Thread: 2 options.... which way should I go?

I'm making an ASCII tile-based game. Which way should i go? Should I refresh the console every frame? (like a regular game)

or should I use gotoxy() to cut down the refresh time but add complexity.

Vote and comment.

Simple is always better, except when it is unquestionably inefficient ( bubblesort ). Go with the option that will save you time porting the game in the future and is easier to code/understand now.

-Prelude

Ok. Anyone else?

Heheh
>Ok. Anyone else?
Translation: That wasn't the answer I wanted, go away.

-Prelude

Well, I will disagree because refreshing the map on a console looks awful. gotoxy() will be good experience because it resembles dirty rectangles in "regular" games.

>Well, I will disagree because refreshing the map on a console looks awful


He speaks truth there. If you were not doing a console game, I would refresh the map, but refreshing in console does look awful. Its all flashy and seizure-causing.....

So use gotoxy().

>Translation: That wasn't the answer I wanted, go away.


I thought it might sound like that. Not what I intended.

Poke me with a stick; this is what I have.
It should compile (except for the clrscr() which i haven't even used yet - I will) (You can actually comment it out if you wish to compile)

Code:

#include <iostream.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <windows.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <fstream.h>
#define _clrscr
//nclude <monkey.h>


typedef enum UPARAM {ZIP,UP,DOWN,LEFT,RIGHT,Q,A,Z,W,S,X};

int COL_MAX = 49;
int ROW_MAX = 11;
int PLAYERX = 1;
int PLAYERY = 13;
int WINPLAYERX = PLAYERY;
int WINPLAYERY = PLAYERX; 

char ITEM = 'O';
char PLAYER = (char)1;
char ItemMessage[50] = "You picked up an item!";
int ItemMessageLength = strlen(ItemMessage);
char GamePath[50];
char* message = new char[50];

char MAP[11][49]    =  {"++____________________________________________++",
						"||   |O     |#                                ||",
						"||   |      |---------------_                 ||",
						"||   |      |>              |---_----------_  ||",
						"||   |                      | O |          |  ||",
						"||   |      |>     |        |   |          |  ||",
						"||   |      |      |        |                 ||",
						"||   |______|______|         ---------------  ||",
						"||                                            ||",
						"||--------------------------------------------||",
						"++============================================++"};

void display();
int ReadFiles();
int QueryGame();
int Log(const char* output);
void gotoxy(int x,int y);
UPARAM PassParam(UPARAM Uparam);

int main()
{
	//QueryGame();
	//ReadFiles();
	message = " ";
	char input;
	char arrow;
	UPARAM Uparam = ZIP;
	display();
/////////////GAME PUMP/////////////GAME PUMP////////////////////
/////////////GAME PUMP/////////////GAME PUMP////////////////////
/////////////GAME PUMP/////////////GAME PUMP////////////////////
	while(1)
	{
		
		//OUTPUT MESSAGE (BLANK IF THERE IS NOTHING TO SAY)
		if(!strcmpi(message," "))
		{
		}
		else
		{
		gotoxy(ROW_MAX,COL_MAX);
		printf(message);
		printf("          ");
		gotoxy(ROW_MAX,COL_MAX);
		//Log();
		while(!kbhit());
		}
		message = " ";


		input = getch();
		//IF ARROW KEY...
		if((int)input == -32)
			{
				arrow = getch();
				switch(arrow)
					{
				case 'H':
					{
						Uparam = UP;
					}break;
				case 'P':
					{
						Uparam = DOWN;
					}break;
				case 'K':
					{
						Uparam = LEFT;
					}break;
				case 'M':
					{
						Uparam = RIGHT;
					}break;
					}

				}
		//IF OTHER THAN ARROW KEY...
			else
			{
				switch(input)
				{
				case 'x':
					{
						return 0;
					}break;
					}
			}


		//SEND MESSAGE
		PassParam(Uparam);
		}
/////////////END GAME PUMP/////////////END GAME PUMP////////////////////
/////////////END GAME PUMP/////////////END GAME PUMP////////////////////
/////////////END GAME PUMP/////////////END GAME PUMP////////////////////

	return 0;
}

void display()
{
	char displayer;
    for(int loop2 = 0; loop2 < ROW_MAX; loop2++)
    {
    for(int loop1 = 0; loop1 < COL_MAX; loop1++)
    {
        displayer = MAP[loop2][loop1];
        printf("%c",displayer);
        if(loop1 == (COL_MAX - 1))
            printf("\n");
    }
    }
}


