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best-practices.md

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Best Practices Guide

This guide outlines recommended practices for developing games with the Retro Game Engine.

Project Structure

Asset Organization

your_game/
├── assets/
│   ├── sprites/      # Sprite sheets and animations
│   ├── audio/        # Sound effects and music
│   ├── tilemaps/     # Level data and tilesets
│   └── fonts/        # Bitmap fonts
├── src/
│   ├── components/   # Custom game components
│   ├── scenes/       # Game scenes
│   └── systems/      # Game systems
└── config/           # Game configuration files

Code Organization

  • Keep scenes focused and single-purpose
  • Use components for reusable functionality
  • Implement systems for global game logic
  • Separate configuration from code

Resource Management

Memory

  • Unload unused assets when changing scenes
  • Use sprite sheets instead of individual images
  • Pool frequently created/destroyed objects
  • Clear event listeners and references

Asset Loading

  • Preload assets during scene initialization
  • Use asynchronous loading for large assets
  • Implement loading screens for smooth transitions
  • Cache frequently used resources

Performance

Rendering

  • Batch similar sprites together
  • Use appropriate z-indices for layering
  • Implement view culling for large levels
  • Minimize draw calls and state changes

Physics

  • Use simple collision shapes when possible
  • Implement spatial partitioning for many objects
  • Update physics at fixed time steps
  • Disable physics for off-screen objects

Input

  • Process input once per frame
  • Use input buffering for responsive controls
  • Implement input mapping for configurability
  • Handle multiple input methods consistently

Game Design

Visual Style

  • Maintain consistent pixel scale
  • Use limited color palettes
  • Design clear visual hierarchies
  • Consider readability at all resolutions

Audio

  • Keep sound effects short and impactful
  • Use audio pooling for frequent sounds
  • Implement priority system for channels
  • Consider music loop points carefully

User Experience

  • Provide clear feedback for actions
  • Implement consistent controls
  • Use screen transitions for loading
  • Save game state frequently

Testing

Performance Testing

  • Test with minimum spec hardware
  • Profile CPU and memory usage
  • Monitor frame rate consistency
  • Test with various input methods

Game Testing

  • Test edge cases in gameplay
  • Verify save/load functionality
  • Check all possible transitions
  • Test error handling

Deployment

Building

  • Set appropriate version numbers
  • Include all required assets
  • Optimize assets for distribution
  • Test builds on target platforms

Distribution

  • Include clear installation instructions
  • Provide system requirements
  • Document known issues
  • Include version history

Common Pitfalls

Memory Leaks

  • Not cleaning up event listeners
  • Keeping references to destroyed objects
  • Not disposing of textures
  • Circular references in components

Performance Issues

  • Too many active physics objects
  • Inefficient collision checks
  • Unoptimized sprite rendering
  • Memory fragmentation

Game Design

  • Inconsistent difficulty curves
  • Unresponsive controls
  • Unclear objectives
  • Poor save point placement