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3321

Debates / Re: Evolution: Fact or Theory?

« on: May 23, 2006, 02:52:43 am »

One could loosely suggest that someone born with an extra chromosome was more monkey like, but that is ignorant an unfounded.  Evolutionists tend to go by the fossil trail left by humanoid forms over eons of time.  The enlargening brain, and the skeletal changes show a gradual change.  DNA is mainly used as supporting rather than substancial evidence.

As for the numbers, scientific studies will often yield data that is a little off from a previous value, but they cannot be expected to get the same results every time.  Samples change, they are not the same.

3322

Debates / Re: Evolution: Fact or Theory?

« on: May 23, 2006, 02:41:11 am »

In fact the human and a grain of wheat share about 27% of the same DNA structure - the earthworm far more.

You know that is in DNA structure alone.  The fact that humanity and the earthworm share more of a DNA match only further supports evolution.  Earthworms were some of the first creatures to develop and be visible by today's macroscopic standards.  They developed a primitive digestive system and even had blood pumps that were the precursor to hearts.

The similarities with wheat is mainly due to most if not all organisms having the DNA components of A T C and G.  Since the grain of wheat is smaller and thus it has less genetic code, it would make it easy for the simple wheat plant to have what seemed like a big similarity to a human. 

However, humans and primates do share a lot of behavior and physical features that cannot be ignored.  Apes use tools too, are they starting to develop some intelligence?  Certainly, the dumb ape who knows sign language is a stupid animal, right?  The similarities are so compelling that even a DNA match of 75% would be enough to establish some link.

3323

Debates / Re: Evolution: Fact or Theory?

« on: May 23, 2006, 02:22:13 am »

If this response were a valid challenge to evolution, it would equally invalidate creationism and Christianity, since they are based on events that nobody alive today has witnessed

Why do you keep bringing religion into this debate... this debate was not "Evolution vs Creation", it was "Evolution Fact or Theory"... Stick with what you know swiftu.

What Shiftu was was saying could not have been clearer.  Trying to disprove evolution with a religious concept does not work.  It is not even like he was the first to bring religion into this debate, and not that it mattered, since it would have inevitably shown up anyway. 

I do not know about you, but having a 98% genetic similarity which a chimpanzee could not be just a coincidence.  This scientifically backed-up claim suggests a few things.  Either:

1) The primate was God's mistake or prototype human that he forgot "get rid of".
2) Man descended from primate, and this accounts for the similarity.
3) Apes descended from man, and this shows de-evolution.
4) A universal fluke occured that not only is strangely similar, but overly complicated in the way that it happened.

Option 1 contradicts itself because this God is omniconscious.  He knows everything.  How could he make a mistake?
Option 2 shows the theory of ape to man evolution, a pretty stable explanation
Optoin 3 somewhat supports Creationism, but also shows a form of evolution.  If man could go from man to ape, then why not in reverse?
Option 4 is just a random universal oddity that could explain it if you lack a better understanding.

3324

Debates / Re: Evolution: Fact or Theory?

« on: May 23, 2006, 12:31:45 am »

In more complex species, macroevolution is not common and nor should it be.  There may be some cases, but overall, it is something that is hard to accomplish.

On the microscopic level though, macroevolution does occur more frequently, i.e. transduction.  When a virus, typically a bacteriophage, comes into contact with a host bacterial cell, it inserts its DNA in order to "take over the factory" of the bacterial cell.  Sometimes, however, some of the bacterial DNA are packaged into the bacteriophage viron.  When the new viruses leave the host cell, they carry this DNA fragment with them.  When they come in contact with a new bacterium, the bacterial fragment may enter the new bacteria hosts DNA and even harmonize with it.  This creates a new bacterium.  While some may view this as long distance reproduction, it is not true reproduction.  It is some genes of the bacterium, but not nearly enough to make a complete new one.  Since the viral parts that transmitted the DNA fragment are not living and were created in the bacterial cell itself, they can be somewhat viewed as the bacteria's own, but not fully.

Bacteria also macroevolve in another way. 

