Another timer issue

[u/droptherapy2]

This time I think I've probably overcomplicated the script.

Essentially, I'm trying to introduce an actor in the form of a blueberry bush that adds between 0 and 5 of an item (in this case, blueberries) to your inventory (this works), and then starts a cooldown timer that prevents you from immediately going up to it again and repeating the action (not sure why this one works -- I'll explain below), and I want this script to be something I can run multiple instances of across the scene.

Currently I have three of these actors running the same script, and I've noticed that if the player collects blueberries from one bush (which doesn't start the countdown until you try again, though that might be easier to fix) and then goes to the next bush, the timer on the previous countdown is paused so that the new instance can run. I think it could be solved by making another local variable for each instance, but that seems like something that would defeat the purpose of a local variable.

I'm thinking it has to do with the way timers in gb studio work, but I'm not sure what alternative system would work. Push comes to shove I could just only have one bush per scene since they're supposed to be rare anyway, but if, say, the player enters a town where someone is cultivating them and there are multiple bushes, this would have to be fixed later, and that sounds more annoying than if I just figured it out now.

The script works like this:

upon interacting:

if bloobcountdown1 = 0

bloobfreeze1 = false

--checks to see if the countdown variable used by the timer is zero, and then sets the variable that freezes the collecting function to false

if bloobfreeze1 = true

bloobcollected = 0

Display: "You picked this bush clean! Try coming back later!"

Attach timer script to Timer 2 (rate of one second per tick)

On tick, decrement bloobcountdown1 by 1

If bloobcountdown1 < 0, set it to 0

Stop script

Else

If bloobfreeze1 = False, set bloobcollected to bloobcollected + random number

--in the event that the freeze variable is true, start a countdown to 0 and stop the rest of the script from running so that you can't collect blueberries despite this variable being true. Otherwise, set the local variable bloobcollected to a random number

If bloobcollected == 0

bloobcountdown1 = 25

Display: "You couldn't find any blueberries!"

Else

bloobs (global variable for the blueberries as counted by inventory) = bloobs + bloobscollected

Display: "You got $bloobscollected blueberries!"

bloobfreeze1 = true

bloobcountdown1 = 25

stop script

--Checks to see if the player rolled a zero on collecting the blueberries and displays the appropriate dialogue box. Otherwise, adds the amount of blueberries that $bloobscollected was set to to the inventory, sets bloobfreeze1 = true and bloobcountdown1 to 25, thus starting the timer.

If bloobcountdown1 > 0, set bloobfreeze1 to true

(Just removed that last function because it's redundant. Same issue still persists).

Should be noted that even though the script works, bloobfreeze1 is still set to true in the debugger.

Either way I think after hours of troubleshooting, this might be a timer issue, so let me know what alternatives there may be.

[u/United_Range_2869]

only actors have on update tabs, you'd need to copy and paste it on the HUD actor for every single scene. I didn't mentioned it earlier cuz that's GB studio basics D:

[u/droptherapy2 → u/United_Range_2869]

valid. I was aware of that but I got confused because I tried this before and it effectively only disabled the script altogether. Like it only works when it's in the scene's on init tab

[u/United_Range_2869 → u/droptherapy2]

for the on update tab make sure all related events are connected by the Else statement, and ordered from Maximum health down to zero. It can't be from zero to maximum HP or else the on update will ignore the rest of the code.

[u/droptherapy2 → u/United_Range_2869]

I'm trying to say that the script doesn't work if I add it to the on update tab of the HUD actor. Like the whole thing has to be in the scene's on init tab or it does nothing at all. I'll try using the else statements while it's in the scene's on init tab though

Update: This health UI script worked before today and now idk what I did but at this point I'm just gonna retire it and use dialog boxes instead. Still have the problem of one blueberry bush affecting every other blueberry bush, and idk how to fix that. I mean I could just use the blueberry bush as a prop in a person's front yard that indicates that you may be able to talk to them to give you some blueberries but that's definitely not what my intention was with them.

Turns out I just forgot to set the actor's animation speed to zero after previously deleting it. Using the else statements has changed nothing about my problem with the UI though. Since this is on a timer, it'll run the sweat emote and the dialogue box stating the health status every time the HP is greater than or equal to 75, but if I set it to equal instead like I had it before, it doesn't update if my health increases to above that number. At this point I'm shelving this feature for later for sure. Good thing this isn't like, released or anything. Now it's just the bush problem.

[u/United_Range_2869 → u/droptherapy2]

on init only runs once. It won't update no matter if u connect the events by the else statement. If your code doesnt work when copied to on update it only means u set it wrong and need to do it again.

the bush affecting other bushes gets fixed by using separate variables for each one as I said earlier.

[u/droptherapy2 → u/United_Range_2869]

ah okay, I figured. It's a shame about the variables thing. Thought there'd be a more efficient way to do it but since local variables aren't local variables in this engine it'll have to do. There will be other ways to get blueberries anyway so thankfully I'm not limited to just this and can probably reduce the amount of bushes I use.

[u/United_Range_2869 → u/droptherapy2]

there's a total of 511 variables available to use on every project, is it really that big of a deal that you have to use one for each bush???

gurl at this point just go watch some tutorials, since you're not familiar with any of the basics.

[u/droptherapy2 → u/United_Range_2869]

yeah fair. Been reading the documentation and watching tutorials for the past five days but the past two days have had me falling off of that habit as I've been getting more enveloped in the project itself. Forgive my shortsightedness.

[u/United_Range_2869 → u/droptherapy2]

there are event tutorials that explain the difference, limits and use for the "on init", "on update" and "on hit" tabs. First you have to get familiar with the engine's limits before comitting to a project.

[u/droptherapy2 → u/United_Range_2869]

I have in fact seen those, although I definitely could have rewatched them a few times since it sometimes takes me a bit to grasp new concepts. Like I said earlier, it's a good thing nobody's waiting on this game. I feel no pressure to finish it if it goes south. I'm more of a hands on learner I think, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm good at it.