Video Game Design and Coding · PLECK lesson

PLECK lesson 119 · suggested week 24, day 4

Explain browser save limitations and local backup

Objective. Distinguish source backups from player progress storage.

Godot Engine Standard desktop editor 4.7.2-stable, GDScript (Godot 4), Compatibility renderer. Headless Godot 4.7.2.stable.official.ed1daf0bf passed 106 assertions on the supplied scaffolds, including malformed JSON saves. Audio used the Dummy driver and a synthetic WAV, not a speaker. The visual editor, browser export, and signed-in submission were not tested. The desk still does not run a student's own upload.

About 55 minutes. The due date is chosen by a parent.

Reset, settings, deterministic state and a tested resource game

Suggested pace: Recall and predict 5 min; Read instruction and scaffold 12 min; Build or design the assigned artifact 25 min; Run acceptance tests 8 min; Explain and checkpoint 5 min.

Materials: Paper and pencil or a private text document, Local course folder and prior checkpoint, No paid assets or public account required.

Comes after VGC-L118.

A source ZIP backs up the game’s code and assets, not automatically its user:// progress. Desktop saves usually live outside the project folder. Browser exports use browser-managed storage that may be unavailable or cleared in private browsing, embedded contexts or storage cleanup. Do not promise permanent progress in a web build without testing. The required assessment uses the local editor and course-only saves. Write how a teacher can reproduce a save test without accessing your unrelated personal files.

Worked example

A reset matrix separates round score, saved progress and comfort preferences. Restarting a round may clear score while retaining a mute preference, if documented.

Explain browser save limitations and local backup — evidence task

  1. 1. Add source-versus-progress backup notes to the readme.
  2. 2. Write a reproducible local save-test procedure and list browser limitations.

Deliverable. Persistence readme and local test procedure.

Acceptance checks

Understanding question. Does a source-code backup guarantee a player’s saved progress is backed up?

Submit readable text or photos/scans of each numbered design page. Audio explanation may supplement a diagram or text, not replace requested artifacts.

If this is still shaky. If full world persistence is too large, use the documented checkpoint-only reset policy. Do not claim unsaved flags persist. Start with the first assigned task and re-run its acceptance test before adding the remaining feature.

Optional extra. Add one small validated setting using a separate save field or configuration file. Document one changed parameter, your prediction, and the observed effect; optional, not required for completion.

Name ____________________ Date ____________________