NPC movement speed

ID:1057927
 
Nov 20 2012, 3:12 pm
Keywords: movement, npc, speed
(See the best response by Kaiochao.)
Code:
mob
     Alienbaby
        icon = 'beasts.dmi'
        icon_state = "alien baby"
        Click()
            usr << "It seems that they raise alien babies in the future."
        New()
            walk_rand(src)


I have this file for an npc moving about the screen, but it moves too fast. Is there any way I can slow it down?

Nov 20 2012, 3:29 pm
Best response
Provide a move delay in the walk_rand().

Or, if you're using pixel movement, give it a lower step size in either walk_rand or the object definition.
Nov 20 2012, 10:23 pm (Edited on Nov 21 2012, 12:19 am)
This is how I usually handle movement, because I still use byond's built in glide feature. It can be quite good when done properly.

proc/get_speed_delay(n)
    if(n != 0)
        return (world.icon_size * world.tick_lag) / n
    else
        return (world.icon_size * world.tick_lag) / 1

proc/get_glide_size(n, dir)
    if(dir == NORTH || dir == SOUTH || dir == EAST || dir == WEST)
        return n
    else
        return n + (n / 2)

atom/movable
    var/speed = 1
    var/tmp/move_time = 0

    Move()
        if(!src.loc) return ..()

        if(world.time < src.move_time) return 0

        . = ..()

        if(.)
            src.move_time = world.time + get_speed_delay(src.speed)
            src.glide_size = get_glide_size(src.speed, src.dir)


This rewrites the default Move() for everything, causing anything that moves to require a speed variable which controls how fast it will move. A speed of 1 is as slow as the FPS of the world will let you move with built in gliding. A speed of 10, for example, is 10 times faster than 1.

If you use this, you'll need at least a world.fps of 32 or so. Then, you'd just call walk(ref, direction) or walk_rand(src) and make sure to set the speed, and the rest will be taken care of.