Effective looping methods for rules

HoneyTribeStudios · February 2012

Just wondering what different methods peeps are using for looping rules. So that an attribute keeps getting changed 'till it no longer meets certain conditions.

What I'm using at the moment feels a bit convoluted.

gyroscope · February 2012

@HoneyTribeStudios

Hi Shaz, funnily enough I helped someone out tonight with a looping mechanism; I just pop between a boolean switch state; here's the thread (finally resolved at the end); I don't know if it's simpler than the method you're using at the moment; hope it helps. :-)

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HoneyTribeStudios · February 2012

@gyroscope - your thread link went walkabout

gyroscope · February 2012

Whoops, so it did! I stopped it trying to get on a bus. "Oi!" I said. ;-)

HoneyTribeStudios · February 2012

@gyroscope - thanks for the link. Unless I'm not reading it right that 's not quite what I'm talking about though.

So to be a bit more clear, I have the following rule:

When game.textAttribute contains game.integer
Change game.integer to random(1,20)

So I want to be able to loop that in a simple way until game.integer is changed to a number that is not already listed inside my game.textAttribute

At the moment I'm just pasting the rule multiple times which is a crappy way of doing it. (And also may not always work)

gyroscope · February 2012

I see, sorry, misunderstood (only about the third time this evening)!

First to ask, do you want the loop over time, or straight away, as it were? Or maybe text.Attribute is "fed" at different times anyway... (just trying to get what the type of gameplay is first...

THe way you've got it at the moment seems fine to me anyhow:

When game.textAttribute contains game.integer
Change game.integer to random(1,20)
otherwise....

Or maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick again.

PS Can I ask: did you get receive email today with your promo code for End of the Earth?

Clouds · February 2012

If ping then pong
If pong then ping

Result = ping pong.

I don't charge for advice.

HoneyTribeStudios · February 2012

@gyroscope. No worries - I appreciate that you often take the time to stop and help.

Yeah, it's to trigger straight away.

The rule is choosing an image from a list of 20. And making sure that the 4 that are on screen at the same time are all different.
So I'm storing what image is currently on screen in the text attribute.

Writable tables will make this easier, just thinking of something in the meanwhile.

I'm now testing if putting the rule from the post above in an 'every 0 sec timer' will work. Although I'm thinking I'll need to wrap another rule around that with a boolean so the timer is not constantly active. And then setting booleans at various other places to reset it. Again though, a bit long winded and messy.

HoneyTribeStudios · February 2012

@Tynan. No no, I insist. Please accept my payment with gratitude:

Clouds · February 2012

@HoneyTribeStudios

I normally only accept PNGs as payment, but I will make this exception for King Homer II.

HoneyTribeStudios · February 2012

@Tynan - That's a good policy. You never know when microsoft will suddenly start printing jpgs and completely devalue them.

Edit: P.S - any ideas for simulating a loop behaviour?

Clouds · February 2012

"You never know when microsoft will suddenly start printing jpgs and completely devalue them"

Exactly . . . > pixelative easing . . . > inflated currency . . . > next thing you know you have a wheelbarrow full of old JPEGs just to buy a loaf of bread.

gyroscope · February 2012

That's odd, @Tynan, in my part of town it cost two loaves to buy a jpeg...

Hi again @HTS how about

When Switcheroo is false
Change attribute Switcheroo to true

Change attribute Switcheroo to true
When game.textAttribute contains game.integer
Change game.integer to random(1,20)
Change attribute Switcheroo to false
otherwise...

HoneyTribeStudios · February 2012

@Gyroscope - ah, maybe your other post DID have what I was looking for after all then. I shall try this now, cheers

gyroscope · February 2012

I hope it works out...

Here's a refinement I've just thought of: make Switcheroo true to start with, then the following:

When Switcheroo is true
Change attribute Switcheroo to false
When game.textAttribute contains game.integer
Change game.integer to random(1,20)
Change attribute Switcheroo to true
otherwise...

MotherHoose · February 2012

gameAttribute …text type … named: picked#s
gameAttribute … index type … named: curr#
gameAttribute … index type … named: loopCount
randomPicker: selfAttribute … index type … named: maxLoop# … set to max #s

on randomPicker:
Rule: when
Attribute: game.loopCount ≠ self.maxLoop
--Timer: Every: 0.5 seconds
---changeAttribute: game.curr# To: random(1,20)
---Rule: when
----Attribute: picked#s contains game.curr#
-----changeAttribute: game.curr# To: random(1,20)
---Otherwise:
----changeAttribute: game.picked#s To: game.picked#s.." "..game.curr#
----do what has to be done
----changedAttribute: game.loopCount To: game.loopCount+1

well that is a loop for a do while … but don't know if that is what you want

@};- MH
PS know you don't need this detailed info … but may help someone else
EDIT: of course … all those gameAttributes can be selfAttributes on the randomPicker

HoneyTribeStudios · February 2012

@MotherHoose - Yeah could be useful for peeps searching through threads. On an unrelated note, what games do you have released? Was just wondring as I don't think I've seen them?

@Gyroscope - Yep your suggestion seems to work well so far - cheers. I'll email you a vid tomorrow so you can see how it worked out.

Effective looping methods for rules

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