Program Overview
My program is a video game based on such titles as Raiden and Strikers 1945. The user looks down on the action from above, controlling a fighter plane that can be translated on the X and Y axes. The object of the game is to shoot down the enemy planes that come in from the top of the screen, surviving for as long as possible. The indication of achievement once the game is over is the kill count. In my game, the method of control is the mouse pointer, which the plane follows as constrained by its maximum speed and the edges of the screen.
In these games, the terrain scrolls from top to bottom, giving the simulation of flight over some distance. Instead of having a pre-defined level design like most shooters, my program has randomly-generated terrain and randomly-spawning enemies.
Hit detection is implemented using bounding spheres around all objects. When an enemy plane is hit by a shot, it explodes as a sphere which illuminates the scene and changes color to give it some realism.
The player's life is indicated on the bottom of the screen, which decrements with every hit the player's plane sustains. The game is over when the player's life is reduced to zero.
When the game is over, the score is displayed to the screen.