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chicory and rosemary

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[Coding Diaries] Using Nodes to Apply Jump Impulse

With the recent runtime fee Unity has imposed on their new pricing scheme, a lot of independent and professional developers are jumping ship due to future issues they foresee regarding the market of their games. 

After much deliberation and self-debating, as well as looking up other devs' opinions on the matter, I decided to switch to Unreal to develop my first game for my portfolio.

I thought the transition would essentially mean starting from scratch, thus my hesitation, but I found myself becoming familiar with concepts easier than expected due to my previous learning experiences in Unity. I already knew terms like components, nodes, and object-oriented programming. This helped me focus more on how Unreal's logic behaved when it came to making things move and operate in the gamespace.

My experiences from other disciplines helped shape my workflow in Unreal as well: especially the concept of non-linear editing and establishing variables, so the behavior still works even when certain values change. 

Case in point: making the cube, in the image above, jump. A Udemy course tasked me with making it happen through Blueprint, a built-in node system in Unreal. It taught me the basics of Events, getting components, the different switches, and adding values.

Using these basic concepts and a little Googling, this was the node system I established for the cube jump, using the Impulse node to operate it.

There is truth in the benefits of learning holistically, as there are concepts that will carry over to different disciplines and will help ease your brain towards taking in the new information, making the learning process more streamlined. Here's to taking further steps into making my own game!

UPDATE:

https://imgur.com/a/BRhuiRJ

The behavior of the Jump Impulse on each cube is different because of the Blueprint composition of each one. The one on the left has extra nodes that transform the mass value to a vector value, then extract the z, and finally apply that z value into the Input. This makes the cube jump a lot more and launches it into the air.

The one on the right has less nodes, only activating the Velocity Change on the Impulse node and entering a value to the z axis. This results in smaller, “more realistic” jumps. Right now I still don't know why this is the case, when they are basically the same value with extra steps.The only big change I'm seeing that could affect these behaviors is the node that translates the mass into a vector. Because even when the velocity change is off, the cube on the right jumps in the same manner.

~~~Okay let me try to break this down... The tutorial said that the Impulse has its own equation of Mass * Velocity Change, but even with the Vel Change unchecked and the numbers manually typed into the Z axis of the Impulse data pin, it was still different from the left cube. So something must have changed in the data of the various nodes I used on the left.

Even if I never find the answer, I guess this has been a hard lesson to always look for optimized, shorter ways to achieve what you want in the game. Also, a lesson to make the game lighter. Hooboy!

[zeurille]

Portable

Today, I watched a history documentary on YouTube about Saudi Arabia, and I saw these nomads. The narrator said, “Everything they own…has to be portable,” and I reflected on the way we’ve lived these past few years here in the UAE. A country that shares a history of nomads with its Arabian counterparts, it’s interesting that this nomadic lifestyle is mirrored in how we constantly move from emirate to emirate (Sharjah>Dubai>Abu Dhabi), and how we have to constantly throw things out or bring them with us. I feel like we are essentially nomads ourselves; we have permanent boxes with us and we rarely have house decorations!

This apparent link to the past helped me be more at peace with the fact that we don't have a permanent home to call our own. At least not while we're living here. To see it as a possible lifestyle gave way to new mindsets about managing storage space and its direct relation to weighing the need of purchasing new things. Space becomes an important factor when acquiring new furniture, shifting from traditional to digital media, deciding what to cook in the kitchen, arranging sleeping quarters, purchasing clothes, etc.

It is encouraging that it's now okay for me to not own a lot, and it helps me place more value on what I purchase, keep, create, and acquire from all the places I've gone to. I've been more mindful of these things, and it helps me maintain a minimal lifestyle. A life that doesn’t cling to so many material possessions that can just clutter up the household or prove too heavy to transport during our next move, which will be imminent.

Would I still want a permanent house of my own in the future? Maybe, but right now this seemingly nomadic lifestyle throughout the decades has taught me that it's okay to live a simplistic life free of attachment from objects and places that may not hold as much meaning to me as I would have myself believe.

As the narrator said, "Everything you own must be portable."

[zeurille]

[Coding Diaries]: Adding Points on a Key Press

Diving into if-else statements. This one's a doozy:

I have to add 10 points every time I hit the spacebar. It seemed simple enough at first: if I hit space, I add 10 points. Then I realized I cannot just put <+10 points> directly as one line of code; it had to be a full statement, with an equal sign or a parenthesis. So, I declared a variable for the points to add, appended it to the points in the Update method, and then printed the new points score.

Oh, what stupidity! I was too flowery with my sentence when I could have just made it so much simpler:

...just friggin add 10 then print.

Hahahahahahahahhaahhahahahaha!

This is my villain origin story :')

