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Post tutorial Report RSS Simple Game Making 1: How Computers Run Your Games

After this short illustrated tutorial, you will be able to start programming games! The excellent Love2D engine is the tool here.

Posted by on - Basic Client Side Coding

How does the computer convert source code to an interactive game? Let's find out!

Theory

Games consist of four main parts of code: load, update, draw and events.

darkFlat-diagram
Diagram of how a game runs

load()

The load() function is used to open resources (images, sounds..) and give them names (variables).

update(dt)

update() runs after load() or draw() finishes. Calculations about game changes happen there - for example character movement.
dt measures the time it took to update() since the last time there was an update(). On an old computer, dt can be a big number (1 or even more) on a modern computer, it should be very small (at least 0.016 or less).

draw()

The draw() function is executed each time update() finishes. It is used for drawing shapes and images.

events

Events happen when keys or mouse buttons are pressed or released or when the current window loses focus or is being closed by the "X"/"Close" button.

Practice

Let's make the keyboard move an image around on the screen!

Prepare

  1. Download and install love2d (aka LÖVE)
  2. Create a new folder (directory) called "myGame"
  3. Download and move the file unit1.png into "myGame"
  4. Create a new text file (.txt, not a word document!) using TextEdit, Kate, GEdit or Notepad++ (Don't use Notepad!) called main.lua (not Main.lua or main.LUA or mAIn.lUa ;) ).

The file/folder structure should look like this:
darkFlat-dir myGame/
|_ darkFlat-unit1 unit1.png
|_ darkFlat-code main.lua

Program

Write the following into the myGame/main.lua file:

love.load()
We will create a list for the images, create a unit and 'configure' it and set the background color.

lua code:
function love.load()

img = {

monster = love.graphics.newImage("unit1.png"),

}

units = {

{ -- this is automatically the first unit in "units" which can be accessed via "units[1]"

pos = { math.random(200,600) ,math.random(200,400) }, -- these are the (random at game start) x/y coordinates of the unit

speed = 100,

moveDir = { 0, 0 }, -- movement direction: {-1,-1} would be 100% left and 100% up, {0,1} would be 100% right. We will add ways to change moveDir later.

},

}

love.graphics.setBackgroundColor(244,200,200) -- no bg color, no fun!

end


love.update(dt)
On each update(), the unit's new position gets calculated.
The new position depends on dt, otherwise the movement would depend on the update() frequency (and thus on the computer speed).

lua code:
function love.update(dt)

units[1].pos = {units[1].pos[1] + (units[1].moveDir[1] * units[1].speed * dt), units[1].pos[2] + (units[1].moveDir[2] * units[1].speed * dt)}

end


love.draw()
All we do is draw the unit at its position. Background is re-drawn automatically in the beginning of draw().

lua code:
function love.draw(dt)

love.graphics.draw(img.monster, units[1].pos[1], units[1].pos[2])

end


Events (love.keypressed() and love.keyreleased())
Axis movement directions are set to 1, 0 or -1, according to what arrow key is pressed.

lua code:
function love.keypressed(key, isrepeat)

if key == "up" then

units[1].moveDir[2] = -1

elseif key == "down" then

units[1].moveDir[2] = 1

elseif key == "right" then

units[1].moveDir[1] = 1

elseif key == "left" then

units[1].moveDir[1] = -1

end

end


function love.keyreleased(key, isrepeat)

if key == "up" then

units[1].moveDir[2] = 0

elseif key == "down" then

units[1].moveDir[2] = 0

elseif key == "right" then

units[1].moveDir[1] = 0

elseif key == "left" then

units[1].moveDir[1] = 0

end

end


Well that's it! You can just download the code above in this file: main.lua.

Running the game

You can either

  • Drag-and-drop the folder "myGame" onto a LÖVE executable or link or
  • Make a zip file that contains unit1.png and main.lua (it may not contain the directory "myGame" though) and then run it using love2d

This is what you should see:
tutorial ...
This is it! You understand how the load-update-draw-events system works and are prepared to make some simple games! See you in my next tutorial!

Post comment Comments
AirborneSn1p3r
AirborneSn1p3r

great tut, i will have a go at this when i am free after my exams

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
StoneCrowUK
StoneCrowUK

great tutorial :)
any chance of getting another that deals with basic multiobject collision code(outside of box2d).

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
SEGIII
SEGIII

I needed something like this, thanks. :)

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
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