LogoLogo
GeneralAccountsPlayersOwnersCreatorsThe Sandbox Website
Creators
Creators
  • 🎆Welcome to the Creator Portal
  • 🟦Learn Creator Basics
    • 🟦Scale & LAND Use
    • 🟦Assets & Equipment
    • 🟦Avatars & Character
    • 🟦Look & Feel
    • 🟦Logic & Gameplay
    • ❓FAQs: Gameplay
    • ❓FAQs: Assets
    • 🧙‍♂️Begin Game Maker (Video Series)
  • The Sandbox Creators Forum
  • The Sandbox DAO
  • 🪙Monetisation
  • Game Maker
    • ✨Create Experiences
    • 🔰Beginners
      • Play/Test
      • Build with Blocks
      • Place Assets
      • Set Object Actions
      • Trigger Logic
      • Craft Quests
      • Set Up Mechanics
      • Build Multiplayer Games
    • Game Maker 0.11 Update
    • 0.11 Upgrade Guide
    • 📖Docs
      • Navigate Game Maker Home
      • Manage Experiences
      • Controls & Shortcuts
      • Build Menus
        • Top Bar
          • Gameplay
        • Side Bar
          • Hierarchy
          • Presets
        • Library & Quick Access Bar
        • Grid System & Snap Tool
        • Properties Panel
      • Using Blocks
      • Using Assets & Objects
        • Behaviour & Component Parameters
        • Tags
        • Messages
      • Behaviours
        • NPC - AI Pawns
          • 🔵Citizen
          • 🔵Farmer
          • 🔵Healer
          • 🔵Melee Enemy
          • 🔵Predator
          • 🔵Prey
          • 🔵Soldier
          • 🔴Friendly NPC
        • Movement
          • 🟡Door
          • 🟡Bird
          • 🔴Basic Platform
          • 🔴Advanced Platform
          • 🔴Projectile
          • 🔴Rotate
        • Basic Logic
          • 🔵Message Broadcaster
          • 🟢Combination Code
          • 🟢Asker
          • 🟢Timed Events
          • 🟡Crowd Event
          • 🔴Spawn Point & Avatar's Feature
        • Modifiers
          • 🔵Actor Property Switcher
          • 🔵Multi
          • 🔵Void
          • 🟢Asset Spawner
          • 🟢Replace Asset
        • Visual
          • 🟢Post Process Effects
          • 🟡Weather Switcher
          • 🟡Animated Decoration
      • Components
        • Actions
          • 🟢Climbable
          • 🟢Avatar Teleport
          • 🟢Collectable
          • 🟢Drop
          • 🟢Slide
          • 🟢Speaker
          • 🔴Pickable
        • Triggers
          • 🟢Plant
          • 🟢Switch
          • 🟢Button
          • 🟢Trigger Volume
        • Status
          • 🟢Toggle
          • 🟢Power Up
          • 🔴Avatar Checkpoint
          • 🔴Health
        • Gameplay
          • 🔵Defeat
          • 🔵Victory
          • 🔴Raycast
        • NFT
          • 🟢NFT Sensor
          • 🟢NFT Image Display
          • 🟢Image Display
          • 🔴NFT Details Display
        • Display
          • 🟢Indicator
          • 🟢Rarity VFX
          • 🟡Visual FX
          • 🟡Light
        • Audio
          • 🟡Play Sound
      • Objectives
      • Game Rules
        • Math
        • Time
        • Comparisons
        • Replace Variable Values
        • Game Screen
        • Triggers
        • Events
      • Build Singleplayer & Multiplayer Logic
      • Quality Guidelines
        • Optimisation
        • Testing
        • Playability
      • Templates
    • 📑Creative Guides
      • 📗Game Rules Guide
        • Point Race
        • Collect Points
        • Time Trial
        • Combo
        • Hunger
        • Poison
        • Shop
      • ⚙️Logic Guide
        • Abilities
        • Equipment Based Logic - On Equip / NFT Sensor
        • Doors & Chests
        • Collectibles
        • Text, Quests & Icons
        • Platforms
        • Victory & Defeat
        • Miscellaneous
        • NFT Inspect
        • Fighting
      • 🏞️Experience Guide
        • Tower Defense
        • Horror / Backrooms
        • Solo Platforming
        • Social Platforming
        • Resource Management
        • Cooking Simulator
        • Survival
        • Action / Adventure
        • Night Clubs & Concerts
        • Virtual Home & Architecture
        • NFT Gallery / In-Game Shop
        • Puzzle Games
        • Social Hubs
        • Simulation
