LÖVE

-- added local
local width = love.graphics.getWidth()
local height = love.graphics.getHeight()

-- require the module and assign it to the variable menu
local menu = require "menu"
-- create our main menu
local mainmenu = menu.new("Main Menu")
-- create our settings menu
local settingsmenu = menu.new("Settings Menu")

local Menu = {}
Menu.__index = Menu

function Menu.new(title)
	local self = {title = title}
	setmetatable(self, Menu)
	return self
end

return Menu

-- at the top of main.lua
local menustate = require("menuStates").new()
-- in love.draw
menustate:draw(dt)
-- in love.update
menustate:update(dt)

function love.mousepressed(x, y, button)
  menustate:mousepressed(x, y, button)
end

--Fps setter 
local love_timer_sleep = love.timer.sleep -- in s (like >=0.8.0)
if love._version:find("^0%.[0-7]%.") then -- if version < 0.8.0
	-- love.timer.sleep in ms
	love_timer_sleep = function(s) love.timer.sleep(s*1000) end
end

if dt < 1/60 then
	love_timer_sleep(1/60 - dt)
end

• How about drawing a custom mouse cursor icon (maybe one like this one) to make it obvious you've to click the menu
• You could change the color or size of a menu item when you're hovering over it
• Gravity isn't too difficult once you get it working. It can be tricky though. I'll have to take a proper look at the code.
• Try making the clouds float by to give a sense of movement.

daviddoran wrote:Hi buhb11. Great work on the game so far.
I used Game Maker a lot when I was your age and you should definitely keep working on the game, experimenting, and learning.

Now I'm fairly new to Lua and LOVE so hopefully other members will give advice too but here goes:

It's a good idea to keep your variables local to the file:

Code: Select all

-- added local
local width = love.graphics.getWidth()
local height = love.graphics.getHeight()

I'd put your requires at the top of the file.
For two reasons: (1) it's good practice (2) if you assign the required module to a variable you'll have access to it in the whole file.
Here's an example of requiring a module into a variable:

Code: Select all

-- require the module and assign it to the variable menu
local menu = require "menu"
-- create our main menu
local mainmenu = menu.new("Main Menu")
-- create our settings menu
local settingsmenu = menu.new("Settings Menu")

Here's what the menu module might look like:

Code: Select all

local Menu = {}
Menu.__index = Menu

function Menu.new(title)
	local self = {title = title}
	setmetatable(self, Menu)
	return self
end

return Menu

You could use this approach to make your modules such as menuState a little cleaner, e.g.

Code: Select all

-- at the top of main.lua
local menustate = require("menuStates").new()
-- in love.draw
menustate:draw(dt)
-- in love.update
menustate:update(dt)

I'd keep love.mousepressed in main.lua and then do something like this:

Code: Select all

function love.mousepressed(x, y, button)
  menustate:mousepressed(x, y, button)
end

This makes it clear what input handling is in your game by looking at main.lua and now you could have multiple menustates receiving mouse presses.

I'm not sure about this piece of code:

Code: Select all

--Fps setter 
local love_timer_sleep = love.timer.sleep -- in s (like >=0.8.0)
if love._version:find("^0%.[0-7]%.") then -- if version < 0.8.0
	-- love.timer.sleep in ms
	love_timer_sleep = function(s) love.timer.sleep(s*1000) end
end

if dt < 1/60 then
	love_timer_sleep(1/60 - dt)
end

Is this to get a fixed timestep? I think the best way to do this is with an accumulator (see viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3673). I'd say redefining love_timer_sleep every time love.update is called is very expensive. What was the thinking there?

In terms of game design and gameplay the first little things that came into my head were:

• How about drawing a custom mouse cursor icon (maybe one like this one) to make it obvious you've to click the menu
• You could change the color or size of a menu item when you're hovering over it
• Gravity isn't too difficult once you get it working. It can be tricky though. I'll have to take a proper look at the code.
• Try making the clouds float by to give a sense of movement.

Great work so far keep it up!