^ Week 02, Tuesday

▶ review design document

▶ review system architecture

game prototype

• establish console technique of choice
  • trace logging, download and install mm.cfg
  • in game HUD, e.g. com.pixeldroid.tools.osd.Console
• use pixeldroid libraries for controls and high scores
• controls: com.pixeldroid.r_c4d3.controls.fourplayer.FourPlayerControl
• scores: com.pixeldroid.r_c4d3.scoring.RemoteHighScores
• stub out every major state (screen)

testing strategies

• use cases — defining interactions between user and game
  • start from game flow diagrams in design document
  • add detail to areas of higher complexity
• test suites — verifying correct implementation of use cases
  • general testing structure
  • FlexUnit unit tests

profiling techniques

• timing
  • fps
  • function timing
  • execution counting
• identifying bottlenecks with window size
• processing – smaller window has no effect on frame rate
• rendering – smaller window improves frame rate

optimization strategies

less is more!

• test early; test often; optimize last
• do as few things simultaneously as possible
• reduce screen redraw
• share object instances rather than create new ones
• cache memory references, especially long dereferencing chains
• precalculate known values
• defer unnecessary calculations
• use fewer local scripts
• ignore inactive areas

readings

flash

• 100 AS3 Tips of the Day
• What About Flash (Flash Game Development)