Match 3 PlayMaker Kit (#1GAM5)

[Flying Robot]

For those who don't know about my previous #1GAMs / PlayMaker Kits
Showcase Thread Link

This month I'm resorting to the casual genre. It'd be a Match 3 Game. Very interesting logic. Time to have fun with ArrayMaker.





Screens and WebPlayer

[Flying Robot]

Swap Mechanism. Two options of the generation of the grid. One system generates the grid with Match2 checked, another one (better) ignores Match2 and checks for Match3 only.

WebPlayer

[Flying Robot]

The Match 3 system is mostly done. Please check. It looks simple. But believe me, it's not.

Now it's time to add some graphics and a countdown timer.



WebPlayer

 Let me know what you think.

[sebaslive]

Great work! I think this is quite the achievement to do and I bet it was pretty difficult to accomplish.

[Flying Robot]

It was really a programming puzzle! At one point I wondered if it's at all possible with PlayMaker.

But then, PlayMaker surprised me.

[Sjones]

only thing I would suggest is doing the drop of the cube once all matches have been completed - if you move a block to create a pair of matches (2x3) it does one, then drops the above and then does the second.
If the first set moves your second set out of position, that second set of 3 is not counted and just drops.

[Flying Robot]

only thing I would suggest is doing the drop of the cube once all matches have been completed - if you move a block to create a pair of matches (2x3) it does one, then drops the above and then does the second.
If the first set moves your second set out of position, that second set of 3 is not counted and just drops.

Nice find! Will update.

[Flying Robot]

Can you check the WebPlayer again?

WebPlayer

The thing works like this...
1. Based upon the player's move, match3 is run on the picked position and then the swapped position. Here, match3 is run twice. So, if the pieces are moved in the 1st run, they will be detected in the 2nd run. They won't drop without checking.
2. While running match3 the cascading takes place in the 3 items if the match3 is detected.
3. While cascading the repositioned items are tagged.
4. At last, counters loop through the grid and check for the tagged items for recursive match3.
5. Stops where there are no more tagged items.

[Lane]

Haven't tested very in-depth but it seems to work fine, just too fast for me to really see whats happening. I'd slow it down so the player can see the matches pop away and the above units drop down.

[Flying Robot]

@Lane : Thanks for Playing and for your suggestions. I've slowed the dropping/cascading a little bit so that it registers.

Also, The bugs gave me such a hard time in this project decided to dedicate this project after them. Cute bugs though.

Please play and let me know if they are still in it. 

Screens and WebPlayer

[Lane]

Hmm did you test the webplayer? It doesnt work for me, says there was an error downloading.

[Flying Robot]

Just checked it again. Working fine.

I think the # in the dropbox link may be causing some problem in some browsers, will remove that.

[Lane]

Works now.

There's some bug where its popping a block that isn't related to the sequence. Try making some debug tests or slow things down so you can see exactly what pops and watch it. I noticed it pop one to the side (only one) instead of doing the vertical sequence lineup and it left the last vertical one alone. Seemed to be something weird happening every few pops.

Also how does it figure the long non-3 rows out? So if you have 4 blues with a red in the middle and you swap in a blue for a big row of 5 blues then how does it figure out which ones are the three series that its going to pop?

Looking much better now that there is some speed control and graphics.

[Flying Robot]

@Lane

Thanks for lending a hand in crushing the bugs. The game is full of it

Here's a special build with slo mo dropping and a vigourous shake before popping of the bugs. Mainly to catch attention where next popping is going to occur.

Please play and let me know what you think.

Link to WebPlayer

[Lane]

Man, great work. Trying in slow mo is a lot easier to follow. I didn't see any bugs, tried a bunch of long combos and stuff. I probably saw a chain combo pop somewhere else on the board before and I only caught the tail end of it. Either that or the speed somehow causes a bug that gets the wrong .. bug. Either way i can dupe it in slowmo.

Combo's would be a good idea to implement. If you push in and make a 5 string of the same kind it just seems like they should all pop rather than the 3 neighbors which can be hard to guarantee. Other than that it seems pretty impressive.

*edit

okay i just played the faster version, its definitely doing something weird. It looks like it skips the middle block sometimes.

Push one into the center on a vertical run. It will always leave one behind.