Power Game Factory Tutorial

Connecting Levels

There are several ways for the player to be taken from one level to another, but the most common and most easily configurable transport device is called a Hot Zone. By stepping into a Hot Zone, the player may be taken to any other level, or to the end of the game. You are going to add a Hot Zone connecting the first level of your game to the second level. Then you will add another Hot Zone to the second level that will trigger the end of your game.

Start by selecting Level 1 from the Level pop-up menu at the top left corner of the Levels Window. Select the Hot Zone Tool from the tool palette. (Its icon looks like a white square with big corners.) Using the Hot Zone tool, click near the right side of the level to create a new Hot Zone. Then drag the Hot Zone by its corners to shape it into a large rectangular area, as shown below.

 
The floating Properties window contains controls for editing the selected Hot Zone's properties, the most important of which is a Pop-Up menu labeled Hot Zone Connects to Level. It should be set to Level 2 by default, which is what you want in this case. By walking into the Hot Zone, the player will be transported to the beginning of Level 2.

Now you will add a Hot Zone to Level 2. Select Level 2 from the Level Pop-up menu at the top left corner of the Levels Window.

Select the Hot Zone tool and place a Hot Zone above the ledge in Level 2. The player will need to climb the ladder and cross the ledge before entering the Hot Zone.

  From the Hot Zone Connects to Level pop-up menu in the floating Properties window, select End Game. When the player enters the Hot Zone, the level will be completed, the game will end and the Main Menu will reappear.

In the next section you will test play the finished game project, and build it into a stand alone application.
 
Next: Testing and Building