How do I make lava drops damage the character?

Question

I am building a JavaScript game, based on Mario.

I have already implemented "physics" for lava, so when the character would fall into it, they would lose 1 life. What I am trying to achieve is that lava drops would act the same, so on contact they would hurt the character and make it respawn at the start of the area / level.

The code can be found here and seen below:

     //////////////////////////////
     // This is only a demo code //
     //////////////////////////////

var LEVELS = [
  ["                                   ",
   "                                   ",
   "                                   ",
   "                                   ",
   "                      xxx          ",
   "                     xx!xx         ",
   "                     x!!!x         ",
   "                     xx!xx         ",
   "  x                   xvx          ",
   "  x                               x",
   "  x                               x",
   "  x                               x",
   "  x                               x",
   "  x                               x",
   "  x @                xxxxx     o  x",
   "  xxxxxx     xxxxxxxxx   xxxxxxxxxx",
   "       x     x                     ",
   "       x!!!!!x                     ",
   "       x!!!!!x                     ",
   "       xxxxxxx                     ",
   "                                   "]
];
var life = 3;
document.getElementById("life").innerHTML = ("Lives left: " + life);

function Vector(x, y) {
	this.x = x; this.y = y;
}

Vector.prototype.plus = function(other) {
	return new Vector(this.x + other.x, this.y + other.y);
};

Vector.prototype.times = function(scale) {
	return new Vector(this.x * scale, this.y * scale);
};

// Note: uppercase words are used that means constructor are values
var actorchars =  {
	"@": Player,
	"o": Coin,
	"|": Lava,
	"v": Lava
};

function Player(pos) {
	this.pos = pos.plus(new Vector(0, -.5));
	this.size = new Vector(.5, 1);
	this.speed = new Vector(0, 0);
}
Player.prototype.type = "player";

function Lava(pos, ch) {
	this.pos = pos;
	this.size = new Vector(1, 1);
	if (ch === "|")
		this.speed = new Vector(0, 2);
	else if (ch === 'v'){
		this.speed = new Vector(0, 3); 		   
		this.repeatPos = pos;
	}
}
Lava.prototype.type = "Lava";

function Coin(pos) {
	this.basePos = this.pos = pos;
	this.size = new Vector(.6, .6);
	// take a look back
	this.wobble = Math.random() * Math.PI * 2;
}
Coin.prototype.type = "coin";

Level.prototype.isFinished = function() {
  return this.status !== null && this.finishDelay < 0;
};

function Level(plan) {
	this.width = plan[0].length;
	this.height = plan.length;
	this.grid = [];
	this.actors = [];
	
	for (var y = 0; y < this.height; y++) {
		var line = plan[y],  gridLine = [];
		for (var x = 0; x < this.width; x++) {
			var ch = line[x], fieldType = null;
			var Actor = actorchars[ch];
			if (Actor)
				this.actors.push(new Actor(new Vector(x, y), ch));
			else if (ch === "x")
				fieldType = "wall";
			else if (ch === "!")
				fieldType = "lava";
			else if (ch === "|")
				fieldType = "lava";
			else if (ch === "v"){
				fieldType = "lava";
				console.log(fieldType);
			}
			gridLine.push(fieldType);
		}
		this.grid.push(gridLine);
	}
	this.player = this.actors.filter(function(actor) {
		return actor.type === "player";
	})[0];	
	this.status = this.finishDelay = null;
}

function element(name, className) {
	var elem = document.createElement(name);
	if(className) elem.className = className;
	return elem;
}

function DOMDisplay(parent, level) {
	this.wrap = parent.appendChild(element("div", "game"));
	this.level = level;
	
	this.wrap.appendChild(this.drawBackground());
	this.actorLayer = null;
	this.drawFrame();
}


var scale = 15;


DOMDisplay.prototype.drawBackground = function() {
	var table = element("table", "background");
	table.style.width = this.level.width * scale + "px";
	table.style.height = this.level.height * scale + "px";
	this.level.grid.forEach(function(row) {
  var rowElement = table.appendChild(element("tr"));
		rowElement.style.height = scale + "px";
		row.forEach(function(type) {
			rowElement.appendChild(element("td", type));
		});
	});
	return table;
};

DOMDisplay.prototype.drawActors = function() {
	var wrap = element("div");
	this.level.actors.forEach(function(actor) {
		var rect = wrap.appendChild(element("div", "actor " + actor.type));
		rect.style.width = actor.size.x * scale + "px";
		rect.style.height = actor.size.y * scale + "px";
		rect.style.left = actor.pos.x * scale + "px";
		rect.style.top = actor.pos.y * scale + "px";
	});
	return wrap;
};