~~~

EDIT

OMG, it gets worse!

You can add 10 points without needing to define the variable; you simply add <=> to indicate that it's a full equation.

[zeurille]

[Coding Diaries]: Tip Calculator

It's been a while, but I decided to come back to writing here to share my latest breakthrough in coding. I coded my very first Tip Calculator, where I utilized variables to make a working equation and print out a result according to the number values that the user inputs.

Almost gave up ‘cause I didn't know how to put a percent variable. I was gonna play the next video to get the answer, but I paused and tried to figure it out one more time by taking a different approach. The objective was to convert a whole number into a percentage and store it in a variable. I decided to make an equation for it so every time the user inputs a desired Tip value in whole numbers, the calculator would automatically convert it into a percentage.

Through researching samples of code, I soon figured out that you can assign the variable first and THEN make the equation.

~~~

Sharing this because it was one of the hardest challenges I had encountered in my entire life—one that required a mix of logic and math, all while having to contextualize it into this new language of C#. It was very daunting, but rising up to the trial proved that I had the ability to go beyond what I thought I was capable of. I had always thought I was hopeless when it came to logical thinking and math, but this little challenge showed me otherwise.

I remain optimistic about improving my thinking skills. Perseverance and a never-say-die attitude bears fruit, and hopefully I can pick up a new ability after everything is said and done. I haven't continued the video to see the answer to this, so I'll get back to you on that!

*Update*

Watched the Challenge Review, and I forgot to print out the total tip amount and the total bill amount. So I just made another local variable that has the total bill amount!  Haha! I learned a new thing~

[zeurille]

MH Diaries- Re-learning how to hunt

After a few days of training with the bow, I decided to take those newfound skills out for a spin. I faced my first Black Diablos, and I can say the hunt went waaay smoother than I expected. Definitely an improvement from my clunky performance pre-training!

I spent a significant amount of time poring through the Play Guide, going through tips and tutorials of the game that I hadn't been familiar with before. I took a moment to go through the camera settings and set the camera to Focus, so I could have 24/7 visibility of the monster once I locked on to it. This could limit my vision of my surroundings, but it could prove helpful on focused hunts. At this point in time, I should be accustomed to the locales' environments after all. Emphasis on should.

I familiarized myself again with the Item Box—what items I equipped, my armor stats and my weapon. I also found out that my current Zinogre bow does NOT accept any other coating than the Power coating, and that was after I had stocked up on the other coatings already. Bummer.

Upon facing the Black Diablos, I did my best to apply the bow's movesets from my training. I utilized the Charged Shot to Thousand Dragon combo, and tried my best to take aim at its weak parts, which I discovered to be its wings and hide. I don't know if the head is considered weak, though, since the damage numbers weren't appearing as orange, but I was able to break the horn, as well as its wings, before the 30-minute mark.

The local Felynes, a Palico furr-iend, and Turf Wars with the Diablos and Brachidios helped in making the hunt run smoothly. I did consume all my First Aid Meds and almost all of my potions, but I managed to timely dodge a few Black Diablos surprise attacks from its burrowing state.

I was able to land many of my shots, and was more aware of the reticle showing whether the attack was going to result in a critical hit. Something thatI took advantage of. I also managed to perform the hit-and-dodge technique of the bow pretty well, albeit not perfectly.

It was a good first hunt after a long time. Of course, that was still a hunt from the HR quests, so I know that the Master Rank quests will pose more formidable threats.

The true challenges are still up ahead, and I still have so much to learn, but I have learned to open my eyes and my ears, absorb more knowledge, and rely less on the sheer might and strength of my own weapon. It's time to adapt.

[zeurille]

From the Training Grounds to the pool

The target is in sight, and my weapon in hand. A second to draw breath, and then I aim, the bowstring pulled taut by fingers shaky with both excitement and anxiety. Everything aligns and the arrow flies free from my grasp. The air whistles as the projectile tears through it. The creature jerks its neck towards the sound.

I miss.

The arrow finds a new home in the trunk of a nearby tree, and my fingers find a new reason to tremble. Quickly discarding frustration for determination, I nock another one. But when I raise my head to line up my next shot, I’m not met by the sight of my quarry.

Instead, I stare at the seemingly endless blue of an olympic-sized pool, breathless after my tenth attempt at freestyle. Ten attempts and about thirty instances of drinking the water, but who’s counting, right? I shake my head and shake the aftertaste of chlorine from my mouth. I am the image of resolve as I get into position once more. The next dive, for sure.

***

One of the appeals of Monster Hunter is the semi-simulated feel of its controls and gameplay. The weapons offer their own sets of strengths and limitations, requiring a different kind of approach and mindset for each one. You step into a different pair of shoes when you go from one to another, and you can feel the gears in your mind shifting as you get accustomed to each weapon’s moveset, timing and speed. I relate this feeling to real-life athletic activities, where you have to devote time to train and master the principles of it to achieve optimal results.

Yes, anyone can wield a weapon. Yes, anyone can run. However, it takes a seasoned hunter—one who has dedicated time to understand their weapon of choice—to fell a monster with the masterful skill that comes with, and is expected of, the profession. In the same vein, it takes knowledge of proper form and preparations for someone to lift weights, swim across the pool, and run great distances with ease of execution and avoidance of injury.

