so_long

Description

This project is part of the 42 school curriculum, showcasing a simple 2D maze game where players navigate a character through a map to collect items and find an exit. The game is developed using the MLX42 library, which is included within the project for rendering.

Compilation and Execution

This game is designed to run on systems with the MLX42 library configured. Follow these steps to compile and run the game:

1. Clone the repository and navigate to the project directory.
2. Compile the game using make:

   make
   

   This generates an executable named so_long.
3. To start the game, run:

   ./so_long path/to/map.ber
   

   Ensure you replace path/to/map.ber with the path to your game map in .ber format.

Controls

• W or ↑: Move up.
• A or ←: Move left.
• S or ↓: Move down.
• D or →: Move right.

The goal is to collect all collectibles and proceed through the exit to complete the level.

Project Code Flow

1. Initialization: Sets up the MLX42 window, loads textures for the player, walls, collectibles, and exit, and initializes game state.
2. Map Parsing: Reads and validates the .ber map file, ensuring correct formatting and the presence of essential elements.
3. Game Loop:
   • Responds to player input for movement.
   • Updates the player's position if the move is valid (i.e., not into walls or outside the map).
   • Redraws only the player's previous and new positions to optimize rendering, rather than the entire map.
   • Checks for win conditions: collecting all items and reaching the exit.
4. Winning Condition: Displays a congratulatory message upon successful collection and exit, then cleans up resources.
5. Cleanup: Frees textures and map data to avoid memory leaks, ensuring a clean exit.

Efficient Rendering

To optimize performance, the game intelligently updates only parts of the screen that change:

• When the player moves, the game erases the player's previous position and redraws the player at the new location.
• The map remains static unless a collectible is picked up, at which point only the affected tile is updated.
• This approach minimizes redraw calls, enhancing the game's responsiveness and reducing CPU load.

Gameplay

Note

This project uses the MLX42 library for rendering, which is included with the project. This ensures that the project is self-contained and does not require external dependencies for graphics rendering.