Bacteria, as asexual organisms, inherit an identical copy of their parent's genes (i.e. are clonal). All bacteria, however, have the ability to evolve and change their genetic material, either through mutation or genetic recombination. Mutation occurs as a result of errors made during the replication of a gene and most often gradual. It occurs naturally and as a result of the presence of mutagens. Some bacteria can increase the rate of mutation during DNA replication as a response to stress. (Wikipedia)

 

3325

Coding / Re: [GM6] Platformer Question

« on: May 22, 2006, 02:17:32 am »

Oops, I should have read that better.  I did not help him because he helped himself and you reinsured his thinking, but in the end I helped you, so it all works out ^_^. 

3326

Coding / Re: [GM6] Platformer Question

« on: May 22, 2006, 01:27:00 am »

It probably has to do with the collision detection of the character.  Having a mask represent the objects dimensions eliminates this problem.

If this is true, go under the object properties of your character and change the mask from "same as sprite" to something that would work.

My friend noticed that happens when making his platformer. How does it work?

A transparent sprite's dimensions change during its animation, so when it is being pulled by the game's gravity, it falls and is then impeded in its later movements.  A mask makes it so you can have a transparent animated sprite with unchanging dimensions.  You can always switch the mask in later code if you want or even define it by something else like a left or a right facing sprite, but that might do something later that will give an undesired result.
EDIT: The bounding box is the thing that changes on the animated gif unless manually set to some value to avoid it from changing.  A mask is easier to use, and a mask can also be used by other objects which comes in handy.

I think it's falling at the same time it's standing. It can fall because it's on solid ground, but it trys to fall because it's also above the air, if that made any sense.

Oddly enough, once I read that I realized how I could fix it! (I hope it works!)

EDIT: Yep, it works! Thanks,

Glad to be of some assistence ^_^.

3327

Coding / Re: [GM6] Platformer Question

« on: May 22, 2006, 01:17:25 am »

It probably has to do with the collision detection of the character.  Having a mask represent the objects dimensions eliminates this problem.

If this is true, go under the object properties of your character and change the mask from "same as sprite" to something that would work.

3328

Coding / Re: GML Code help

« on: May 22, 2006, 01:06:44 am »

It is good that you have at least some regard of GML, over the course of a big project, it is the most useful because of how dynamic it can be, but I will say that D&D is alright it you are doing something simple.  The only D&D I use is to have a code box, only because it is required to do GML easily, so I would never personally use D&D beyond that point.  But, just because I do not use it does not mean that you should too.  So long as it does not infere with general development, then I guess it is alright, but I still prefer GML, even if it makes me feel stupid for not knowing C++ to the fullest.

3329

Coding / Re: GML Code help

« on: May 22, 2006, 12:48:51 am »

The time it takes to go from box to box in D&D compared to the time it takes to move from line to line of text in GML code is greater.  Considering the fact that people who program in Game Maker can read, this means that in GML, which is text, would be read and processed faster by the human mind.  In D&D, the same could be said only if you knew exactly what the code did before going over the D&D boxes.  The fact that if you have a long column of D&D boxes, you have to scroll down, which diverts attention away from the boxes, which can cause the mind to skip on the information given.  In GML this is not as prevailant because more text fits to the text area (the number of boxes held in the viewed D&D column is less than the amount of words in most GML code; the more boxes, the less seen without scrolling).

While you can make long D&D codes, GML texts can be viewed in their viewed state the most.  Thus, as you progress in your game's programming, you do not have as much going back and forth, all while not seeing more and not having to click or hover over something to see its all of it.  You many be able to see what the type of box is, but that does not mean that you automatically are able to determine all about it.  The time it takes to fully recognize code is greater than the time it takes to recognize a D&D box, but the total time to undertand everything about it is less. 

A problem with D&D though is if you have a unique library and you give your GMD/GM6 file to someone who does not have that library.  The other person will not be able to edit the D&D boxes that are in your code because they do not have the libraries.  GML code is constant in all Game Maker programs though.  The only time some GML code does not transfer is when going between GMDs and GM6s, but the same thing happens with D&D, except that it cannot be edited I believe.

