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Fast enemies ignoring shield powerup - collision detection fix

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💡 Struggling with collision detection for fast-moving sprites? Need help with powerup systems? 🚀 Get Help Now

GH

GameDev_Hunter

Posted on July 20, 2025 • Intermediate

🛡️ Shield powerup not working with fast enemies!

Hey everyone! I’m working on a dodge-the-enemies game and I’m having a really frustrating issue with my shield powerup system:

  • I have enemies that move really fast using glide blocks
  • When the player has a shield powerup active, it should protect them
  • But the fast enemies are completely ignoring the shield and still causing damage!
  • Slower enemies work fine with the shield, but the homing enemies just pass right through

I don’t want to slow down the enemies because that would make the game too easy. How can I fix the collision detection so the shield actually works? 😭

CollisionExpert_Maya

Replied 2 hours later • ⭐ Best Answer

I know exactly what’s happening @GameDev_Hunter! This is a classic fast-moving sprite collision issue. The problem is that your enemies are moving so fast they “skip over” the collision detection.

🔍 Why Fast Enemies Ignore Collisions

When sprites move too quickly, they can jump from one side of another sprite to the other in a single frame, never actually “touching” during collision detection:

flowchart LR A[Frame 1: Enemy Position] --> B[Frame 2: Enemy Position] C[Player with Shield] A -.->|Too Fast!| B style A fill:#ff6b6b style B fill:#ff6b6b style C fill:#4ecdc4 classDef enemy fill:#ff6b6b,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px classDef player fill:#4ecdc4,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

🛠️ Solution 1: Continuous Collision Detection

Instead of just checking if sprites are touching, check the path between positions:

    // In your enemy sprite
define check collision with shield
set [collision detected v] to [false]
set [check x v] to (x position)
set [check y v] to (y position)

// Check multiple points along the movement path
repeat [10]
go to x: (check x) y: (check y)
if <<touching [Player v]?> and <(shield active) = [true]>> then
set [collision detected v] to [true]
// Handle shield collision
broadcast [shield hit v]
stop [this script v]
end
change [check x v] by ((target x - (x position)) / [10])
change [check y v] by ((target y - (y position)) / [10])
end
  

🎯 Solution 2: Smaller Movement Steps

Break down fast movement into smaller steps with collision checks:

    // Replace your glide block with this
define move to player with collision check
set [steps v] to [20] // More steps = better collision detection
set [step x v] to (((Player x) - (x position)) / (steps))
set [step y v] to (((Player y) - (y position)) / (steps))

repeat (steps)
change x by (step x)
change y by (step y)

// Check collision after each small step
if <touching [Player v]?> then
if <(shield active) = [true]> then
// Shield blocks the enemy
broadcast [shield hit v]
point towards [Player v]
move [-20] steps // Bounce back
stop [this script v]
else
// No shield, damage player
broadcast [player hit v]
stop [this script v]
end
end
end
  

🔧 Solution 3: Distance-Based Detection

Use distance calculations for more reliable detection:

    // Custom block: check shield collision by distance
define check shield collision
set [distance to player v] to (distance to [Player v])

if <(distance to player) < [30]> then // Adjust collision radius
if <(shield active) = [true]> then
// Shield effect
set effect [brightness v] to [50]
play sound [shield block v]
point towards [Player v]
move [-50] steps // Bounce away
wait [0.1] seconds
clear graphic effects
else
// Normal collision
broadcast [player damaged v]
hide
end
end
  

🛡️ Complete Shield System

Here’s how to set up the complete shield powerup system:

    // In Player sprite - Shield activation
when I receive [shield powerup collected v]
set [shield active v] to [true]
set [shield timer v] to [300] // 5 seconds at 60 FPS
set effect [ghost v] to [30] // Visual feedback
play sound [shield activate v]

// Shield timer countdown
when flag clicked
forever
if <(shield active) = [true]> then
change [shield timer v] by [-1]
if <(shield timer) < [1]> then
set [shield active v] to [false]
clear graphic effects
play sound [shield deactivate v]
end
end
end

// When shield is hit
when I receive [shield hit v]
if <(shield active) = [true]> then
play sound [shield block v]
// Optional: reduce shield duration
change [shield timer v] by [-60] // Lose 1 second
end
  

The key is checking collision multiple times during movement, not just once per frame! 🎉

GH

GameDev_Hunter

Replied 1 hour later

@CollisionExpert_Maya This is incredible! 🤩

I implemented the smaller movement steps solution and it works perfectly! The shield now properly blocks even the fastest homing enemies. The distance-based detection is also a great backup method.

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation and multiple solutions! My game feels so much more polished now! 🛡️✨

PD

PowerupDev_Chris

Replied 30 minutes later

Great solution @CollisionExpert_Maya! 👏 I’d like to add some tips for making powerup systems even better:

  • Visual feedback: Make the shield effect clearly visible with particle effects or glowing outlines
  • Audio cues: Different sounds for shield activation, blocking, and deactivation help players understand the system
  • Shield durability: Consider making shields block a certain number of hits instead of just time-based
  • Cooldown system: Prevent shield spam by adding a cooldown period after it expires

These details make the difference between a good game and a great one! 🎮

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

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  • ⚡ Advanced collision detection algorithms
  • 🛡️ Complex powerup and ability systems
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