Infinite difficulty increase?

[Captain Spazer]

Sorry for asking so many questions, but I got yet another one: How would I go about if I wanted to scale the difficulty an infinite amount, or rather, up the speed too it's absolutely fastest?

 

I usualy do difficulty by something like "If BOSS is hit, then a=a+1, and a contains a set speed of a sprite or something. But that is really not efficient.

 

What I want to know is, can it be done so that the playfield scrolls faster and faster?

 

My current logics for the pfscroll is this but it dosn't speed up.

   dim _Scroll_Control = w

 rem Master Computer's shield logic
   if _Scroll_Control = 28 then pfscroll right : _Scroll_Control = 0
 gosub SPEED_UP

SPEED_UP
   _Scroll_Control = _Scroll_Control + 1
 return

Edited September 4, 2016 by Captain Spazer

[+Random Terrain]

Whenever a question is asked, there is a chance that it will help improve the batari Basic page. Sometimes more text is added to help explain things better or new example programs are made.

 

"if _Scroll_Control = 28" is stuck at 28. Seems like it would be better to have a variable in place of the 28 that decreases over time. For example, if you replaced 28 with _Scroll_Difficulty and used a counter called something like _Scroll_Diff_Counter, you'd probably get what you are looking for. Here is a very rough example:

---

   dim _Scroll_Control = w
   dim _Scroll_Difficulty = x
   dim _Scroll_Diff_Counter = y

   _Scroll_Difficulty = 28


__Main_Loop


   if _Scroll_Control => _Scroll_Difficulty then pfscroll right : _Scroll_Control = 0

   _Scroll_Control = _Scroll_Control + 1

   _Scroll_Diff_Counter = _Scroll_Diff_Counter + 1

   if _Scroll_Diff_Counter > 200 then _Scroll_Diff_Counter = 0 : if _Scroll_Difficulty > 2 then _Scroll_Difficulty = _Scroll_Difficulty - 1 


   goto __Main_Loop

---

Remember, that's just a simple, rough example.

 

If you don't want _Scroll_Difficulty to go as low as 1, change the 2 in "if _Scroll_Difficulty > 2 then _Scroll_Difficulty = _Scroll_Difficulty - 1" to a higher number.

[+Gemintronic]

Usually you want to find several factors that you can make more challenging and add them over time.

 

In my latest game "Game Panic 2" I have a timer that appears on screen as miles. The longer the player plays the more difficulty ramps up. I guess my main point is that just increasing scroll speed may not be a complete answer.

 

Here is the difficulty ramp up for my game:

 

Reaching mile 16 will double the bugs falling.

Reaching mile 32 will cause lighting to strike.

Reaching mile 48 makes bad clouds warp and dive.

Reaching mile 64 causes bugs and lighting to move faster.

Reaching mile 80 increases enemy speed again.

[Captain Spazer]

That's true, but it's my main key feature so I'm starting with a playfield that speeds up =)

[Captain Spazer]

Okay, thanks guys. I managed to get a routine going, one step closer to completion =)

[+Lewis2907]

From what I learned from RT and me playing around with speed. This may help.

 

dim _Scroll_Control = a.b
dim _Scroll_Difficulty = c.d
dim _Scroll_Diff_Counter = e.f

 

it uses fixed point math. Since I like DPC+ games better you have to include "include fixed_point_math.asm"

 

I use the below as a template.

 

set kernel DPC+
set tv ntsc
set smartbranching on
set optimization inlinerand
include fixed_point_math.asm
set kernel_options collision(playfield,player1)

 

The only drawback I see is that you use up your variables, but with out them going from 1 to 2 maybe too fast for gameplay. If you use 1.2 or something it should be faster, but more manageable to play.