Hello all.
I have a somewhat general question about game architecture. I'm gonna
make a squad-level isometric game. I have tiles, unit animations,..
e.t.c. And the question is, how I should design the graphical subsystem.
Options:
I. The game screen is updated tile-by-tile, only changed tiles
(including characters moving thereon) at a specified rate (anomation
speed).
GUIis treated separately. Once animation has stoppped, I poll input
events and handle them until a unit has received an order. Then I call
the animation loop.
Such things as burning things, smoke e.t.c. should be animated only
during this "interface" loop. Same go to scrolling.
BTW: Remember, in XCOM all smoke and fire tiles freezed when units were
acting, and came back alive after they had accomplished thier orders. I
suppose they used this approach.
II. Doing everithing synchronously.
There's one main loop, which never stops polling, handling events (Game
screen then GUI), and immediately updating the whole screen without any
delay. The game mechnics is synchronised by virtue of some game-event
queue wherein events are bound to their times, so that GFX (frames per
second) are independant of the game speed.
This latter method seems easier and more versatile, but is't too
CPU-heavy (like using an oscilloscope to drive nails in, or to shoot at
birds from a mortar)?
Thanks in advance for feedback,
Anton
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