This set of tutorials covers how to change a Player's movement values in response to colliding with various ground types (such as ice). It also covers how to implement swimming, and how to transition between in and out of water movement. Multiple terrain types and water movement are common in many platformers super as Super Mario World.

This tutorial begins with an empty project and will create a project with a Player which changes its movement values according to collision with different ShapeCollections. [subpages depth="1"]

Introduction

The default Platformer project creates a game with a level (Level1). We will modify this level to create ice and water tiles.

Modifying Level1.tmx

We can open Level1Map.tmx to add additional tiles.

Level1Map.tmx should appear in the Tiled app. To make sure that no tiles from other maps are being used, be sure to close other TMX files in Tiled.

Default maps include a tileset named TiledIcons. Most of these icons have no built-in functionality, so they can be used to add custom behavior to your game. In this case we will use the ice and water tiles which are part of the tileset.

We can paint these tiles, along with more solid collision tiles, to create a test level with ice and water.

Conclusion

We have a level where the player can collide with the solid ground, but ice and water do not yet affect the Player's movement.

The next tutorial shows how to add collision and change the player's movement values on ice and in water.

Introduction

This tutorial shows how to add ice and water collision. We'll be setting up the TileShapeCollections for these two types of tiles, and creating collision relationships to control the interaction between the Player and these tiles.

Adding Tile Shape Collections

As shown in the previous tutorial, the Player already collides with the solid collision. This is automatically added by the New Project Wizard, so we don't have to do any setup for ground collision. We'll add ice collision first. To do this:

1. Click GameScreen

2. Select the Quick Actions tab and click the Add Object to Game Screen button
3. Select TileShapeCollection

4. Enter the name IceCollision

5. Click OK
6. Select the newly-created IceCollision object

7. Click the TileShapeCollection Properties tab

8. Click the From Type option

9. Change the Source TMX File/Object to Map

10. Change the Type to IceCollision

We'll repeat the process above to create water collision:

1. Click GameScreen

2. Select the Quick Actions tab and click the Add Object to Game Screen button

3. Select TileShapeCollection

4. Enter the name WaterCollision

5. Click OK

6. Select the newly-created WaterCollision object

7. Click the TileShapeCollection Properties tab

8. Click the From Type option

9. Change the Source TMX File/Object to Map

10. Change the Type to Water

Creating Collision Relationships

Now our game has two new collision relationships: IceCollision and WaterCollision. This means that when our game runs, collision shapes are created based on the water and ice tiles, but we haven't yet told the game how to handle collisions between the Player and these collision relationships. First, we'll set up collisions between the Player and IceCollision:

1. Drag+drop PlayerList onto IceCollision

The newly-created PlayerVsIceCollision is automatically set up to use Platformer Solid Collision physics, so we don't need to make any changes. We also need to create collision between PlayerList and WaterCollision, but this time we need to disable Platformer Solid Collision since the Player should be able to fall into the water. To do this, drag+drop PlayerList onto WaterCollision and select No Physics.

Now if we run our game we can collide with the ice tiles and fall through water.

Conclusion

Now our game has ice and water TileShapeCollections and collision relationships. You may have noticed that the ice currently acts identical to solid collision (bricks). The next tutorial will create new platformer variables for moving on ice and swimming in water, and will switch between them in response to collision.

Introduction

This tutorial, like many other tutorials, begins with an empty Glue project. I'll call mine PlatformerMovement.

Keep the Open New Project Wizard option checked.

Project Setup Wizard

Once the project finishes loading, Project Setup Wizard appears. Select the Standard Platformer option.

Conclusion

Now our project is ready to go. If we run the game we have a standard platformer project.

Introduction

As of the last tutorial our game has three tile shape collections:

• SolidCollision - the bricks that make up most of the level

• IceCollision - floating blocks of ice which should be slippery

• WaterCollision - an area of the level where the player should be able to swim

This tutorial shows how to create new platformer values for ice and water, and how to change between them depending on collision type.

Creating the Platformer Values

Before we change which platformer values are used based on collision, we first need to define the platformer values for the different movement types. As mentioned before, we will have the following platformer values:

• Ground - already defined by default

• Air - already defined by default

• Ice - will apply when user collides with the ice TileShapeCollection

• Water - will apply when the user collides with the water TileShapeCollection

To add a new movement value:

1. Click the Player entity

2. Click the Entity Input Movement tab

3. Click the Add Control Values button

Set the following values:

• Movement Type = Ice

• Max Speed = 160

• Speed Up/Down = true (click radio button)

• Speed Up Time = 1

• Slow Down Time = 1

• Jump Speed = 270

• Hold to Jump Higher = true (click checkbox)

• Max Jump Hold Time = .17

Repeat the process above to create a water movement. Click Add Control Values again, and set the following values:

• Movement Type = Water

• Max Speed = 120

• Speed Up/Down = true (click radio button)

• Speed Up Time = 1.3

• Speed Down Time = 0.5

• Jump Speed = 120

• Hold to Jump Higher = true (click checkbox)

• Max Jump Hold Time = 0.3

• Gravity = 210

• Max Falling Speed = 90

Using Ice Movement

Now that we have Ice and Water movement defined, we can write code in the Player class to set the movement values according to what the player has collided with. To do this:

1. Open the project in Visual Studio

2. Open Player.cs

3. Add the following code to CustomActivity:

private void CustomActivity()
{
    // Update ground movement:
    if(this.GroundCollidedAgainst.Contains(nameof(Screens.GameScreen.IceCollision)))
    {
        GroundMovement = PlatformerValuesStatic["Ice"];
    }
    else if(this.ItemsCollidedAgainst.Contains(nameof(Screens.GameScreen.WaterCollision)))
    {
        GroundMovement = PlatformerValuesStatic["Water"];
    }
    else
    {
        GroundMovement = PlatformerValuesStatic["Ground"];
    }

    // Update the air movement:
    if (this.ItemsCollidedAgainst.Contains(nameof(Screens.GameScreen.WaterCollision)))
    {
        AirMovement = PlatformerValuesStatic["Water"];
        AfterDoubleJump = PlatformerValuesStatic["Water"];
    }
    else
    {
        AirMovement = PlatformerValuesStatic["Air"];
        AfterDoubleJump = PlatformerValuesStatic["Air"];
    }

}

Now our Player will change movement values when moving on ice and solid ground.

Conclusion

This concludes the platformer movement value tutorials where we use multiple TileShapeCollections to change the movement values for the player between regular ground/air movement, ice, and water movement.