3330

Other Discussion / Re: Wow I can't beliebe this..

« on: May 21, 2006, 11:47:05 pm »

I AM A BELIEBER

Yeah, but seriously, I cannot wait for the Nintendo Wii.  When Sony's Eyetoy came out I would act like an idiot on my friend's webcam pretending it was an Eyetoy.  I accidentally hit it and it fell onto the wood floor so it broke, but it was fun while it lasted.

3331

Coding / Re: GML Code help

« on: May 21, 2006, 11:24:54 pm »

As bertfallen said earlier, the CTRL+F helps you find the problems in a script quickly and easily, but unless you know what they mean, then it might still be difficult for anyone other than the person who put in every part piece by piece, structure by structure, and who knows what the code is because he or she put the code where it is. 

I was not pointing out errors, only what everything did.  D&D would be easier to find errors in anyway because the code itself is often simple not in the sense of brilliance but in the sense of lackluster achievement.  Those who take the same time to learn GML benefit from easier error location even though their may be more errors.  The reason for those errors is not the fault of the GML itself, but the fault of becoming advanced and having more code.  The errors in my code are not really errors, just how the direction variable is determined.  If you are moving up and left, in my code, are you facing up or left.  That is determined by the previous non-diagonal direction.  So, if I were going left and then while holding left pressed and held up, I would be facing left while moving up because up is not the direction I face, it is only the offset of where I am going.  The "correction code" only ensures that the graphics remain constant and do not change under the same circumstances.

I will admit there is a problem with my code.  Not in the GML, but of how it is recognized.  To fit the condition I want, I would have to probably edit how moving is defined.  It would be easy, but my inspiration for finishing the game is nowhere to be found.    If I were to set all of that code up in D&D though, I would have a lot of little boxes.  To fix the moving problem as I have stated earlier, I would have to scroll up and down through all other boxes and figure out where to either put a new box, edit a box, or remove a box, and frankly, that would take way to long.

To each his own, though, as some famous person once said.

3332

Coding / Re: GML Code help

« on: May 21, 2006, 10:09:43 pm »

The code I posted is for the step event of Link in my game.  If I would comment, it would be easier to understand, but I am at the point where comments no longer matter.  I can read the code as if it were my native language.

//Defines shorthand key variables
up
u=keyboard_check(vk_up)-keyboard_check(vk_down)
down
d=keyboard_check(vk_down)-keyboard_check(vk_up)
left
l=keyboard_check(vk_left)-keyboard_check(vk_right)
right
r=keyboard_check(vk_right)-keyboard_check(vk_left)
//Define moving, not moving, and directions
is it moving
if (u||d||l||r){moving=true}else{moving=false}
//dumb code, defines direction by sprite
up sprites
if sprite_index=link_s_u||sprite_index=link_w_u||sprite_index=link_sh_u{global.dir="u"}
down sprites
if sprite_index=link_s_d||sprite_index=link_w_d||sprite_index=link_sh_d{global.dir="d"}
left sprites
if sprite_index=link_s_l||sprite_index=link_w_l||sprite_index=link_sh_l{global.dir="l"}
right sprites
if sprite_index=link_s_r||sprite_index=link_w_r||sprite_index=link_sh_r{global.dir="r"}
if not sheilding or swording, but normal walking or standing
if global.state="normal"{
up walk
if u&&!l&&!r{sprite_index=link_w_u}
down walk
if d&&!l&&!r{sprite_index=link_w_d}
left walk
if l&&!u&&!d{sprite_index=link_w_l}
right walk
if r&&!u&&!d{sprite_index=link_w_r}
diagonal movement, because if you go up one unit and across one unit at the same time you are going diagonally in a direction by the square root of two
if moving=true{
if ((u||d)&&(l||r)){movestep+=(movespeed/sqrt(2))}
else{movestep+=movespeed}
while (movestep>=1) {
movestep-=1
xstep=r-l
ystep=d-u
if place_free(x+xstep,y){x+=xstep}
if place_free(x,y+ystep){y+=ystep}
}
}
else{
if not moving, define sprites
movestep=0
switch (sprite_index){
case link_w_d: sprite_index=link_s_d; break;
case link_w_u: sprite_index=link_s_u; break;
case link_w_l: sprite_index=link_s_l; break;
case link_w_r: sprite_index=link_s_r; break;
}
}
}
//Sprite Correction
corrects any errors that come up, not always that there will be, but better safe then sorry
if xstep<0&&sprite_index=link_w_r{sprite_index=link_w_l}
if xstep>0&&sprite_index=link_w_l{sprite_index=link_w_r}
if ystep<0&&sprite_index=link_w_d{sprite_index=link_w_u}
if ystep>0&&sprite_index=link_w_u{sprite_index=link_w_d}
if xstep<0&&sprite_index=link_s_r{sprite_index=link_s_l}
if xstep>0&&sprite_index=link_s_l{sprite_index=link_s_r}
if ystep<0&&sprite_index=link_s_d{sprite_index=link_s_u}
if ystep>0&&sprite_index=link_s_u{sprite_index=link_s_d}
if sprite_index=link_s_u&&moving=true{sprite_index=link_w_u}
if sprite_index=link_s_d&&moving=true{sprite_index=link_w_d}
if sprite_index=link_s_l&&moving=true{sprite_index=link_w_l}
if sprite_index=link_s_r&&moving=true{sprite_index=link_w_r}


