fully revamped the movement system, also I once again left out level =3 and playeractive in variables so I fixed that and instead I made the "Delete" key set those variables to 3 and true

src/main/java/dev/dvorakmortonxd/Game.java

@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public class Game extends JPanel implements ActionListener {
     /* defines the level which is used to determine what exactly shows (for example main menu is level 1),
        levelProgress which is only used for the animation from level 1 to level 2
        and fadeAnimation which is also used for the animation from level 1 to level 2                       */
-    public int level = 3;
+    public int level = 1;
     public boolean levelProgress = false; // this is used to make the transition from the Game menu to the game level look cool
     public int fadeAnimation = 0;
 
@@ -107,13 +107,13 @@ public class Game extends JPanel implements ActionListener {
     public int actionTimer = 0;
 
     // defines the initial player variables
-    public int playerX = 423;
+    public double playerX = 423;
-    public int playerY = 310;
+    public double playerY = 310;
     public double playerXVelocity = 0;
     public double playerYVelocity = 0;
-    public boolean leftHeld, rightHeld;
+    public boolean leftHeld, rightHeld, upHeld, downHeld;
 
-    public static final double acceleration = 0.01;
+    public static final double acceleration = 0.6;
     public final double friction = 0.6;
     public final double maxSpeed = 6.0;
     public final double gravity = 1.0;
@@ -122,11 +122,10 @@ public class Game extends JPanel implements ActionListener {
 
     public int playerSizeX = 14*4;
     public int playerSizeY = 18*4;
-    public String playerDirection = "none";
+    public String playerFacing = "forward";
     public BufferedImage playerCurrentSprite;
-    public int playerWalkingModifier = 5;
     public boolean playerOnFeet = true;
-    public boolean playerActive = true;
+    public boolean playerActive = false;
     public int walkTick;
     public static int ticksPerFrame = 8;
     public static int[] walkCycle = {1, 0, 2, 0};

src/main/java/dev/dvorakmortonxd/input.java

@@ -11,31 +11,26 @@ public class input implements KeyListener {
     public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e) { // input
         if (m.playerActive) {
             switch (e.getKeyCode()) {
-                case KeyEvent.VK_W:
+                case KeyEvent.VK_W, KeyEvent.VK_UP -> m.upHeld = true;
-                    m.playerDirection = "backward";
+                case KeyEvent.VK_A, KeyEvent.VK_LEFT -> m.leftHeld = true;
-                    break;
+                case KeyEvent.VK_S, KeyEvent.VK_DOWN -> m.downHeld = true;
-                case KeyEvent.VK_A, KeyEvent.VK_LEFT:
+                case KeyEvent.VK_D, KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT -> m.rightHeld = true;
-                    m.playerDirection = "left";
+                case KeyEvent.VK_SPACE -> {
-                    m.leftHeld = true;
-                    break;
-                case KeyEvent.VK_S:
-                    m.playerDirection = "forward";
-                    break;
-                case KeyEvent.VK_D, KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT:
-                    m.playerDirection = "right";
-                    m.rightHeld = true;
-                    break;
-                case KeyEvent.VK_SPACE:
                     if (m.playerOnFeet) {
                         m.playerYVelocity = m.jumpSpeed;
                         m.playerOnFeet = false;
                     }
-                    break;
+                }
             }
         }
         switch (e.getKeyCode()) {
             case KeyEvent.VK_ESCAPE -> System.exit(0);
             case KeyEvent.VK_CONTROL -> System.out.println("X+Y="+m.playerX+"+"+m.playerY);
+            // THE LINE BELOW IS FOR ME WHEN DEBUGGING, I LEFT IT IN BECAUSE ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW ABOUT IT WITHOUT READING THE CODE LOL
+            case KeyEvent.VK_DELETE -> {
+                m.level = 3;
+                m.playerActive = true;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -46,25 +41,10 @@ public class input implements KeyListener {
     public void keyReleased(KeyEvent e) { // what happens when you let go of a key
         if (m.playerActive) {
             switch (e.getKeyCode()) {
-                case KeyEvent.VK_W:
+                case KeyEvent.VK_W, KeyEvent.VK_UP -> m.upHeld = false;
-                    m.playerDirection = "none";
+                case KeyEvent.VK_A, KeyEvent.VK_LEFT -> m.leftHeld = false;
-                    break;
+                case KeyEvent.VK_S, KeyEvent.VK_DOWN -> m.downHeld = false;
-                case KeyEvent.VK_A, KeyEvent.VK_LEFT:
+                case KeyEvent.VK_D, KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT -> m.rightHeld = false;
-                    m.playerDirection = "none";
-                    m.leftHeld = false;
-                    break;
-                case KeyEvent.VK_S:
-                    m.playerDirection = "none";
-                    break;
-                case KeyEvent.VK_D, KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT:
-                    m.playerDirection = "none";
-                    m.rightHeld = false;
-                    break;
-                /* ONLY FOR DEBUGGING BELOW
-                case KeyEvent.VK_A -> m.playerX -= m.playerWalkingModifier;
-                case KeyEvent.VK_D -> m.playerX += m.playerWalkingModifier;
-                case KeyEvent.VK_S -> m.playerY += 1;
-                case KeyEvent.VK_W -> m.playerY -= 1; */
             }
         }
     }

