Video Game Design and Coding

PLECK lesson 151 · suggested week 31, day 1

Harden input and boundary behavior

Objective. Handle held, repeated and unavailable actions correctly.

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.

Input robustness, rule completion, challenge and progress

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: Godot Standard 4.7.2 desktop editor (GDScript, Compatibility renderer), Local course folder and prior checkpoint, No paid assets or public account required.

Comes after VGC-L150.

Test your core control at the edges of valid use. Movement needs held input and boundary handling; a menu choice needs one activation; planting needs enough resources; jumping needs a grounded condition. Write four cases: ordinary action, held action, rapid repeat and unavailable action. Choose the expected result before running. Fix the handler or guard rather than masking the issue with a visual effect. Preserve alternate controls and focus behavior while changing input code.

Worked example

A repeat-input test might press a one-time choice rapidly. The accepted event happens once, while later calls observe the changed state and do nothing. Scaffold C-PLATFORM — A gravity-and-jump platform player Setup: CharacterBody2D root Player, child CollisionShape2D RectangleShape2D size (24,32), no scale changes. Layer 1 mask 2. StaticBody2D floor layer 2 mask 1 with rectangular collider. Add Input Map move_left, move_right and jump bound to Space. Place player above floor, not intersecting it. Coordinates use positive y downward. Attach script to Player. ```gdscript extends CharacterBody2D @export var speed: float = 160.0 @export var gravity: float = 900.0 @export var jump_speed: float = 340.0 func _draw() -> void: draw_rect(Rect2(-12, -16, 24, 32), Color.SKY_BLUE) draw_line(Vector2(-8, -4), Vector2(8, -4), Color.BLACK, 2.0) func _physics_process(delta: float) -> void: velocity.x = Input.get_axis("move_left", "move_right") * speed if not is_on_floor(): velocity.y += gravity * delta if Input.is_action_just_pressed("jump") and is_on_floor(): velocity.y = -jump_speed move_and_slide() ``` Scaffold C-DIALOGUE — Data-driven branching dialogue without personal data Setup: Create Control root Dialogue with VBoxContainer Box containing Label Line and Buttons A and B. Set Box anchors to full rect; Line autowrap if needed. Attach script to Dialogue. Data keys are fictional scene IDs. All three screens can fit in 640x360. This is a self-contained example; replace story text in the assignment. ```gdscript extends Control var page: String = "start" var story: Dictionary = { "start": {"text": "Two paths enter the archive.", "choices": [["Ask the keeper", "keeper"], ["Read a sign", "sign"]]}, "keeper": {"text": "The keeper offers a map.", "choices": [["Return", "start"]]}, "sign": {"text": "Quiet room to the east.", "choices": [["Return", "start"]]} } func _ready() -> void: $Box/A.pressed.connect(_choose.bind(0)) $Box/B.pressed.connect(_choose.bind(1)) _show() func _show() -> void: var entry: Dictionary = story[page] $Box/Line.text = entry["text"] var buttons: Array[Button] = [$Box/A, $Box/B] for i in range(buttons.size()): buttons[i].visible = i < entry["choices"].size() if buttons[i].visible: buttons[i].text = entry["choices"][i][0] $Box/A.grab_focus() func _choose(index: int) -> void: var choices: Array = story[page]["choices"] if index < 0 or index >= choices.size(): return page = str(choices[index][1]) _show() ``` Scaffold C-INVENTORY — Dictionary inventory with guarded spending Setup: Attach to Node InventoryLab for standalone testing. In a real level put the same functions on its inventory node and update UI after successful calls. Item IDs are short fixed strings, never a player’s name. A key represents one item type and its integer value is the quantity. ```gdscript extends Node var items: Dictionary = {"seed": 0, "water": 0} func add_item(id: String, amount: int = 1) -> bool: if not items.has(id) or amount <= 0: return false items[id] = int(items[id]) + amount return true func spend(id: String, amount: int = 1) -> bool: if not items.has(id) or amount <= 0 or int(items[id]) < amount: return false items[id] = int(items[id]) - amount return true func _ready() -> void: assert(add_item("seed", 2)) assert(spend("seed", 1)) assert(not spend("seed", 2)) assert(items["seed"] == 1) ```

A gravity-and-jump platform player

GDScript (Godot 4, not Scratch, Python, JavaScript or C#). Scaffold C-PLATFORM. Copy starts from this text. The desk does not run it.

Scene and node setup

CharacterBody2D root Player, child CollisionShape2D RectangleShape2D size (24,32), no scale changes. Layer 1 mask 2. StaticBody2D floor layer 2 mask 1 with rectangular collider. Add Input Map move_left, move_right and jump bound to Space. Place player above floor, not intersecting it. Coordinates use positive y downward. Attach script to Player.

extends CharacterBody2D
@export var speed: float = 160.0
@export var gravity: float = 900.0
@export var jump_speed: float = 340.0
func _draw() -> void:
    draw_rect(Rect2(-12, -16, 24, 32), Color.SKY_BLUE)
    draw_line(Vector2(-8, -4), Vector2(8, -4), Color.BLACK, 2.0)
func _physics_process(delta: float) -> void:
    velocity.x = Input.get_axis("move_left", "move_right") * speed
    if not is_on_floor():
        velocity.y += gravity * delta
    if Input.is_action_just_pressed("jump") and is_on_floor():
        velocity.y = -jump_speed
    move_and_slide()

Checks to run in the editor

  • Player lands without sinking.
  • Holding jump does not repeatedly jump in air.
  • Do not multiply the whole velocity by delta before move_and_slide.