DOMDisplay.prototype.drawFrame = function() {
	if (this.actorLayer)
		this.wrap.removeChild(this.actorLayer);
	this.actorLayer = this.wrap.appendChild(this.drawActors());
	this.wrap.className = "game " + (this.level.status || "");
	this.scrollPlayerIntoView();
};


// clear it later
DOMDisplay.prototype.scrollPlayerIntoView = function() {
  var width = this.wrap.clientWidth;
  var height = this.wrap.clientHeight;
  var margin = width / 3;

  // The viewport
  var left = this.wrap.scrollLeft, right = left + width;
  var top = this.wrap.scrollTop, bottom = top + height;

  var player = this.level.player;
  var center = player.pos.plus(player.size.times(0.5))
                 .times(scale);

  if (center.x < left + margin)
    this.wrap.scrollLeft = center.x - margin;
  else if (center.x > right - margin)
    this.wrap.scrollLeft = center.x + margin - width;
  if (center.y < top + margin)
    this.wrap.scrollTop = center.y - margin;
  else if (center.y > bottom - margin)
    this.wrap.scrollTop = center.y + margin - height;
};

DOMDisplay.prototype.clear = function() {
	this.wrap.parentNode.removeChild(this.wrap);
};

Level.prototype.obstacleAt = function(pos, size) {
  var xStart = Math.floor(pos.x);
  var xEnd = Math.ceil(pos.x + size.x);
  var yStart = Math.floor(pos.y);
  var yEnd = Math.ceil(pos.y + size.y);

  if (xStart < 0 || xEnd > this.width || yStart < 0)
    return "wall";
  if (yEnd > this.height)
    return "lava";
  for (var y = yStart; y < yEnd; y++) {
    for (var x = xStart; x < xEnd; x++) {
      var fieldType = this.grid[y][x];
      if (fieldType) return fieldType;
    }
  }
};

Level.prototype.actorAt = function(actor) {
  for (var i = 0; i < this.actors.length; i++) {
    var other = this.actors[i];
    if (other != actor &&
        actor.pos.x + actor.size.x > other.pos.x &&
        actor.pos.x < other.pos.x + other.size.x &&
        actor.pos.y + actor.size.y > other.pos.y &&
        actor.pos.y < other.pos.y + other.size.y)
      return other;
  }
};

var maxStep = 0.05;

Level.prototype.animate = function(step, keys) {
  if (this.status !== null)
    this.finishDelay -= step;

  while (step > 0) {
    var thisStep = Math.min(step, maxStep);
    this.actors.forEach(function(actor) {
      actor.act(thisStep, this, keys);
    }, this);
    step -= thisStep;
  }
};


Lava.prototype.act = function(step, level) {
  var newPos = this.pos.plus(this.speed.times(step));
  if (!level.obstacleAt(newPos, this.size))
    this.pos = newPos;
  else if (this.repeatPos)
    this.pos = this.repeatPos;
  else
    this.speed = this.speed.times(-1);
};

var wobbleSpeed = 8, wobbleDist = 0.07;

Coin.prototype.act = function(step) {
  this.wobble += step * wobbleSpeed;
  var wobblePos = Math.sin(this.wobble) * wobbleDist;
  this.pos = this.basePos.plus(new Vector(0, wobblePos));
};


var playerXSpeed = 10;

Player.prototype.moveX = function(step, level, keys) {
  this.speed.x = 0;
  if (keys.left) this.speed.x -= playerXSpeed;
  if (keys.right) this.speed.x += playerXSpeed;

  var motion = new Vector(this.speed.x * step, 0);
  var newPos = this.pos.plus(motion);
  var obstacle = level.obstacleAt(newPos, this.size);
  if (obstacle)
    level.playerTouched(obstacle);
  else
    this.pos = newPos;
};

var gravity = 30;
var jumpSpeed = 17;

Player.prototype.moveY = function(step, level, keys) {
  this.speed.y += step * gravity;
  var motion = new Vector(0, this.speed.y * step);
  var newPos = this.pos.plus(motion);
  var obstacle = level.obstacleAt(newPos, this.size);
  if (obstacle) {
    level.playerTouched(obstacle);
    if (keys.up && this.speed.y > 0)
      this.speed.y = -jumpSpeed;
    else
      this.speed.y = 0;
  } else {
    this.pos = newPos;
  }
};

