Define a game map, instead of a grid

[emmenko]

Obviously a Pacman game uses a map 🤓

A map is based on top of our grid system and it basically means that certain movements are not permitted.

Acceptance criteria

• Pacman (and Ghosts) can only run on the map paths
• Fruits can only be spawn within the map paths
• Movements towards a "dead end" will result in a stale position until an allowed movement is performed (e.g. going down, there is a wall and you can only turn left or right)
• The map should allow a couple of "tunnels", to continue the movement from the opposite side

[ncthbrt]

Another question: Is the map procedurally generated, or static?

[emmenko]

I don't have much experience with these sort of things but I would assume it's a mix.

For instance, we need to know where the elements can be spawn and move. So if we build a matrix of points, we can specify which points are part of the "path" and which not.

[x x x x x x]
[x o o o x x]
[o o x o o o]
[x x x o x x]
[x o o o x x]
[x x x x x x]

👆Something like this ("o" is where you can move)

But again, I never built something like this so those are just my assumptions.

Do you have any experience with those things?

[ncthbrt]

That sounds good. Would also recommend allowing for explicit spawn points. Gives you a lot more control and reduces the edge cases.

[emmenko]

You mean for things like random fruit?

[diplofocus]

I'd love to implement a procedurally generated map. Maze-generation is always fun to play around with.

I'm having issues getting the project up and running from my workplace, so it'll have to wait for me to get back home.

[emmenko]

Sure, if you already have experience with that we're happy to get all the help we can 🙌

[ncthbrt]

@emmenko Yes, and for ghosts

[emmenko]

Yeah. Well ghosts always spawns from a specific place if I'm not mistaken 🤔

[diplofocus]

I still keep getting the most useful:
Fatal error: exception Failure("Unknown error while loading plugin")

Working on figuring out what's wrong.

[emmenko]

PS: @diplofocus I added you to the team, welcome! 👏

[emmenko]

I still keep getting the most useful:

When do you get the error? When you start? When you build?

Try pulling the latest changes, there was a bugfix in the vscode settings.

[Schmavery]

@diplofocus I came across this the other day in case it helps get your map-generation creativity going (iirc the original game has a single static map for all levels)

[emmenko]

Cool, thanks for the link!

[diplofocus]

I get the error while trying to start the app. Same happens on both my work PC and my home PC. The build passed after I installed some pulse-audio libraries, but still can't get it to start.

As for the article, my starting point was just a maze, but tweaked and mirrored to produce a more "playable" map. If I remain unable to run the project, I'll implement the maze generation in a separate file, with a text-visualization. Hopefully someone with more luck running the app can integrate the algorithm in to the rest of the game.

[emmenko]

We should try to get you set up, it's not good if you can't start the app. Can you try cloning the repo again and do a clean install?