Game Maker Help!

You know i'm working in a fangame called "Super Mario chaos", no?

I want to add a load file system that shows you the current stars you collected the last time you saved, How can I make it?

It's a small start, but doesn't exactly solve his issue.

Anyways, upon research, you'll need to make use of INI file commands in order to accomplish this.

Direct Quote from Game Maker Help:

This file contains two sections, one call Form and the other called Game. The first section contains three pairs. The first two have a real value while the third has a string value. Such INI files are easy to create and change. The following functions exist in Game Maker to read and change the data in them.


ini_open(name) Opens the INI file with the given name. The ini file must be stored in the same folder as the game!
ini_close() Closes the currently open INI file.
ini_read_string(section,key,default) Reads the string value of the indicated key in the indicated section. When the key or section does not exist the default value is returned.
ini_read_real(section,key,default) Reads the real value of the indicated key in the indicated section. When the key or section does not exist the default value is returned.
ini_write_string(section,key,value) Writes the string value for the indicated key in the indicated section.
ini_write_real(section,key,value) Writes the real value for the indicated key in the indicated section.
ini_key_exists(section,key) Returns whether the indicated key exists in the indicated section.
ini_section_exists(section) Returns whether the indicated section exists.
ini_key_delete(section,key) Deletes the indicated key from the indicated section.
ini_section_delete(section) Deletes the indicated section.

Mess around with those a bit, and you should be able to figure it out. :S

How can I create an INI file?, Using notepad or I can create it with GM.

I think you can use Notepad.

Both, if you use GM it will be easier "In my opinion".

*.INI's are just text files. They're usually not even encrypted. This is why I highly recommend against using *.ini files for anything other than options and system settings; anybody can edit an *.ini save file with NotePad.

It's extremely unprofessional.

I'd actually just use text files, INIs are way too easy to edit(I've played games before and got stuck on just 1 level so I edited the INI).

.....and text files are more difficult to edit... How?

Usually because you'll just store the numbers, not the information that says what it is. I prefer using cstdio's binary file option for save files. I could write a DLL that allows you to write a Binary Save File if you want. I could even throw in a CRC32 Test to make sure there are no hacks of the save file. Want me to, Sergeant?

You could get really hardcore and use game maker's binary file functions.

But every save file will be hackable. Don't worry about it.

This post has been edited by RetroXYZ on Sep 12 2009, 10:49 PM

you could also do this by not naming your *.ini groups and values anything

so instead of

[SECRET STUFF]
BLUECOINS=0xFF


you put

[GR1]
VL11=0xFF

Ok, why not?, It probably works.

but that's still susceptible to reverse-engineering

basically if it's so important to prevent someone from accessing savedata, you're better off designing your own binary format that would require quite a bit of RE work to figure out (or they could just decompile your game and modify its loading/saving system or find out how to spoof data)

i don't know much about gm's savefile data format, but since gmk 'encryption' has been broken, somewhere on teh internet the savefile format is probably documented up and down the block so you probably wouldn't want to rely on it, either

basically don't waste time doing it

hi just wondering

why is it so important to secure the save data for a mario fangame

i don't think anyone would even want to bother with GM's built in save files
they're ****ing horrible and buggy as ****