This train of thought delivers me to the realization that a big source of my frustration comes from “winging” both realms of “athletic pursuits.” As long as I can shoot arrows, I’ll be able to defeat the monster, right? As long as I can paddle, I can reach the end of the pool, correct?

Well, yes and no. Past experiences from different hunts and different sports lead me to believe that while it is possible for me to achieve this, I’d eventually hit my head against a figurative ceiling.The limit of how far stubborn determination and unguided exertion can take me. I wouldn’t be able to reach the next level of that undertaking without making an effort to have an in-depth understanding of each weapon; of each sport.

For the longest time, I was content with just wielding a hammer in Monster Hunter, swinging its weight around until I managed to defeat the monster. The beauty of the game, though, is that its difficulty curve is designed such that a time will come when you reach a wall which pushes you to learn other skills. Preparations that can be made to ease the hunt, creative solutions to hurdles that currently seem insurmountable, and methods to outsmart certain monsters. Things that I need to seek advice on from other hunters—those that have gone before me and figured out the tips and tricks. In moderation, of course; I still want to grow through my own experiences and merits.

It’s quite similar to delving into new types of sports. With running, you need to learn the proper form to avoid injuring your knees and feet, and to be able to make the most of that exertion and travel greater distances. In weight training, you need a gradual progression, working your way up from beginner exercises and light weights to the heavier loads, all the while keeping in mind concepts like proper breathing, posture, and center of gravity. For swimming, breath control is crucial, as well as the rhythm and timing of your strokes while keeping an aerodynamic form in order to successfully and smoothly reach the other end of the pool.

And that’s why I love Monster Hunter’s “feel for the real.” I can draw comparisons like these and it makes the endeavor more enjoyable despite the struggles that accompany it. I can visualize carrying a hammer while practicing deadlifts, envisioning my hunter applying the same techniques that were taught to me but within the context of her weapon. There is a sense of fulfillment in figuring out the adjustments needed—which body part needs to move and in what way—to finally get the proper form down. In the same way, there is equal excitement in executing a weapon combo after taking the time to learn and practice the correct sequence button inputs.

In both aspects of training described above, there is accomplishment in achieving greater progress through practice and preparation as opposed to just winging it. Intentional improvement versus improvisation.

With all these in mind, I was able to swim across the pool, breathing a little more and drinking a little less. Thanks to the videos that I watched and the advice from experienced swimmers (a.k.a. my parents), I learned to look behind me when I raise my body slightly so that I can take in some air through my mouth. Another thing I picked up was using my hips as the pivot to turn myself sideways and remain streamlined—use the core, not the upper body. On the Monster Hunter side of things, I was able to deal significant damage using my bow and pull off the combos that I wanted to learn after poring through the instructions of the weapon’s basic and advanced controls. The UI provided me with the information, and I put it into practice. Again and again.

Another similarity between hunts and sports is the need to have a goal. As a hunter, accounts of people facing the Fatalis and living to tell the tale are the stuff of legends. Personally, I haven’t defeated this formidable black dragon yet, but someday, right? I’ve also dared to dream of finishing an Ironman race; even just a half Ironman would do. Both of these seem out of reach with my current skills, but that only serves to emphasize my need for a focused resolve. I need to stop swinging my weapon senselessly and give my drive a sense of direction.

Ready. Aim. Swim.

[zeurille]

have a jet wallpaper, as a treat pose inspo

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the gang™

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Resurgence

♪ Here I am, being who I want, giving what I got, never a doubt now ♪

Man I wish I was as confident as Kira. But I find myself stumbling over and over again, repeatedly expressing frustration as I feel like I'll never get anywhere. But I guess resilience is still on my side, because I'm writing here now, my first ever legit post, just to record my journey in the scary world of game dev. 

I want to record my findings, my thought process, and hopefully, my growth. I chose to post it online for better archiving, free storage in the cloud and a more accessible way to post images that I produce from the computer--coz let's face it, I am dedicating my life to the computer now. 

I also keep this separate from my IRL journals coz I have so much more to say, and this is more optimized and more sustainable method for me. It's faster and my hands will also suffer less with all the ideas I want to write down.

Optimization and sustainability: two important things to consider when writing code-heck, when making a game. So once again, here I am, doing another attempt at diving in and learning how to make a game.

Maybe this blog-writing thing will help me maintain a bit of accountability, even though I know I'm the only one reading this. Then again I can be accountable to myself, as I will look back on this years later and hopefully I will witness growth. Hopefully this blog-writing will help untangle my thoughts, generate ideas, and brainwrite things into existence.

I gotta tell you, writing for myself feels wonderful. I haven't written anything in a long time, not even to express myself. Maybe the last thing I wrote for myself was that self-insert fanfic, that if you, dear reader, are interested, then maybe I will reward your visit to this lonely site with more information about it

I feel more in touch with myself, and I can hear myself more. Free from the hulabaloo of the outside world, I can come here and collect my thoughts in peace, and then articulate them in writing.

And in here, there is no one I need to please but myself.

It's cozy. It's familiar. It's safe.

Then maybe I can think a little clearer, maybe work a little better.

Then again, only time will tell.

