Re: attempting an actual game...


"Gerry Quinn" <gerryq@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:MPG.1e0257b354c11d1c98a823@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> In article <414dc$4396eec6$ca83a645$23792@xxxxxxxxxx>, cr88192
> @NOSPAM.hotmail.com says...
>> "Gerry Quinn" <gerryq@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>
>> > It was what you posted in order to show how your coding abilities were
>> > too great to be wasted on Tetris. And yet it was made utterly crippled
>> > and inflexible by the absurd decision to use a bit array for square
>> > colours, probably in furtherance of some half-baked idea of efficiency
>> > (like your re-inventions of the zip file etc.).
>
>> no, I figured one would use a bit array as that would probably be
>> convinient
>> for this sort of use. yeah, in retrospect, bytes would probably make more
>> sense, as then one has 8 bits in which to store a color and a few flags
>> or
>> similar.
>>
>> or is this missing the point?...
>
> Yes, it is TOTALLY missing the point. If you want to store just a
> colour, bytes will do though ints are the natural choice when space is
> not as a premium. Bytes are theoretically adequate, but invite integer
> promotion errors.
>
ok.


mostly I had just imagined bytes as, really, one probably does not need the
full color anyways, it is easy enough to regenerate a color from a few bits.

gl notion (where i is whatever value holds the color):
glColor4f((i&1)?1:0, (i&2)?1:0, (i&4)?1:0, 1);

or somesuch...

of ammusing note, the above, along with passing the output of sin to gl, eg,
something like:
glColor4f(0.5+sin(x)*0.5, 0.5+sin(y)*0.5, 0.5+sin(z)*0.5, 1);
and similar are used as ways of conviniently generating colors and similar
within some of my code.

this image:
http://bgb-sys.sourceforge.net/shots/bsde_shot1.jpg

shows my use of these tequniques in the frontend for my physics engine...


for the rest of the state in something tetris-like, 5 bits remains in each
byte. I don't figure there is probably enough state to require much more.

one could use ints if they wanted I guess.


> If you want to store flags as well, putting them in the same memory
> address is simply poor practice, creating extra complication and
> obscurity for no gain whatsoever.
>
hmm, I am not sure why it would make that much difference in terms of these.

but, then again, it comes up as a thought that I frequently do far worse
(using pointers to store integer values on the grounds of saving memory,
....). so, who am I probably to argue about good vs bad practice?...

> As Philippa says, you should abstract it. However, I would not tell
> anyone exactly how to start off a Tetris in detail, either in prototype
> or for evolution into a final version. Using a 2D int (or, if you
> must, byte or short array) is okay. Sticking to a GetCol(x,y) function
> is fine. Creating a Cell class that currently has just a colour is
> fine, but it's easy to get over-elaborate. I would actually settle for
> an int array, on the basis that if I want to change it, it will happen
> before the program gets too complicated for this to be difficult.
> (Obviously only the game logic class will have direct access to this
> array.)
>
> (I once started with typedef int Cell, with a view to making a Cell
> class later. That was definitely overelaborate, though it did no harm,
> as it could revert to the int array option.)
>

ok.
yeah, I am not sure what one would need to store in each cell that would
require a class though...


>> if anything, I will probably continue in the current direction and see
>> what
>> I can do, regardless of what others think.
>
> With all due respect, it's obvious to everyone what you can do if you
> comtinue in the current direction. I.E. diddley squat.
>
> Change direction and you may eventually complete a game.
>
> Of course you could prove us wrong by delivering a working Tetris by
> tomorrow.
>
maybe, probably not.

the difference this time was partly deciding that I will actually try to do
the game, rather than being like "I will write this backend code and maybe
someone else will turn it into a game", or "the game will form itself out of
the accumulation of code".

this has shown itself not to be the case, I have to actively persue making
one for one to form, otherwise, all is just code.

over the past year or so I was focusing on purely backend code, and calling
my previous project a "3d engine" rather than a "game".


then again, I can't say anything has changed. if you don't believe I will
achieve anything, you are quite likely right.

I was saying I would change direction in this minor way, rather than stating
that I expect to succeed.

then again, if you don't believe me (or think I am wavering in the wind),
that is ok as well...

> - Gerry Quinn


.

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