      • 🎲Experience Design Techniques
        • Narrative Design
          • Worldbuilding
          • Storyboard
          • Dialogue
        • Art Design
          • Experience Art Concept
          • Asset Curation
          • Blockout Aesthetics
          • Detailing / Dressing
        • 3D Spatial Layout
          • Rough Base Map
          • Greyboxing / Blockout
        • Game Design
          • Ramp of Difficulty
          • Risk & Reward
          • Game Loops & Decisions
    • 🎬Game Production Guide
      • 🟥Concept
      • 🟧Blockout
      • 🟨Logic
      • 🟩Art
      • 🟦Quality Assurance
      • 🟪Polish
      • ⬜Marketing
    • 🧰Publish Experiences
      • Experience Manager
        • Experience Analytics
        • 🧰Experience Page
          • Content Guide
          • Marketing
          • Create an Experience Trailer
          • Player Engagement
        • Map Location
        • Asset Review
        • Access Restrictions
      • Collaborating With Third Parties
      • ❓FAQs: Experience Publishing
    • 🕘Version Notes & Changelogs
      • Game Maker 0.11
        • ❗0.11 Upgrade Guide
      • Game Maker 0.10
      • Game Maker 0.9
      • Game Maker 0.8
      • Game Maker 0.7
    • ❓FAQs: Game Maker
  • VoxEdit
    • ✨Create Assets
    • 🔰Beginners
    • 📖Docs
      • Navigate VoxEdit Home
      • Controls & Shortcuts
      • Panels & Custom Layouts
      • Block
      • Modeler
        • Use Modes & Tools Together
        • Set the Pivot Point
        • Create Frame Assets
      • Animator
        • Build a Rig
        • Create an Animated Asset
        • Use Inverse Kinematics
      • Templates
      • Quality Guidelines
        • Asset Types & Collisions
        • Asset Scale
        • Node Efficiency
        • Pivot Point & Alignment
        • Animation
        • Visual Quality
        • Asset Name & Description
        • Manage Files & Folders
    • 📑Creative Guides
      • 🧍Asset Guide
        • Structures & Landmarks
          • Basic Building: No Entry
          • Animated Building: No Entry
          • Unanimated Building: Player Entry
          • Landmark
          • Building Facade
          • Structure Component Parts
          • Modular Architecture
        • Humanoids & Animals
        • Vehicles
        • Equipment
        • Art: Statues, Paintings
          • Animated Art Screens
          • Statues
          • Kinetic Art Sculptures
          • Paintings
          • Performance Art
        • Furniture
        • Platforms
        • Doors, Gates, and Windows
          • Multi Design Door Asset
        • Chests & Other Animated Interactions
        • Plants, Trees
        • Objects, Machines
        • Signs & Text
        • Obstacles
        • Create Frame Assets
      • 🎨Art Techniques
        • Asset References
        • 3D Design
          • 🧹Need to Simplify?
          • ✂️Trim All Volumes
          • 🟢Optimize with Texture
          • 🟢Curved Edges: Blocky Style
          • 🟡Break Down Objects
          • 🟡Create Smooth Angled Lines
          • 🟡Circular Shapes: Cross Technique
        • Colour, Texture & Depth
          • 🪅Colour Choice & Strategy
          • 🧱Textures & Materials
    • 🧰Upload Assets to Workspaces
    • 🌟Mint & List Assets to Sell
    • 🕘Changelogs
    • 🔓Open Source Assets
    • ❓FAQs: VoxEdit
  • Creators Program
    • 🏗️Builders' Challenge
      • Rules & Eligibility
      • Earnings & Rewards
      • How to Succeed in the Builders' Challenge
      • ❓FAQs: Builders' Challenge
    • ℹ️Creator Contests
    • 🏆Game Jams
      • Rules & Guidelines
      • Judges & Voting
      • Explore Past Winners
      • ❓FAQs: Game Jams
    • 🏆VoxEdit Contests
      • Rules & Guidelines
      • Judges & Voting
      • Explore Past Winners
      • ❓FAQs: Voxel Art Contests
  • General
    • 📚The Sandbox Documentation
    • 🔄Play, Create & Earn
    • 🗺️Map
    • 🛒Marketplace
    • 🗣️Discord Community
    • 🔗Social Networks, News & Blogs
    • The Sandbox Linktree
    • ❓Help & Contact
Powered by GitBook
LogoLogo

