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Preventing noclip and collision bugs in Scratch games

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CE

CollisionExpert_Dev

Posted on January 26, 2024 • Advanced

🚫 Noclip collision detection issues

I’m developing a platformer game and I’m having persistent issues with collision detection. My basic collision system works most of the time, but players can still occasionally clip through walls, especially when moving fast or at certain angles.

Problems I’m experiencing:

  • Players sometimes pass through solid walls
  • Fast movement causes collision detection to fail
  • Corner cases where collision isn’t detected properly
  • Inconsistent behavior with different sprite sizes

I know this is a common issue in game development, but I need a bulletproof collision system that prevents all forms of noclipping. Any help with creating robust collision detection would be incredibly valuable! 🛡️

PS

PhysicsSystem_Master

Replied 45 minutes later • ⭐ Best Answer

Excellent question @CollisionExpert_Dev! Noclipping is indeed one of the most challenging aspects of game physics. I’ll show you how to build a bulletproof collision system that prevents all forms of wall clipping!

🔍 Understanding Noclip Causes

Here’s why basic collision detection fails:

flowchart TD A[🏃 Fast Movement] --> B[📏 Large Step Size] B --> C[🕳️ Tunneling Through Walls] D[⚡ Single Frame Check] --> E[❌ Missed Collision] E --> F[🚫 Noclip Bug] G[📐 Corner Cases] --> H[🔄 Rotation Issues] H --> I[🕳️ Gap Exploitation] J[📊 Basic Detection] --> K{Touching Wall?} K -->|Yes| L[❌ Already Inside!] K -->|No| M[✅ Move Forward] L --> F style A fill:#ffebee style D fill:#ffebee style G fill:#ffebee style F fill:#ffcdd2

🛡️ Bulletproof Collision System

Here’s a robust collision detection system that prevents all noclipping:

    // Advanced collision detection system
define move with collision (dx) (dy)
// Store current position
set [old x v] to (x position)
set [old y v] to (y position)

// Calculate target position
set [target x v] to ((x position) + (dx))
set [target y v] to ((y position) + (dy))

// Step-by-step movement (prevents tunneling)
set [steps v] to (round ((sqrt (((dx) * (dx)) + ((dy) * (dy)))) / [2]))
if <(steps) < [1]> then
set [steps v] to [1]
end

set [step x v] to ((dx) / (steps))
set [step y v] to ((dy) / (steps))

// Move in small increments
repeat (steps)
change x by (step x)
change y by (step y)

// Check collision after each step
if <touching [Walls v]?> then
// Collision detected - revert and stop
set x to (old x)
set y to (old y)
stop [this script v]
end

// Update old position for next iteration
set [old x v] to (x position)
set [old y v] to (y position)
end
  

🎯 Axis-Separated Collision

Handle X and Y movement separately for better control:

    // Separate X and Y collision handling
define move with separated collision (dx) (dy)
// Handle X movement first
if <not <(dx) = [0]>> then
move with collision on axis [x] by (dx)
end

// Then handle Y movement
if <not <(dy) = [0]>> then
move with collision on axis [y] by (dy)
end

define move with collision on axis (axis) by (distance)
set [old position v] to (x position)
if <(axis) = [y]> then
set [old position v] to (y position)
end

// Calculate step size (smaller = more accurate)
set [step size v] to [1]
if <(distance) < [0]> then
set [step size v] to [-1]
end

set [remaining distance v] to (abs (distance))

repeat until <(remaining distance) = [0]>
// Move one step
if <(axis) = [x]> then
change x by (step size)
else
change y by (step size)
end

// Check for collision
if <touching [Walls v]?> then
// Revert the step
if <(axis) = [x]> then
change x by ((step size) * [-1])
else
change y by ((step size) * [-1])
end
stop [this script v]
end

change [remaining distance v] by [-1]
end
  

🔧 Advanced Collision Features

Add sophisticated collision behaviors:

    // Sliding collision (smooth wall interaction)
define move with sliding collision (dx) (dy)
// Try full movement first
move with collision (dx) (dy)

// If blocked, try sliding along walls
if <touching [Walls v]?> then
// Reset position
set x to (old x)
set y to (old y)

// Try X movement only (slide along Y-axis)
move with collision (dx) (0)