Native Godot 4.7.2.stable.official.ed1daf0bf headless compile and representative node-tree/runtime tests passed; see native-qa-results.json. Visual UI, audible output, exports and website submission still need separate checks.

Data-driven branching dialogue without personal data

GDScript (Godot 4, not Scratch, Python, JavaScript or C#). Scaffold C-DIALOGUE. Copy starts from this text. The desk does not run it.

Scene and node setup

Create Control root Dialogue with VBoxContainer Box containing Label Line and Buttons A and B. Set Box anchors to full rect; Line autowrap if needed. Attach script to Dialogue. Data keys are fictional scene IDs. All three screens can fit in 640x360. This is a self-contained example; replace story text in the assignment.

extends Control
var page: String = "start"
var story: Dictionary = {
    "start": {"text": "Two paths enter the archive.", "choices": [["Ask the keeper", "keeper"], ["Read a sign", "sign"]]},
    "keeper": {"text": "The keeper offers a map.", "choices": [["Return", "start"]]},
    "sign": {"text": "Quiet room to the east.", "choices": [["Return", "start"]]}
}
func _ready() -> void:
    $Box/A.pressed.connect(_choose.bind(0))
    $Box/B.pressed.connect(_choose.bind(1))
    _show()
func _show() -> void:
    var entry: Dictionary = story[page]
    $Box/Line.text = entry["text"]
    var buttons: Array[Button] = [$Box/A, $Box/B]
    for i in range(buttons.size()):
        buttons[i].visible = i < entry["choices"].size()
        if buttons[i].visible:
            buttons[i].text = entry["choices"][i][0]
    $Box/A.grab_focus()
func _choose(index: int) -> void:
    var choices: Array = story[page]["choices"]
    if index < 0 or index >= choices.size():
        return
    page = str(choices[index][1])
    _show()

Checks to run in the editor

  • Both start choices work.
  • Return works from each branch; hidden B cannot trigger a nonexistent choice.

Native Godot 4.7.2.stable.official.ed1daf0bf headless compile and representative node-tree/runtime tests passed; see native-qa-results.json. Visual UI, audible output, exports and website submission still need separate checks.

Dictionary inventory with guarded spending

GDScript (Godot 4, not Scratch, Python, JavaScript or C#). Scaffold C-INVENTORY. Copy starts from this text. The desk does not run it.

Scene and node setup

Attach to Node InventoryLab for standalone testing. In a real level put the same functions on its inventory node and update UI after successful calls. Item IDs are short fixed strings, never a player’s name. A key represents one item type and its integer value is the quantity.

extends Node
var items: Dictionary = {"seed": 0, "water": 0}
func add_item(id: String, amount: int = 1) -> bool:
    if not items.has(id) or amount <= 0:
        return false
    items[id] = int(items[id]) + amount
    return true
func spend(id: String, amount: int = 1) -> bool:
    if not items.has(id) or amount <= 0 or int(items[id]) < amount:
        return false
    items[id] = int(items[id]) - amount
    return true
func _ready() -> void:
    assert(add_item("seed", 2))
    assert(spend("seed", 1))
    assert(not spend("seed", 2))
    assert(items["seed"] == 1)

Checks to run in the editor

  • Spending more than owned returns false and does not change inventory.
  • Unknown IDs and nonpositive amounts are rejected.

Native Godot 4.7.2.stable.official.ed1daf0bf headless compile and representative node-tree/runtime tests passed; see native-qa-results.json. Visual UI, audible output, exports and website submission still need separate checks.

Harden input and boundary behavior — evidence task

  1. 1. Run four input-edge cases appropriate to your genre.
  2. 2. Repair any duplicate or invalid-action behavior.

Deliverable. Input-hardening checkpoint and four-case table.

Acceptance checks

  • VGC-L151-T1. Rapid repeat cannot duplicate a one-time reward.
  • VGC-L151-T2. Unavailable actions leave protected state unchanged.

Understanding question. Why can a held action and a just-pressed action need different handlers?

Include a downloadable project ZIP with project.godot, .tscn, .gd and original asset files when code changes. A private, teacher-accessible download link to that ZIP is equivalent. Screenshots or a playthrough do not replace editable source.

If this is still shaky. Work on one task-board item at a time and checkpoint after each passing test. Do not expand the room count yet. Start with the first assigned task and re-run its acceptance test before adding the remaining feature.

Optional extra. Add a harmless alternate input or optional route after required mechanics pass. Document one changed parameter, your prediction, and the observed effect; optional, not required for completion.

Turn in typed notes and a JPEG, PNG, or WebP screenshot. One https address is stored as text and is not opened, extracted, or run. An MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4, or WebM file up to 4 MB can show a demo. The demo does not replace editable source. Zip and code files are refused. If there is no private link, keep the project on the family computer and review the code in person.

  • Your first 2D game

    Free public tutorial; no account; external asset download is optional, not used by this course.

    · Opening this link does not submit the lesson.

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