I am coding for the NDS in c++ with libnds, but this question is not NDS-Specific. I currently have a text-based game in which the top screen just displays a logo, and you play on the bottom screen.
So I want to add a type of single-DS multiplayer in which one player plays on the top screen, and the other on the bottom. I dont have a problem with setting up the text engine with both screens, I just need to find a method of efficiently coding in multiplayer. Below I wrote a summary or simplified version of it.
Note: consoleClear() clears the screen and the only spot where the game stops is att the pause function.
//Headers
void display(int x,int y,const char* output))
{
printf("\x1b[%d;%dH%s", y, x,output);
}
void pause(KEYPAD_BITS key) //KEYPAD_BITS is an ENUM for a key on the NDS
{
scanKeys();
while (keysHeld() & key)
{
scanKeys();
swiWaitForVBlank();
}
while (!(keysHeld() & key))
{
scanKeys();
swiWaitForVBlank();
}
return;
}
void pause() //Only used to simplify coding
{
pause(KEY_A);
return;
}
int main(void)
{
//Initializations/Setup
while (1)
{
if (rand()%2==1) //Say Hello
{
if (rand()%3!=1) //To Friend (greater chance of friend than enemy)
{
display(6,7,"Hello Friend!");
display(6,8,"Good greetings to you.");
pause();
consoleClear(); //Clears text
display(6,7,"Would you like to come in?");
pause();
//Normally more complex complex code (such as interactions with inventories) would go here
}
else //To enemy
{
display(6,7,"Hello enemy!");
display(6,8,"I hate you!");
pause();
consoleClear();
display(6,7,"Leave my house right now!!!");
pause();
}
}
else //Say goodbye
{
if (rand()%4==1) //To Friend (lesser chance of friend than enemy)
{
display(6,7,"Goodbye Friend!");
display(6,8,"Good wishes to you.");
pause();
consoleClear();
display(6,7,"I'll see you tomorrow.");
pause();
consoleClear();
display(6,7,"Wait, I forgot to give you this present.");
pause();
}
else //To enemy
{
display(6,7,"Goodbye enemy!");
display(6,8,"I hate you!");
pause();
consoleClear();
display(6,7,"Never come back!!");
pause();
consoleClear();
display(6,7,"Good riddance!"); //I think I spelt that wrong...
pause();
}
}
}
}
I know gotos are confusing and can be considered a bad habit, but I cant think of a better way. My version of integrating multiplayer:
//Headers and same functions
int game(int location)
{
switch (location)
{
case 1: goto one; break;
case 2: goto two; break;
case 3: goto three; break;
case 4: goto four; break;
case 5: goto five; break;
case 6: goto six; break;
case 7: goto seven; break;
case 8: goto eight; break;
case 9: goto nine; break;
case 10: goto ten; break;
default: break;
}
if (rand()%2==1) //Say Hello
{
if (rand()%3!=1) //To Friend (greater chance of friend than enemy)
{
display(6,7,"Hello Friend!");
display(6,8,"Good greetings to you.");
return 1;
one:;
consoleClear(); //Clears text
display(6,7,"Would you like to come in?");
return 2;
two:;
//Normally more complex complex code (such as interactions with inventories) would go here
}
else //To enemy
{
display(6,7,"Hello enemy!");
display(6,8,"I hate you!");
return 3;
three:;
consoleClear();
display(6,7,"Leave my house right now!!!");
return 4;
four:;
}
}
else //Say goodbye
{
if (rand()%4==1) //To Friend (lesser chance of friend than enemy)
{
display(6,7,"Goodbye Friend!");
display(6,8,"Good wishes to you.");
return 5;
five:;
consoleClear();
display(6,7,"I'll see you tomorrow.");
return 6;
six:;
consoleClear();
display(6,7,"Wait, I forgot to give you this present.");
return 7;
seven:;
}
else //To enemy
{
display(6,7,"Goodbye enemy!");
display(6,8,"I hate you!");
return 8;
eight:;
consoleClear();
display(6,7,"Never come back!!");
return 9;
nine:;
consoleClear();
display(6,7,"Good riddance!"); //I think I spelt that wrong...
return 10;
ten:;
}
return -1;
}
}
int main(void)
{
//Initializations/Setup
int location1 = -1, location2 = -1;
location1 = game(location1);
location2 = game(location2);
while (1)
{
scanKeys(); //Whenever checking key state this must be called
if (keysDown() & KEY_A) //A key is used to continue for player1
location1 = game(location1);
if (keysDown() & KEY_DOWN) //Down key is used to continue for player2
location2 = game(location2);
}
}
Aside from this method being a bad practice, in the actual source code, I have hundreds of gotos I would need to add which would be too time consuming.
Any help is appreciated. If anyone has the slightest of a question, or answer, please ask/reply.
Edit: Though it is not preferred to do so, I am willing to rewrite the game from scratch if someone has a method to do so.