Need big help wih a loop

[gail belfast]

I have to write a snakes and ladders program but i am having serious trouble getting my loop to work. I am pretty much a beginner and any help would be great.
The loop is meant to roll the dice and let anyone who has thrown the dice enter the game but then it appears to throw them out and now included the second player at all.

[[public class fame {

    static Scanner keyboard = new Scanner(System.in);
    static int numberOfPlayers = 0;

    static int selectOption;


    static boolean inGame = false;
    static boolean notfinished= false;
    static boolean finished =false;
    static boolean started = false;
    String winner = "";
    static int diceOption;
    static int position = 0;
    static int score = 0;
    static int location = 0;


    public static void gameOptions() {


        System.out.println("**************************************************************");
        System.out.println("\t\t\t\t\t\tWelcome to snakes and ladders!!!");
        System.out.println("**************************************************************");


        do {
            System.out.println("Please select an option: \n" +
                    "1. Game instuctions " +
                    "\n2. Select number of players");
            selectOption = keyboard.nextInt();
        } while (selectOption != 1 && selectOption != 2);

        Player[] playerArray;

        if (selectOption == 1) {
            System.out.println("Rules of snakes and ladders" +
                    "\n1. The first player to get to square 100 wins!");
        } else if (selectOption == 2) {

            System.out.println("Enter number of players");
            numberOfPlayers = keyboard.nextInt();
            //clearing the buffer
            keyboard.nextLine();
        }

        playerArray = new Player[numberOfPlayers];
        for (int count = 0; count < playerArray.length; count++) {
            playerArray[count] = new Player();

            System.out.println("\t Please enter the firstname of the player ");
            playerArray[count].setUserName(keyboard.next());
      

        playGame(playerArray, started);
    }

    public static void playGame(Player[] pPlayerArray, Boolean started)
    // to enter the game each player has to roll a six
    // When they have rolled a six they move to position one where they wait until their next turn at rolling the dice,
    {

        //print gameboard

        //while not in game roll the dice by pressing the number 8 and enter.

   while (!started)
   {

            // loop for players taking turns
            for (int loop = 0; loop < numberOfPlayers; loop++) {

            do
            {

                   pPlayerArray[loop].setScore(Dice2.rolledDice());
                    System.out.println(pPlayerArray[loop].getUserName() + "  turn to roll the dice  ");
                    keyboard.nextLine();
                    //dice instance
                    //pPlayerArray[loop].setScore(Dice2.rolledDice());
                    // When player roll the dice to enter the game they have to get six if they don't they are unable to enter the game.
                    //Next player will then roll the dice


                    if ((pPlayerArray[loop].score == 6) && (!pPlayerArray[loop].started)) {
                        // when player scores a six they become part of the game
                        started = true;
                        System.out.println(pPlayerArray[loop].getUserName() +
                      "\t  Welldone you have scored a" + pPlayerArray[loop].getScore() + "!!");
                        System.out.println("  You are now in the game  ");
                        pPlayerArray[loop].setPosition(0);
                        System.out.println("You got a 6 !! Please roll the dice again");
                        pPlayerArray[loop].setScore(Dice2.rolledDice());
                        keyboard.nextLine();
                        pPlayerArray[loop].setScore();
                        pPlayerArray[loop].setPosition(position+score);
                       // position = position + score;
                        System.out.println(pPlayerArray[loop].getUserName() 
                                + "  you rolled a   " + pPlayerArray[loop].getScore() +
                                " your new position is " + pPlayerArray[loop].getPosition());
                      while (pPlayerArray[loop].started)

                          //started =true;
                          System.out.println("Roll the dice to move your position");
                          pPlayerArray[loop].setScore(Dice2.rolledDice());
                          pPlayerArray[loop].setPosition(position + score);
                          // position = position + score;
                          System.out.println(pPlayerArray[loop].getUserName() + 
                       " you rolled a  " + pPlayerArray[loop].getScore() +
                                  " your new position is" + pPlayerArray[loop].getPosition());
                          while (pPlayerArray[loop].score == 6)
                         System.out.println(pPlayerArray[loop].getUserName()
                         + "You rolled a six so you can roll again ");
                          pPlayerArray[loop].setScore(Dice2.rolledDice());
                          keyboard.nextLine();
                          pPlayerArray[loop].setPosition(position + score);
                          //position = position + score;
                          System.out.println(pPlayerArray[loop].getUserName() +
                         " you rolled a   " + pPlayerArray[loop].getScore() +
                                " your new position is" + pPlayerArray[loop].getPosition());
                      



                       }
                    else
                       {
                          //((pPlayerArray[loop].started) || (pPlayerArray[loop].score < 6));

                          System.out.println(pPlayerArray[loop].getUserName() + "  You have rolled  " + pPlayerArray[loop].getScore() + "\n");
                          System.out.println(pPlayerArray[loop].getUserName() + "Sorry you have to roll a six to enter the game" + "\n");
                          pPlayerArray[loop].setScore(Dice2.rolledDice());
                          keyboard.nextLine();
                       }



                    } while (!pPlayerArray[loop].notFinished);

    }
    }
    }







    public static void main(String[] args) {

        gameOptions();
    }//main
}//class
]

]

[Winston Gutkowski]

gail belfast wrote:I have to write a snakes and ladders program but i am having serious trouble getting my loop to work.

Gail,

Please UseCodeTags (←click) when posting code. I think you tried, but I've corrected them for you. You can see what I did with the 'Edit' key.
Unfortunately, you now have a second problem: Your code lines are much too long, and it makes your thread very hard to read. I'd help you out there too, but you have TONS of them.

I suggest you read the link and correct them yourself.

Thanks.

Winston

PS: Welcome to JavaRanch.

[Tony Docherty]

I've not looked too closely at the code but the playGame method having a game play loop which tests for "not started" seems wrong to me. Shouldn't it be testing for "playing" or "running" or "not finished".
Also in the if statement where you test to see if a player has rolled 6 and hasn't started yet you set the game loop variable "started" to true, shouldn't that be setting the players started state to true.
Finally the "while player has started" statement should have an opening curly brace after it and a closing curly brace at the end of the code block as it's not clear what code you intend to run when the while statement is true.

On a different note all together, I suggest you move sections of the code into their own methods so your play game method just has the control logic and a few calls to other methods. It will make it much easier to understand what is happening.