[hey92]

Object is supposed to change mode (movement algorithm) depending on the time elapsed (switch btw chase or scatter). I created an while loop but the object moves only in one mode.

	//////
	private static int seconds=0;
	private static boolean ghostalive;
	
	protected static final int chaseMode = 0;
	protected static final int scatterMode = 1;
	protected static final int frightenedMode = 2;
	
	static int mode; //initially ghost start in scatterMode
 
	public Ghost(int x, int y, Maze maze){
		super(x, y, maze);
		futureDirection = 0;
		timer = 0;
		mode = getMode();
	}     
	
	public static int getMode(){
		mode=setMode();
		return mode;
	}

	//LEVEL 1
	//scatter for 7s 
	//chase for 20s 
	//scatter for 7s 
	//chase for 20s 
	//scatter for 5s 
	//chase for 20s
	//scatter for 5s 
	//chase indefinite

	public static int setMode(){
		
	while(ghostalive){
		
		mode = scatterMode;
		if(seconds>7)
			mode = chaseMode;//chaseMode=true;
		if(seconds>27)
			mode = scatterMode;
		if(seconds>34)
			mode = chaseMode;
		if(seconds>54) 
			mode = scatterMode;
		if(seconds>59) 
			mode = chaseMode;
		if(seconds>79)
			mode = scatterMode;
		if(seconds>84)
			mode = chaseMode;
		
		seconds++;
		
	}	return mode;
	}

[WolverineX]

You defined "ghostalive" as a boolean, and you gave it no initialization therefore "ghostalive" will be false (By Default), that is why your while loop is not doing anything, because it's false from the beginning so it won't execute. Change your while loop and it should work!

I mean change the condition of the while loop, but you can keep the while loop. Cheers!

[pbl]

This is ridiculous

	
	mode = scatterMode;
	if(seconds>7)
		mode = chaseMode;//chaseMode=true;
	if(seconds>27)
		mode = scatterMode;
	if(seconds>34)
		mode = chaseMode;
	if(seconds>54) 
		mode = scatterMode;
	if(seconds>59) 
		mode = chaseMode;
	if(seconds>79)
		mode = scatterMode;
	if(seconds>84)
		mode = chaseMode;

You are telling us that if seconds is 85 or higher you will assign 7 times a value for nothing to the variable mode
so if seconds is 85 you will actually do

mode = scatterMode;
mode = chaseMode;//chaseMode=true;
mode = scatterMode;
mode = chaseMode;
mode = scatterMode;
mode = chaseMode;
mode = scatterMode;
mode = chaseMode;

[Tree55Topz]

your assigning mode to bounce between chase and scatter because you only have one condition for your for loop. try something like

if (seconds > 7 && seconds <= 26){
    mode = chaseMode;
}

etc, etc.

correction on my above post, i didnt mean to say for loop, ment your if statement within your while loop.

[pbl]

no need to burn CPU cycle evaluating &&
make it in reverse with else

if(seconds > 84)
  mode = ...
else if(seconds | 79)
  mode = ...
[code]
or because you are in a loop
[code]
   if(seconds > 7) {
       mode = ...
       continue;
   }
   if(seconds >

[pbl]

actually now that I am back here dues of a complaint from WolverineX why those static variables

private static int seconds=0;
private static boolean ghostalive