Player.prototype.act = function(step, level, keys) {
  this.moveX(step, level, keys);
  this.moveY(step, level, keys);

  var otherActor = level.actorAt(this);
  if (otherActor)
    level.playerTouched(otherActor.type, otherActor);

  // Losing animation
  if (level.status == "lost") {
    this.pos.y += step;
    this.size.y -= step;
  }
};

Level.prototype.playerTouched = function(type, actor) {
  if (type == "lava" && this.status === null) {
    this.status = "lost";
	  life -= 1;
	  console.log(life);
	  document.getElementById("life").innerHTML = ("Lives left: " + life);
	  if(life < 0) {	
      sessionStorage.setItem("reloading", "true");
		  document.location.reload();
	  }
    this.finishDelay = 1;
  } else if (type == "coin") {
    this.actors = this.actors.filter(function(other) {
      return other != actor;
    });
    if (!this.actors.some(function(actor) {
      return actor.type == "coin";
    })) {
	  life += 1;
	  document.getElementById("life").innerHTML = ("Lives left: " + life);
      this.status = "won";
      this.finishDelay = 1;
    }
  }
};

var arrowCodes = {37: "left", 38: "up", 39: "right"};

function trackKeys(codes) {
  var pressed = Object.create(null);
  function handler(event) {
    if (codes.hasOwnProperty(event.keyCode)) {
      var down = event.type == "keydown";
      pressed[codes[event.keyCode]] = down;
      event.preventDefault();
    }
  }
  addEventListener("keydown", handler);
  addEventListener("keyup", handler);
  return pressed;
}

function runAnimation(frameFunc) {
  var lastTime = null;
  function frame(time) {
    var stop = false;
    if (lastTime !== null) {
      var timeStep = Math.min(time - lastTime, 100) / 1000;
      stop = frameFunc(timeStep) === false;
    }
    lastTime = time;
    if (!stop)
      requestAnimationFrame(frame);
  }
  requestAnimationFrame(frame);
}

var arrows = trackKeys(arrowCodes);

function runLevel(level, Display, andThen) {
  var display = new Display(document.body, level);
  runAnimation(function(step) {
    level.animate(step, arrows);
    display.drawFrame(step);
    if (level.isFinished()) {
      display.clear();
      if (andThen)
        andThen(level.status);
      return false;
    }
  });
}


var lives = function() {
	ctx.font = "20px Courier";
	ctx.fontFamily = "monospace";
	ctx.fillStyle = "#666";
	ctx.textAlign = "left";
	ctx.textBaseline = "top";
	ctx.fillText("Lives left: " + life, 10, 10);
};


function runGame(plans, Display) {
  function startLevel(n) {
    runLevel(new Level(plans[n]), Display, function(status) {
      if (status == "lost") {
        startLevel(n);							
						} else if (n < plans.length - 1)
        startLevel(n + 1);
      else
        alert("You win!");
    });
  }
  startLevel(0);
}

runGame(LEVELS, DOMDisplay);

body {
  background: #222;
}

h2 {
  color: #666;
  font-family: monospace;
  text-align: center;
}

.background {
  table-layout: fixed;
  border-spacing: 0;
}

.background td {
  padding: 0;
}

.lava, .actor {
  background: #e55;
}

.wall {
  background: #444;
  border: solid 3px #333;
  box-sizing: content-box;
}

.actor {
  position: absolute;
}

.coin {
  background: #e2e838;
  border-radius: 50%;
}

.player {
  background: #335699;
  box-shadow: none;
}

.lost .player {
  background: #a04040;
}

.won .player {
  background: green;
}

.game {
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
}

#life {
	 font = 20px;
  font-family: monospace;
	 color: #666;
	 text-align: left;
	 baseline: top;
	 margin-left: 30px;
	 font-weight: bold;
}

<h2>Simple JavaScript Game</h2>
<div id="life"></div>

So just a quick explanation, the following elements act as:

"x" represents a wall

"@" acts as a character

"!", "v" act as lava

"o" is a coin, which finishes the level by being collected

Answer 1

Current code:

 Level.prototype.playerTouched = function(type, actor) {
  if (type == "lava" && this.status === null) {

The problem is that you use different types for the "lava pool" and "lava drops". The last one type is 'Lava' and not 'lava' as the first. So if you want to keep it that way is as simple as that:

Level.prototype.playerTouched = function(type, actor) {
  if ((type == "lava" || type == "Lava") && this.status === null) {

With regards, Chris Karanikas.