrg]

For simple circular paths you can use Lengthdir functions

Code: Select all

//create
angle=0

Code: Select all

//step
var spin_rate,radius; spin_rate=5;radius=65
angle+=spin_rate
x=lengthdir_x(radius,angle)
y=lengthdir_y(radius,angle)

For more random movements, you can have the boss simply 'bounce back' towards the center when it nears a screen edge. The problem with any random movement is leaving necessary breathing room for the player and ensuring the boss keeps a consistent range of motion.

Movement sequences can be done all kinds of ways. The simplest is to set timers and trigger changes in speed and direction; but you have to carefully plan out these changes to make sure that the boss will not scroll himself to death or do something similarly silly. I prefer setting specific 'points' that will be moved toward in a set sequence. The advantage to this is that you can generate them on the fly, adjust for the position of the player,screen boundaries and so on.

Speaking of paths, I haven't ever used GM's built in path system; but someone else here might be familiar with it.

[eebrozgi]

The method I've settled to is to make a bunch of attacks into the boss's alarm events and then using Time Lines to call them. And maybe place some unique movements or attacks into the Time Line itself. The point is, anyway, that Time Lines are pretty useful.

I'm also very unfamiliar with GM's Path system, I've only used it in Final Boss's intro with a shiny logo so far. It seems a rather stiff system to me, but I'm willing to learn from someone who knows better, too.

[n0rtygames]

If you GameMaker enthusiasts can come up with an algorithm to plot coordinates from 540x720 space in to your own games screen space - I'll make my path editor public when its finished. It'll just generate a .csv for paths though. Nothing complicated.

Failing that, I suppose I could make it read from a config file so you can specify the window size.

[Rozyrg]

Since you posted pics of yours, I've built my own. All it does is write 1D arrays of every X and Y coordinate to a txt file, though. Dunno how useful it will actually be; but I always enjoy building little simple functional 'toys' like that.

They're not technically paths in the vector sense; but they serve the same function essentially.

[BPzeBanshee]

I've done a few experiments with paths, and to be honest the best use for them in shmups as far as I'm concerned is for two things:
A) popcorn enemy movement, ie. Galaga formation intros
B) defining a natural fluent path for say, the screen via hooking the screen to an object position and moving the object around with a path

I see no real need for an external path editor when GM's one is already useful for these two purposes. Bosses are really better off with just vanilla direction stuff or what Rozyrg suggested above.

[n0rtygames]

Since you posted pics of yours, I've built my own. All it does is write 1D arrays of every X and Y coordinate to a txt file, though. Dunno how useful it will actually be; but I always enjoy building little simple functional 'toys' like that.

They're not technically paths in the vector sense; but they serve the same function essentially.

Damnit, did you read my source?

Mine does exactly the same. It just uses various parameters that are also used in the game to render the path an enemy would travel at given velocity and turning dividing thingy.

[n0rtygames]

I see no real need for an external path editor when GM's one is already useful for these two purposes. Bosses are really better off with just vanilla direction stuff or what Rozyrg suggested above.

Also, wasn't aware GM had one of these!