Writing the game's behaviour.
WHAT LANGUAGES ENGINES USE
A managed language with an editor-integrated workflow A systems language with a visual scripting alternative Scripting languages in lighter engines
WHAT VISUAL SCRIPTING PROVIDES
Logic built without writing code, accessible to designers.
WHAT IT COSTS
Difficulty at scale, and harder version control.
WHAT TO KEEP IN CODE
Systems, and anything complex.
WHAT TO EXPOSE TO DESIGNERS
Values and configuration, editable without code changes.
WHY THAT MATTERS
Balancing requires hundreds of small adjustments, and each requiring a programmer is intolerable.
WHAT TO AVOID IN GAMEPLAY CODE
Work in per-frame updates that need not happen every frame Searching the scene for objects repeatedly Allocating memory in hot paths
WHY ALLOCATION MATTERS
Garbage collection pauses cause visible stutter.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
Cache references, reuse objects, and pool.
WHAT STATE MACHINES PROVIDE
Clear handling of behaviours with distinct modes.
WHERE THEY SUIT
Character states, artificial opponents, and interface flow.
WHAT TO AVOID
Deeply nested conditionals expressing state implicitly.
WHAT TO SEPARATE
Game logic from presentation, so logic can be tested.
