LBaP! Lesson 9 Update

Previously, we looked at setting up menus using a trigger system. In this lesson, I’ll take you through a handful of ways to implement a menu system using the overlay layer and specifically using GB Studios dialogue systems. Because we are relying on pre-built GB Studio events and community created plugins, these systems are a little more rigid than the menu trigger system in regards to aesthetic choices. On the other hand, they are much faster to implement, easier to edit and don’t require the use of the ‘Player’ to perform all the functions of a menu.

From multiple choice options, to basic dialogue menus, to more advanced menus using plugins, this lesson aims to cover all the options available to you. At the same time, I’ll share some ways to break away from that typical “GB Studio dialogue feel” using some more advanced menu implementation techniques with the use of plugins.

Additionally, we will go over how to create and change color palettes and introduce another useful GBVM operation that allows you to jump around your scripts, greatly expanding what’s possible when it comes to menus and more!

You can play through the outcome of Lesson 9 in-browser, now.

Lesson 9: Implementing a Shop

The following concepts are explored in the lesson:

• Actor Animation State Names (a Handy Tip)
• A Note on Event Based Code Readability & Unnecessary Event Duplication
• Color Palettes
• Setting Sprite & Background Palettes
• Dialogue Menus
• Advanced Dialogue Menus
• Displaying Conditional Prices in a Shop Menu
• Jumping to Labels Using GBVM
• Pitfalls of Advanced Menus (Or What Happens When The Player Presses ‘B’?)

An Exciting Surprise Announcement!

I have some exciting news to share with you, too!

For a while now, I've been pushing myself to learn GBVM in order to  take advantage of all that it offers. I must admit, it's been a bit of a slog because there isn't a very clear pathway to learn how it all works. There are the GBVM Docs of course, but the jargon can be difficult to understand for beginners and intermediates alike as there is often not much detail to be found.

Slowly but surely, I have been working to understand these GBVM operations with help from the GB Studio discord community, and good old trial and error and building what will become an absolutely HUGE document. This document will not only detail how every GBVM operation works with lengthy descriptions and multiple examples per entry, I have also added an index of terms containing jargon that is mentioned in the GBVM entries that would otherwise confuse a beginner trying to learn.

Here is one such example of a GBVM operation entry:

And here is an example of a Term Index entry:

The 'GBVM Docs Update' project will be free for the whole community and released separate to the Let's Build a Platformer! course in order to provide the community with a clear and powerful learning pathway towards using GBVM extensively in game projects whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced GB Studio user.

This project is a big undertaking and will take some time. Luckily, having shared this endeavour with Emi Paternostro (managing editor of GB Studio Central) he and the GBSC team will be collaborating with me to complete this mammoth task together!

On that note, if you have extensive GBVM knowledge and want to help out too, feel free to contact me via my website contact form or via discord (GumpyFunction).

That's all for now but I look forward to sharing more details about the GBVM Doc Update Project soon.

Thanks and happy coding!

- Tom (Gumpy Function)