~~~

With the introduction out of the way, I am to report my latest activity regarding my game dev journey

I am starting from zilch, and what I'm learning right now is a course that I bought called 

The Ultimate Guide to Game Development with Unity (Official)I am currently on the "Player Lives & Damaging".  But let's go back some more to where I actually legit started to learn, and some of my small accomplishments that I also want to note... 

"Wisp"

I should tell you that I have already coded my first game, called "Wisp". It was my entry to Game Jam, where I attended with my sister, who was in charge of the art, concept and story. I stepped down from the creative side to focus on coding, and I had to make a little detour from the Unity lessons to search for tutorials and tips that cater more to the output of our game. How, pray tell, were we able to make a game within less than three days without prior experience in coding? I was asking myself that same question on that very day the Game Jam started, and I was on my feet quickly grasping for answers.I managed to code a working prototype by the skin of my teeth, and there are factors that I have to consider and be thankful for or else I wouldn't have survived Game Jam. I will make an attempt on breaking them down to the best of my memories: First there was my sister, who managed the art and story and concept. She was able to provide something tangible on the first day, enough for me to translate it into simple game mechanics and fit them into what I can do in Unity. Not only did she give me an idea to start with, she was able to do the tasks I couldn't do and that helped me focus on my coding. Then there was my effort to focus, not to sweat on the small stuff, and focus on what matters most in the game. Now that I have a basic knowledge of the mechanics, the characters and the goal of the game, I can find some coding that can work with those. It helped me make decisions faster, and I HAVE to make fast decisions. 