INFO

  • Discord
  • Social, News & Blogs
  • Service Status

PLAY

  • Events
  • Map
  • Avatar

CREATE

  • VoxEdit
  • Game Maker
  • Contests

OWN

  • SAND
  • LAND
  • Staking

Copyright ©The Sandbox. All Rights Reserved.

On this page
  • Begin Game Maker 4
  • Customize Object Behaviours & Tags
  • Follow Up
  • Relevant Resource
  • Forum: Community Ideas & Support
  • Other "Begin Game Maker" Videos

Was this helpful?

  1. Game Maker
  2. Beginners

Set Object Actions

This activity is included in an 8-part, 1 hour series to learn Game Maker. Short, focused topics with guided practice will give you practical experience building useful logic for creating games.

PreviousPlace AssetsNextTrigger Logic

Last updated 6 months ago

Was this helpful?

Begin Game Maker 4

Customize Object Behaviours & Tags

MEDIUM

In this activity, you will learn how to create custom interactions between objects using simple AI-driven behaviors and their tags, or identifiers. Behaviors that use AI decision making are programmed to detect and respond in certain ways depending on your modifications.

Launch Game Maker

  • Open or create an Experience.

Default Settings

Prey & Predator

  • Place a "Stag" asset and apply Prey behavior. This includes the Prey tag.

  • Place a "Grey Wolf" asset nearby and apply Predator behavior. Predator tag is included.

  • Press TAB to Test:

    • The Predator will detect the Prey and chase it.

    • The Prey will run when it detects the Predator up closer.

    • The Predator will chase any Avatar, or player, which is one of its default Tags to Attack.

Custom Targets

Plant & Prey

  • Select the Prey and notice that it has a Food Tag and Tags to Flee. Let's add objects with the Plant tag for it to detect.

  • Place a "Small Plant B" asset nearby and duplicate it. For one of them, apply the Plant component. Scroll to the bottom of the object's Properties, type the tag Plant (case sensitive), and press enter to apply it.

  • One plant has an identity so it can be "eaten" and the other is just a prop that won't be touched. Duplicate (CTRL+D) both types and spread them in a small area.

  • Press TAB to Test:

    • Watch the Prey wander, approach objects it should eat, and make them disappear while ignoring the rest.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

These behaviors are meant to be a function with flexible use.

  • Make an NPC collect trash using the Prey or Farmer behaviors by adding any custom tag as their food or gathering target.

  • Only add the custom tag to objects you want Farmer or Prey to remove.

Changing Tags During Play

Soldier & Citizen

  • Place an "Axeman Recruit" and apply Soldier behavior. Its default Tags to Attack includes Hostile.

  • Place an "Elder Caveman" with Citizen behaviour.

  • Press TAB to Test:

    • You can't attack the Citizen because it has the built in tag Friendly.

    • The Soldier will ignore you until you attack, which will apply the tag Hostile to your Avatar for the rest of the game!

    • If you exit Play mode and re-enter it later, the game is reset, so the Hostile tag will be cleared from your Avatar.

Custom AI Interactions

Melee Enemy vs. Melee Enemy

GroupA

  • Place three "Maximilien" objects together. Select all of them and apply these changes in the Properties panel (which will change them all at the same time):

    • Apply Melee Enemy behaviour

    • Next to Tags to Attack, click the X to remove the Hostile tag, click ADD+, and type GroupB in the text box.

    • Scroll to the bottom of the Properties panel and apply the tag GroupA (remember to press ENTER)

GroupB

  • Place three "Matthew" objects together. Select all of them and apply these changes in the Properties panel:

    • Apply Melee Enemy behaviour

    • Next to Tags to Attack, click the X to remove the Hostile tag, click ADD+, and type GroupA in the text box.

    • Scroll to the bottom of the Properties panel and apply the tag GroupB (remember to press ENTER)

Press TAB to Test:

Follow Up

Combine a variety of AI-driven behaviors and use tags to direct their decision making. Explore these ideas and your own:

  • Want players to join a side in a battle? Add Avatar to any enemy's Tags to Attack.

  • Want fighters to be revived during battle? Use the Healer behavior with Tags to Heal.

There are many other behaviors to explore, but you've learned the basics of controlling object actions by applying behaviors and custom tags.

In the next activity, you'll create functional game logic with other behaviours and add components to make objects more interactive.



Forum: Community Ideas & Support


Other "Begin Game Maker" Videos

Play/Test
Build with Blocks
Place Assets
Set Object Actions
Trigger Logic
Craft Quests
Set Up Mechanics
Build Multiplayer Games

GroupA and GroupB will detect each other's tags and fight. Feel free to select these groups, duplicate them a few times, and create a small army of dueling NPCs!

Relevant Resource

🔰
⚔️
➕
🟡

A forum post has been created for this learning activity! Visit to:

  • Ask or answer questions

  • Post ideas about the topic

  • Share what you've learned or created

    • from the activity

    • from the bonus resources

Cover
Tags

Set an object's identity tags to customize actions and interactions. This is an important part of using logic in Game Maker, which starts with the next activity.

Cover
Behaviours

There are many more behaviours than what is included in this activity. See this page for a summary and general uses for all behaviours.

Behaviour & Component Parameters

Learn about different parameter types built into behaviours and components so it's easier to customize logic.

Cover
Properties Panel

Learn to use the Properties panel to view permanent and customizable aspects of a selected object or group of objects.

Cover
Storyboard

Organize your game flow with some simple sketches. We recommend some useful tools.

Visit the Forum
Cover
Cover