Computer Games Programming

In the embodiment simulations of physical systems we often use mathematical functions and techniques that are based on both basic concepts and basic mathematical functions. Two of the key such functions are the “Sine” and the “Cosine”...

Many "Games Development" students will certainly agree on this: “Collision Detection is a nightmare to achieve”. This article aims at clarifying things a bit. First of all, there are many types of 2D platform games, from strictly “Grid-based” to “Mario-style” platform games to modern games, all use basically the same Collision Detection techniques. Even if we take all precaution in simplifying our game world to using only certain specific types of a platform at certain specific slope angles, Collision Detection techniques will still be dictated by the arbitrary platform geometry.

Depth-first Search (DFS) is a Searching Algorithm with many applications in other fields outside of the strictly Traversing or Searching Trees and Graph Data Structures field. The operational part of the Algorithm commences from the Root Node (or a user specified Node) with the aim of reaching at an again user-specified Target Node, if that Node exists, in the Data Structure investigated. The operational characteristic of the Algorithm is that navigates as far as possible along a Tree Branch sequentially, before backtracking and continuing with the next of the Tree Branches. The Algorithm dates back to the 19th Century when the French mathematician Charles Pierre Trémaux proposed a version of the today’s well known “Classical” implementation of the Algorithm as a tool assisting in solving mazes. In this section, the “Classic” implementation of the Algorithm is given, as well as an implementation that includes all the necessary modifications for the Algorithm to be used as a “Path-finding” Algorithm for Computer Games applications.

A “Finite State Machine” (FSM) finds use in many diverse applications and activities. In reality, chances are that we interact with an FSM controlled device at least once per day as we carry out our everyday activities. Even more importantly, “Finite State Machines” form one of the most important constituent parts in a computer game’s “Artificial Intelligence” (AI).

Breadth-first Search (BFS) is an algorithm that has been developed with the purpose of enabling for quick searching of Tree and/or Graph Data Structures. The Algorithm starts its operation at the Root of the structure to be searched (or even at some specified Node) and navigates through all of the neighbouring Nodes at the current Depth Level, first. If the destination Node is not found, then proceeds with the Nodes at the next Depth Level and continues iteratively until either the Node is found or the full length of the Tree or Graph has been searched. In this section, the “Classic” implementation of the Algorithm is given, as well as an implementation that includes all the necessary modifications for the Algorithm to be used as a “Path-finding” Algorithm for Computer Games applications.