| screenshot of the game

Yes, we are doing 2D. So I will translate all the coding I learned so far from my Udemy course from the default 3D to its 2D counterparts. The character is a disembodied "soul", so I turn off gravity and have it floating around, being manipulated by the directional buttons from all sides. The goal is to collect memories by "touching" certain points, so I will have to incorporate "OnTrigger" to the game objects that require interaction with the player that will trigger specific events.These specific events are revealing parts of an entire background as a storytelling device. Once everything is revealed, the portal to the next level opens, and the player can move onwards.

public class Memories : MonoBehaviour

{

    public Transform BGOneObject;

    private UIManager BGOneUI;

    private void OnTriggerEnter2D(Collider2D collision)

{

        if (collision.tag == "Player")

        //access Player script and add coins method here

        {

            //log

            Debug.Log("Got first memory!");

            //create a reference variable to the component we want, then assign

            Player player = collision.GetComponent<Player>();

            //null check to see if it exists

            if (player != null)

            {

                Debug.Log("Player is here");

                player.AddMemories();

            }

            BGOneUI = BGOneObject.GetComponent<UIManager>();

            if (BGOneObject != null)

            {

                Debug.Log("UI IS HERE");

                BGOneUI.MemoryRevealA();

            }

            Destroy(this.gameObject);

        }

    }

}

 | Excerpt of my script. This is from the Prefab "Memories"

This is when I went beyond the knowledge I learned from my Unity course at that time. I searched for code and syntax that will allow the gameobject to reveal parts of an image, and to trigger the portal to the next level once the image is "complete". I also have to define in code what it means for the image to be completed, and I figured it's the number of gameobjects collected. The image appearing is just an indication of the gameobject being collected. I also searched for the basic code for level change, the menu, and the "Play Again" button. I gotta admit that these were added at the very end, just to give the game a "finished" feel.

I wasn't too hyped after submitting it, maybe because I didn't allow myself to celebrate over a "little thing". Though now looking back at it, it seems like there is an idea there that can be polished and upgraded, to a full-on working game. Maybe I will pick it up again in the near future. There is still a lot of work to be done, and I hope I won't falter from it.

Resurgence pt. 1

I was in a long hiatus from game dev for months after submitting Wisp. It was a lot of things: the new sideline and balancing multiple jobs, moving to a new apartment with family, and a slight fear of going back to it again. So I never managed to get back to it Until now. It took me 3 days, a few pages each day, to re-read the notes I wrote during my Unity lesson. The thorough note-taking helped me recognize and visualize what the lesson was explaining. I can still understand the logic behind the code and remember how I typed it in Visual Studio. I forgot a few parts and code, and I tried not to beat myself over it and just re-learn; get -re-acquainted with it. I realized I cannot get them all on the first try, even though I have created my very first game. I need to read and re-read, diligently take down notes and revisit some basics to get the hang of it.  I really need to make an effort, no matter how busy I am, to put aside time to learn game development. I should not let it out of my sight. I should spend at least an hour every day until the program feels like second nature to me and the fear subsides. I have made many attempts to overcome my fear and busyness and tackle game development, and I felt like I was going nowhere for years. But in writing this, I was reminded of what I did, which was a legit working prototype of a game, and what I need to do, which is to constantly practice and learn. This I haven't tried yet. Knowing these, I can say with some certainty that there is still hope for me, but the journey is not going to be easy. I hope that I will go through this journey nevertheless.

✦Zeu out✦ 

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I love her in every universe

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shadow and maria deserve the world

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big fan of stobotnik art that looks like this

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And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content you have known me

-The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint

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Shimo = bestest girl

Shimo is an overgrown reptilian ice-puppy, and I'm so happy she was freed from her torment <3 Also, she reminds me of Anguirus. She's like a chonky, icy Anguirus.

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Mom-thra's advice

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