GML is easier, I do not have to click and edit more than twenty drap and drop boxes to do what I want.  Everything that I want to edit in the step event is in one spot. 

3333

Coding / Re: GML Code help

« on: May 21, 2006, 09:52:45 pm »

Like I would have liked to learn what I am going to post here by going through D&D and then going to GML.  If you start out with GML, you can start a lot faster.  You do not even have to know how to do everything.  There are programs that will break down the D&D for you.

The simple fact is that D&D is not practical, and because of its unpracticality, it is a waste of time to learn and then switch to GML.  If you are serious about Game Maker, you should go straight to GML.  The time it takes you to learn it is about the same as D&D if not less, and in the end you do not have to switch when you get constrained by limits.

I would not want to do this in D&D.  If there was a mistake in it, it would take a very long time to find the mistake in D&D

Code: [Select]

u=keyboard_check(vk_up)-keyboard_check(vk_down)
d=keyboard_check(vk_down)-keyboard_check(vk_up)
l=keyboard_check(vk_left)-keyboard_check(vk_right)
r=keyboard_check(vk_right)-keyboard_check(vk_left)
if (u||d||l||r){moving=true}else{moving=false}
if sprite_index=link_s_u||sprite_index=link_w_u||sprite_index=link_sh_u{global.dir="u"}
if sprite_index=link_s_d||sprite_index=link_w_d||sprite_index=link_sh_d{global.dir="d"}
if sprite_index=link_s_l||sprite_index=link_w_l||sprite_index=link_sh_l{global.dir="l"}
if sprite_index=link_s_r||sprite_index=link_w_r||sprite_index=link_sh_r{global.dir="r"}
if global.state="normal"{
if u&&!l&&!r{sprite_index=link_w_u}
if d&&!l&&!r{sprite_index=link_w_d}
if l&&!u&&!d{sprite_index=link_w_l}
if r&&!u&&!d{sprite_index=link_w_r}
if moving=true{
if ((u||d)&&(l||r)){movestep+=(movespeed/sqrt(2))}
else{movestep+=movespeed}
while (movestep>=1) {
movestep-=1
xstep=r-l
ystep=d-u
if place_free(x+xstep,y){x+=xstep}
if place_free(x,y+ystep){y+=ystep}
}
}
else{
movestep=0
switch (sprite_index){
case link_w_d: sprite_index=link_s_d; break;
case link_w_u: sprite_index=link_s_u; break;
case link_w_l: sprite_index=link_s_l; break;
case link_w_r: sprite_index=link_s_r; break;
}
}
}
//Sprite Correction
if xstep<0&&sprite_index=link_w_r{sprite_index=link_w_l}
if xstep>0&&sprite_index=link_w_l{sprite_index=link_w_r}
if ystep<0&&sprite_index=link_w_d{sprite_index=link_w_u}
if ystep>0&&sprite_index=link_w_u{sprite_index=link_w_d}
if xstep<0&&sprite_index=link_s_r{sprite_index=link_s_l}
if xstep>0&&sprite_index=link_s_l{sprite_index=link_s_r}
if ystep<0&&sprite_index=link_s_d{sprite_index=link_s_u}
if ystep>0&&sprite_index=link_s_u{sprite_index=link_s_d}
if sprite_index=link_s_u&&moving=true{sprite_index=link_w_u}
if sprite_index=link_s_d&&moving=true{sprite_index=link_w_d}
if sprite_index=link_s_l&&moving=true{sprite_index=link_w_l}
if sprite_index=link_s_r&&moving=true{sprite_index=link_w_r}might as well say that the part of the code that helps with the diagonal movement was created by Goodnight.  It seems so far to be the best for the diagonal movement, so until I find anything else, it is what I use.