src/main/java/dev/dvorakmortonxd/update.java

@@ -60,20 +60,12 @@ public class update {
             }
         }
         if (m.playerActive) {
-            boolean moving = false;
+            if (m.leftHeld && !m.rightHeld) { m.playerFacing = "left"; }
-            if (m.playerDirection.equals("right")) {
+            else if (m.rightHeld && !m.leftHeld) { m.playerFacing = "right"; }
-                m.playerX += m.playerWalkingModifier;
+            else if (m.upHeld && !m.downHeld) { m.playerFacing = "backward"; }
-                moving = true;
+            else if (m.downHeld && !m.upHeld) { m.playerFacing = "forward"; }
-            } else if (m.playerDirection.equals("left")) {
+
-                m.playerX -= m.playerWalkingModifier;
+            boolean moving = m.leftHeld != m.rightHeld || m.upHeld || m.downHeld;
-                moving = true;
-            } else if (m.playerDirection.equals("forward")) {
-                moving = true;
-            } else if (m.playerDirection.equals("backward")) {
-                moving = true;
-            } else {
-                moving = false;
-            }
 
             int frame = 0;
             if (moving) {
@@ -82,6 +74,7 @@ public class update {
             } else {
                 m.walkTick = 0;
             }
+
             if (m.leftHeld && !m.rightHeld) {
                 m.playerXVelocity -= m.acceleration;
             } else if (m.rightHeld && !m.leftHeld) {
@@ -100,9 +93,8 @@ public class update {
             m.playerY += m.playerYVelocity;
 
             // collisions
-
             double groundY = getGroundY(m);
-            if (m.playerY >= groundY) {
+            if (m.playerY+10 >= groundY) { // the +10 is so it feels like you can jump the instant you touch the ground even tho you technically are a bit above it, just makes the movement feel snappier
                 m.playerY = (int) groundY;
                 m.playerYVelocity = 0;
                 m.playerOnFeet = true;
@@ -110,19 +102,8 @@ public class update {
                 m.playerOnFeet = false;
             }
 
-            /*
-            if (m.level == 3 && (m.playerY < 338 || (m.playerX >= 583 || m.playerX <= 274) && m.playerY < 366)) {
-                m.playerY += 10;
-                m.playerOnFeet = false;
-            } else if (m.level == 3 && m.playerX < 583 && m.playerX > 274) {
-                m.playerY = 338;
-                m.playerOnFeet = true;
-            } else {
-                m.playerOnFeet = true;
-            }*/
-
             // update the player sprite based on direction and if he's walking and frame
-            m.playerCurrentSprite = spriteFor(m, m.playerDirection, frame);
+            m.playerCurrentSprite = spriteFor(m, m.playerFacing, frame);
             // first ship
             if (m.playerX < -m.playerSizeX || m.playerX > m.windowWidth) { m.level = 4; }
         }
@@ -274,7 +255,7 @@ public class update {
             g.drawString("could be safe from Ratticus (I'm scared)", 30, m.windowHeight/2-160+350);
         }
         if (m.playerActive) {
-            g.drawImage(m.playerCurrentSprite, m.playerX, m.playerY, m.playerSizeX, m.playerSizeY, m);
+            g.drawImage(m.playerCurrentSprite, (int) m.playerX, (int) m.playerY, m.playerSizeX, m.playerSizeY, m);
         }
         Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().sync();
     }