Chapter 3. Implementing Game Logic

We have set up our Gideros project just the way we need, using all the needed features from automatic scaling and proper logical dimensions to setting up the scene manager and creating couple of simple scenes.

Now is the time to jump into a little more complicated logic where we will manage multiple levels and packs of our game, as well as implement the game logic itself.

These are the topics we'll be covering in this chapter:

• Creating the scene for the main game logic

• Learning to use physics in Gideros

• Using Gideros OOP to manage different kinds of game objects

• Manipulating multiple levels and level definitions

• Creating scenes for choosing packs/modes and levels

• Managing game progression by unlocking new levels

Implementing the main game scene

The main game scene is where all the action will be happening. This is the place where we will have objects bouncing and hitting each other just like in the Mashballs game.

Usually, when you have an idea about the game, you don't think about the number of levels, packs, scores, and so on. You think about main gameplay and you act similarly with game development. You should jump straight to the main gameplay and create a minimum viable prototype to understand:

• Is it possible to implement it as you've imagined?

• Is the game playable at all?

• Is it attractive, fun, and something you will play yourself?

Otherwise you would have spent a huge amount of time, just to understand that the gameplay you imagined is not very usable.

That is why we will also start implementing the main game logic first.

In the start scene of the previous chapter, we created a Start Game button, which should lead to level scene. Let's now create this scene as we did before. First create a LevelScene...

Managing packs and levels

Now that we have finished the prototype of our game and see that it works, let's implement the pack and level logic, as well as player progression between levels.

This is the part where you take your game out of prototype state and gamify it with more engagement loops and sense of progression, and make it into something you could show to others. I usually start to bother my friends with trying the new game after implementing the simple tutorial level pack.

Defining packs

First let's create a simple file, where we would define our packs and the number of levels in them. So head to your Gideros Studio and add a packs.lua file to your project. Inside it we will define a simple packs table which would contain subtables, representing each pack with name of the pack, and the number of levels in it.

packs = {
  {
    name = "First pack",
    levels = 15
  },
  {
    name = "Second pack",
    levels = 15
  },
}

Now based on this definition, we can create a scene, where we can...

Summary

Now we have implemented our main game logic and we can define multiple packs and levels, as also create, read, and interpret level definitions and create different game objects as separate Gideros classes. Additionally, we can manage unlocking levels upon completion of the previous level.

In the next chapter, we will make our game more advanced and polished by adding animations and sound effects, and also by changing how we interact with the game and its controls, and making the game more engaging by adding scores.