why is random not random?

AKB

I have seen many posts regarding this issue, but it seems to have not been solved yet.
How can I make dropping items from the top of the screen random?
Thanks

AKB

drop at random times and replicate with a random number

gyroscope

Hi AKB

AKB said:
Why is random not random?

OK, for interest, a couple of progs I've dabbled with is RealBasic and LiveCode (Formally Runtime Revolution) and in both their Forums, the question of Random on a computer came up. And, as you say, random has been mentioned in our Forum as not being true random. It seems that it's quite a complex subject, this random lark, and from what I gathered from the posts on the those other two Forums is that most, if not all, random number generation by computer programs is not truly random. There was much scientific evidence bounding about to support this, but the conclusion was that random, generated by these computer programs, is more than good enough.

There was talk of random not working at all within GS at one time, but I don't remember having any trouble; perhaps someone else will chime in there...

So anyway, say if you want an actor to "drop at random times and replicate with a random number", I'm assuming you mean you just need random spawning? (The moment they are spawned, they'd drop immediately?) If so, look at using a Timer Behaviour to randomly generate a Spawn Actor Behaviour, something like:

When touched is pressed

Every random(3,10) ---or whatever your min and max seconds are ---

Spawn Actor.

Anyhow, after all that, hope I understood your question correctly and it helps!

:-)

AKB

Thanks gyroscope,,
That was helpful, yet I am using every random(min,max) but don't seem to
get a random output. The outputs are very close to each other (i.e. time intervals are
almost identical)

gyroscope

Ah, perhaps that's the prob the other guys on this forum was talking about...

I'll do a little test for interest and see if I can see what's what... !

gyroscope

Hmm, see what you mean...it surely should work like that, logically speaking. A vague memory now of a workaround, but don't know where the post is in the Forum unfortunately. Must have been what the other members were so annoyed about it not working at all...Frustrating prob I know so hopefully someone else will point you in the right direction.

Let's hope that it's all sorted in 0.9.0 which is imminent, so we're told. Sorry can't help anymore than that.

AKB

Thanks anyways gyroscope !

FranzKeller

i had thought that you could randomize the random by continually grabbing random values before the user hits a game start button

this timing being different each time, it might jumpstart the code?