Super Guide in Hello Engine 3 Lite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wun-Pyg6_FQ

honestly I suspect playback will desync on any computer other than my own, but you can try it out if you really want to.

(WARNING: the attached file is the entire HE3L with Super Guide tacked on)

Attached File ( Number of downloads: 101 )
 Super_Guide_How_to.zip

Wow, this is pretty dang impressive! Nice work on this how-to.

I don't get this, is it an AI or a prerecorded playthrough?

AI.

but maybe I should make that more obvious in the video

yes hello engine!

I'm sure if you could figure out a system that uses AI nodes you could make this more efficient, easier to make, and not involve "recording limits" for large levels.

Counting to ten now...
...done counting. Didn't work. Counting to ten again...
...nope

WARNING: FROTHING REBUTTAL AHEAD

30000 isn't really a "limit"
Each unit = one input change
Even if you rapidly mashed one key 30 times a second for the entire level you'd still have 8.3 minutes of input per level.
For normal gameplay, i.e. inputs change maybe 1 or 2 times a second, you get a half hour at least per level
And even then you can extend your playback by placing additional guide blocks when your first block runs out
I should just remove that line from the documentation and say "if gamemaker crashes, use more guide blocks"

GM7 has buggy keyboard_check methods. The 0.017-second input delay is the best I could possibly manage. It is very efficient speed-wise. The replay files are not encrypted, so they could be reduced in size just by changing the data format to binary. I think this method is easier to read and debug though

The hardest part of creating this system was replacing all of the keyboard checks and events for 100+ objects in Hello's engine. This will not change if AI nodes are used
If your system already uses a virtual controls object, you can just import the new superguide objects, set them to recognize end-of-playback conditions, and you're ready to record.
The only thing that AI would save you is the trouble of recording yourself playing, but you could delegate this to your beta testers, who would be playing at least once through every stage anyway

BTW this is the same system used to record playback for Mario Teaches Kana and Mariodius, except those games did not have the 1-frame input delay (and iirc they used better file compression) and I would wager Super Mario Advance 4 does the same thing too


TLDR: I'm having a bad day, do not question my AWESOME judgment lest you hear "great idea, I'm looking forward to seeing your AI system in action!"
ALTERNATE, MORE POLITE TLDR: That's an awesome idea MTC, but my computer science education only covers up to A* pathfinding (I know there are better algorithms out there) and I've since switched majors. If you have any ideas of how to make such a system work even in enemy-intensive areas or in maze levels, shoot me a PM and we'll talk about how feasible it would be to implement.

This post has been edited by exenefevex on Oct 10 2009, 07:49 PM

As nice as this is, I just fail to see it being useful.

To be really honest, only the more hardcore crowd play Fangames, so to add a feature (Once again, as good as it is...) for Casual gamers- Probably just a slight waste of effort.

But who knows?
Maybe this'll ATTRACT the casual gamers.
Although it's doubtable, they're too busy doing... casual... things... >_>

oh noes

Holy crap this is impressive...