Construct 2

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Scripting	Asset editing

Download the minigame source

Play the exported HTML5 minigame

Summary

Construct 2 has similar features to GameMaker and Game Editor, so porting the minigame wasn't too much trouble, but the drag-and-drop script editing slowed me down. I like the focus on HTML5, and the exported game seems to work well.

Pluses

• Unlike GameMaker and Game Editor, Construct 2 has a way to temporarily disable events on the event sheet.
• Active community. Web search works well to answer questions.
• HTML5 export is quick and easy.
• File system access to scripts and assets

Minuses

• Scripting is cumbersome and in some places confusing:
  • Writing complicated or lengthy code in a one-line dialog box is unpleasant.
  • There's no one-step way to switch the Object of an Event condition: switching the Object requires reselecting the condition too.
  • There's no built-in way to define functions in the Event editor. In some cases using a Group that self-deactivates might be good enough.
  • Scripts are stored as XML, so editing them with a text editor is impractical.
• No way to paint a bunch of copies of an object all at once in the layout editor
• The free version has some limitations. The limit of 100 events would definitely cause some trouble in a bigger game.
• The menus don't always indicate the available keyboard shortcuts.

Hints

• Access to the index variable in For loops is weird. Read about loopindex in the manual.
• The distinction between For Each and the normal event filtering is subtle. Read about For Each and Events in the manual.
• The methods and variables browser is incomplete. Self, the arithmetic operators, and the ? conditional operator are missing. See http://www.scirra.com/forum/expressions-in-construct-2_topic41836.html.

Links

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