Synthesis: Realizing Game Ideas in Code

This course completes our survey of Perlenspiel’s API with a look at two of the engine’s most powerful and versatile subsystems: grid planes and sprites. Other topics include procedural color generation and the use of custom image files for designing and implementing multi-function game maps, concluding with a discussion of two issues of critical importance to game designers: titles and endings.

• The Game Map
• Methods for using custom image files to design and implement multi-functional game maps are discussed, together with a strategy for simulating limited visibility.
• Finessing Appearance and Experience
• The simple adventure game we’ve developed to demonstrate Perlenspiel’s capabilities is completed with the addition of non-player characters (NPCs) and doors. The course concludes with a brief discussion of two critical design issues: titles and endings.
• Sprite Subsystem
• Perlenspiel’s powerful API subsystem for creating and manipulating both solid and image-based sprites is introduced.
• Worldbuilding in Color
• This session demonstrates procedural color generation and advanced techniques for navigation control, and introduces the API’s versatile plane subsystem.