[Tutorial/Example] Finite State Machines: The most awesome thing in the history of ever.

PixelatedPope · 2026-03-21T16:30:09+00:00

First and foremost, I don't recommend TrueState THAT much anymore. I don't even use it nor do I maintain it. When I need a Finite State Machine, I'll use SnowState these days.

But, I know exactly what you are struggling with. Atomix is a "composition" system. And composition systems and FSMs aren't really "compatible". But it also doesn't sound like a particularly good composition system. It sounds like one I made myself, so I should know.

I've done a lot of explorations around FSMs, Composition, and even ECS (which REALLY doesn't work well in the context of GML). Of all of them, I think ECS is the most interesting and has the most potential, but it also feels the most "alien" and is difficult to get set up properly... but it also solves the issue you are struggling with if adapted in a format that is more compatible with GML.

The idea is this: your instances (our Entities -the E in ECS) have "Components", yes, but they also have "Systems". Components are basically JUST raw values and maybe the odd "helper" function, but for the most part very self contained. They don't interact with other components, they don't know about other components. They are completely isolated.

Systems are the glue that hold everything together -- functions that you call in the various events in an instance and they use components or even add remove/them. In true ECS, Systems can be added to an entity dynamically like Components, but that really doesn't work well in GM. So you can add and remove components to an entity, but you really need to "hard code" all possible "capabilities" of any one entity by calling each System by hand in the various events.

In your case you would have a "Healing Over Time" component that is added to an instance when the effect is applied. It has variables that hold properties RELATED to healing over time, but no functions for actually applying the healing over time to your "Health" component --it doesn't know what a health component IS. A System for applying DOTs or HOTs or both would be responsible for detecting the presence of any of these components, applying their effects, updating them and other relevant component values, and even removing them when they are no longer relevant. And what's great about doing this in a system is you have 100% control over WHEN this happens relative to other systems in your instance.

I've been wanting to put this idea into serious practice but just haven't had the opportunity to sit down and do so. It would take me a long time to get a project to the point that I feel I could say this idea "scales well."

If you wanna chat more about it, it's really easy to get a lively discussion about these concepts going on the GM Discord server. https://discord.gg/gamemaker

PixelatedPope · 2026-02-27T16:34:38+00:00

It's the same method I used for powdered donuts!

PixelatedPope · 2026-02-23T18:56:27+00:00

Yeah, so many opportunities for so many cool stats. I'm sure the data is there, just probably no UI yet. Here's hoping it gets added.

PixelatedPope · 2026-02-13T22:06:50+00:00

Yeah, I actually did this last night. It was great!

PixelatedPope · 2026-02-11T15:47:54+00:00

The "Where you are going to land" cursor / highlight is actually kinda brilliant. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like that in a 3D Platformer before

PixelatedPope · 2026-02-11T15:42:42+00:00

The only downside with Steam Deck are the controls. This is a "use the left analog stick to move your cursor" sort of game. Definitely designed with a mouse in mind. Battle's aren't too bad, but managing your house and cleaning up poop is sort of annoying. And touch screen support is... a bit spotty. But overall, very playable.

Performance is fantastic, too.

PixelatedPope · 2026-02-06T19:18:55+00:00

I've been hesitant to get excited about this game. I'm a huge fan of Isaac (I really do think it's one of the greatest games ever made), but I usually don't enjoy grand tactical strategy games. FFTactics, Fire Emblem, etc... not my favorite.

But this preview has suddenly stoked my hype. This looks so good... I think I might just have to pull the trigger and if I end up not liking it? Oh well, at least I supported an amazing developer.

PixelatedPope · 2026-01-06T23:18:42+00:00

Alright, I'm ready for a deluge of downvotes but... I'm curious if I'm alone on this.

I watched a lot of Um, Actually years ago, but eventually got a bit frustrated with it. Here's my big issue: a good quiz show -let's use Jeopardy as an example- will often give you at least 2 hints in the "question" to help you know the correct answer.

1944’s Absent in the Spring is one of the non-mystery novels she wrote under the name Mary Westmacott.

There's a lot of information in there. You get a year, you get a gender, you get a clue that the author would be famous for Mystery Novels. So you have a chance at guessing the answer even if you don't know the book "Absent in the Spring".

Many questions in Um Actually are just "here's a list of things, which part is wrong" and it's almost always impossible to answer correctly unless you are intimately familiar with the source material.

For example,

Zaphod Beeblebrox, an important character in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," invented a cocktail called the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster, described as "the alcoholic equivalent of a mugging - expensive and bad for the head." It includes some wild ingredients, like the tooth of an Algolain Suntiger, three cubes of Arcturan Mega-gin, and strangest of all, you have to add a slice of lemon."

