With the latest build (lesson 6) there’s a noticable lag in the movement in the platformer section. I both tested it in the browser and with the BGB emulator. Is this just how it is with platformers in DMG mode (build with GB Studio and Platformer+) or may have something crept in the latest build that causes that lag (e.g. an unnecessary, costly check in an “on update” event) and was forgotten to comment out?! I compiled the project in Colour Mode and that’s when the simulated CPU can handle everything fine – but it’d be cool if DMG mode needs not to be abandoned for a great-feeling platformer. That being said, excellent new lesson – already learned plenty from your documentation! Thank you so much!
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All good, great to hear the feedback. I thought about enabling it for this lesson because the frame rate dips are pretty bad. But then I figure its a good opportunity to see what happens when you start adding all these plugins and features to a game in DMG mode and hold off on enabling it for learning purposes.
I'll be discussing my thoughts about DMG mode in relation to GBS platformer design in the next lesson but essentially; making a good platformer in GBS effectively requires the GBC as the P+ engine is a must IMO. While it does provide a good amount of scope and depth for designers, it is at the cost of optimized code.
When I started making Feed IT Souls for GB Compo 23, my original self-imposed challenge was to attempt to create a good platformer that runs smoothly in DMG mode within 6 weeks. By the end of week 1, I realized it would be impossible for me to implement mechanics that would make the game unique/interesting and have it run well. This is why Feed IT Souls uses a single palette - the art was made with DMG in mind and in jam conditions, I wasn't about to redo it all for color mode, instead opting to give the player unlockable palettes.
Cheers for the feedback. That was a product of releasing the lessons as I went at the time and having each lesson contained within its own project file certainly caused some problems with the course flow over time. This was one of the reasons why I switched to a single project file from lesson 7 onwards.
In any case, now that the course is complete and I'm working on a GB Studio v4.2 update, I have been able to completely revise the course flow and iron out a lot of these kinds of issues. Lesson 6 has been replaced since P+ is no longer needed in GBS 4.2. The project is set to color mode only and there is only one project for the entirety of the course.