LÖVE

• Instead of using table.maxn, you should just use the # operator - table.maxn has its place, but when you're manipulating the table through table.insert and table.remove, # works just fine. Example:

  Code: Select all

  if #player.points >= player.max_length then

• At line 74, I think you mean math.randomseed(os.time()). It also shouldn't really be necessary to call math.randomseed more than once - I usually do it in love.load(). I guess it is a way of throwing more perceived randomness into the mix, though.
• One of the quirks of Lua's PRNG (and, by extension, rand()) is that on some platforms, the first number is not nearly as random as it ought to be, and will often be the same even with different starting seeds. Thus, to ensure the illusion of randomness, it's generally a good idea to burn a math.random after each math.randomseed call (which is another reason why simply doing it once in love.load is kinda nice).

• Code: Select all

  UP = {x = 0, y = -1}
  DOWN = {x = 0, y = 1}
  LEFT = {x = -1, y = 0}
  RIGHT = {x = 1, y = 0}

  Using a single table to contain them is more Luaic:

  Code: Select all

  directions = {up = {x = 0, y = -1}, down = {x = 0, y = 1}, ...}

  Usually, people do this then:

  Code: Select all

  player.dir = 'up'

  and

  Code: Select all

  player.x = player.x + directions[player.dir].x * player.speed

  If you go a bit further, you can replace the first part of love.keypressed with three lines, as a general way of changing direction.

• Code: Select all

  apples.color = {r = 255, g = 0, b = 0}

  Colors are usually done like:

  Code: Select all

  apples.color = {255, 0, 0}

  This has the nice implication that you can use

  Code: Select all

  love.graphics.setColor(unpack(apples.color))

• Also, you use setColor in a loop. You can pull them out of there, you only need to set the color once.

anjo wrote:Instead of using table.maxn, you should just use the # operator

anjo wrote:One of the quirks of Lua's PRNG (and, by extension, rand()) is that on some platforms, the first number is not nearly as random as it ought to be, and will often be the same even with different starting seeds.

Robin wrote:Using a single table to contain them is more Luaic

if key == "up" or key == "down" or key == "left" or key == "right" then
  if math.abs(directions[player.dir].x) ~= math.abs(directions[key].x) and math.abs(directions[player.dir].y) ~= math.abs(directions[key].y) then
    player.dir = key
  end
end

Robin wrote:Colors are usually done like

walesmd wrote:if Lua allows using a table as a key for another table.

local t1 = { x = 0, y = 0 }
local t2 = { x = 0, y = 0 }

if t1 == t2 then
  -- never happens, t1 and t2 are two distinct tables
end

local t = {}
t[ t1 ] = 1
print( t[ t2 ] ) -- prints nil

walesmd wrote:Oddly enough this game is running at 300FPS at work and only 60FPS at home

walesmd wrote:

Code: Select all

if key == "up" or key == "down" or key == "left" or key == "right" then
  if math.abs(directions[player.dir].x) ~= math.abs(directions[key].x) and math.abs(directions[player.dir].y) ~= math.abs(directions[key].y) then
    player.dir = key
  end
end

up = {x = 0, y = -1, opposite = 'down'}

if directions[key] and directions[key].opposite ~= player.dir then
  player.dir = key
end