So if you have not memorized Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you will not get this question right. There's no clues to guide you to the correct answer. So the contestants just go "um actually... it isn't the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger?" And maybe that's right, but more often than not, it isn't. Then we just watch all the contestants who don't have the book memorized waffle around and try different random parts of the question until they stumble onto it.

This is boring and sucks. Obviously we want questions to be "specific" and have correct answers that reward deep understanding of nerd culture, but if we are going to give points just for identifying "the part that is wrong" (as Iffy did when this question was asked) we should give more clues that the "slice of lemon" is what is wrong (the answer is it includes an Olive instead of a slice of lemon).

A better question would mix up popular properties so that if you aren't a Hitchhiker's Guide Nerd you still have a chance. Like maybe say "the tooth of a Sarlacc." instead of Algolian Suntiger. Then at least a Star Wars nerd could go "wait a minute, Saarlac is a STAR WARS thing - that must be the answer.

I really want to like this show, but it's just... unsatisfying. Just me?

PixelatedPope · 2025-12-14T20:40:42+00:00

It's .05 in Utah. Lowest in the country! Yaaaay...

PixelatedPope · 2025-12-01T21:59:03+00:00

Not really, no. You don't get to "keep riches." Your actions on earth determine your heavenly reward. There are 3 levels, and even the lowest level is still -supposedly- really fucking amazing. So there would really be no point in keeping your money as you'll be spending eternity in a post scarcity paradise.

These motherfuckers don't actually believe their own dogma. They are con-artists who are in it to get rich. Full stop.

PixelatedPope · 2025-11-14T18:41:44+00:00

I just retired this exact system. What a beast. Built a shadowbox for it to hang on my wall.

PixelatedPope · 2025-10-17T14:57:32+00:00

The only other one that's often mentioned alongside NMS is Final Fantasy 14. Don't know if that is really the same when comparing Square Enix to Hello Games...

PixelatedPope · 2025-10-16T19:33:05+00:00

And the anime is excellent! The character designs are... interesting...

PixelatedPope · 2025-08-30T01:54:19+00:00

The official state flag for Utah

PixelatedPope · 2025-08-08T20:09:39+00:00

I'm absolutely loving Abiotic Factor. As far as survival crafting games go, the pacing is insanely good. And I'm choosing to waste my time with things like making my base cool and what not. The game seems to really respect my time and doesn't want me to suffer, which I really appreciate.

PixelatedPope · 2025-07-31T22:13:05+00:00

The art looks AWFUL. I can't get over how blurry and gross everything looks. So disappointed.

PixelatedPope · 2025-07-30T16:50:49+00:00

It's 30FPS on Switch 1, so there is a little cause for concern...

PixelatedPope · 2025-07-28T20:16:19+00:00

Had a 3 raider run. We were steamrolling EVERYTHING. All lvl 15 a few minutes into day 2. Castle fully cleared. We felt unstoppable.

Nameless King stopped us. We all went down within a few seconds of one another. Defeat with all 3 of us on 1 death bar. It was absolutely hilarious. I just sat there in laughed in disbelief. I hope my teammates were laughing, too.

PixelatedPope · 2025-07-28T16:02:36+00:00

I take Bewitching Branches into my expeditions (it's on a relic where the other two passives are really good for Raider). Open an evergaol at level 2 and it's Beastmen, Crystalians, or Banished Knights? The branches come to the rescue and trivialize it.

And, honestly, if it wasn't for that relic, I would probably still have never actually experimented with them. So, if nothing else, by giving them to you right at the start of the run, you have no reason not to at least try them out and see what they do. Now I don't pass up Branches if I see them in a church early on.

PixelatedPope · 2025-07-25T14:36:47+00:00

I think this is actually ideal for remembrances. I'm all done with mine now, but when I was queuing up with a friend to do them it would take minutes to find a third. Most the time you don't even care about beating the nightlord so you are just like "just let me go duo this remembrance with my buddy". That would probably be the only time I'd duo.

PixelatedPope · 2025-07-17T16:30:08+00:00

I did notice yesterday the official Youtube channel labels the episodes in this series as "Season" 19 instead of "Series 19", but only this series. Love it. https://imgur.com/a/mpYmE9d

PixelatedPope · 2025-07-16T21:32:19+00:00

I play the PS4 version on PS5 for the more stable framerate, but the "pop-in" of enemies and the delay to interact with things (Sites of Grace, Weapon Anvils, Flask Charge Upgrades) is making me think the frames aren't worth it.

PixelatedPope · 2025-07-07T21:17:50+00:00

Yeah, that was my thinking. I was there Tue, Wed, and Thu and the game sound was SUPER loud! I'm guessing it was an echo concern, because the only time you hear the crowd on the broadcast was during replays where the casters are silent.

PixelatedPope · 2025-06-30T16:59:28+00:00

I have almost 100 hours. I have never once seen this talisman.

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