My basic 2d game (share your class project thread)

[jeffnz]

In the future I'd like to re-write this again and make a full feature game under the GPL-3 license, using proper graphics. 

https://github.com/jeffkiwi/cplusplus

If someone here is really nice then please take a look and tell me what the ugliest part is! I'd ask on gamedev.net but I don't like the spirit of that place, it's about commercial games. I intend to release under GPL, not make money! The games industry is too competitive these days and it's controlled by lawyers and investors. I'm the opposite to them, so I post here 

So anyway, in my opinion the worst aspect of my program is that there is no error checking. I made an error check before but it didn't behave properly. I used a simple thing: IF(imagebitmap == NULL) THEN CloseProgramGracefully() but for some reason that didn't work and the program crashed with a random return number, instead of a nice error messagebox in SDL2. It was a few weeks ago so I don't remember it very well. I think I tried a try-catch too but I can't remember. I honestly don't know what one to use anyway - try-catch, or if xxxxxxx == NULL? Visual Studio has unit testing but I migrated this project back to Code::Blocks so there's no point in Visual Studio unit tests when they won't work with Code::Blocks.

Another problem that I see: my program isn't written according to a "pattern" because I don't know what pattern would suit my program. I doubt that my program needs a pattern. It'd be nice though. When I do an error check and the CloseProgramGracefully() it's nice to be within scope, that way I don't need all the parametres like so: CloseProgramGracefully(graphicsobject, inputobject, soundobject) PLUS delete all block objects, PLUS delete all enemies, PLUS delete all players - another 3 lines each time I wish to close the program, and there are many points where it might need to close due to an error.

It's great that I can write in c++ but I'd like to be better at it. I like the teamwork part of programming, but not so much the programming itself lol. I've been doing programming since I was 12 and I made my first game when I was 15. It's the only job I want, yet I feel embarrassed about my ability.

ps. If anyone else has a project to share then please do share your program (or your experiences in writing the program).

[vladislavbelov]

Hello @jeffnz!

First of all, I shall recommend you to add a Reamde file with a description and instructions how to compile it (i.e., you need SDL to compile). Because currently it's just a set of files. You could add Code::Blocks .cbp files, CMake file or Makefile, any what you want. Also it'd be good to have few screenshots, as you want to share the game.

I can suggest to read http://lazyfoo.net/tutorials/SDL/, it's has a good code style enough and basic SDL principles. Also it'd be good to have knowledges about the game architecture at all: http://www.gameenginebook.com/ (on Google Books), or something like that.

[wraitii]

Quote

You could add Code::Blocks .cbp files, CMake file or Makefile, any what you want

I find Premake 5 much easier for small projects (for 0 A.D.… Well it's a mess anyway  )

[jeffnz]

@vladislavbelov I have a book titled The Black Art Of Multiplatform Game Programming. That guy uses a pattern but I'm not sure which pattern it is. The later chapters in that book are really confusing.