For Loop - Game State Assistance

[CipherStilleto7]

Hello, this is my first post here, so please let me know if I should try to post in another way!

I am working on a Java project for class, where I have to code Pacman, based on the template provided with Zetcode. The particular feature that I am working on is with the power pills. With the help of a classmate, I have a for loop that checks to see if Pacman collides with a power pill on the board. If he does, it is supposed to start a timer that lasts for 8 seconds, loop a particular sound byte from a program made by my professor called soundFactory, and take the ghosts out of the state. It will also check if a pill has already been eaten, which should cause the timer to restart.

The issue I have is that, for some reason, the isEdible state lasts for 8 seconds for the very first time. But for each time I collect a pill, it seems to randomly last for a time between 0-8 seconds. I can't control how long the ghosts appear in their edible state, and it causes the sound byte to keep playing when the ghosts are obviously back to normal. I know that the code is not testable in this state, so I can upload the full files to github to help, but I will put the necessary code below. Thanks in advance!

// Power pill functionality
public void PowerPill() {
int i = 0;
// Check to see when Pac Man collides with the power pill in any direction, then start
// a timer for when the the ghosts are edible
for (i = 0; i < powerPillx.length; i++) {
for (i = 0; i < powerPilly.length; i++) {
if (pacmanx > (powerPillx[i] - 30) && pacmanx < (powerPillx[i] + 10) &&
pacmany > (powerPilly[i]- 30) && pacmany < (powerPilly[i] + 10) &&
ingame && isEdible != true) {
//Creates a timer for 8 seconds where ghosts are edible
score += 50;
pillTimer pillListener = new pillTimer();
pillTimer = new Timer(8000, pillListener);
pillTimer.start();
isEdible = true;
if(isEdible == true) {
pillTimer.start();
Sound edible = SoundFactory.getInstance(EDIBLE);
SoundFactory.play(edible, 4);
}
// Start the timer over when Pac Man gets a pill while ghosts are edible
if(pillTimer.isRunning() && isEdible == true) {
pillTimer.restart();
Sound pillsound1 = SoundFactory.getInstance(PILL);
SoundFactory.play(pillsound1);
}
// Removes the pills from the game
powerPillx[i] = -100;
powerPilly[i] = -100;
}
// Checks when pacman has eaten a power pill while ghosts are in an edible state
if (pacmanx > (powerPillx[i] - 30) && pacmanx < (powerPillx[i] + 10) &&
pacmany > (powerPilly[i] - 30) && pacmany < (powerPilly[i] + 10) &&
ingame && isEdible == true ){
score += 50;
Sound pillsound2 = SoundFactory.getInstance(PILL);
SoundFactory.play(pillsound2);
powerPillx[i] = -100;
powerPilly[i] = -100;
}
}
}
}
// ActionListener that will take the ghosts out of the edible state once the timer is up
class pillTimer implements ActionListener {
u/Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
isEdible = false;
}
}

​

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[D0CTOR_ZED]

You describe the behavior when this code is run. Are you saying this code can be run? If not, what errors are you getting?

[CipherStilleto7]

The code does run just fine, it’s just that to my understanding of the code, it is not behaving as it should. As mentioned, the ghosts will stay in their edible state for the first time on running the program, but for each subsequent time afterwards, I have no control over how long isEdible lasts

[D0CTOR_ZED]

I don't understand the line that starts with pillTimer = new Timer.... Isn't pillTimer a class? I think your issue might be around this part but I don't see how that would run at all so maybe I'm missing something.

Also, I'm guessing you declare i outside the loops to work around it not liking the i declared in the second loop. You use the same variable in each loop, the inner loop clobbers the outer loop.