This project has been created as part of the 42 curriculum by hbani-at.

So Long - A 2D Game Project

Description

So Long is a 2D game project developed as part of the 42 curriculum. The objective is to create a simple yet engaging game where the player must navigate a map, collect all items, and reach an exit to complete each level.

Project Goals

• Build a functional 2D game using the MLX (Mini LibX) graphics library
• Implement proper map parsing and validation with error handling
• Develop game mechanics including player movement and collision detection
• Practice structured C programming with modular design
• Create an interactive graphical user interface using MLX

Key Features

• Map-based Navigation: Load and render custom maps from .ber files
• Player Movement: Control the player character using WASD
• Collectibles: Gather all items scattered across the map
• Exit: Reach the exit after collecting all items
• Map Validation: Comprehensive validation to ensure maps are correctly formatted and solvable
• Flood Fill Algorithm: Verify that all collectibles and the exit are reachable
• Error Handling: Clear error messages for various failure scenarios
• Graphical Rendering: XPM-based sprite rendering for player, collectibles, walls, ground, and exit

Instructions

Requirements

1. GCC Compiler

What it is: The GNU C Compiler, used to compile C source code into executable programs.

Installation:

• Debian/Ubuntu:

  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get install gcc

• Fedora/RHEL/CentOS:

  sudo dnf install gcc

• macOS (if needed):

  xcode-select --install

Verify installation:

gcc --version

2. Linux Environment with X11 Libraries

What it is: X11 (X Window System) libraries are required for graphical display on Linux systems. MLX depends on these libraries to create windows and handle graphics.

Installation:

• Debian/Ubuntu:

  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get install libxext-dev libx11-dev libximg-dev

• Fedora/RHEL/CentOS:

  sudo dnf install libXext-devel libX11-devel libXrender-devel

• Arch Linux:

  sudo pacman -S libx11 libxext

Verify installation:

pkg-config --cflags --libs x11 xext

3. Make Build Tool

What it is: A tool for automating the compilation process using Makefiles.

Installation:

• Debian/Ubuntu:

  sudo apt-get install make

• Fedora/RHEL/CentOS:

  sudo dnf install make

• macOS:

  xcode-select --install

Verify installation:

make --version

4. MLX Library (Mini LibX)

What it is: A lightweight graphics library created by 42 school for educational purposes.

Status: ✅ Included in the project - The MLX library is already present in the mlx/ directory and will be compiled as part of the build process.

Installation (if you need to clone it separately):

If the mlx/ directory is missing or you want to install MLX separately, clone it from the official repository:

git clone https://github.com/42paris/minilibx-linux.git mlx

This will clone the MLX repository into a directory named mlx. The Makefile in this project is configured to look for MLX in this location.

Verify installation:

ls -la mlx/

You should see the MLX source files and configuration scripts in the directory.

Compilation

Navigate to the project directory and compile the project:

make

This will:

1. Compile the libft library (custom C library)
2. Compile the get_next_line module
3. Link all components together to create the so_long executable

To clean up object files:

make clean

To remove all compiled files and executables:

make fclean

To rebuild from scratch:

make re

Execution

Run the game with a valid map file:

./so_long maps/easy.ber

The executable requires exactly one argument: the path to a .ber map file.

Map Format

Maps must be in .ber format with the following requirements:

• Rectangular: All rows must have the same length
• Surrounded by Walls: The entire perimeter must be walls (1)
• Required Elements:
  • Exactly one player (P)
  • At least one collectible (C)
  • Exactly one exit (E)
  • Ground tiles (0)
  • Wall tiles (1)
• Valid Characters: Only the above characters are allowed
• Solvability: All collectibles and the exit must be reachable from the player's starting position

Example Map

111111111111
100P00000001
10000C00C001
1000000000E1
111111111111

Controls

• WASD: Move the player
• ESC or Close Button: Exit the game
• Move counter displayed in terminal showing number of moves taken

Resources

• MLX Man Pages
• MLX Documentation: Mini LibX Manual
• 42 School Subject: Official 42 project subject
• Flood Fill Algorithm: Classic pathfinding technique for connectivity verification
  • Flood Fill Wiki
  • Video on the concept of Flood Fill
  • Video on DFS Algorithm
• Enums in C: Enums in C

Project Structure

so_long/
├── main.c                    # Entry point and main game loop initialization
├── game.c                    # Game initialization and cleanup
├── map_loader.c              # Map file reading and parsing
├── map_validation.c          # Map format and structure validation
├── map_path_validation.c     # Flood fill algorithm for path validation
├── images.c                  # XPM image loading and initialization
├── rendering.c               # Game rendering loop
├── movement.c                # Player movement and input handling
├── error.c                   # Error handling and messaging
├── utils.c                   # Utility functions
├── so_long.h                 # Main header with structures and function declarations
├── libft/                    # Custom C library (includes list operations, string manipulation)
├── get_next_line/            # Buffer-based line reading utility
├── mlx/                      # Mini LibX graphics library
├── textures/                 # XPM sprite files
├── maps/                     # Sample and test map files
└── Makefile                  # Build configuration

Key Functions

• game_init(): Initializes game state and loads resources
• map_load(): Reads and parses the map file
• map_validate(): Validates map structure and format
• map_validate_path(): Uses flood fill to verify all elements are reachable
• render_map(): Main rendering function called in the game loop
• player_move(): Handles keyboard input and player movement
• init_images(): Loads XPM sprites for all game elements

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Author: hbani-at
Project Type: 42 Curriculum - Graphics/Game Development
Language: C
Graphics Library: MLX (Mini LibX)