reduce flickering..and more

How could I reduce the flickering? Is there such thing as double buffering in text mode? Also, how do I stop the skipping? Say if I held D to go right it would skip some of the diamonds and left angles.
I am using Borland C++ 4.5 to compile it for DOS.

Attached is the source.
wsad and q to quit.

First of all, first column (up-left) is (1,1) so you're missing some in your drawboard()

Second
scr[i][rand()%MAXY] = WALL;
scr[rand()%MAXX][i] = DEATH;

This means that you do not initialize the whole array (it might happen, but think not). Other thing is that you initialize something that is NOT in your array (scr[200][200]!).

Prefer to use this kind of method

for(int i = 0; i < MAXX; i++)
for(int j = 0; j < MAXY; j++)
switch(rand() % 2)
{
case 0: scr[i][j] = WALL; break;
...
}

For the flickering. Note that you don't need to redraw the whole screen once you move. Just replace the old xy coordinates after the player has moved with the respective tile:

void getInput(void)
{ // Gets player's input
c = getch();
scr[x][y] = WALL;
gotoxy(x, y); // remember to take care of the thing I first mentioned
printf("%c", scr[x][y]);

If you're going to update the screen as in Dungeon Crawl dig out how to use gettext() & puttext() functions.

First of all, first column (up-left) is (1,1)

So then I would have to change all coordinates and counters to 1, right?
Also, I tried to reduce the flickering by using your first solution with the above changes and now I have the problem of it exiting after drawing the board. I've put the drawboard function above main() and removed clrscr().

Check out http://edu.jamsa.fi/~thusu/prog/source/movegame.cpp to get a find out the usage of `old' coordinates - then place this to the `getInput()' (and remember to

Code:

void getInput(void)
{  // Gets player's input
    c = getch();

    /*  where player was  */
    gotoxy(x+1, y+1); // Silly me...
    printf("%c", scr[x][y]);

//  Handle movement

  if(map[x][y] == WALL)
      { x  = oldx;  y = oldy; }
//  Rest of the specal cases

    gotoxy(x, y);
    printf("@");
}

> now I have the problem of it exiting after drawing the board.

But, but... changes to `fillArray()' shouldn't affect there. But you might as well clean it up a bit:

Code:

void drawboard(void)
{ // draws player field
  int i,j;
  printf("\n");
  for(i = 0;i < MAXX;i++)
  {
	for(j = 0;j<MAXY;j++)
	{
     switch(scr[i][j])
     {
        case WALL: textcolor(0);  break;
        ...
     }
	 cprintf("%c",scr[i][j]);
	}
	printf("\n");
  }
}

Note the removal of
scr[x][y] = PLAYER;
scr[computerx][computery] = computer;
since the player is now kind of like a layer of its own _on_ the map (I'll leave the implementation of `computer' to a similar system to you).

I think that all your recommendations are applied properly now. The only real problem left is the one that I mentioned in my previous reply about it exiting after drawing/displaying the playing field.

Here's my main():

Code:

int main()
{ srand((unsigned)time(NULL));
  textbackground(1);
  clrscr();
  fillArray();
  drawboard();
  while(game)
  {
	computerAI();
	while(kbhit())
	{getInput();}
	if(left == 0 || player.health == 0|| computer.health == 0)
	{game = 0;}
  }

 return 0;
}

Another problem that I could use help on is to limit the number of objects. Right now it's near impossible to play without being modified first.

wsad and ESC to quit

Here's code updated.

This one looks better... (You fix the rest - I've been online far too long...)

why do I get these errors when compiling game.c with Bloodshed Dev-c++?

C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x2c):game.c: undefined reference to `textbackground'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x34):game.c: undefined reference to `clrscr'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x246):game.c: undefined reference to `textcolor'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x256):game.c: undefined reference to `textcolor'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x266):game.c: undefined reference to `textcolor'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x276):game.c: undefined reference to `textcolor'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x286):game.c: undefined reference to `textcolor'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x29c):game.c: undefined reference to `gotoxy'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x2ce):game.c: undefined reference to `cprintf'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x312):game.c: undefined reference to `gotoxy'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x34a):game.c: undefined reference to `cprintf'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x42b):game.c: undefined reference to `gotoxy'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x43b):game.c: undefined reference to `cprintf'
C:\DOCUME~1\Alain\LOCALS~1\Temp\cc69aaaa.o(.text+0 x4c2):game.c: undefined reference to `gotoxy'