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Ok, so lately i've been working on a pokemon flash game. Haha :P
I just wanted to know if anyone had any good ideas for storing all the data that i'm going to need.
Need to store all the pokemon you catch: health, attack, def, and experience
Need to store basic stats of all the pokemon that will be in my game
Need to store the levels of all the pokemon you put in your storage box.
Among other stuff..
Hi, there are three options:
-Local Storage (cookies)
-encode data into save string
-server side storage
Hope this helps a little; I dont have that much time for a complete explination, remember google is your friend
jtnw
I'd probably go for XML ... neat and compact ...
Anything constant should be XML/Flat files, anything that changes should be shared object or server side.
oh thanks everyone.
Anyone happen to know where i can find a GOOD tutorial on importing .xml data?
Cause all the ones i find never work :/
give a list of sample values you want to store and I can write you a simplified XML and Actionscript for reading.
well if you could just it anyway that would include the str, def, hp, total hp, and level of all my pokemon
As such. I want to basically have a list of of my pokemon with a value for their name with attached str, def, level, hp, and total hp of each one
kinda understand?
like i can pool the data from pigeyroute1 would be Pigey, 1, 3, 4, 10, 10
where name, level, str, def, hp, total hp
something like that?
just wing it haha
ok here is your example code (works,- tested it)
create a new textfile and rename it to "pokemon.xml" (make sure that your Computer displays file extensions), open it with notepad and enter the following text:
save itPHP Code:<pokemon active="1">
<p name="Keshi" str="55" def="15" hp="5/4" lvl="1"/>
<p name="Putera" str="1" def="3" hp="5/10" lvl="2"/>
<p name="Altaria" str="5" def="3" hp="2/10" lvl="1"/>
<p name="Denryu" str="1" def="3" hp="5/10" lvl="99"/>
<p name="Agehanto" str="5" def="32" hp="5/10" lvl="1"/>
<p name="Fushigidane" str="5" def="3" hp="1/2" lvl="1"/>
<p name="Kyatapi" str="21" def="13" hp="1/10" lvl="3"/>
<p name="Hinoarashi" str="52" def="3" hp="5/2" lvl="1"/>
</pokemon>
create a new Flash file (as1 or as2) and save the fla in the same folder as the XML file.
in the first Frame of the flash movie paste this code:
hope you can follow the code somewhat- besides the xml stuff I used arrays- a shortcut (shortcut is a in: [I]var a = array = new Object();) and functions.PHP Code:function loadXML(file){
_root.xml = new XML();
xml.ignoreWhite = true;
xml.onLoad = function(ok){
if (ok){
parseData();
}
}
xml.load(file);
}
function parseData(){
var node = xml.firstChild.childNodes;
// your data from the xml file now in variables
var active = Number(xml.firstChild.attributes.active);
var pokemons = node.length;
trace("active pokemon: "+active);
trace("total pokemons: "+pokemons);
_root.array = new Array();//the pokemons together in a array
for (var i=0;i<node.length;i++){
var a = array[i] = new Object();//object container to put all the variables into
array[i].name = node[i].attributes.name;
array[i].str = Number( node[i].attributes.str );
array[i].def = Number( node[i].attributes.def );
var hp = node[i].attributes.hp;
array[i].hp1 = Number( hp.slice(0,hp.indexOf("/")) );
array[i].hp2 = Number( hp.slice(hp.indexOf("/")+1,hp.length) );
array[i].lvl = Number( node[i].attributes.lvl );
//output
trace("name : "+a.name+" ,str: "+a.str+", def: "+a.def+", hp1: "+a.hp1+", hp2: "+a.hp2+", lvl: "+a.lvl);
}
}
loadXML("pokemon.xml")
if you need to recieve a certain pokemon later (make sure that the xml file is loaded before) you could use a function like this to easier fetch it:
of course the variables depend on the ones that were store before in the _root.array array.PHP Code:function getPokemon(nr){
return _root.array[nr-1];
}
trace("the 3rd pokemon is called: "+getPokemon(3).name);
good luck with it
wow. You are AMAZING for typing that all out for me.
Thanks so much.
Quick questions.
Do i have to start a new .fla then load that into my current game?
Or can i just throw that stuff in with my preloader frames?
And once i Trace a number from the source do i set it to a var to use it?
If so how?
Like
trace("the 3rd pokemon is called: "+getPokemon(3).name);
enemyname = //what?
sorry i never use trace.
ok my tip:
if you already have a preloader,- load the xml file right after the preloader is done (e.g in a frame right after the preloader but still before the game- like this:
(e.g 2nd frame):
in the frame after that (e.g 3) put this function somewhere in the main timeline (can be seperate layer but must be typed into the e.g 3rd frame):PHP Code:stop();//stop the movie here until the XML is loaded and parsed
function loadXML(file){
_root.xml = new XML();
xml.ignoreWhite = true;
xml.onLoad = function(ok){
if (ok){
parseData();
}
}
xml.load(file);
}
function parseData(){
var node = xml.firstChild.childNodes;
// your data from the xml file now in variables
var active = Number(xml.firstChild.attributes.active);
var pokemons = node.length;
_root.array = new Array();//the pokemons together in a array
for (var i=0;i<node.length;i++){
var a = array[i] = new Object();//object container to put all the variables into
array[i].name = node[i].attributes.name;
array[i].str = Number( node[i].attributes.str );
array[i].def = Number( node[i].attributes.def );
var hp = node[i].attributes.hp;
array[i].hp1 = Number( hp.slice(0,hp.indexOf("/")) );
array[i].hp2 = Number( hp.slice(hp.indexOf("/")+1,hp.length) );
array[i].lvl = Number( node[i].attributes.lvl );
}
gotoAndPlay(3);//goto the main content
}
loadXML("pokemon.xml")
if you did all this, your movie should jump to the 3rd or more frame (depending what you used the example used 3) where your game starts.PHP Code:function getPokemon(nr){
return _root.array[nr-1];
}
Within that frame you can then use things like this (button script):
or thisPHP Code:on(press){
trace("the 7th pokemon is called: "+getPokemon(7).name);
}
(erh looks complicated but can be simplified as well, just store the variables somewhere once and then you can access them anytime)PHP Code:on(press){
trace("current pokemon is called: "+getPokemon(Number(xml.firstChild.attributes.active)).name);
}
personally I usually have 3 frames in each Flash Movie
1st: preloader for the whole Movie
2nd: preloader for the xml file
3rd: the actual content
wich is why I suggested frame 3,- but try to apply it to your situation
I assume that things like Health and active pokemon will change over the course of the game and therefore need to be stored in a shared object, not permanent files.