UPARAM PassParam(UPARAM Uparam)
{
	switch(Uparam)
	{
	case UP:
		{
			if(MAP[PLAYERX - 1][PLAYERY] != ' ')
			{
				if(MAP[PLAYERX - 1][PLAYERY] == ITEM)
				{
					message = ItemMessage;
					gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY);
					printf(" ");
					gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY - 1);
					printf("%c",PLAYER);
					gotoxy(0,ROW_MAX);
					PLAYERX = PLAYERX - 1;
					WINPLAYERY = PLAYERX;
				}
				else
				{
				}
			}
			else
			{
			gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY);
			printf(" ");
			gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY - 1);
			printf("%c",PLAYER);
			gotoxy(0,ROW_MAX);
			PLAYERX = PLAYERX - 1;
			WINPLAYERY = PLAYERX;

			}
			
		}break;
	case DOWN:
		{
			if(MAP[PLAYERX + 1][PLAYERY] != ' ')
			{
				if(MAP[PLAYERX + 1][PLAYERY] == ITEM)
				{
					message = ItemMessage;
					gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY);
					printf(" ");
					gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY + 1);
					printf("%c",PLAYER);
					gotoxy(0,ROW_MAX);
					PLAYERX = PLAYERX + 1;
					WINPLAYERY = PLAYERX;
				}
				else
				{
				}
			}
			else
			{
			gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY);
			printf(" ");
			gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY + 1);
			printf("%c",PLAYER);
			gotoxy(0,ROW_MAX);
			PLAYERX = PLAYERX + 1;
			WINPLAYERY = PLAYERX;
			}
		
		}break;
	case LEFT:
		{
			if(MAP[PLAYERX][PLAYERY - 1] != ' ')
			{
				if(MAP[PLAYERX][PLAYERY - 1] == ITEM)
				{
					message = ItemMessage;
					gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY);
					printf(" ");
					gotoxy(WINPLAYERX - 1,WINPLAYERY);
					printf("%c",PLAYER);
					gotoxy(0,ROW_MAX);
					PLAYERY = PLAYERY - 1;
					WINPLAYERX = PLAYERY;
				}
				else
				{
				}
			}
			else
			{
			gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY);
			printf(" ");
			gotoxy(WINPLAYERX - 1,WINPLAYERY);
			printf("%c",PLAYER);
			gotoxy(0,ROW_MAX);
			PLAYERY = PLAYERY - 1;
			WINPLAYERX = PLAYERY;
			}
	
		}break;
	case RIGHT:
		{
			if(MAP[PLAYERX][PLAYERY + 1] != ' ')
			{
				if(MAP[PLAYERX][PLAYERY + 1] == ITEM)
				{
					message = ItemMessage;
					gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY);
					printf(" ");
					gotoxy(WINPLAYERX +1,WINPLAYERY);
					printf("%c",PLAYER);
					gotoxy(0,ROW_MAX);
					PLAYERY = PLAYERY + 1;
					WINPLAYERX = PLAYERY;
				}
				else
				{
				}
			}
			else
			{
			gotoxy(WINPLAYERX,WINPLAYERY);
			printf(" ");
			gotoxy(WINPLAYERX + 1,WINPLAYERY);
			printf("%c",PLAYER);
			gotoxy(0,ROW_MAX);
			PLAYERY = PLAYERY + 1;
			WINPLAYERX = PLAYERY;
			}
			
		}break;
	default:
		{
		}break;
	}
	return ZIP;
}

int ReadFiles()
{
	char* COLMAX = new char[2];
	char* ROWMAX = new char[2];

	ifstream FileReader(GamePath/*\\boarddimensions.txt*/);
	FileReader>>ROWMAX;
	FileReader>>COLMAX;
	FileReader.close();
	COL_MAX = atoi(COLMAX);
	return 0;
}

int QueryGame()
{
	printf("Input game path\n");
	cin.getline(GamePath,50,'\n');
	ReadFiles();
	clrscr();
	return 0;
}

int Log(const char* output)
{
	ofstream writer(GamePath/*\\Log.txt*/);
	writer<<message<<endl;

	return 0;
}

void gotoxy(int x, int y)
{
   COORD coord;
   coord.X = x;
   coord.Y = y;
   SetConsoleCursorPosition(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), coord);
}