// If X worked, try Y movement
if <not <touching [Walls v]?>> then
move with collision (0) (dy)
else
// Reset and try Y movement only
set x to (old x)
set y to (old y)
move with collision (0) (dy)
end
end

// Push-out system (escape from inside walls)
define push out of walls
set [push attempts v] to [0]
repeat until <not <touching [Walls v]?>>
// Try pushing in all directions
change x by [1]
if <not <touching [Walls v]?>> then
stop [this script v]
end
change x by [-2]
if <not <touching [Walls v]?>> then
stop [this script v]
end
change x by [1]

change y by [1]
if <not <touching [Walls v]?>> then
stop [this script v]
end
change y by [-2]
if <not <touching [Walls v]?>> then
stop [this script v]
end
change y by [1]

change [push attempts v] by [1]
if <(push attempts) > [20]> then
// Emergency teleport to safe position
go to x: [0] y: [0]
stop [this script v]
end
end
  

⚡ High-Speed Movement Protection

Handle fast movement without tunneling:

    // Raycast collision detection
define raycast from (start x) (start y) to (end x) (end y)
set [ray distance v] to (sqrt (((end x) - (start x)) ^ 2 + ((end y) - (start y)) ^ 2))
set [ray steps v] to (round ((ray distance) / [2]))

if <(ray steps) < [1]> then
set [ray steps v] to [1]
end

set [ray step x v] to (((end x) - (start x)) / (ray steps))
set [ray step y v] to (((end y) - (start y)) / (ray steps))

set [ray x v] to (start x)
set [ray y v] to (start y)

repeat (ray steps)
change [ray x v] by (ray step x)
change [ray y v] by (ray step y)

// Check collision at this point
go to x: (ray x) y: (ray y)
if <touching [Walls v]?> then
// Collision found - move to previous safe position
change [ray x v] by ((ray step x) * [-1])
change [ray y v] by ((ray step y) * [-1])
go to x: (ray x) y: (ray y)
set [collision detected v] to [true]
stop [this script v]
end
end

set [collision detected v] to [false]

// Usage in movement
define move with raycast (dx) (dy)
raycast from (x position) (y position) to ((x position) + (dx)) ((y position) + (dy))
if <(collision detected) = [false]> then
change x by (dx)
change y by (dy)
end
  

🎮 Complete Movement System

Put it all together in a professional movement controller:

    // Main movement controller
when flag clicked
set [movement speed v] to [5]
set [collision precision v] to [1] // Lower = more accurate

forever
set [dx v] to [0]
set [dy v] to [0]

// Get input
if <key [right arrow v] pressed?> then
change [dx v] by (movement speed)
end
if <key [left arrow v] pressed?> then
change [dx v] by ((movement speed) * [-1])
end
if <key [up arrow v] pressed?> then
change [dy v] by (movement speed)
end
if <key [down arrow v] pressed?> then
change [dy v] by ((movement speed) * [-1])
end

// Apply movement with collision
if <not <((dx) = [0]) and ((dy) = [0])>> then
move with sliding collision (dx) (dy)
end

// Safety check - push out if somehow inside wall
if <touching [Walls v]?> then
push out of walls
end
end
  

This system creates absolutely bulletproof collision detection that prevents all noclipping! 🛡️✨

CE

CollisionExpert_Dev

Replied 1 hour later

@PhysicsSystem_Master This is absolutely incredible! 🤯 The step-by-step movement and raycast system completely eliminated all noclipping issues!

My platformer now has rock-solid collision detection. Players can’t clip through walls no matter how fast they move or what angles they approach from. The sliding collision makes movement feel natural too. Thank you for this comprehensive solution!

GE

GameEngine_Pro

Replied 3 hours later

Fantastic collision system! Here are some additional optimization tips for performance:

  • Spatial partitioning: Only check collision with nearby walls
  • Collision layers: Separate different types of collision objects
  • Adaptive precision: Use higher precision only when needed
  • Collision caching: Remember recent collision results

These techniques can make your collision system both bulletproof AND performant! ⚡

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

🚀 Master Professional Game Physics

Outstanding discussion on collision systems! For developers looking to create professional-grade physics and collision systems, our community can help you implement:

  • 🛡️ Advanced collision detection algorithms
  • ⚡ High-performance physics optimization
  • 🎮 Professional game feel and polish
  • 🔧 Custom physics engines and systems

📚 Related Physics Topics

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