I second thatQuote:
I assume that things like Health and active pokemon will change over the course of the game and therefore need to be stored in a shared object, not permanent files.
@Hiei676: you can use the xml files for loading data once into the game but if you need to save it later on somewhere it can be complicated.
So in my oppinion it would make sence for using the XML as general Pokemon list (the ones that are available in total)- and inside the shared object wich you can save just some idīs to wich ones the clients player has.
The advantage XML has and the reason so many flash developers use it because it easy to read with a texteditor and therefore easy to edit. You dont need to run FLash for it and you dont need to re- export your movie (compiling). Instead just opening the file, make changes and save it- then upload and you are done with the changes.
Shared objects come in usefull when you need to store smal data (arrays, variables and strings are usually very smal). Inside a shared object you can save most Flash Object types inlcuding XML (but wich I wouldnīt advise here).
If you take my example I gave you I would store for example just the _root.Array into the shared object and perhaps some other variables like the amount of pokemons and the current one.
some references for shared objects:
http://www.kirupa.com/developer/mx/sharedobjects.htm (kirupa is always nice)
http://www.permadi.com/tutorial/flas...ect/index.html
http://www.adobe.com/support/flash/a...shared_object/
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com...2-5061241.html
well renderhjs, thank you so much for all your help.
See my goal was to use this .xml to store all the random pokemon that will appear for battle. These stats will be unchanged no matter how the game is played. In this sense, xml is perfect.
But I already thought about it and i know i'm going to have to use something entirely different for saving the PLAYER's pokemon and i didn't really give much thought into developing that.
I'm a little noobie when it comes to data mangement. I never used flash and massive data management in the same sentence. :P
I guess i'll try the tutorials and figure it out once i have my timer working properly for my battles.
xml is about the worst option for this imho. I would just set up a mysql database and set up a few linked tables...
I dont think SO(shared object) is a very secure option if your at all worried about hacks.
Off course, storing the data in tables doesn't exclude XML at all, the data could still be output to XML format.Quote:
xml is about the worst option for this imho. I would just set up a mysql database and set up a few linked tables...
Something else to consider : editing an XML file is quicker than editing data in tables, even if you create an admin tool. At least for someone who is fluent in editing textfiles, like a coder should be. It's also less stress for the server, but this probably shouldn't matter (much).
hmmm i figured it would be more server intensive to rewrite the xml files over and over again....but apparently im wrong...so xml file rewriting would be the least intensive?Quote:
Something else to consider : editing an XML file is quicker than editing data in tables, even if you create an admin tool. At least for someone who is fluent in editing textfiles, like a coder should be. It's also less stress for the server, but this probably shouldn't matter (much).
good to know... i feel like a jackass now :P
Not what I meant... Outputting to urlencode or xml format should be equally intensive, if you're sending to the browser. If you save them as files from your script (ie caching) it wouldn't matter either.
But if you manually edit the xml-files versus creating the output dynamically from a database, there is a difference. But not a difference you should generally worry about, unless you have massive amounts of requests.
I think both joran and fallx have misunderstood the problem. We would be absolute morons to suggest XML if this was a serverside database, however this is just the client side list of Pokemon, much like you would store XML maps for a game of moderate size along with the .swf.
These files are not going to be written to, or manipulated in any way, only read and kept client side.
Suggesting MySQL for this case is as nonsensical as telling someone to store their music collection inside oracle.
For what I am using the xml for, that is correct.Quote:
Originally Posted by 691175002
The xml is going to be used for a list of permanent vars (constants) that shall be called into my game.
Now on the other hand I am going to need another idea for saving all my player's data (his pokemon and their stats) to something.
quick question on the xml.
if i have something like this.
That gives me battlehpstring as undefined. What is my error? Am i not fetching the number properly?Code:battlehpstring = battlehpstring - (getPokemon(2).str + random(3))
Thats where you use shared objects, no offense, but putting together a server + database is not only excessive, but probbably beyond you for now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hiei676
Can't help much with the code in that context, try tracing out each component to see which one is the undefined and track it down from there(Im guessing getPokemon()).
trace out the values if something like this happens:
trace("a: "+battlehpstring);
trace("b: "+getPokemon(2).str);
trace("c: "+random(3));
besides could it be that battlehpstring is a string and not a number?,- if so you canīt compute that forumula with -
what is the exact code for making some data from the .xml into a varible.
As such.
How do i make myamazingvar = the pokemon's str in slot 2 or whatever?Code:myamazingvar = //what?
Nice to know I'm a moron.
By the way, using SO, as soon as the user clears cookies, they will lose their saved data.
Flash handles Shared Objects separately, clearing them actually takes a fair bit of work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Beez