3334

Coding / Re: GML Code help

« on: May 21, 2006, 09:20:25 pm »

No, everything I have said is something that I have thought of in five minutes or less. 

3335

Coding / Re: GML Code help

« on: May 21, 2006, 09:16:06 pm »

The walking and running metaphor is not the best to describe the situation anyway.  It is more like having your parents drive you around before you get your license to drive and then learning how to drive.  Your parents did everything for you, so you might know what it is like to drive, you have never done it.  You could probably imagine yourself doing it, but not all of it.  When you learn to drive, you quickly realize that it is not simply push pedal and turn wheel.  There are other factors you have to learn.  The whole fact that someone did something for you does not give you the progresses ability to do something.

In other words,  while D&D may be good for beginners, it really does not help you to go into GML.  If you were a master of D&D, you would still have to learn how to set up GML.  Not only that, but GML offers more than D&D does, so even if you know all of D&D, you are still missing out on a lot of stuff.

3336

Coding / Re: GML Code help

« on: May 21, 2006, 08:53:54 pm »

I cannot remember if there is supposed to be a space before the first bracket thingy, but that is how I would set it up.  Are you setting it up for just changing after one type of sprite is done, or is there more than one sprite?  If there are more, if would look like this:

switch(sprite_index){
case(old_sprite1):sprite_index=new_sprite1; break;
case(old_sprite2):sprite_index=new_sprite2; break;
case(old_sprite3):sprite_index=new_sprite3; break;
case(old_sprite4):sprite_index=new_sprite4; break;
}

It is good to try and run before you walk.  It shows ambition and lack of fear.  Those who often start out running never fear falling down because they go through it a lot, and in the end they are stronger for it.

3337

Coding / Re: GML Code help

« on: May 21, 2006, 08:44:48 pm »

if sprite_index=old_sprite{sprite_index=new_sprite}

3338

Coding / Re: Very simple question. (GM)

« on: May 20, 2006, 01:59:15 pm »

Try this:

Code: [Select]

test =  "litlle text thing";
{
if sprite_index=ball2{ball.speed=0;draw_set_font(-1);draw_text(x,y,test);
}
LATE EDIT: Didn't notce my parenthesis flaw there, lol, my bad.

3339

Other Discussion / Re: what languages can you speak?

« on: May 19, 2006, 12:18:24 am »

The only language I know other than English is Spanish.  Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn in my opinion; there are irregulars, but for the most part it goes by grammatical rule.  I can listen to Japanese and break down the pronounciations into sylables, but I doubt that means anything.  I do know how to do war commands from watching Gundam in Japanese though ^_^.

3340

Other Discussion / Re: When you google "araknidkid"

« on: May 19, 2006, 12:04:16 am »

Lol, all I get is a lot of swords and other random crap.

This surprised me though, but I am not on it even though it turned up in a search for me.  It said i was logged into www.zfgc.com in something I do not remember.