State Managers

[torleif]

What's the best way to construct a state manager for a game?

For my game paper, we used this:

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//in game manager file:
class GameStateMgr;
//in current state file:
class currentState extends GameStateMgr

//when making a state:
mainStateManager = new currentState;

As you can see, it has its advantages, but changing states isn't that great.

I'm very lazy, and for my games so far I've used this:

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class gameState
gameState function state1
gameState function state2

in main loop:
switch gameState->getState(){
  case state1:gameState->state1
}

As you can see, it's a nasty way of managing states, but is easy to implement (but not extend). C++ coders like me are screaming on the inside about the memory leaks from this method

I'm probably missing a chapter or to from game dev 101. What's the best game state manager to use for a concrete base?

[BlindSide]

You have a game paper in Otago!? You bastards, we only get bread and butter compsci papers up here in auckland uni..

What language is that? Java or the like?

I don't think the state should extend the state manager, rather it should extend a state, and the state manager manages those.

Have a look at irrWizard it's a pretty concrete example of basic game state management in C++.

[torleif]

Game programing (Cosc360) is a fantastic paper, defiantly worth the three years at Otago to get there ><. Otago has a great compsci department, we beat Auckland a lot of the time in the prog competitions, despite our small size. In Cosc360 we program in C#, but as you tell my code is pseudocode

Thanks for the hint on a state manager btw, I've read & bookmarked IrrWizard for future reference

[rogerborg]

Uh, use a simple enum and a switch. If you have to keep "extending" your states, then you failed in your requirement or design phase.

[stevend]

like rogerborg said i would make an enum with all your states, and maybe poll the state manager in your game loop

i also make each basic GUI control attached to a state and setvisible to it depending on the current state when the statemanager is polled

that is just me