Tutorials and Java based Code examples for Game Developers

In the past, I've seen a number of 'But, how do I get a sprite to show?'/'Where can I find example code for xyzy?' type questions on Game Developer forums. Here's a quick list of some tutorials, code snippets and examples that I've made use of whilst coding Tarvos. The focus here is Java, since that's the platform I work with.

Tarvos

Status report

Tarvos

Status report

Have shelved the main game exe in order to get proper file parsing using the editor - will then cripple to editor to only show things that a player can see. This way, I don't have to maintain two seperate file parsers, etc.

What I fixed (fixed Bugs)

Nil!

What I broke (new Bugs)

Nil!

Progress

Lack of updates, etc. A few things are afoot with regard to Tarvos & Reclamation. I'm still working on separating the two projects, and this is coming along quite well (though some of the work required is, quite frankly, tedious and boring). The level editor for Tarvos is also doing well - I've revised the specification for the level data files just a little (and for sprite data as well) to accomodate some additional needs (the more I look at Reclamation lvls 1-7, the more 'special' things I see that I've put in, which have made this project 900 times more difficult.)

Switched teleporters

Stage 6 of Reclamation, which has been described elsewhere, required some coding due to the convoluted plan I had. The player must run across the top of the graveyard level, and retrieve a crank handle. The player then returns through the previous obstacles (maintaing pressure), to the start whereupon the crank handle is used to replace a broken on on a crank wheel. The crank wheel is then used to open a portcullis... which then allows the player to enter the mausoleum and get to the next area of the level.

Screenshot of Stage 06

Stage 06 is beginning to take shape. I need a few new features to make it work (there's an item required to move further in the map, and this needs some new code).

Edit: Apparently, I can't count. This was originally titled 'This Update made Me Happy - 002'... and it was the second number 2. Pwned

Slow Separation

I'm slowly putting in code to move more things from Reclamation out of Tarvos's codebase. Whilst I did actually start Tarvos as an Engine, most of the things I've done to it have still been 'hack this in, we'll split it out later' for Reclamation's data.

Pages from the diary of Reclamation - Pressure in Platformers

Why keep a diary

Scalable graphics for Tarvos

After some feedback from my (excellent) girlfriend, I finally listened to her and implemented scaled graphics for Tarvos. This means that while it draws on one canvas, this is then scaled back when displayed. I used the scale(sx,sy) function of the java.awt.Graphics2D class to accomplish this.

Use of a single spritesheet file to hold all game images

I've just laid down some code to use a single file and some co-ordinates to pull images for Tarvos, rather than a bunch of individual files (which can be quite ungainly when dealing with a lot of sprites).

I used code examples as follows: